HASS · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Uncovering Our Local History

Active learning helps Year 3 students connect deeply with local history by engaging multiple senses and perspectives. Walking the community, listening to stories, and handling artefacts make abstract concepts concrete and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS3K01
• AC9HASS3S01

• 30–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Mystery Object
• 50 min · Whole Class

Field Walk: Community Time Trail

Plan a 30-minute walk to three local sites like a park or building. Provide clipboards for students to sketch, note changes from photos, and record oral histories from plaques. Follow with a class debrief to sequence findings on a shared timeline.

Explain the historical significance of the first peoples in our local area.

Facilitation Tip

During the Community Time Trail, bring a notepad to jot down student observations about land use and features that reflect Indigenous connections.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are showing a visitor around our local area. What is one thing you would tell them about who lived here first, and why is that important?' Encourage students to use vocabulary like 'Indigenous Australians' and 'custodians'.

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

Activity 02

• Mystery Object
• 45 min · Pairs

Pairs Interview: Elder Stories

Pair students to prepare three questions about local changes, then interview a willing community member or use pre-recorded videos. Students transcribe key facts and compare responses to photos. Share highlights in a class story circle.

Compare and contrast the local area's past with its present state.

Facilitation Tip

When conducting Elder Stories interviews, prepare a small set of prompt questions but allow the conversation to follow the elder’s lead to capture authentic details.

What to look for

Provide students with a set of three images: one of the local area from the past, one from the present, and one artefact or historical marker. Ask them to write one sentence comparing the past and present, and one sentence explaining what the artefact or marker tells us about the history.

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

Activity 03

• Mystery Object
• 40 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Evidence Hunt

Divide the class into groups and distribute photos, maps, and object cards of local evidence. Groups sort items into 'past' or 'present' piles, justify choices, and create a visual display. Present to the class for peer feedback.

Analyze various forms of historical evidence found within our community.

Facilitation Tip

For the Evidence Hunt, provide picture cards of common artefacts or sites so students can match them to descriptions as they explore.

What to look for

On a small card, ask students to draw a simple timeline with two points: 'First Peoples lived here' and 'Today'. Then, ask them to write one word describing how the area has changed between those two points.

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

Activity 04

• Mystery Object
• 30 min · Individual

Individual: My Place Timeline

Each student draws a personal timeline of their street or school, adding First Nations elements from class research. Include drawings of changes and one evidence source. Compile into a class book for display.

Explain the historical significance of the first peoples in our local area.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are showing a visitor around our local area. What is one thing you would tell them about who lived here first, and why is that important?' Encourage students to use vocabulary like 'Indigenous Australians' and 'custodians'.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model curiosity and respect for all sources of history, especially oral stories and land-based evidence. Avoid presenting timelines as fixed; instead, encourage students to question gaps and silences in the records they find. Research shows that students develop stronger historical thinking when they handle artefacts and discuss multiple perspectives.

Students will demonstrate understanding by identifying pre-colonial histories, tracing changes over time, and explaining how different sources reveal the past. They will use vocabulary like 'First Nations peoples' and 'custodians' appropriately.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Community Time Trail, watch for students who overlook pre-colonial evidence like scar trees or old pathways.

  Use the trail’s map to highlight marked points where Indigenous land management is visible, and pause at each to ask students what they observe and how it might link to First Nations peoples.

• During Elder Stories interviews, students may assume all history began after European arrival.

  Before the interview, remind students to ask elders about life before changes, such as seasonal routines or language use, and record these details on a dedicated section of their interview sheets.

• During the Evidence Hunt, students may dismiss oral stories or place names as less valid than written records.

  Provide a chart with different source types, including oral stories and land features, and ask students to justify why each source matters to understanding local history.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mystery Object