HASS · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Oral Traditions and Indigenous Histories

Active learning helps students grasp the human-made nature of periodisation by engaging them in debates, investigations, and discussions. When students compare different cultural timelines or create their own, they move beyond passive acceptance of labels like 'Ancient' or 'Medieval'.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H7K02

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: The BCE/CE vs BC/AD Toss-up

Divide the class into two groups to research the origins and reasons for using different dating systems. They hold a mini-debate on which system is more appropriate for a multicultural Australian classroom, focusing on inclusivity and historical accuracy.

Analyze how oral traditions transmit knowledge and history across generations.

Facilitation Tip

During the Structured Debate, assign clear roles (e.g., timekeeper, note-taker) to keep the discussion focused and inclusive for all students.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a historian trying to understand a significant event from Australia's ancient past. What are the strengths and weaknesses of relying solely on written records versus oral traditions?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to consider accuracy, bias, completeness, and cultural context for each source type.

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

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Personal Periodisation

Students create a timeline of their own lives, dividing it into 3-4 'eras' (e.g., The Early Years, The Primary School Age). They must explain to a partner what 'turning point' event caused the shift from one era to the next, mirroring how historians define periods.

Compare the reliability of oral histories with written accounts.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation, provide graphic organisers or digital timelines to help students structure their comparisons between cultural periodisations.

What to look for

Provide students with a short, simplified excerpt of an Indigenous Australian oral tradition (e.g., a creation story or a story about a historical event). Ask them to identify two specific pieces of information that could be considered historical evidence and explain why they are significant.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Continuity and Change

Show two images of a city (e.g., Rome) 500 years apart. Students identify three things that stayed the same (continuity) and three things that changed. They share with a partner to discuss whether the city is 'mostly the same' or 'completely different'.

Justify the importance of respecting and preserving diverse forms of historical record-keeping.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, model how to identify continuity and change by thinking aloud as you compare two different historical periods or events.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one reason why oral traditions are crucial for understanding Indigenous Australian histories and one question they still have about comparing oral and written historical sources.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by normalising multiple perspectives on time. Avoid presenting Eurocentric labels as universal truths. Use concrete examples, like Indigenous Australian seasonal calendars, to show how cultures structure time differently. Research suggests that when students engage with primary sources (oral traditions, artifacts), they better understand the limitations of period labels and the value of diverse historical narratives.

Students will demonstrate understanding by explaining why time divisions vary across cultures and justifying their own periodisation choices. They will also identify strengths and limitations in different historical sources, including oral traditions.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Structured Debate: 'Historical periods like 'The Middle Ages' happened at the same time everywhere.'

  During the Structured Debate, provide students with timelines from different regions (e.g., Europe, China, Indigenous Australia) and ask them to mark where they think 'The Middle Ages' would fall on each. Use this to highlight that periods are not universal.

• During the Think-Pair-Share: 'Time is always a straight line of progress.'

  During the Think-Pair-Share, ask students to compare a European timeline with an Indigenous Australian seasonal cycle. Direct them to identify moments of regression or cyclical change to challenge the idea of constant progress.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share