Journey to a New World: Convict Ships

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to engage with the complex social and economic realities of colonial Australia. Through role-play, simulations, and close reading, students move beyond facts to understand the human experiences behind migration, making the history more tangible and meaningful.

• Year 5
• HASS
• 3 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the primary dangers and hardships faced by convicts during the sea voyage to Australia.
2. Analyze the logistical challenges involved in transporting large numbers of convicts across vast distances.
3. Compare the experiences and motivations of convicts with those of free settlers arriving in Australia.
4. Identify the key factors that contributed to the harsh conditions on convict ships.

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Migration Motivations

Students read a short diary entry from a free settler and identify one 'push' factor from Britain and one 'pull' factor to Australia. They share their findings with a partner to create a master list of reasons for migration.

Prepare & details

Explain the dangers and hardships faced by convicts during their journey.

Facilitation Tip: During the Think-Pair-Share, provide a list of starter prompts on the board to guide students who struggle to articulate their thoughts independently.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Simulation Game

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Land Grant Game

Students are given a 'budget' and a map of a hypothetical colonial district. They must work in groups to decide where to build their farm, considering water access and soil, while navigating 'random events' like drought or lack of labor.

Prepare & details

Analyze the logistical challenges of transporting thousands of people across the globe.

Facilitation Tip: In The Land Grant Game simulation, circulate with a checklist to ensure all students participate in the bidding process and explain their decisions aloud.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Individual

Gallery Walk: Colonial Social Classes

Display images and quotes representing wealthy squatters, working-class tradespeople, and domestic servants. Students move around the room with a graphic organizer to note the differences in clothing, housing, and daily responsibilities.

Prepare & details

Compare the journey of convicts with that of free settlers.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, place a blank sheet next to each image so students can write questions or reactions, creating a visible record of their thinking.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should ground this topic in primary sources and role-play to counter oversimplified narratives. Avoid presenting free settlers as a monolithic group; instead, highlight the spectrum of backgrounds and goals. Research shows that students grasp historical complexity best when they analyze multiple perspectives side by side, so use structured comparisons to build their critical thinking.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students articulating the diversity of free settlers’ motivations, recognizing the interconnectedness of social classes, and using historical evidence to explain colonial relationships. They should demonstrate empathy while maintaining historical accuracy in their discussions and reflections.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students assuming all free settlers were wealthy people who owned large farms.

What to Teach Instead

Use the ‘census’ data table provided during the activity to ask specific questions like, ‘How many settlers listed occupations such as blacksmith or domestic servant?’ to redirect assumptions.

Common Misconception

During The Land Grant Game simulation, watch for students believing free settlers and convicts lived completely separate lives.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students during the debrief to list examples of how settlers and convicts interacted in their roles, using the game’s land grant forms as evidence.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Think-Pair-Share, collect students’ written responses describing two motivations for migration and one challenge settlers faced, using at least one key vocabulary term from the list.

Discussion Prompt

During The Land Grant Game, pause mid-simulation to facilitate a discussion comparing settlers’ goals with the realities of land grants and labor availability.

Quick Check

After the Gallery Walk, give students a short excerpt from a settler’s diary and ask them to identify three details that reveal social class or economic status, using a graphic organizer to record responses.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research a specific migrant’s journey and present a 60-second ‘elevator pitch’ about why their chosen person moved to Australia.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: provide sentence starters for the Think-Pair-Share and pre-selected excerpts from settlement records with key phrases highlighted.
• Deeper exploration: invite students to draft a letter between a free settler and a family member back home, weaving in details about land grants, wages, and social conditions.

Key Vocabulary

Convict transportation	The practice of sending convicted criminals from Britain and Ireland to penal colonies, primarily Australia, as a form of punishment and labor.
Second Fleet	The second fleet of ships carrying convicts to Australia, notorious for its exceptionally harsh conditions and high mortality rate among the prisoners.
Hull	The main body or frame of a ship, where passengers and cargo are housed; in this context, referring to the crowded and unsanitary living quarters for convicts.
Scurvy	A disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen gums, weakness, and skin hemorrhages, common on long sea voyages due to poor diet.
Quarantine	A period of isolation imposed on ships or individuals arriving from infected areas to prevent the spread of disease, a process convicts often underwent.