Task:
It is 1810 and the locals are keen to find out what Australia has to offer beyond Sydney Cove. They are ready to explore. History tells us what happened next. Imagine if we could go back in time and share this knowledge with them.
What would we tell them? What difference could we make?
If they only knew…..
Students are required to research early Australian explorers and examine stories of their expeditions to discover:
- where funding comes from for an expedition
- skills an explorer needs (and the value of those skills) that will enable them to lead a successful expedition
- equipment/items/people needed for an expedition
- the reward an explorer can expect (personally and for the colony) if they are successful
Students work in mixed ability groups of 4, with each member of the group focusing their research on the history of exploration in one of the following directions:
Crossing the mountains
South to north
East to west
The river system
Students research independently but may interact with members from other groups that are researching a similar ‘direction’.
Students share their findings with their own group then together they identify skills/equipment/facts common for exploration in all 4 directions, and construct one final checklist for explorers.
As a whole class compare the checklists from each group to identify similarities.
Students presented their individual research findings using the online program Smore (https://www.smore.com/app)
KLA Outcomes (NSW)
English:
EN3-3A Uses an integrated range of skills, strategies and knowledge to read, view and comprehend a wide range of texts in different media and technologies
Content: Select, navigate and read texts for a range of purposes, applying appropriate text processing strategies and interpreting structural features (table of contents, glossary, chapters, headings and subheadings
HSIE:
HT3-1 Describes and explains the significance of people, groups, places and events to the development of Australia.
Technology
21st CLD: Collaboration
ISTE: Research and Information Fluency
Program: Smore