STAGE 1: Desired results Whats worth knowing?

Aims: Students will develop historical inquiry skills by

investigating historical sources relating to the First Fleet.
Students will produce a piece of work based on their
examination of sources and demonstrate their understanding
of the first contacts, the journey, the impact and the similarities
and examine the differences since the First Fleet.
The big idea: How did the First Fleet impact upon individuals,
groups and Australian culture?
What key inquiry questions will guide the learning:
Why did the great journeys of exploration occur?
Why did the Europeans settle in Australia?
What was life like in England and Australia before the First
Fleet?
After the First Fleet, how was life different and how was it
similar for the convicts?

Historical knowledge and understanding

Students will understand:
What life was like in England before the First Fleet
Many different groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people have lived in Australia for more than
60,000 years
Why the First Fleet came to Australia
The arrival of the first fleet in 1778 created huge life
changes for all the people involved
How life was different/similar for the convicts after the
Fleet arrived
Students will know:
What the First Fleet is
Who was on the First Fleet and their stories
Key historical vocabulary
Historical skills
Students will be able to:
Use historical sources to answer questions
Investigate the individual life of a convict of the First
Fleet
Use a range of communication forms
Pose questions about the past

STAGE 2: Assessment
Assessment tasks

Judgement

Tools

Students are given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and

understanding across a range of assessments.

Gather the evidence to judge the

characteristics of student work:

Pre-assessment
In small groups students brainstorm anything they think they know
about: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, free settlers, convicts,
England, and the First Fleet. Groups also come up with questions they
want to find out (add to wonder wall). Groups share their ideas and
collate as a class poster.

Understanding
Explanations of how and why
life changed in the past
Explanations of aspects of the
past that remained the same
Descriptions of the
experiences of individuals and
groups over time

Formative:
Exit cards will be used after every lesson to determine student readiness
and help plan the next lesson more appropriately
Drafts will be checked
Observation of engagement and discussion input
Observe research process
Collection of work: written explanations, glossary, annotated timelines,
labelled maps, journal entries, class discussion/brainstorms
Summative assessment: Historical narrative (Written)
The purpose of this assessment is to make judgments about students
abilities to research, collect, analyse and draw conclusions about
historical sources.
Students use historical sources to research the life of an individual
convict before and after their arrival on the First Fleet. They then develop
a 200-400 word historical narrative written from the perspective of a real
life convict. This narrative is to explain how life has changed and/or
stayed the same in Australia.
This can be presented as a letter, diary, and annotated photo album or

Skills
Sequencing of events and
people in chronological order
identifying key dates
Development of questions
about the past
Location of written, physical,
visual and oral sources from
different points of view to
answer inquiry questions
Communication using
historical terms in texts

Rubrics
Anecdotal
records
Observation
s
Self and
peer
assessment
Checklist

STAGE 2: Assessment
Assessment tasks

Judgement

Tools

newspaper article.
Evidence:
Students published writing. Criteria for this will include:
Use of evidence from historical sources
Recognition of different perspectives when representing events
Accuracy of portrayal of people and events
Use of historical terms
Achievement standard
By the end of Year 4, students explain how and why life changed in the past, and identify aspects of the past that remained the
same. They describe the experiences of an individual or group over time. They recognise the significance of events in bringing
about change.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order to identify key dates. They pose a range of questions
about the past. They identify sources (written, physical, visual, oral), and locate information to answer these questions. They
recognise different points of view. Students develop and present texts, including narratives, using historical terms.
STAGE 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction what learning experiences will enable students to achieve
the desired result?
Learning experiences

Adjustments for needs of learners

Tuning in
Initiate investigation: What is the First
Fleet?
Lesson 1:
Watch Behind the News story and
hold a class discussion to find out
what students know about the First
Fleet.

Have historical terminology sheet

already cut out
Have students work in small groups
Have students using the computer
to source additional terms and
definitions

Resources

BtN story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=MnUNEkMsjfY (YouTube clip)
A3 paper
Word and wonder wall and sticky notes
Historical terminology activity sheet
Scissors
Pairs cards

Why did the journey of the First

Fleet occur?
Explore key historical terminology

Finding out
Identify and gather information
Lesson 2:
Why were convicts transported to
Australia? England in the 1700s
explore the events that led to the
First Fleet (Changes to farming
practices, American becoming
independent from Britain, English
cities becoming over crowded,
rates of petty crime, overcrowding
in prisons)
Lesson 3:
Who were the people of the First
Fleet? (convicts, free settlers,
families, captain). Have students
research a convict (include their
name, age, gender, convicted at,
sentence term, ship, crime) using
provided website - this information
will be used for historical narrative
(summative assessment piece).
Lesson 4:
How were criminals punished in
England in the 1700s and 1800s?
Lesson 5:
Setting sail preparations for the
journey
The Voyage: How many ships?

Have timeline cut out and enlarged

Have students work in pairs and
create a large timeline
Ask students questions to
encourage deeper thinking
Watch additional YouTube clips for
students who struggle to grasp the
concept
Graphic organisers 3 different
types (ranging from very specific
questions to very open questions)
Provide the websites to students
with learning difficulties, and have
gifted students find the
information using their own means

Slideshow introducing people aboard the

First Fleet

http://www.myplace.edu.au/teaching_activities/1878
_-_before_time/1818/2/the_convict.html - life of a

convict clip

http://www.fellowshipfirstfleeters.org.au/ships
.html - website to find out about a convict

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEQDllvuy1I,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HazQlWgdzg

Oliver Twist movie excerpts

Child Convicts book by Net Brennan
Chronology work sheet
Glue sticks
Scissors
Laptops/iPads
A3 paper
World map
A slideshow about life aboard the First
Fleet
Hessian bags
First Fleet database
Personalised tickets for each of the
students

Have students mark the route of

the First Fleet. What would have it
been like to travel on the ship?
Sorting out
Synthesise and communication
information
Lesson 6:
What was Australia like before the
First Fleet? The indigenous point of
view of the event. Encourage
students to think about how it
would have felt to be an Aboriginal
person witnessing the landing of
the First Fleet.
Lesson 7:
Arriving in Botany Bay- Discuss
how the landing of the First Fleet is
described in the video? What do
the videos tell you about contact
between the First Fleet settlers and
Aboriginal people? How does that
make you feel?

Graphic organisers 3 different

types (ranging from very specific
questions to very open questions)
Break task into smaller achievable
sections
Re-read the Aboriginal story
Have prompt questions for
analysing historical images
Have students present the food
rations information according to
their level of readiness

http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/first-australiansepisode-1/clip2/ - First Australians Episode 1,

They Have Come to Stay

Read story Aboriginal treatment in the First
Fleet
Interactive Aboriginal languages map
Historical images (William Bradleys
paintings)

The State Library of New South Wales' Discover

Collections

Excerpt from the diary of Lieutenant Bradley

The arrival according to Bradley

Timeline of rations for the new settlement,

1788-1790

Image (View in Port Jackson)

Using historical documents handout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF9uPKWG0BM

Botany Bay song

Going further
Apply information gained to new or
different situations

Graphic organisers 3 different

types (ranging from very specific
questions to very open questions)

William Bradley's journal, A Voyage To New

South Wales

Timeline of rations for the new settlement, 1788-

Lesson 8:
Explore what was life like for the
people of the First Fleet in the new
settlement?
Surviving in a new land
Lesson 9:
Students explore the continuities
and changes of historical events
through comparing life before and
after the arrival of the First Fleet in
Australia

Making connections
Plan and implement action
Lesson 10:
Talk about how the First Fleet has
affected the students (examine
the perspective of citizenship)
Students pose questions about
the First Fleet
Lesson 11:
Students research, identify and
analyse historical sources
Plan historical narrative
Taking actions
Reflect on learning
Lesson 12:
Students are asked to use their
new knowledge about the First
Fleet to write a historically
accurate narrative in the life of a

Supply resources to students in

need, and have gifted student
discover their own resources
through the use of technological
tools or the library
Have students highlight the
important parts of William Bradleys
journal

1790

Venn diagram
Computers/iPads

Create a discussion about whose

perspective the student wants to
adopt
Assist student with writing if
necessary
Draft work
Provocatively question students

Computers/iPads
Narrative planner

This assignment is created at 3

different levels (tiered assignment)
in order to cater for student
differentiation through readiness,
learning styles and interest

Computers/iPads
Camera/video camera
Data on convict
Information gathered from previous lesson
Graphic organisers for journal and annotated
photo album

convict. This may be presented as

a video, a journal entry, an
annotated photo album, or story.