Humanities and Social Sciences · Year 9

Active learning ideas

Impact of Colonisation on First Nations

Active learning works for this topic because it helps students move beyond textbook facts to grapple with the human realities of colonisation. By role-playing, simulating and discussing, students confront the emotional weight of migration and its impact on First Nations peoples in ways that passive learning cannot.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H9K03
• AC9H9K04

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Ship's Arrival

Students are assigned roles as convicts, guards, or free settlers arriving in Sydney Cove. They write a 'letter home' or perform a short scene describing their first impressions and fears.

Explain the various ways First Nations peoples resisted British colonisation.

Facilitation Tip

During the Role Play: The Ship's Arrival, give students time to prepare by providing character cards that include both historical facts and emotional context, such as family separation or fear of the unknown.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How did the legal concept of 'terra nullius' facilitate the dispossession of First Nations peoples?' Ask students to share two specific examples of its impact, referencing evidence discussed in class or from their research.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Goldfields License Hunt

Simulate the tension on the goldfields by having 'troopers' check students for 'licenses'. This leads into a discussion about the grievances that caused the Eureka Stockade.

Analyze the concept of 'terra nullius' and its legal and social implications.

Facilitation Tip

For the Simulation: The Goldfields License Hunt, set clear time limits to build tension and mimic the historical pressure miners felt when inspectors arrived.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source quote describing an act of resistance by First Nations peoples. Ask them to write one sentence identifying the form of resistance and one sentence explaining its significance in challenging colonial authority.

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

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Why Stay?

After learning about the hardships of colonial life, students discuss in pairs why many convicts chose to stay in Australia after their sentences ended. They share their theories with the class.

Critique the historical narratives that downplay the violence and dispossession of colonisation.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Think-Pair-Share: Why Stay? to structure discussions so that students first reflect individually, then discuss with a partner before sharing with the class, ensuring all voices are heard.

What to look for

Display an image depicting a scene from the colonial era. Ask students to write down two observations about the potential impacts of colonisation shown in the image, considering both dispossession and violence, and to identify one way First Nations peoples might have resisted.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing empathy with critical analysis. Avoid framing colonisation as inevitable or solely negative—acknowledge the agency of First Nations peoples and the complexity of migrant experiences. Research suggests that primary sources and survivor testimonies are essential for grounding discussions in reality rather than stereotypes.

Successful learning looks like students connecting historical events to human experiences. They should be able to explain the motivations and hardships of convicts, free settlers, and gold seekers, and articulate the consequences of these migrations for First Nations communities. Evidence-based discussions and reflections demonstrate depth of understanding.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Role Play: The Ship's Arrival, watch for students assuming all convicts were violent criminals. Redirect by using the Digital Panopticon records in character cards to highlight minor crimes of poverty, such as stealing bread or poaching.

  During Role Play: The Ship's Arrival, provide peer-led research tasks where students examine convict records and identify common crimes. Ask them to present one example to the class, challenging the assumption of violence.

• During Simulation: The Goldfields License Hunt, watch for students believing the gold rush was only about wealth. Redirect by using the 'consequence web' to map how the rush led to democratic reforms and multicultural tensions.

  During Simulation: The Goldfields License Hunt, pause the activity to have students add nodes to a class-wide consequence web on the board, noting changes like the introduction of miners' rights or conflicts with Chinese immigrants.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share