LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 1

PART A: PREPARATION AND STRATEGIES

Year: 7 Syllabus section:

Lesson 2/10 Stage 4 Syllabus Page 8-9

Unit Name: Investigating the Ancient Past (Including Ancient Australia.)

Aboriginal site: Berry Island, Wollstonecraft, NSW

Lesson Topic: Berry Island Site Visit Activity. Duration: Full extent of the site
visit.

Prior knowledge/skills required: Resources (Attach classroom ready resources/worksheets students will be using, including
relevant pages from textbooks):
Students will have prior
knowledge of Berry Island from See below.
the research task from the lesson
before.

Quality Teaching Elements (lesson focus) - Highlight relevant items

1. Intellectual Quality 2. Quality Learning Environment 3. Significance
1.1 Deep knowledge 2.1 Explicit quality criteria 3.1 Background knowledge
1.2 Deep understanding 2.2 Engagement 3.2 Cultural knowledge
1.3 Problematic knowledge 2.3 High Expectations 3.3 Knowledge integration
1.4 Higher-order thinking 2.4 Social Support 3.4 Inclusivity
1.5 Metalanguage 2.5 Students self-regulation 3.5 Connectedness
1.6 Substantive communication 2.6 Student direction 3.6 Narrative
How are Quality Teaching (QT) elements achieved in the lesson?

QT element/s in the lesson Indicators of presence in lesson

1.6. Substantive Communication Repeatedly throughout the lesson, students are engaging in substantive
communication with the each other and the Heritage Officer. The usage of yarn-
circle and story sharing is a key part of substantive communication amongst the
students themselves. They also engage in substantive communication with the
Karen Smith, the Heritage Officer
2.3 High Expectations High Expectation is located often throughout the lesson, but the focal point is in its
presence in the bus ride on the way into Berry Island. High expectations are set of
the students in terms of their behaviour and quality of work. This is its explicit
position within the lesson plan. Implicitly, it can be found in the expected quality of
answers and group work.
3.5 Connectedness This lesson strives to connect the learning that has taken place in previous Units, as
well as the learning that will be completed during this unit, to a specific place.
Helping the students understand that they are learning about permanent places and
things, not just concepts and ideas.
 LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 2
PART B: SEQUENCE OF ACTIVIES IN LESSON
Syllabus outcomes:
HT4-1 Describes the nature of history and archaeology and explains their contribution to an understanding
of the past.
HT4-6 Uses evidence from sources to support historical narratives and explanations.
HT4-8 Locates, selects and organises information from sources to develop an historical inquiry.

Students learn to: Students learn about:

Explore an important historical site.
Students learn to draw conclusions from historical artefacts
present at the site, and information provided to them.
Gather information and conduct research on a specific topic.
Students learn about history of Berry Island, and
its importance to the Indigenous Australians
that inhabit it.
Students learn about how the Indigenous
Australians used the multitude of resources
present at the site.

A History of Berry Island, and its importance to Indigenous Australians.

Timing Lesson content Student activity 8 ways link

Pre-Site Listen to a story. Make a Students are sitting on the bus,
Visit plan. listening to the instructions from the
teacher.
During the bus ride to Berry
Island, clearly explain to the
attending students that rules
that they are to adhere to
during the site visit.
Remember to set high
expectations and make sure
to establish the
consequences.

The teacher then provides

the students with a brief
abridged history of Berry
Island as a primer for the
visit.
Duration Listen to a story. Make a Students follow Karen Smith around
of the plan. the Gadyan trail, listening to the stories
Guided and information being given. Observing
Tour Once students have arrived the artefacts/flora/fauna presented to
at the site, introduce them to them, and asking questions when
Karen Smith, the Heritage appropriate.
Officer who will be providing
the guided tour around the
Site.

Students are to follow Karen

Smith around the site,
listening to Smith explaining
some of the sites and what
they mean to the Indigenous
Australians that lived there.

Students are able to ask any

respectful questions that
they have. At the end of the
previous lesson, students
should have written down a
question that they would like
to ask the Officer. Make sure
that students use the
question that they came up
with.
 LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY
10 Share with Others.
minutes.
Once the guided tour has
completed create a yarn
circle on the grass nearby.
Students can share what they
enjoyed from tour as well as
what they found the most
interesting.
Page 3
Students talk in the large yarn circle
about their experience so far, and what
they have enjoyed from the experience.
Students are then allowed to decide on
their group members and are given a
worksheet to complete for the duration
of the site visit.

During the yarn circle, the

teacher will then hand out
worksheets for the students
to complete for the
remainder of the site visit.

These worksheets are all

focused around

20 30 Watch first, then do. Students explore the site in their

minutes student groups, gathering information
Students are split into groups to answer the questions on their
of 3-4 and are given one worksheets.
worksheet per group. Each
worksheet has a different
heading at the top of it for
them to walk around and
complete.

