People of Federation

Lesson Overview

This 60-minute lesson for Year 5 students focuses on identifying and describing the diverse individuals who contributed to Australia’s Federation. Students will explore the influences and legacies of key figures, considering different perspectives including women, Indigenous Australians, politicians, and activists. This lesson is tailored to the New South Wales Curriculum, aligning with the History syllabus and its learning objectives for Year 5.

Curriculum Links

• NSW History K-10 Syllabus - Stage 3 (Year 5-6)
• Historical Knowledge and Understanding
• The significance of people, groups and events to the development of Australia as a nation
• The diversity of experiences and perspectives of people in the past
• Historical Skills
• Locate and collect information and data from a variety of sources
• Identify different viewpoints and perspectives about the past
• Communicate historical understanding using appropriate terms and concepts

Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify key individuals who contributed to the Federation of Australia.
2. Describe the roles, influences, and legacies of diverse Australians involved in the Federation process.
3. Recognise the varied perspectives and contributions of people from different backgrounds during Federation.
4. Communicate historical information clearly using appropriate vocabulary related to Federation.

Lesson Materials

• Printed biographies or profiles of key Federation figures (e.g., Henry Parkes, Edith Cowan, Indigenous leaders)
• Large timeline of events leading to Federation (visual display)
• Chart paper and markers
• Whiteboard or smartboard
• Student worksheets (including a table for noting influences and legacies)
• Videos or images illustrating people of Federation (optional for visual stimulation)

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Lesson Plan

Introduction (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief recap of previous lessons about Federation: what it is and why it was important.
• Introduce today’s focus: the people behind Federation and their contributions.
• Show a visual timeline briefly highlighting some key individuals in Federation history.
• Pose an engaging question to the class: "Who do you think helped Australia become one country? What kinds of people might they have been?"

Main Activity 1: Exploring Key Individuals (20 minutes)

• Divide students into 6 small groups (5 students each), assigning each group a different influential person or group involved in Federation such as:
• Henry Parkes (the ‘Father of Federation’)
• Edith Cowan (women’s rights advocate)
• Indigenous Australians and their perspectives
• Federation-era politicians (e.g., Alfred Deakin)
• Union and labour movement leaders
• Ordinary citizens who played a role (e.g., settlers, local campaigners)
• Provide each group with a short biography/profile and key facts about their assigned figure(s).
• Task each group with identifying:
• Who this person/group was
• What they did in relation to Federation
• What influence or legacy they left behind
• Encourage students to record their findings on the worksheet table.

Main Activity 2: Gallery Walk and Group Sharing (15 minutes)

• Arrange presentations or displays of the group findings around the classroom as a gallery.
• Each group shares their key points with the class in 2-3 minutes, explaining the importance of their person or group.
• Students walk around the gallery to read other groups’ findings, completing any additional notes on their worksheets.
• Highlight diverse perspectives, including recognising contributions by women, Indigenous peoples, and working-class Australians.

Consolidation: Class Discussion and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a whole-class discussion prompted by questions:
• Why do you think it’s important to learn about different people who helped shape our nation?
• How might Australia’s Federation have been different if these individuals had not played their roles?
• Can you think of anyone else who might have influenced Federation that was not mentioned?
• Summarise key points from the discussion, reinforcing that Federation was shaped by many voices and contributions.

Assessment / Plenary (5 minutes)

• Ask students to individually write a short paragraph or sentence answering: "Who was the most interesting person or group you learned about today and why?"
• Collect these responses to assess understanding of the lesson’s objectives and recognise student appreciation of diverse contributions.

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Differentiation and Support

• For students needing additional support, provide simplified biographies or additional prompts.
• Challenge advanced students to consider how perspectives on these historical figures might differ and why.
• Use paired or peer assistance during group work.

Key Vocabulary

• Federation
• Influence
• Legacy
• Perspective
• Advocate
• Significance
• Democracy
• Citizenship

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Teacher Notes

• Ensure culturally respectful and accurate representations, especially when discussing Indigenous Australians.
• Encourage critical thinking about how history is told from different viewpoints.
• This lesson fits as part 4 in a sequence. Later lessons can build on these influences and describe the events leading to Federation.

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By exposing students to the diverse individuals who contributed to Australia’s Federation, this lesson empowers them to appreciate the complexity and richness of their nation’s history in a meaningful and inclusive way, following NSW curriculum outcomes for History in Year 5.