Fremantle Maritime Inquiry

Overview

This lesson is lesson 7 of 10 in the unit “Gold Rush and Colonial Tales”. Students conduct a guided excursion investigation at Fremantle Prison and the Shipwreck Museum to gather historical evidence about convict life, colonial conditions, and maritime connections linked to WA’s colonial development.

Learning intentions

• Students will gather relevant information from guided museum displays and sources using an observation and inquiry sheet.
• Students will identify features of convict and colonial life (housing, food, work, rules, wellbeing) and record evidence.
• Students will explain how maritime events and shipwrecks connected to colonial transport, trade, and settlement.
• Students will develop and ask quality historical questions that help them make sense of the past.

Success criteria

• I can record specific observations using evidence words (e.g. “I can see…”, “This object shows…”).
• I can answer at least two inquiry questions using information from exhibits and the guide.
• I can ask a question that starts with “Why/How/What evidence shows…?” and links to convict life, colonial conditions, or maritime connections.
• I can sort my notes into “Convict life”, “Colonial conditions”, and “Maritime links”.

Curriculum links

• History curriculum: investigating the impact of British colonial development on the lives of First Nations Australians, colonists and convicts, and on the natural environment.
• History curriculum: understanding causes of British colony establishment after 1800 and how conditions shaped people’s lives.
• History curriculum: identifying the role of significant individuals or groups in the development of events in a colony.
• Skills: locating, collecting and organising information and data from primary and secondary sources in different formats during the excursion.
• Skills: presenting descriptions and explanations using relevant historical terms and evidence from sources.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Pre-excursion briefing and question set-up. Teacher introduces the excursion focus and models how to use the observation sheet with one example from an image/short prompt. Students practise turning a “thin” question into a “thick” historical question using sentence starters.

2. 8–15 min · Quick learning target review + group responsibilities. Teacher explains how groups will rotate through stations (guide talk + exhibits) and what counts as “evidence” on the sheet. Students confirm roles (recorder, evidence finder, question asker, timekeeper) and review the terms: convict, colony, conditions, maritime, trade, evidence.

3. 15–30 min · Guided investigation 1 (Fremantle Prison focus). Teacher (or excursion staff) leads students through key areas; teacher prompts students to pause, observe, and record facts and one inferred idea. Students use the structured observation sheet to collect evidence for “Convict life” and “Rules and daily routines” and write one quality question for the guide.

4. 30–45 min · Guided investigation 2 (Shipwreck Museum focus). Teacher prompts students to connect objects and stories to maritime links (transport, supply routes, ports, dangers at sea). Students complete the “Maritime links” section of the sheet with at least three evidence notes and one question about how maritime activity affected colonial life.

5. 45–55 min · Evidence sorting and mini-conversation. Teacher directs students to organise notes into the three categories and check for accuracy (evidence-only vs opinions). Students do a “claim-evidence” partner share: one student makes a short claim (e.g. “Convict life was controlled”) and the partner points to the evidence line.

6. 55–60 min · Real-time assessment and exit reflection. Teacher collects sheets for quick review and asks two rapid prompts: “What evidence did you collect today?” and “What question will you pursue in the next lesson?” Students complete a one-sentence reflection to capture next steps.

Resources

• Structured observation sheet (Convict life / Colonial conditions / Maritime links) with inquiry question prompts
• Clipboards, pencils, waterproof pen option, and small eraser packs
• Group rotation checklist and timer
• Teacher reference sheet with example “evidence phrases”
• Student safety and behaviour reminder (excursion code)
• Access to a class term list card (convict, colony, maritime, evidence, conditions, trade)
• Optional: small visual cue cards for observation (artefact, photo, text panel, map, object label)

Assessment

• Formative during excursion: teacher monitors students’ question quality (clarity, relevance, evidence link) and checks observation sheets for specificity (not just general statements).
• Formative observation: teacher listens to pair discussions for claim-evidence alignment.
• Quick collection at the end: observation sheet review plus exit reflection to identify gaps in evidence categories for the next lesson.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for evidence recording (“I can see…”, “The sign says…”, “This object suggests…”), and a bank of question stems (Why/How/What evidence shows…).
• Support: small-group work with one student recorder permitted to use a pre-structured template (tick boxes + short evidence lines).
• Extension: students write one “cause and impact” explanation linking maritime conditions to colonial life (e.g. transport choices, risks, consequences) using one piece of evidence.
• EAL/SEN: allow non-verbal evidence recording options (sketch + label + one sentence) and provide a glossary card with simplified definitions and example terms.
• Behavioural support: clear rotation expectations and timed pauses (“Stop–Look–Record” routine) before each station.