Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories, Years 5–6

About this unit

Content note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this resource contains the names of people who have died. Lessons 2–4 also discuss frontier violence. Teachers are asked to preview Lessons 2–4, consult their school’s Aboriginal Education Officer or local community where possible, and adapt detail for their class.

A complete source-based HASS History unit tracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories from colonisation to the Mabo decision, aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9.0 (AC9HS5K02, AC9HS5K03, AC9HS5S02, AC9HS5S04, AC9HS5S05, AC9HS6K01, AC9HS6K02, AC9HS6S04, AC9HS6S05, AC9HS6S07).

Ten lessons centre First Nations agency: resistance, organising and campaigning, alongside the impacts of colonisation.

• Lesson 1: Country, continuing cultures and respectful inquiry
• Lessons 2–4 (Year 5): Pemulwuy, the Myall Creek massacre and trials, Coranderrk
• Lessons 5–10 (Year 6): Federation and exclusion, the 1938 Day of Mourning, the 1965 Freedom Ride, the Wave Hill Walk-Off, the 1967 referendum, the Mabo decision

Inside:

• 10 lesson plans with learning intentions, success criteria, fact-checked teaching content and an exit check
• 10 student source-analysis worksheets (origin, purpose, perspective)
• Cultural-safety notes, guidance on working with your local community, and terminology advice
• Unit timeline and reusable source analysis frame
• Assessment task with a 6-criterion rubric
• Full answer key
• Editable 40-slide deck with speaker notes on every slide
• Every fact referenced to the National Museum of Australia, AIATSIS, the Museum of Australian Democracy or the AEC, with web links
• Australian spelling; no images reproduced (sources are shown from their own websites, with their own cultural warnings)

Made and checked by The Classroom Resource Library.

Curriculum codes

• AC9HS5K02
• AC9HS5K03
• AC9HS5S02
• AC9HS5S04
• AC9HS5S05
• AC9HS6K01
• AC9HS6K02
• AC9HS6S04
• AC9HS6S05
• AC9HS6S07