Source Investigation Launch

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Overview

Unit Title: Building Modern Australia: Voices
Lesson Number: 10 of 18
Lesson Title: Assessment Introduction: Independent Source Investigation
Time: 70 minutes
Class Size: 20 students
Year Level: Year 10
Subject: Australian History
Curriculum Alignment: Australian Curriculum – Humanities and Social Sciences (History)
Content Description (ACARA):

• Historical Inquiry and Skills – Analysis and Use of Sources (ACHHS169)
• Historical Inquiry and Skills – Explanation and Communication (ACHHSI172)
• Knowledge and Understanding – Rights and freedoms (1945 – present) (ACHHK116)

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Learning Intentions

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

• Understand the purpose and structure of the independent source investigation assessment.
• Identify features of high-quality historical sources and the importance of diverse perspectives.
• Begin to generate ideas and formulate a personal inquiry question aligned with the unit theme.
• Interpret assessment criteria to guide their planning and research.

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Success Criteria

Students will:

• Actively engage in class discussions about historical sourcing.
• Demonstrate understanding of task expectations by summarising the assessment in their own words.
• Identify at least two potential topics and sources of diverse perspectives.
• Show initiative in forming a preliminary inquiry question.

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Starter (0–10 mins)

Activity: "Missing Voices" Provocation

Visual stimulus: Display a collage of historical images (1950s–1980s) depicting mainstream Australian life.

Prompt Discussion:

• "Whose voices or perspectives are missing from these images?"
• "Why might certain stories have been silenced, ignored, or forgotten in Australia’s past?"

Students turn and talk to a partner for 2 mins.
Whole-class share: Collect thoughts using butcher's paper under headings: Gender, Culture, Class, Age, Political Voice.

Purpose: Highlight the key concept that history is often told from a dominant perspective; this investigation will uncover wider voices in modern Australian history.

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Main Lesson Sequence

1. Task Unpack & Assessment Guide (10–25 mins)

Resource: Teacher-distributed Assessment Overview Handout (printed)

• Read through the front page together.
• Emphasise student choice: each student selects their own inquiry question related to the theme of "Voices in Modern Australia" (post-WWII period).
• Connect with prior lessons on First Nations activism, women’s rights, post-war migration, youth counterculture, LGBTQIA+ movements, and labour rights.

Breakdown of Task Elements:

• Formulate a focused inquiry question.
• Gather and analyse 3–5 primary and/or secondary sources.
• Discuss historical context, perspectives, reliability, bias, and usefulness.
• Present findings in a written report or creative format (teacher should confirm format options based on school assessment guidelines).

Key Point: Diverse voices are non-negotiable. Students must include perspectives that are Indigenous, migrant, female, working class, or otherwise underrepresented.

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2. Analysing a Sample (25–40 mins)

Activity: Stations Analysis – Primary Source Variety

Set up 5 stations around the room, each with a different source made large on A3 paper. Students rotate in small groups (4 per station) every 3 minutes.

Sources include:

1. 1966 Wave Hill protest photo and Vincent Lingiari quote.
2. 1975 poster from the Women’s Electoral Lobby.
3. Newspaper article covering the 1978 Mardi Gras.
4. Anti-Vietnam War protest flyer from 1971.
5. Extract from migrant oral history (post-war Italian immigrant).

Students complete mini-analysis grid at each station:

Source Type	Whose Voice?	Message	Missing Voice?

Wrap-up: Whole-class discussion of findings. Ask:
“What role do these sources play in shaping how we remember modern Australian history?”

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3. Understanding the Criteria (40–55 mins)

Resource: Assessment Rubric

Students receive the rubric and are guided through each criterion in accessible language:

• Uses relevant and trustworthy historical sources
• Identifies diverse perspectives in context
• Applies effective research and analysis skills
• Communicates insights clearly and ethically

Activity: “Show Me Success”

Students are handed sample student excerpts (anonymous, different quality levels).
Working in pairs, they rank them against the rubric.

Discussion: "What makes a great historical investigation?"
Encourage reference to sourcing diversity, depth of inquiry, originality, and balance of critical perspective.

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4. Your Inquiry Begins (55–70 mins)

Students begin planning their own assessment:

Activity: Inquiry Brainstorming Grid

Possible Topic	Initial Question	Voices to Include	Resources I Could Use

Teacher circulates to conference individually with students, helping refine possible inquiry questions.

Ideas might include:

• Aboriginal activism during the 1960s–80s
• Post-war European migrant experiences
• Women’s liberation in the 1970s
• Voices of the LGBTQIA+ community and the 1978 Mardi Gras
• Teenage protest and counterculture in the 1970s

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Cool Down (Final 5 mins)

Reflection: “One voice I want to explore is…”
Students write their response on a sticky note and place it on the “Voices Wall” — to be revisited throughout the process. This sets a tone of inquiry and curiosity.

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Homework / Extension

• Begin gathering potential sources related to their topic.
• Draft a working inquiry question and bring it to the next lesson for feedback.

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Differentiation Strategies

For advanced learners:

• Encourage exploration of intersectionality—e.g. Aboriginal women’s rights.
• Suggest use of oral history interviews and archival research.

For students needing support:

• Provide scaffolded question starters.
• Offer source packs with pre-selected base materials tailored to common themes.

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Assessment Opportunities

Formative:

• Observation of participation during source analysis.
• Review of inquiry brainstorm for appropriateness and depth.
• Exit reflection provides insight into student interest and direction.

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Resources Required

• A3 copies of 5 diverse sources (as listed above)
• Butcher’s paper and markers for starter and group work
• Printed student handouts: Assessment Overview, Rubric, Inquiry Grid
• Sticky notes for exit reflection

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

After the lesson, reflect on:

• Which students showed immediate engagement with a topic?
• Which sources generated the most discussion?
• Were students clear on assessment expectations?
• What scaffolds may be needed in future lessons?

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This lesson is designed to shift student perception of history as a fixed narrative to understanding history as a tapestry of voices—some loud, many still waiting to be heard. Let the inquiry begin.