HASS · Year 3

Active learning ideas

The Evolution of Celebrations

Active learning works for this topic because students need to see change over time as a lived experience, not just a textbook fact. When they build timelines, act out roles, and create murals, they move from passive observers to engaged historians who notice how celebrations shift with society.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3K01

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Four Corners
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Group Timeline: Anzac Day Changes

Provide sources on Anzac Day from 1915 to today. Groups sequence 5-7 key events on a large timeline strip, noting changes like dawn services or poppy symbols. Each group shares one change with the class and adds to a shared wall display.

Analyze how a specific celebration has evolved throughout history.

Facilitation Tip

During the Small Group Timeline, circulate to prompt groups to look beyond dates and ask, 'How did this change affect who was included or excluded?'

What to look for

Students choose one Australian celebration (e.g., Anzac Day, NAIDOC Week). On a slip of paper, they write: 1) The original purpose of the celebration. 2) One way it has changed. 3) One word to describe its modern meaning.

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

Activity 02

• Four Corners
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs Role-Play: Past vs Present NAIDOC

Pairs research one early NAIDOC event and one recent one. They prepare and perform short skits showing differences in activities or participants. Follow with class discussion on reasons for changes.

Predict how current celebrations might change in the future.

Facilitation Tip

In the Pairs Role-Play, provide a simple script template to help students focus on specific changes rather than improvising without direction.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a celebration from 100 years ago was happening today. What would be the biggest differences?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to cite specific examples of changes in technology or social values that might cause these differences.

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

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 40 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Mural: Future Celebrations

Brainstorm as a class how a celebration like Australia Day might evolve by 2050. Students add drawings and labels to a large mural, predicting influences like technology or climate. Vote on most likely changes.

Compare the original purpose of a celebration with its modern interpretation.

Facilitation Tip

For the Whole Class Mural, assign small sections to each pair so every student contributes, and set a timer to keep the process moving.

What to look for

Present students with two images: one depicting an older version of a celebration and one of a modern version. Ask them to point to or verbally identify two specific differences they observe and explain what might have caused that change.

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

Activity 04

• Four Corners
• 35 min · Individual

Individual Family Reflection: Birthday Evolution

Students interview a family member about birthdays in their childhood. They draw or list 3 changes and share in a class gallery walk. Connect findings to broader patterns.

Analyze how a specific celebration has evolved throughout history.

What to look for

Students choose one Australian celebration (e.g., Anzac Day, NAIDOC Week). On a slip of paper, they write: 1) The original purpose of the celebration. 2) One way it has changed. 3) One word to describe its modern meaning.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by grounding discussions in primary sources and student experiences. Avoid assuming students see evolution as natural; explicitly model how to compare old and new images or texts side by side. Research shows that when students handle real artifacts or images, their explanations of change become more precise and detailed.

Successful learning looks like students identifying concrete changes in celebrations and explaining reasons for those changes. They should use evidence from sources, compare perspectives, and articulate how modern interpretations connect to original purposes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Small Group Timeline, students may assume the timeline shows fixed events without noticing adaptations.

  During Small Group Timeline, direct students to highlight not just dates but also notes on who participated, how the event was described, and any new elements added over time. Ask them to circle evidence of change in different colored pens.

• During Pairs Role-Play, students may think modern NAIDOC is simply 'better' than the past without understanding continuity.

  During Pairs Role-Play, provide a checklist that includes both original cultural practices and modern additions. After the skit, ask pairs to underline which elements stayed the same and which changed, then share with the class.

• During Individual Family Reflection, students may assume their family’s birthday traditions have always been the same.

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Methods used in this brief

• Four Corners