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Significant Events in Australia’s Pre-Federation History
5 Pre & Primary Essentials Worksheets HASS History 1 Page

Significant Events in Australia’s Pre-Federation History

This worksheet is designed to be a quick research and writing task for students studying Australian History. In it, they look a little deeper at one of the events covered in class, conducting research to answer a few question on the worksheet.

This worksheet was created as part of a larger Year 5 History unit designed to cover the history up to federation, including:

  • Early First Nations history
  • Captain Cook and the First Fleet
  • Early colony and convict life
  • The Frontier Wars
  • The gold rush
  • Bushrangers
  • Eureka Stockade

Learning goals

  • We are learning to understand the reasons (economic, political and social) for the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800.
  • We are learning to understand the nature of convict or colonial presence, including the factors that influenced patterns of development, aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants (including Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples) and how the environment changed.
  • We are learning to understand the impact of a significant development or event on an Australian colony.
  • We are learning to understand the reasons people migrated to Australia and the experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony.
  • We are learning to understand the role that a significant individual or group played in shaping a colony.
  • We are learning to understand the nature of convict or colonial presence, including the factors that influenced patterns of development, aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants (including First Nations Australians) and how the environment changed.

Curriculum alignment

AC9HS5S05 9 Develop evidence-based conclusions AC9HS5S07 9 Present descriptions and explanations, drawing ideas, findings and viewpoints from sources, and using relevant terms and conventions AC9HS5S04 9 Evaluate primary and secondary sources to determine origin, purpose and perspectives AC9HS5S03 9 Evaluate information and data in a range of formats to identify and describe patterns and trends, or to infer relationships AC9HS5S02 9 Locate, collect and organise information and data from primary and secondary sources in a range of formats AC9HS5S01 9 Develop questions to investigate people, events, developments, places and systems AC9HS5K03 9 The role of a significant individual or group, including First Nations Australians and those who migrated to Australia, in the development of events in an Australian colony AC9HS5K02 9 The impact of the development of British colonies in Australia on the lives of First Nations Australians, the colonists and convicts, and on the natural environment AC9HS5K01 9 The economic, political and social causes of the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800 ACHASSK110 8.4 The role that a significant individual or group played in shaping a colony ACHASSI095 8.4 Locate and collect relevant information and data from primary sources and secondary sources ACHASSI096 8.4 Organise and represent data in a range of formats including tables, graphs and large- and small-scale maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions ACHASSI097 8.4 Sequence information about people’s lives, events, developments and phenomena using a variety of methods including timelines ACHASSI098 8.4 Examine primary sources and secondary sources to determine their origin and purpose ACHASSI099 8.4 Examine different viewpoints on actions, events, issues and phenomena in the past and present ACHASSI100 8.4 Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare distributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships ACHASSK109 8.4 The reasons people migrated to Australia and the experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony ACHASSK108 8.4 The impact of a significant development or event on an Australian colony ACHASSK107 8.4 The nature of convict or colonial presence, including the factors that influenced patterns of development, aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants (including Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples) and how the environment changed ACHASSK106 8.4 Reasons (economic, political and social) for the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800 ACHASSI105 8.4 Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorporate source materials, digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms and conventions ACHASSI094 8.4 Develop appropriate questions to guide an inquiry about people, events, developments, places, systems and challenges ACHASSI101 8.4 Evaluate evidence to draw conclusions
GE3-4 old Acquires, processes and communicates geographical information using geographical tools for inquiry HT3-5 old Applies a variety of skills of historical inquiry and communication HT3-4 old Describes and explains the struggles for rights and freedoms in Australia, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples HT3-3 old Identifies change and continuity and describes the causes and effects of change on Australian society HT3-2 old Describes and explains different experiences of people living in Australia over time HT3-1 old Describes and explains the significance of people, groups, places and events to the development of Australia
VCHHK089 The nature of convict or colonial presence, including the factors that influenced changing patterns of development, how the environment changed, and aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples VCHHK092 The role that a significant individual or group played in shaping and changing a colony VCHHK091 The causes and the reasons why people migrated to Australia from Europe and Asia, and the perspectives, experiences and contributions of a particular migrant group within a colony VCHHK090 The effects of a significant development or event on a colony VCHHK088 The social, economic and political causes and reasons for the establishment of British colonies in Australia after 1800 VCHHC087 Explain the significance of an event and an individual or group that influenced change in the Australian colonies and in Australian society since Federation VCHHC086 Explain the causes of significant events that shaped the Australian colonies, contributed to Australian Federation and the effects of these on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and migrants VCHHC085 Identify and describe patterns of continuity and change in daily life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, ‘native born’ and migrants in the Australian colonies VCHHC083 Identify the origin, content features and the purpose of historical sources and describe the context of these sources when explaining daily life in colonial Australia, reasons for migration and causes and effects of Federation VCHHC082 Sequence significant events and lifetimes of people in chronological order to create a narrative to explain the developments in Australia’s colonial past and the causes and effects of Federation on its people VCGGC090 Interpret maps and other geographical data and information using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to develop identifications, descriptions, explanations and conclusions that use geographical terminology VCGGC089 Represent the location of places and other types of geographical data and information in different forms including diagrams, field sketches and large-scale and small-scale maps that conform to cartographic conventions of border, scale, legend, title, north point and source; using digital and spatial technologies as appropriate VCGGC088 Collect and record relevant geographical data and information from the field and secondary sources, using ethical protocols

Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.

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