When the Boom Ended

Overview

In this lesson (lesson 3 of 19) students explore how economic pressures in 1970s Aotearoa helped create conditions for the Dawn Raids. They connect economic concepts (inflation, unemployment/instability) to historical impacts (social tension, scapegoating) and begin preparing for a short evidence-based response.

Learning intentions

• Students will explain how economic challenges can shape government and public responses to “outsiders”.
• Students will describe the historical concept of causation in relation to the Dawn Raids.
• Students will identify evidence of scapegoating in accounts from the period.
• Students will use historical evidence to demonstrate understanding of a significant Aotearoa New Zealand context.

Success criteria

• I can describe an economic challenge (e.g., inflation and cost pressures) and link it to social/political change.
• I can explain how economic stress contributed to scapegoating and targeted suspicion.
• I can support my explanation with specific historical evidence (names, dates, short quotes, or statistics).
• I can use “causation” language to show what caused what (and acknowledge complexity).

Curriculum links

• History learning: demonstrate understanding of historical concepts in contexts of significance to Aotearoa New Zealand (including describing concepts and using relevant evidence).
• History achievement focus: explain and examine historical concepts using evidence, relevance, and context across Aotearoa and at least one wider context.
• NZC refresh (Social Sciences/History): build historical thinking skills by using evidence, recognising historical perspectives, and making cause-and-effect links.
• Competencies: Thinking (causal reasoning), Relating to others (respectful discussion of people and groups), and Participating and contributing (structured group work).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Starter (Activating knowledge). Teacher displays a question: “When people feel economic pressure, who do they blame—and why?” Students do a quick 2-minute silent write, then share one idea with a partner.

2. 5–12 min · Mini-teach: Economic pressure → social tension. Teacher outlines key ideas: inflation/cost-of-living pressure, labour/competition anxieties, and how governments and media can frame public concerns. Students take brief “cause→impact” notes in a table.

3. 12–22 min · Source engagement carousel (evidence for scapegoating). Teacher groups students (3–4 per group) and provides 4 short source excerpts (no internet needed):

• Source A: an excerpt reflecting 1970s economic concern or political debate
• Source B: a statement or report framing Pacific/immigrant communities as “problem” groups
• Source C: a quote or description of public/media attitudes
• Source D: a source showing government rationale or policy framing Students rotate every 2–3 minutes, using a simple annotation prompt: “What does this source suggest people were worried about?” and “Who is being blamed or treated as a risk?”

4. 22–30 min · Concept focus: causation map. Teacher models one example causal chain: economic pressure → heightened fear/competition narratives → scapegoating framing → increased justification for coercive action. Students complete a causation map in pairs with three boxes minimum, adding one piece of evidence to each link.

5. 30–40 min · Whole-class discussion: complex causes (not single-cause). Using “Agree/Disagree stems”, teacher prompts:

• “Economic stress was the main cause of the Dawn Raids.”
• “Scapegoating helped economic concerns become policy.” Students must reference evidence from the carousel (at least one source each in the discussion). Teacher facilitates respectful language and corrects over-simplified claims.

6. 40–45 min · Exit ticket (quick assessment). Students write 6–8 sentences answering: “Explain how economic challenges helped create an environment for the Dawn Raids. Include one historical concept (causation) and at least two pieces of evidence.” Collect for formative feedback.

Resources

• Printed source excerpts (4 short texts) related to 1970s economic concerns, political/media framing, and policy rationale
• Causation map template (3–4 boxes with evidence lines)
• Annotation highlighters or sticky notes (or digital annotation if allowed offline)
• Teacher slide/board prompt for starter and discussion stems
• Exit ticket slips or paper

Assessment

• Formative checks during carousel: teacher circulates to see if students identify “concern” and “who is targeted” accurately.
• Formative check during causation maps: teacher reviews for correct causation language and evidence placement.
• Summative-in-mini-form: exit ticket scored with a simple 3-point rubric: concept use, evidence use, clarity of cause-effect links (with complexity).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for causation (“This suggests… because…”, “A factor was…”, “This evidence shows…”), plus a word bank (inflation, cost of living, scapegoating, suspicion, policy framing, causation).
• Support: allow a “choose 2 sources” option for the causation map to reduce cognitive load for students needing scaffolding.
• Extension: challenge students to add a “counter-factor” box (e.g., policy/political motivations that are not purely economic) to show complexity of causes.
• EAL/SEN: pre-teach key terms using brief definitions and examples; allow oral rehearsal with a partner before writing the exit ticket.

Student safety and respectful discussion

• Teacher sets discussion norms: criticise systems and policies, not individuals; use evidence-based language; avoid stereotypes; ensure all students feel safe contributing.