Humanities and social sciences / Year 1 / Inquiry and skills / Questioning

Curriculum content descriptions

Pose questions about past and present objects, people, places and events (ACHASSI018)

Elaborations
  • posing questions with the stems ‘where’, ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ about families, celebrations, places and the weather
  • asking questions before, during and after listening to stories about people and places and about their past and present
  • preparing questions for parents and members of older generations about how they lived in the past, where they lived and the places they value
  • collecting and displaying everyday objects (for example, toys, telephone, radio, cooking utensils, clothes) and other sources (for example, photos, found objects, maps, observation sketches) to stimulate ‘Where’, ‘What’, ‘When’, ‘How’ and ‘Why?’ questions
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
ScOT terms

Historical inquiry,  Artefacts

Assessment

Year 1 history assessment - Exploring my family life: My past, present and future

This is an assessment package that uses the Year 1 Australian Curriculum history achievement standard to gather evidence about how well students have demonstrated what they know, what they understand and what they can do in relation to the topic 'Present and Past Family Life'. Children construct a history box using objects ...

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Personal timelines

This unit explores the concept and language of time and then moves to using sources to create a personal representation of the passing of time by exploring memory and creating a personal timeline.

Interactive

Meeting at Kamay

This resource explores the perspectives of the Aboriginal people of Kamay Botany Bay and the men aboard the HMB Endeavour upon their meeting in 1770. It aims to help students understand the history of Australia's Aboriginal peoples and why stories of the past are important to all of us. This resource is one part of the ...

Video

What is a meat safe?

Before fridges were invented, people used meat safes to keep their food cool. But what is a meat safe? Watch this clip to find out! What was the meat safe made out of? How was it designed to keep bugs out? And how did the meat safe actually keep food cool? Think about the way we keep food cool today. How do the fridges ...

Video

Ironing clothes in the olden days

How do your parents get all the wrinkles out of your clothes? Do you sometimes see your parents using an iron? In the olden days there was no electricity, so the iron had to be heated up on a fire. In this video, Buckingham House volunteer Jeannie Green shows us some old-fashioned irons and explains how people used them. ...

Video

An olden day toilet

In the olden days, there were no toilets inside the house. Why do you think that was? Instead there was a "potty" for the children and a commode chair for the parents. Would you be brave enough to help empty the potty in the morning? How did people in the olden days wash their hands if there was no tap? Buckingham House ...

Online

Holidays, past and present

This three- part activity compares similarities and differences between family holidays of the past with the present. Students view the Allen family's photo album (1899 - 1900) and compare them with holidays they have experienced.

Video

Chequerboard: First day jitters

What was the first day of school like for your parents? This clip shows a group of children arriving at school with their parents in 1974.

Video

For the Juniors: Celebrating a baby's baptism

Meet Vincent and his family and friends as they celebrate his baptism. Find out what happens when a baby is baptised in the Catholic church. Come along to Vincent's party afterwards for some fun, good food and an amazing christening cake.

Online

Farms have distinctive features

This resource is a 32 page pdf integrated inquiry unit, for junior primary students, exploring how the distinctive qualities of a farm space influence farming practice. This unit uses the five stage inquiry model to sequence activities. Topics explored include: how do weather patterns and seasons affect farms?; Why are ...

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Holiday Souvenirs

Use this lesson plan to kick start the creation of an exhibition of objects collected from home about holidays past and present.

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Past, present and future on the farm

In this resource, students learn about technologies that have changed over time and how these changes have helped farmers. Students will have the opportunity to consider how their own school-based technology might solve a problem. This lesson is part of a sequence of lessons that can be used with this age-group of students. ...

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Make a Museum of Memory and Myth

This lesson plan is inspired by the People's Museum of Memory and Myth made in 2017. The work was created by artist in residence Hans K Clausen with the support of the local community. The curated collection of objects are displayed in glass fronted boxes and evoke memories of childhood. You can replicate the process the ...

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Little history: Toys and games

This unit of work uses toys and games to provide opportunities for students to explore concepts of change and continuity by making comparisons of the toys children have played with over time. Structured around a series of inquiry questions students can use images from the museum collection to create a timeline of toys. ...

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Artefact chat: Oral History Recordings

These recordings discuss significant artefacts and key activities at two historic house museums, Mugga-Mugga and Calthorpes' House. Listen to oral history about items such as a flour bin, water bag, fuel stove and ball gown, as well as accounts of work activities such as being a jackeroo.

Online

Yulunga: kandomarngutta

In some parts of Australia children were allowed to use the bullroarer (whirlers), or small versions of it, as a source of amusement. In other areas the bullroarer had a special significance and was not used as a ‘toy’. In parts of Victoria a bullroarer called the kandomarngutta was used. This was a thin piece of wood, ...

Video

Virtual reality and the stereoscope

Do you know what virtual reality (VR) is? VR is something you can experience if you put on a VR headset. The headset lets you see and hear things that make you feel like you're in a completely different place. Perhaps you've seen people using VR headsets or even tried one out yourself. In this video, Margot shows us an ...

Image

Cornish family at Dromana beach with parasols, 1927

This is a black-and-white photograph featuring the Cornish family at the beach in Dromana in 1927. The nine adults and nine children in this group are dressed in bathing costumes, and many wear bathing caps. Three large parasols (light sun umbrellas) are being held by women at the back of the group. A long pier is visible ...

Online

Features of places - Beaches

In this sequence of 6 activities, students explore the natural and human features of beaches and develop an understanding of the way coastal areas are used for leisure, recreation and sport.

Online

How times change

This resource is a website supporting teachers and students of the Australian Curriculum: History in Year 1. Includes teacher support, curriculum connections and ready-to-use digital resources about the present, past and future and about differences between their own lives and those of people in the past.