Remembering Dawn Raids

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson, students learn about the Dawn Raids of the 1970s in Aotearoa New Zealand, focusing on key dates and the people and groups involved. Students practise using historical concepts (cause, consequence, perspective) to interpret primary and secondary evidence, and connect the event to later responses including the 2021 formal apology to Pacific communities.

Learning intentions

• WALT describe what the Dawn Raids were and why they happened during the 1970s.
• WALT sequence key dates and events to explain how enforcement escalated.
• WALT identify important people and groups involved (government, police, media, Pacific communities, protesters, and leaders).
• WALT explain the consequences for individuals and communities using historical evidence.

Success criteria

• I can place major events of the Dawn Raids timeline in order using at least 3 key dates.
• I can name at least 3 groups/people involved and describe their roles.
• I can explain at least one cause and one consequence, referencing evidence from a source.
• I can communicate my reasoning clearly using historical terms (cause, consequence, perspective, evidence).

Curriculum links

• History: Analyse causes and consequences and examine changing social conditions in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• History: Use evidence (sources) to develop and communicate historical explanations.
• History: Consider perspectives of different groups affected by events.
• Key competencies: Thinking (sequencing and reasoning), Communicating (discussion and written responses), Participating and contributing (structured dialogue), Relating to others (respectful handling of sensitive histories).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook (silent entry). Teacher displays 3 short prompt cards: “What might ‘dawn raids’ mean?”, “Who gets affected in immigration enforcement?”, “Why do governments take action?” Students do a quick think-write (1 minute each) then share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Mini direct teach: timeline set-up. Teacher gives a simple overview: Dawn Raids were part of immigration enforcement in the 1970s; they targeted many Pacific people; tensions rose during an economic downturn. Students receive a blank timeline with event boxes labelled (teacher reads them aloud) and copy 3 key dates: early 1970s context, the period of the Dawn Raids (1973–1978), and the later formal apology (2021).

3. 12–22 min · Evidence stations: people and roles. Teacher organises 3 stations around short source extracts (teacher-prepared printouts). Each station includes a different perspective: government/policy language, a Pacific community viewpoint (family/community impacts), and an enforcement/operation description (police/official actions). Students rotate every ~3–4 minutes and complete a station card: “Who is speaking/acted? What did they do or want? What evidence shows that?” Discussion point during transitions: “What does this source help us understand about perspective?”

4. 22–30 min · Whole-class structured discussion (fishbowl style). Teacher asks four guiding questions, writing student responses on the board under headings: Cause / Who / What happened / Consequence.

• Cause: What conditions in the 1970s helped lead to stronger enforcement?
• Who: How can we describe the roles of different groups involved?
• Consequence: What were the impacts on people and communities?
• Perspective: Whose viewpoint is most visible in each source, and whose might be missing or less heard?

5. 30–38 min · Guided practice: historical explanation paragraph. Teacher models a 6–8 sentence explanation using a sentence scaffold:

• “During 1973–1978, …”
• “This happened because …”
• “People/groups involved included …”
• “As a result, …” Students write their own paragraph, required to include: one cause, one consequence, and at least two named groups/people.

6. 38–45 min · Exit ticket (assessment of understanding). Students complete a brief exit ticket:

• 1. Put 3 events in order (tick on the timeline).
• 2. Name one cause and one consequence.
• 3. State one perspective question: “What might someone from ______ say about the Dawn Raids?”

Resources

• Teacher-prepared timeline handout (with labelled date markers for students to fill in).
• 3 sets of short source extracts (printouts) showing different perspectives (government/policy, Pacific community impact, enforcement/operation description).
• Station recording card template (Who/Role/Evidence/Impact).
• Discussion board headings: Cause / Who / What happened / Consequence.
• Paragraph scaffold sheet for guided practice.
• Exit ticket slips and pens.

Assessment

• Formative during stations: teacher circulates and checks station cards for accurate identification of roles and evidence.
• Formative during discussion: teacher listens for use of historical reasoning (cause, consequence, perspective) and prompts clarification when needed.
• Summative-in-form formative exit ticket: checks timeline ordering, cause/consequence statements, and perspective awareness.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for station cards and the paragraph scaffold; offer a word bank (enforcement, immigration, community, policy, evidence, perspective, consequence).
• Support for students needing extra structure: Allow students to complete only two stations and give a simplified recording card.
• Extension: Challenge students to add a missing perspective (e.g., media reporting or another community voice) and explain how it could change our understanding.
• EAL/SEN: Use visual cues on the timeline and model one example sentence; allow oral rehearsal with a partner before writing.