Under teacher supervision,

students are allowed to
wander around, finding
information on the boards
around the trail, as other
investigative methods to
answer the questions on
their sheet.
10 -15 Share with Others. Students create another yarn-circle and
minutes. share the answers that they have
Once the time limit is up, written down for their worksheet.
OR students are to return to the
grass outside the trail,
The recreate the yarn circle, and
remainder each group is to share their
of the site experience of completing the
visit time. worksheet, as well as the
information that they have
found out.

All student groups must

share so the learning can be
shared.

Worksheets are to be
collected by the teacher.
Post-Site Think and Do, Draw it Students reflect on their day at the site
visit. hands on. with a creative reflective piece.

Draw the yarn circle to a

close, and have students
board the bus and make their
way back to school.

During the bus ride back to

school, students are to
complete a reflection piece
LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 4
on their day at Berry Island.
They can choose to
- Wrote a poem.
- Draw an artistic
piece.
- Start a creative
writing story based
on what they
learnt, saw and
heard.
- Write a journal
entry about their
experiences at
Berry Island.
 LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 5

PART C: ANALYSIS AND SELF-REFLECTION

How have outcomes been achieved?
Learning outcome Method of measuring and recording
HT4-1 Describes the nature of history Students demonstrate this by the completion of the questions on their
and archaeology and explains their worksheets.
contribution to an understanding of the
past.

HT4-6 Uses evidence from sources to Information from the surrounding areas and from knowledgeable people on site is
support historical narratives and used when the students are completing their worksheets and explaining the
explanations. answers.

HT4-8 Locates, selects and organises Students have to explore the site and find information from different sources in
information from sources to develop an order to get the correct answers for their worksheet.
historical inquiry.

Links to next lesson: This lesson links into the rest of the unit outline by being the site visit that all other lessons are focused
around. It is a keystone moment in the unit outline and all lessons are focused around the time spent and information learned
during the site visit.

AISTL graduate standards and evidence that this lesson achieves this standard.
AITSL Standard Evidence within this lesson
2.4 Understand and respect Aboriginal The lesson is designed to create this links between Indigenous students and non-
and Torres Strait Islander people to indigenous students. The site visit, as well as the yarn circle and guided tour are
promote reconciliation between designed to connect these two groups together through mutual experience and
Indigenous and non-Indigenous shared learning.
Australians.

The work sheets are designed for students to complete independently in their
5.1: Assess student learning. student groups without teacher input. This means that when collected at the end
of the day, it is representative entirely of just the students work.

1.4: Stratergies for teaching Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students.
WHS considerations
The Eight ways of working designed by Yunkaporta is heavily incorporated into
the activities and sequencing of the lesson plan. Dr Chris Sarras Smarter Stronger
Approach has also been incorporated with a focus on setting high expectations
right at the start.

Students need teacher supervision at all times, from the guided tour to the students completing their worksheet activities. It is
important to make sure that the students are supervised constantly, and that any and all problems are immediately dealt with.
Teacher must make sure that students remain with the group at all times, maintaining a head count. Teacher must make sure to
remove all possible opportunities for students to get injured.

References

Board of Studies NSW (2012). History K-10 syllabus. New South Wales: Board of Studies.

Yunkaporta, T & Kirby, M 2011, Yarning up Indigenous pedagogies: A dialogue about eight Aboriginal wats of learning, in R Bell,
G Milgate & N Purdie (eds.) Two way Teaching and Learning: Towards culturally reflective and relevant education, ACER Press,
Camberwell Victoria.

Casual teacher Notes:

If you are unfamiliar with the site Berry Island, use these following sites to perform some quick research:
- https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/Waste_Environment/Bushland_Wildlife/Walks_in_Bushland_Reserves/Berry_Isl
and_Bushland_Reserve
LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 6
Make sure that students do not wander off during the walk around Berry Island, also making sure that the students are
respectful of nature as well as Indigenous Australian culture.

Once the students have finished the guided tour with Karen Smith, make sure that the students stay within their small groups
during their activities. Once again striving to make sure that the students are respectful.

Community Consultation or Protocols to be considered.

Karen Smith The Heritage Officer at Berry Island provided Community Consultation on this unit outline and project. Focused
around the particular usage of Indigenous Australian terms, language and usages of sea and land.

Resources to support this Lesson

LESSON PLAN: Samuel LINNENBANK 17712170 : HISTORY Page 7

Draw an example of one of the flora.

FLORA
List 4 different flora found
around Berry Island.

1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________
4. _____________________

Whereabouts on Berry Island can your flora be found?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Choose ONE flora from your list that you believe is important to Indigenous
Australians: What have you chosen and why is it considered important?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

What are some of the ways that the Indigenous Australians can use these
plants?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Group Members: