Becoming a ‘mini’ historian

This lesson plan describes a lesson sequence in which students engage in a research project based on the life of a notable Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to produce a digital timeline.  The graduate teacher demonstrates an understanding of historical content and pedagogical knowledge and skills and promotes intercultural understanding and the use of ICT to support student learning.

The graduate teacher engaged students in the compilation of a list of notable Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people from which they selected an individual to research.  After teacher modelling of research skills and whole-class discussion about identifying and accessing suitable resources, the students worked in pairs to apply their research skills gathering evidence about their chosen Indigenous Australian.  Their specific task was to identify significant moments of change in the life of that person, to interpret the impact of that person on Australian History and to use a digital timeline to depict their findings.