HASS · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Post-WWII Migration: Populate or Perish

Active learning works for this topic because students need to step into the shoes of migrants and policymakers to truly grasp the urgency and complexity of post-WWII migration. Role-playing interviews and collaborative research make the human stories behind the policy visible, turning abstract historical events into lived experiences.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HASS6K03

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

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 45 min · Pairs

Simulation Game: The Migration Interview

Students act as migration officers and potential migrants from 1950s Europe. They must discuss the 'push' factors (war, poverty) and 'pull' factors (jobs, safety) that lead someone to leave their home for Australia.

Explain the strategic and economic reasons behind Australia's 'Populate or Perish' policy.

Facilitation Tip

For the Migration Interview simulation, provide students with role cards that include both factual background and emotional context to deepen their engagement with the material.

What to look for

Provide students with two index cards. On the first, ask them to write one specific reason for the 'Populate or Perish' policy. On the second, ask them to name one group of migrants and one challenge they likely faced.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Ten Pound Poms

Small groups research the 'Assisted Passage Scheme'. They create a travel brochure from the 1950s designed to convince a British family to move to Australia, highlighting the promised benefits.

Analyze the experiences of 'Ten Pound Poms' and other European migrants in post-war Australia.

Facilitation Tip

During the Ten Pound Poms investigation, assign small groups a specific country of origin to research, ensuring they compare data on recruitment numbers and settlement experiences.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a migrant arriving in Australia in 1950. What are two things you might be excited about, and two things you might be worried about?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to draw on vocabulary and historical context.

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

Activity 03

• Stations Rotation
• 60 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Bonegilla and Beyond

Set up stations with photos and diary entries from migrant hostels like Bonegilla. Students rotate to learn about the food, the language barriers, and the first jobs migrants took when they arrived.

Evaluate the immediate impact of mass migration on Australia's population and workforce.

Facilitation Tip

In the Bonegilla and Beyond station rotation, place primary sources like letters or photographs at each station to ground discussions in real-life experiences.

What to look for

Present students with a short list of potential 'push' and 'pull' factors for migration. Ask them to categorize each factor as either a push or pull factor for post-WWII European migrants heading to Australia, and to briefly justify their choices.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing factual content with emotional engagement, using primary sources to humanize historical events. Avoid presenting the policy as purely altruistic or purely coercive—focus on the tension between Australia’s strategic fears and migrants’ hopes. Research suggests that role-playing and collaborative inquiry help students retain both the policy details and the human stories.

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the reasons behind Australia’s migration policies and the challenges migrants faced, using specific historical evidence. They should also demonstrate empathy by articulating the perspectives of different migrant groups and policymakers.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Migration Interview simulation, watch for students assuming migrants only came to Australia for leisure or adventure.

  Use the role-play debrief to ask migrants why they left their homes and what they hoped to find in Australia, directly addressing the misconception with their own words.

• During the Ten Pound Poms collaborative investigation, watch for students believing the 'Populate or Perish' policy was inclusive of all nationalities.

  Have groups present their findings on who was targeted by the policy and why, using recruitment posters or government documents to highlight the preference for British and European migrants.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation