HASS UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE
Sub strand: HISTORY Y5/6; CIVICS Y7
Year level: 5/6; 7
Year level theme –
 Should ATSI Peoples be afforded greater recognition
in the Australian Constitution?
Knowledge and Understanding Content
Descriptions covered (at least one)
 Impact of a significant event on an Australian colony
ACHASSK108
 Key events that led to Australia’s federation and
constitution ACHASSK134
 How Australia’s democratic government is shaped by
the Australian constitution ACHCK048
Knowledge and Understanding Achievement
Standards aspects assessed
 Explain the significance of an event
 Describe continuity and change for ATSI Peoples past
and present
 Describe cause and effect on society
Brief description of the units purpose
 To increase student knowledge and understanding
about key issues related to federation and
contextualise them in relation to issues confronted by
ATSI Peoples today
Opportunities to incorporate Cross Curriculum
priorities
 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and
cultures - life at the time of federation and rights and
recognition today
 Sustainability of our system of government as a social
system – should the Australian Constitution be
updated to reflect ‘modern Australia’?
Learning activities/experiences
 Lolly game
 Mock referendum
 Mock 2nd reading debate
 Interpretation of images
 Visit to Parliament
Length: 4 weeks
Concept focus
Federation in Australia
 Rules in our lives
 Life around the time of federation
 The nuts and bolts of constitutional change
 Let’s talk change – a parliamentary style debate
Inquiry and Skills Content Descriptions
covered (at least two)
 Questioning skills
 Sequencing information
 Analysing sources
 Communicating ideas and debating
Inquiry and Skills Achievement Standards
aspects assessed
 Develop appropriate questions to frame an
investigation
 Examine sources to identify different perspectives
 Reflect on learning to propose action
Key Inquiry questions to guide unit thinking
 What is a constitution?
 What are some of its key features?
 What was life like at the time?
 How do you change the constitution?
Opportunities to incorporate General
Capabilities
 Ethical understanding – questioning the ethics of
behaviour of early white settlers and present day
society in relation to ATSI Peoples
 Personal/social capabilities – appreciation of
insights and perspectives of others
 Literacy - students using persuasive argument in
role play debate and group work
 Numeracy – apply numeracy skills in relation to
spatial representation in ‘Lolly game’ and
referendum count
Assessment tasks
Formative
 Group-work - questions in relation to selected
images
 Group-work (or individual) - generating persuasive
argument for the debate
Summative
 The debate role-play – peer or teacher
assessment
ICT resources available
 Australian constitution on-line
 Referendum leaflet
 PEO website
 Recognise website
Lesson outline for the 4 week unit
Week 1
Lesson 1 - Rules in our lives, rule-books and the constitution
as a rule-book (Hwk: Investigate with parents or older carers
rules in their lives)
Lesson 2 - The what and why of the Australian constitution
unpacked including its main features explained
Lesson 3 - Making sense of the ‘Division of powers’ via the
‘Lolly game’ (Hwk: Brainstorm a list of what you think life might
have been like for ATSI Peoples at the time of federation)
Week 3
Lesson 1 - Changing the Australian Constitution; how and
why?
Lesson 2 - Processes involved
Lesson 3 - Role-play referendum
Potential HASS sub strand connections
 Civics and citizenship
Topic background resources (for teacher use
only) to support teaching + learning for the unit
 Federation and the constitution resource –
teacher guide
 The Australian Constitution – pocket book
 Topic materials in relation to proposed
referendum
Learning resources available
 AGSA Painting images
 Pat Stretton article
 Australian curriculum v8.3
Based on 3 lessons of 50 minute duration per
week
Week 2
Lesson 1 - When did federation occur? What was life
like for ATSI Peoples around the time of federation?
Lesson 2 - Explore AGSA images and then
collaboratively attempt questions.
Lesson 3 – How is life different now? Should the
constitution be changed? How might it change to better
reflect and recognise ATSI Peoples? (Hwk: read pat
Stretton article from Federation and the constitution
resource).
Week 4
Lesson 1/2 - Change for ATSI Peoples and what it
might look like in the context of a changed constitution
Lesson 3 - Parliamentary-style debate
Potential other learning area connections
 English
 Geography – place and space
Pedagogical resources to support the
teaching of the unit
 How to book a visit to parliament
 How to conduct a parliamentary-style debate
 How to conduct a mock referendum
 Persuasive argument (DECD Numeracy/Literacy
secretariat)