Past and Present Places

Year 3 HASS – One-Off Lesson Plan

Subject: Humanities and Social Sciences
Time: 60 minutes
Curriculum Reference:
Australian Curriculum – Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) – Year Level Description
Knowledge and Understanding – History

• The importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area (ACHASSK062)
• One important example of change and one important example of continuity over time in the local community, region or state/territory (ACHASSK063)

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Overview 💡

This immersive lesson will explore how places in students’ local area or state have changed over time, and what has stayed the same. Students will compare life from the past and present with a special emphasis on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ connection to Country/Place. The lesson includes a hands-on timeline activity and concludes with a student-created "Then and Now" gallery walk.

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Learning Intentions 🏹

Students will:

• Understand how and why places change over time.
• Identify aspects of continuity and change in their local community.
• Recognise the significance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

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Success Criteria ✅

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

• Identify one feature that has changed and one that has remained the same over time in the local area.
• Explain why places are important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
• Create a visual representation comparing past and present aspects of a place.

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Resources 🧰

• Paper "timelines" strip (1 per student – 50cm long folded card)
• Sets of illustrated "local past and present" photo cards
• Printed fact sheet: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to Country (teacher-created)
• Sticky notes, pencils, crayons
• Australian map (classroom wall map or projected)
• Optional: 15-second bell or sound chime for transitions

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Lesson Breakdown 🕒

INTRODUCTION (10 minutes)

Hook – Memory Walk
Invite students to close their eyes and imagine walking down the main street of their town 100 years ago. What would look the same? What would be different?
Ask:

• “Do you think kids had the same playgrounds?”
• “Would there be traffic lights?”
• “What languages might be spoken?”

Brief Discussion + Vocabulary Wall
Introduce terms: past, present, change, continuity, Country, Place. Stick words onto the wall as a ‘living glossary’ for this lesson.

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EXPLORATION (20 minutes)

Group Investigation – Then and Now Match-Ups
In table groups, students receive a pack of laminated "Then and Now" cards showing places such as:

• A local shopping area (1900s vs now)
• A bushland reserve significant to Indigenous culture
• A school in the community over time

Task:

• Match the THEN and NOW cards
• Complete group question prompts:
  • What has changed?
  • What has stayed the same?
  • Why might that have happened?

Mini-Presentation (5 mins per group)
Groups share one matched pair and one interesting finding with the class.

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EXPLANATION + FOCUS TEACHING (10 minutes)

Mini-Lesson – What is ‘Country’?
Teacher-led discussion based on printed fact sheet:
Introduce the concept of Country as understood by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – not just the land or place, but also their identity, culture, and spirituality.

Use the map to locate the local Aboriginal country/language group. Discuss how that group may have traditionally used the land and how this connects to the present-day area.

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APPLICATION ACTIVITY (15 minutes)

Create a Time Strip – My Place, Then and Now
Students individually fold their paper strip in half:

• Left side: Draw the place how it may have looked 100+ years ago
• Right side: Draw the place as it looks today

Encourage details: signage, technology, buildings, clothing, natural features

Prompt guiding questions:

• What sounds would you hear then vs now?
• How did people travel?
• Were there the same animals or buildings?

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REFLECTION (5 minutes)

Gallery Walk + Exit Ticket
Lay all Time Strips around the room. Students circulate to view and leave a sticky note on their favourite with a comment: “I noticed…” or “I liked…”

Exit Question (write on whiteboard):
"What is one thing you learnt today about a place in your community?"

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Extension Ideas 🌱

• Local Elder visit to talk about the area's history and significance
• Field trip to a nearby historical site
• Create a digital version of the ‘Then and Now’ strips in a slideshow

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Teacher Note 📝

This lesson is ideal for capturing student curiosity and connecting historical concepts to lived experience. It allows for visual thinking, verbal sharing, hands-on activity, and social history—all crucial components at the Year 3 level. Additionally, integrating perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples honours their enduring connection to land and enriches local heritage understanding.

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Assessment Considerations 📋

• Informal: Observation during group tasks and presentations
• Formative: Time strip art (comparing past and present)
• Exit ticket: Reflective writing

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Australian Curriculum Links 📚

History – Year 3 HASS

• ACHASSK062
• ACHASSK063
  Skills
• Pose questions and locate information
• Interpret and compare information from visuals
• Draw simple conclusions and reflect on learning

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Created specifically to meet the needs of Year 3 learners engaging with Australia's diverse and dynamic past—this one-off lesson is a perfect blend of hands-on and hearts-on learning.