Lambing Flats Riots

Overview

Lesson 14 of 16 focuses on the Lambing Flats Riots as a case study of how changing immigration patterns and economic pressures affected social cohesion, political responses, and cultural expression in Australia around the turn of the 20th century. Students will use historical sources to construct an evidence-informed explanation of causes and effects.

Learning intentions

• Students will describe the Lambing Flats Riots by identifying key events, groups involved, and the immediate impacts.
• Students will explain how changing immigration and labour competition contributed to tension and conflict.
• Students will compare different perspectives from historical sources and justify which perspective is most supported by the evidence.
• Students will create a short historical argument using historical knowledge and concepts, referencing source evidence.

Success criteria

• I can outline the main events of the Lambing Flats Riots using accurate historical terms.
• I can identify how immigration and working conditions shaped ways of life and living conditions for different groups.
• I can distinguish between perspectives (e.g. colonists, authorities, migrants) and explain why they differed.
• I can write an evidence-based historical argument with clear claims and referenced evidence.

Curriculum links

• History (Year 9): continuities and changes and their effects on ways of life, living conditions, political/legal institutions, and cultural expression around the turn of the 20th century in Australian society.
• Civics and Citizenship (Year 9): analyse information/data/ideas about political/legal issues to identify and evaluate differences in perspectives and interpretations.
• History (Year 9): create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments using historical knowledge, concepts, and evidence from sources.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Activating prior knowledge

• Teacher displays two prompts: “What causes people to fear or blame others during change?” and “How can laws and institutions respond to unrest?”
• Students quick-write 2–3 dot points, then share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–15 min · Source warm-up (gallery + noticing)

• Teacher provides a short set of annotated sources about the Lambing Flats Riots (e.g. newspaper excerpt, official notice, diary-like reflection, image description).
• Students complete a “Notice–Wonder–Prove” sheet: note details, write a question, and circle one piece of evidence they think would “prove” a claim about causes/effects.

3. 15–28 min · Direct teaching with timeline

• Teacher builds a class timeline on the board (context → conflict period → authorities’ response → outcomes) and models how to link causes to effects.
• Students add 3 cause cards and 3 effect cards to their own timeline, using sentence starters: “Tension increased because…”, “Ways of life changed when…”, “Authorities responded by…”

4. 28–45 min · Perspective analysis (small groups)

• Teacher assigns each group one perspective source set (e.g. migrants/immigrants’ experience, local workers/settlers’ concerns, authorities’ viewpoint, community commentary).
• Students complete a structured analysis:
• Identify the perspective (what does this source believe is happening and why?).
• List two motivations/values behind that perspective.
• Select one reliability check (who wrote it, purpose, when it was written, what it highlights/omits).
• Groups share one “best-supported” claim and the evidence used.

5. 45–55 min · Historical argument writing

• Teacher explains the mini-argument structure: Claim → Reason → Evidence (at least two source references) → Acknowledge another perspective briefly.
• Students write a 180–220 word response to: “To what extent were the Lambing Flats Riots driven by immigration change and competition for work/living conditions?”
• Teacher circulates using a checklist: accurate timeline reference, explicit cause/effect link, evidence embedded, perspective acknowledged.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket

• Students answer: “One cause and one effect I can support with evidence are…” and “The perspective I found most convincing was… because…”.

Resources

• Short source pack (teacher-prepared extracts) on Lambing Flats Riots: at least 4 different perspectives
• Timeline template (cause/effect cards) for each student
• “Notice–Wonder–Prove” worksheet
• Perspective analysis sheet with sentence starters and reliability prompts
• Mini-argument planning scaffold (Claim/Reason/Evidence/Perspective)
• Coloured pens for evidence-coding (e.g. causes vs effects)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks source warm-up for meaningful “prove” choices and questions that connect to causes/effects.
• Formative: group perspective analysis for accuracy in identifying motivations/values and using evidence rather than opinion.
• Summative for the lesson: mini-historical argument (180–220 words) using the checklist aligned to evidence use, explanation, and acknowledgment of perspectives.
• Exit ticket to confirm students can link immigration change to effects on ways of life and political responses.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starters for timeline causes/effects and for the argument structure.
• Offer a simplified source version with key terms pre-highlighted (e.g. “immigration”, “labour”, “authorities”).
• Extensions:
• Ask an additional prompt for students ready to extend: “What continuity from earlier periods (e.g. settlement patterns) is visible, and what change is distinct in this case?”
• EAL/SEN:
• Allow students to use a bilingual dictionary and provide an evidence bank of phrases (e.g. “The source suggests…”, “This indicates… because…”).
• Offer option to complete argument using paragraphs with guiding lines or submit as a voice recording transcript.
• Classroom management:
• Assign roles in groups (reader, evidence finder, summariser, reporter) to ensure participation.