Exploring Past Events

create lesson plan for history for autistic students Students look at images of past events including natural, sporting, cultural events and interesting discoveries. They explore how these events tell stories about different places and understand the diversity of historical events in communities. Students identify and categorise the types of events depicted, demonstrating their understanding of historical events and their significance. Possible teacher questions include: • What types of events do you think these images represent? • Do you think these events are natural, sporting, cultural, discoveries or a mix of different types? Students watch a video about a significant past event, such as an earthquake, to engage them with historical content. Students begin to understand the story being told and its importance to the community. Students answer questions about the story, its significance and what people might remember about the event, allowing them to demonstrate their understanding. Ask the questions: • What story is being told in the video? • Why do you think this event is important? • What do you think people remember about the earthquake? Students observe pictures of artefacts and historical sources from the local area to help them learn about a community's past. Students work with a learning partner to discuss and identify the artefacts and consider how they can use them to learn about the past. must be engaging

Year Level

Year 2 (7 students, autistic learners)

Duration

40 minutes

Curriculum Alignment

This lesson aligns specifically with the NSW History Syllabus for Year 2 according to the NSW Curriculum for Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS), focusing on the understanding of historical events and stories in local and broader communities.

Relevant Learning Outcomes:

HTe-2: Use sources to ask questions about the past and locate information.
HT1-1: Recognise and describe significant people, events and places in their community.
HT1-2: Retell stories of people, events and objects from the past.
HT1-3: Pose and respond to questions about the past and present.
HT1-4: Understand that the past can be represented in different ways.
HT1-5: Identify and describe aspects of the past that have influenced the community and their current lives.

The lesson integrates multimodal learning and partner discussion, which supports diverse learners including autistic students, addressing language, social, and sensory needs.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Identify and categorise different types of past events (natural, sporting, cultural, discoveries).
Understand how images and artefacts tell stories about different places and communities.
Demonstrate understanding of the significance of historical events to communities.
Collaborate with peers to discuss and interpret historical artefacts.

Materials Required

A set of printed/images of past events including:
- Natural events (e.g. flood, bushfire)
- Sporting events (e.g. early Olympic games in Australia, Aboriginal sports)
- Cultural events (e.g. local festivals, NAIDOC Week celebrations)
- Discoveries (e.g. early transport, farming tools)
A short engaging video (3-4 minutes) about a significant past natural event, for example a past earthquake in Australia.
Pictures of local artefacts and historical sources (reproductions or photos).
Visual schedule for the lesson.
Visual aids with keywords and prompt questions.
Recording sheets for students to draw or write short responses (with options for minimal writing—drawing or stickers acceptable).
Communication supports (symbols, emotion cards, choice boards etc. as appropriate for autistic students).

Lesson Procedure

Time	Activity	Description	Teacher’s Role	Learning Strategy
0-5 mins	Introduction & Engagement	Gather students in a calm, structured setting. Use visual schedule to show the lesson steps. Introduce topic: “Today we will learn about past events that tell stories about places and people.”	Use clear, simple language, pause for understanding. Use visual supports.	Direct instruction with visual support.
5-15 mins	Activity 1: Explore Images of Past Events	Show images of various past events. Ask students: “What type of event is this? Is it natural, sporting, cultural or a discovery?” Use sorting mats or charts to categorise images. Scaffold responses with sentence starters and visual choices.	Ask open and guided questions:

What do you see in this picture?
What type of event do you think this is?
Is it a natural event or a sporting event? | Small group work with visual and tactile sorting aids. Provide wait time and clarify vocabulary. |
| 15-25 mins | Activity 2: Watch and Discuss a Video | Play a short video about a significant past event (e.g. Australian earthquake). Pause occasionally to discuss, using simple questions:
What is the story here?
Why is this event important?
What might people remember about it? | Encourage students to answer verbally, draw, or use communication aids. Support understanding through rephrasing and visuals. | Video-based learning with guided questioning. Pair-share to support communication. |
| 25-35 mins | Activity 3: Investigate Local Artefacts | Present pictures of local artefacts and historical sources. Students work in pairs to discuss: “What is this?” and “How can it help us learn about the past?” Use a graphic organiser with images and simple words. | Facilitate partnership discussion, model questioning and turn-taking. | Collaborative partner work with concrete materials. |
| 35-40 mins | Wrap-up and Reflection | Recap types of events and what was learned. Ask students to share one thing they found interesting. Encourage drawing or simple sentence writing on what event they liked best and why. | Give positive feedback, support expression in multiple modes. Use visual choice boards. | Reflection through multimodal expression (drawing, speech). |

Assessment and Evidence of Learning

Observation of students' ability to categorise event images correctly, using visual aides.
Responses to video questions demonstrating comprehension of story and significance (oral, drawing, or assisted communication).
Partner discussions and identification of artefacts with teacher notes on understanding.
Work samples: drawings or sentence responses from reflection.

Differentiation and Support Strategies for Autistic Students

Use of clear visual schedules and consistent routines.
Break tasks into small, manageable steps with visual cues.
Provide sensory supports as needed (calm corner, fidget toys).
Use concrete, pictorial materials rather than abstract concepts.
Allow alternative means of communication (PECS, AAC devices).
Frequent check-ins to ensure comprehension.
Encourage peer support and partner work to build social interaction.
Use repetition and rephrasing of key concepts.

Teacher Questions to Prompt Understanding

What types of events do you see in the images?
Are these events natural, sporting, cultural, discoveries or a mix?
What story is the video telling us?
Why do you think this event is important for the community?
How do the artefacts tell us about the people who lived here before us?
Can you tell me one new thing you learned today?

Cross-Curricular Links

English: storytelling and comprehension (listening/viewing, speaking, drawing).
Visual Arts: drawing reflections; examining images and artefacts.
Personal and social capability: collaboration with partners, communication skills.

This lesson plan is designed to be sensory-friendly, socially supportive, and visually enriched to engage autistic students in exploring significant historical events in their community and beyond, fulfilling the NSW syllabus requirements for Year 2 History.

Teaching Instructions