Key Figures Early Australia

Overview

In this lesson, students continue Unit 9 of “Australia’s Transformative Journey” by investigating key individuals in early colonisation. They identify how Arthur Phillip and other significant figures influenced social, political and cultural changes, while using evidence from short sources to support historical claims.

Learning intentions

• Students will identify major roles of early colonial figures in shaping early Australian society.
• Students will explain how different groups experienced colonisation in contrasting ways.
• Students will use evidence from provided sources to build a historical argument about impact.
• Students will communicate findings clearly using historical terms and concepts.

Success criteria

• I can describe Arthur Phillip’s role and decisions and explain at least two effects of them.
• I can compare how colonisers and First Nations Australians may have experienced early settlement differently.
• I can cite specific evidence from at least two sources to support my explanation.
• I can write a short, logically ordered argument (claim–evidence–reasoning).

Curriculum links

• Humanities and Social Sciences learning: key social, cultural, economic and political changes and their significance in the development of Australian society during the period.
• Learning: different experiences and perspectives of colonisers, settlers and First Nations Australians and the impact of these experiences on changes to ideas, beliefs and values.
• Historical thinking: create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments using historical knowledge, concepts and terms and incorporating evidence from sources.
• Skills focus: communicating historical arguments using selected evidence from sources.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter: “Figure or Factor?”. Teacher displays two cards: “Arthur Phillip” and “physical isolation/gold/agriculture” (mixed with “economic depression” etc.). Students quickly sort into “individual” vs “factor” in pairs and justify one choice.

2. 5–15 min · Mini-lesson: Who was Arthur Phillip? Teacher provides a brief timeline summary (convict era, First Fleet leadership, early governance, establishing settlement systems). Students annotate a class note-catcher with “role”, “decision”, “effect (social/political)”.

3. 15–30 min · Source investigation in groups (triangulate evidence). Teacher distributes three short source extracts (e.g., speech/letter excerpt, Governor-in-action description, and a perspective prompt referencing First Nations experiences without stereotyping). Students complete a Source Detective table:

• What does the source say?
• Whose perspective is represented?
• What impact might this have had on society? Teacher circulates, prompting students to look for cause and effect and noting contested/limited viewpoints.

4. 30–43 min · Guided practice: Claim–Evidence–Reasoning. Teacher models one example using a sentence frame:

• Claim: Arthur Phillip shaped early society by…
• Evidence: In Source A, it states…
• Reasoning: This suggests that… which would influence… Students draft one paragraph using their group findings, ensuring they use at least two different sources and include one phrase that signals perspective (e.g., “from the Governor’s viewpoint…”).

5. 43–55 min · “Gallery Share” historical explanation. Students post their paragraphs on the wall or share on a slide. In pairs, students leave one “Glow” (strong evidence/use of reasoning) and one “Grow” (missing perspective/need clearer cause–effect) on another group’s work. Teacher checks for respectful language and accuracy.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket: One decision, two impacts. Students answer: “Choose one decision Arthur Phillip made. Explain two impacts (one social and one political) using evidence.” Collect for next lesson grouping.

Resources

• Timeline strip of early settlement (prepared by teacher)
• Short source extracts (3 per group) on Arthur Phillip and early governance
• Source Detective table printable or digital template
• Claim–Evidence–Reasoning paragraph scaffold (sentence starters)
• Marker/paper for gallery sharing (or digital board/slide access)
• Exit ticket slips or form
• Teacher checklist for assessing evidence use and perspective language

Assessment

• Formative: observe group discussions during Source Detective work (focus on identifying perspective and cause–effect).
• Formative: monitor paragraph drafts for structure (claim–evidence–reasoning) and use of at least two sources.
• Summative-for-this-lesson (lightweight): exit ticket accuracy and quality of evidence-based explanation.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters for “evidence” and “reasoning”.
• Offer a simplified version of the Source Detective table with guided prompts.
• Pre-teach one or two key terms (e.g., “governance”, “perspective”, “impact”) using student-friendly definitions.
• Extension:
• Challenge students to identify what a source does not tell us (limits of evidence) and propose how another source might confirm or challenge their interpretation.
• Add a second figure card (e.g., Elizabeth Macarthur or another early figure depending on availability) for comparison in their reasoning.
• EAL/SEN:
• Allow oral rehearsal of the paragraph before writing.
• Provide word banks for verbs of cause and effect (shaped, established, regulated, affected, contributed to).
• Offer additional time for writing while keeping the gallery share contribution manageable.