HASS · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Gradual Dismantling of White Australia

Active learning helps students grasp the complexity of Australia’s border protection policies by making abstract legal and ethical debates concrete. When students take on roles, analyze primary sources, or debate policy decisions, they connect historical and contemporary issues to their own civic responsibilities.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H10K07

• 45–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Four Corners
• 60 min · Whole Class

Mock Parliamentary Debate: The Pacific Solution

Students take on roles as members of the government, the opposition, and the crossbench in 2001. They debate the introduction of the 'Pacific Solution' (offshore processing) in response to the Tampa Affair. This helps students understand the political pressures and the legislative process behind border policy.

Analyze the social and political pressures that led to the dismantling of the White Australia Policy.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock Parliamentary Debate, assign clear roles (e.g., government, opposition, crossbench, NGOs) and provide a detailed brief with talking points to keep the discussion focused.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are a government advisor in 1965. What arguments would you present to the Prime Minister to advocate for changes to the White Australia Policy, considering both domestic and international pressures?'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The UN Refugee Convention

In small groups, students research the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. They identify Australia's specific obligations to people seeking asylum and compare these to current border policies. Groups present their findings as a 'legal brief' on Australia's international compliance.

Explain the key policy changes introduced by the Holt and Whitlam governments.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation on the UN Refugee Convention, model how to extract key clauses from the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol before students work in small groups.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking them to identify one key policy change under either the Holt or Whitlam government that directly challenged the White Australia Policy, and explain its significance in one sentence.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Perspectives on Border Protection

Set up stations with different viewpoints: a refugee's account of detention, a government minister's speech on 'Operation Sovereign Borders,' and a report from a human rights organisation. Students move through each station and record the core arguments and emotional impact of each perspective.

Evaluate the role of international relations in influencing Australia's migration reforms.

Facilitation Tip

Set a 5-minute time limit per station during the Station Rotation to maintain momentum and encourage students to move efficiently between perspectives on border protection.

What to look for

Present students with a short timeline of Australian migration policy milestones from 1945-1975. Ask them to individually label three events as either reinforcing or dismantling the White Australia Policy and briefly justify one of their choices.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should avoid framing this topic as purely historical or political by isolating facts from values. Instead, use structured comparisons—like pairing Australia’s policies with those of other nations—to reveal how national identity shapes policy. Research shows students better understand contested issues when they practice perspective-taking rather than absorbing a single narrative.

Students will move beyond simplistic views of border protection by weighing multiple perspectives, understanding legal obligations, and recognizing how policy reflects shifting national values. Success looks like informed discussion, careful evidence use, and respectful exchange of viewpoints.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mock Parliamentary Debate, watch for statements claiming it is illegal to arrive in Australia by boat to seek asylum.

  During the Mock Parliamentary Debate, redirect students by asking them to locate the relevant article in the UN Refugee Convention in the Collaborative Investigation handout and clarify how domestic law differs from international law.

• During the Station Rotation, watch for claims that Australia takes more refugees than any other country.

  During the Station Rotation, direct students to the 'Global Refugee Intake' comparison chart in the Collaborative Investigation materials to verify Australia’s actual share of the world’s refugee intake.

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Methods used in this brief

• Four Corners
• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation