Civics & Citizenship · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Local Heritage and Identity

Active learning helps Year 3 students connect deeply with Local Heritage and Identity by moving beyond abstract facts into lived experiences. Walking through their community, sharing stories, and mapping landmarks turn abstract ideas about respect and shared belonging into concrete understanding.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3K06

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Field Walk: Heritage Sites Tour

Plan a walk to two or three local landmarks or First Nations sites. Provide clipboards for students to sketch features and jot stories heard from guides. Follow with a class debrief to share findings and discuss significance.

What places and stories are important to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of your local area?

Facilitation Tip

Before the Field Walk, have students brainstorm a list of places they think might be important, then compare their ideas to local council heritage lists to highlight surprises and gaps.

What to look for

Provide students with a map of their local area. Ask them to draw and label at least two places that are important to the community's identity, including one that is significant to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples. They should write one sentence for each explaining its importance.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 30 min · Whole Class

Story Circle: Community Tales

Form a circle for students to share family or known local stories linked to places. Invite a community elder if possible. Record key themes on chart paper for group analysis.

How do local landmarks, First Nations heritage sites, and community stories help us understand where we live?

Facilitation Tip

In Story Circle, assign each student a specific role: listener, storyteller, or recorder, to ensure everyone participates and stays engaged.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Why should we look after places that are important to different groups in our community?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to share examples of significant places and explain how respecting them builds a stronger community.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Heritage Map: Group Creation

Distribute large maps of the local area. Groups mark significant sites, add symbols for stories, and label why they matter. Present maps to class for additions.

Why is it important to look after and respect places that are significant to all members of the community?

Facilitation Tip

When creating the Heritage Map, assign small groups distinct colors or symbols to represent different types of sites so the final product reflects diverse contributions.

What to look for

Give each student a card. Ask them to write down one local landmark or story they learned about and explain in one sentence how it helps us understand where we live. Collect these to gauge understanding of local identity.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• Stations Rotation
• 25 min · Pairs

Respect Skits: Site Care

Pairs create short role-plays showing respectful versus harmful actions at heritage sites. Perform for class and vote on best practices.

What places and stories are important to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of your local area?

Facilitation Tip

During Respect Skits, give students a scenario card with a real-world dilemma so their role-plays feel grounded and relevant to local stewardship decisions.

What to look for

Provide students with a map of their local area. Ask them to draw and label at least two places that are important to the community's identity, including one that is significant to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples. They should write one sentence for each explaining its importance.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should anchor this unit in students' lived experiences by starting with their own family stories and local knowledge. Avoid presenting heritage as a static list of facts; instead, frame it as an evolving conversation where new stories and meanings emerge. Research shows that when students connect heritage to their daily lives, they develop stronger civic identity and empathy.

Students will confidently identify and explain at least two local heritage sites, including one significant to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples, and articulate why these places matter to the community. They will demonstrate respectful behavior through role-play and collaborative mapping.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Field Walk: Heritage Sites Tour, watch for students who only focus on old or Indigenous sites.

  Use the walk to prompt students to notice recent community markers, such as a local park or school, and ask them to explain why these places might be heritage too.

• During Respect Skits: Site Care, watch for students who believe care is only needed for ancient or cultural sites.

  Have students role-play scenarios where neglect at a modern playground or street mural leads to damage, showing the need for current stewardship.

• During Story Circle: Community Tales, watch for students who assume local identity is uniform.

  After each story, ask the group to identify what makes that story unique to your area, highlighting differences in experiences and perspectives.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation