Racism During Gold Rush

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 90-minute lesson, Year 6 students will be able to:

Investigate and describe the treatment of migrants during the Australian gold rush period.
Analyse primary historical documents relating to anti-Chinese migration policies and societal attitudes during the gold rush.
Discuss the concept of racism and its legacy in shaping Australian society.
Develop empathy and understanding about the experiences of migrant communities in 19th-century Australia.

These objectives relate directly to the Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Year 6 achievement standard focused on analysing causes and effects of migration and evaluating primary sources to draw conclusions about past events and perspectives.

Curriculum Links

Content Descriptions:

HT5-3: Identify and describe the experiences of groups who migrated to Australia, and explain the reasons for their migration.
HT5-6: Identify different points of view in the past and present, and explain their origins and effects.
ACHASSK139: The experiences of a migrant group in Australia and the reasons they migrated.

Skills Development:

Pose questions to guide an inquiry about past events.
Locate and collect information and data from primary sources.
Examine sources to understand perspectives and biases.
Communicate findings using appropriate historical terms and concepts.

Lesson Duration: 90 minutes

Class size: 8 students

Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (15 minutes)

Begin with a brief recap of previous lessons about the gold rush, emphasising the influx of migrants and the diversity of people who arrived in Australia.
Introduce today’s focus: how migrants, specifically Chinese migrants, were treated and the racism they faced.
Pose a reflective question to the class: What challenges do you think people faced when they moved to Australia during the gold rush?

Activity 1: Primary Document Investigation (30 minutes)

Provide students with simplified copies of selected primary sources from the period, e.g., extracts from anti-Chinese immigration laws, newspaper articles expressing societal attitudes, and letters from migrants describing their experiences.
Examples of documents include the Chinese Immigration Act and excerpts of petitions signed by European miners (adapted for age-appropriate language).
In pairs, students analyse the documents, guided by these questions:
What attitudes do these documents show about Chinese migrants?
How did the government respond to migrants?
How might these policies have affected the lives of migrants?
Bring the class together to share responses and identify common themes of exclusion and discrimination.

Activity 2: Class Discussion – Racism and Its Legacy (20 minutes)

Facilitate a guided discussion about racism: what it is and how it affected people during the gold rush.
Invite students to consider:
Why do you think racism occurred during this time?
How might migrant communities have felt?
What are some ways racism from the past still affects people today?
Introduce the idea of legacy—how history shapes current society's views and policies.
Ask students to brainstorm ways people can show respect and create inclusion today.

Activity 3: Creative Reflection (20 minutes)

Each student creates a diary entry or a letter written from the perspective of a young migrant miner facing racism during the gold rush.
Encourage students to use empathetic language and historical facts they have learned.
Students can illustrate their entries if time permits.
This activity develops empathy, historical understanding, and literacy skills aligned with English curriculum objectives for Year 6.

Conclusion and Assessment (5 minutes)

Invite a few students to share their diary entries or letters.
Summarise the lesson key points: how migrants were treated, the role of racism, and its lasting impact.
Quick formative assessment: ask students to name one fact they learned and one way people can be more inclusive today.
Explain that next lesson will explore how the gold rush shaped Australia’s culture and identity.

Resources Required

Printed primary source excerpts, adapted for Year 6 comprehension.
Writing materials for the diary/letter task.
Whiteboard or display screen for note-taking and key points.
Historical images or visuals showing gold rush migrant life (optional).

Differentiation Strategies

Provide scaffolded questions for students needing extra support during document analysis.
Allow more advanced students to compare viewpoints from multiple documents.
Use clear visual aids to support understanding of complex concepts like racism.
Offer verbal prompts for the creative writing task, and assist with vocabulary.

Cross-Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures: Briefly acknowledge the impact of migration and gold rushes on Indigenous Australians to frame a broader view of Australia’s history.
Ethical Understanding: Foster respect, empathy, and critical reflection about racism and cultural diversity.

This lesson plan meets the NSW curriculum requirements for Year 6 History and HASS by integrating inquiry-based learning, source analysis, empathetic engagement, and discussion of social issues, all tailored to the students' developmental level and NSW standards.

Teaching Instructions