History incursion
Stage 3: The Australian colonies
Location
Bring the expert educators from Kamay Botany Bay Environmental Education Centre to your school for an engaging, hands-on incursion! Our qualified teachers will guide students through a variety of sources to investigate significant developments and events, and their impact on Australian colonies—all within your school grounds. This experience fosters curiosity and discovery, right where students learn every day.
Overview
Students will explore a range of historical sources—including artefacts, photographs, and other resources—to gain insights into the events that shaped Australian colonies. These sources provide a window into the past, helping students understand the factors that influenced settlement patterns, with a particular focus on their local area.
This immersive incursion transforms your school into a living classroom. Tailored to suit your school’s context and student needs, this incursion is a cost-effective alternative to excursions—bringing rich, curriculum-aligned learning experiences directly to your students, without the need for bus travel.
Outcomes
- HT3-1 describes and explains the significance of people, groups, places and events to the development of Australia
- HT3-2 describes and explains different experiences of people living in Australia over time
- HT3-5 applies a variety of skills of historical inquiry and communication
Key inquiry questions
- What do we know about the lives of people in Australia's colonial past and how do we know?
- How did an Australian colony develop over time and why?
- How did colonial settlement change the environment?
Activities may vary based on school context — examples provided below:
- Sketch Alpha Farm and its features while learning about artefacts that give us clues about how people lived in the past.
- Consider and question the impact of settlement on Aboriginal people and their environment.
- Explore Aboriginal food resources and Aboriginal artefacts.
- Use a range of sources to collect historical facts/perspectives from the school’s local area.
Learning across the curriculum content
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
- Sustainability
- Critical and creative thinking
- Information and communication technology capability
- Personal and social capability
