Citizenship Learning in the Context of an Aspect of Australian History (Week 3)

Welcome parents/carers of 2L! Your child showed considerable interest in the history of Port Arthur last term. So, we will explore this topic in detail this term. 

Figure 1. Port Arthur (Pot, 2008).

In our unit aimed at teaching citizenship through history, we will learn how to act as active and informed citizens as espoused in the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, 2008) while learning about the heritage significance of Port Arthur for present generations and the importance of heritage preservation through a visit to the heritage site (Brett & Duff, n.d.). These intended learning outcomes will be achieved through the following learning activities:

Activating Prior Knowledge

As a class, we will discuss what we know and want to know about the history of Port Arthur and its heritage significance for present generations, and record our ideas and questions developed using 6HSM scaffold on a class KWL chart, which helps promote historical inquiry (Taylor, Fahey, Kriewaldt & Boon, 2012). 

Figure 2. 6HSM scaffold.

Figure 3. Class KWL chart.

You are encouraged to share what you know about Port Arthur with your child to continue his/her learning in this area at home. 

Excursion

In small groups/pairs, we will complete a Learning Quest, which is another form of historical inquiry (Gilbert & Hoepper, 2016), during our visit to Port Arthur. Acting as ‘history detectives’, we will use the pre-designed Learning Quest booklet to determine what ‘history mysteries’ need to be solved.

Figure 4. Learning Quest Booklet. 

We invite you to join us for the excursion to support small groups/pairs of students in the completion of their learning quest. 

Follow-up Learning

As a class, we will share what we observed and learned during our visit to Port Arthur and use this information to complete the class KWL chart. We will then discuss the significance of preserving the site and ways of preserving it.

Active Citizenship in Action

Students will be presented with an imaginary scenario that vandalism has happened at Port Arthur. As a class, we will write a letter to the local newspaper to express our concern about vandalism at the site to increase public awareness of the issue. In small groups, we will design a sign to educate the public on the heritage significance of Port Arthur and the importance and ways of preserving it. The finished signs will be displayed in the classroom. 

We invite you and other students in the school to view our work and ask us questions about the heritage significance of Port Arthur for present generations and the importance of heritage preservation at the end of the unit. 

By engaging in this unit, students will be able to achieve the following learning outcomes from the Australian Curriculum (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.a; ACARA, n.d.b) and Early Years Learning Framework (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR], 2009):

Figure 5. Links to the Australian Curriculum.

Figure 6. Links to the Early Years Learning Framework.

I am looking forward to a great term! Please feel free to contact me if you have any inquiries.

Kind regards,

Miss Lee

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (n.d.a). Humanities and Social Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/humanities-and-social-sciences/hass/

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (n.d.b). General capabilities. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/

Brett, P., & Duff, K. (n.d.). The past in the present: Bringing history and citizenship education to life in early years settings. Retrieved from https://mylo.utas.edu.au/d2l/le/content/296741/viewContent/2962946/View

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations [DEEWR]. (2009). The Early Years Learning Framework. Canberra, ACT.

Gilbert, R & Hoepper, B. (2016). Teaching humanities and social sciences: History, geography, economics & citizenship in the Australian curriculum. (6th ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/national_declaration_on_the_educational_goals_for_young_australians.pdf

Pot, M. (2008). Penitentiary at Port Arthur, Tasmania. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur,_Tasmania#/media/File:PortArthurPenitentiary.jpg

Taylor, T., Fahey, C., Kriewaldt, J. & Boon, D. (2012). Place and time: Explorations in teaching Geography and History. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.