HASS · Year 5

Active learning ideas

Exclusion of First Nations Peoples

Active learning works for this topic because it requires students to confront historical injustices through evidence and perspective-taking. These methods help students move beyond abstract facts to grapple with human consequences, making the systemic exclusion of First Nations peoples tangible and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS5K01
• AC9HASS5K05

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

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Exclusion Policies

Divide class into expert groups, each analyzing one policy: voting rights, census exclusion, or citizenship denial using provided sources. Experts then regroup to teach peers and co-create a class summary chart. Conclude with a short reflection on impacts.

Explain how First Nations peoples were disenfranchised at the time of Federation.

Facilitation Tip

In the Jigsaw activity, assign each group a distinct exclusion policy to research so they bring unique expertise back to their home groups.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking: 'Name one right First Nations peoples were denied at Federation and explain why this denial was unjust.' Collect and review responses to gauge understanding of key concepts.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Federation Voices

Assign pairs roles as Federation delegates or First Nations representatives to argue for or against inclusion. Provide evidence cards with historical quotes. Hold structured debates followed by vote and debrief on fairness.

Analyze the reasons for their exclusion from the census and voting rights.

Facilitation Tip

For the Debate, assign students roles as delegates from different states or interest groups to ensure diverse viewpoints are represented.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a First Nations person in 1901. How would the exclusion from voting and the census affect your life and your community?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to use vocabulary and historical context.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Four Corners
• 40 min · Small Groups

Timeline Walk: Path to Federation

Students in small groups add events of First Nations exclusion to a class floor timeline using sticky notes and sources. Walk the timeline narrating changes, then discuss foundational injustices in a whole-class circle.

Critique the foundational injustices embedded in the new Australian nation.

Facilitation Tip

During the Timeline Walk, place key dates and events along a physical line so students can see the progression of injustices.

What to look for

Present students with a short list of statements about Federation and First Nations peoples' rights (e.g., 'All Australians could vote in 1901,' 'First Nations peoples were counted in the census'). Ask students to mark each statement as True or False and provide a brief justification for one of their answers.

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

Activity 04

• Four Corners
• 30 min · Individual

Empathy Letters: Perspectives

Individuals write letters from First Nations viewpoints responding to Federation news. Share in pairs, then compile into a class display. Link to modern rights for reflection.

Explain how First Nations peoples were disenfranchised at the time of Federation.

Facilitation Tip

Have students write empathy letters from specific perspectives, such as a First Nations elder or a non-Indigenous woman advocating for inclusion.

What to look for

Provide students with a card asking: 'Name one right First Nations peoples were denied at Federation and explain why this denial was unjust.' Collect and review responses to gauge understanding of key concepts.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic with care and intentionality, centering First Nations voices and experiences. Avoid sanitizing the language around exclusion or framing injustices as accidental. Research suggests that direct engagement with primary sources and perspective-taking activities builds deeper understanding than lectures alone. Always debrief with a focus on the ongoing impacts of these policies, not just historical facts.

Successful learning looks like students accurately describing exclusion policies, identifying their long-term impacts, and demonstrating empathy for historical perspectives. They should connect specific injustices to broader patterns of colonial control and articulate why these exclusions were unjust.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Timeline Walk activity, watch for students assuming Federation brought equal rights to all Australians.

  Use the timeline to highlight key moments where First Nations peoples lost rights or were excluded, contrasting these with gains for other Australians. Ask students to explain what the timeline reveals about who benefitted from Federation.

• During the Debate activity, watch for students assuming exclusion happened because First Nations peoples did not want to participate.

  Have students refer to delegate speeches and policies to identify systemic reasons for exclusion. Challenge them to find evidence that shows exclusion was enforced, not chosen.

• During the Jigsaw activity, watch for students believing exclusions were short-term and quickly fixed.

  Ask groups to trace their policy’s impacts beyond 1901 using their sources. Have them present long-term consequences, such as delayed voting rights or census omissions, to counter this view.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Formal Debate
• Four Corners