Year 6 History

Brianna, Jaimee, Jennifer, and Rachel

School Context

Year level: year 6 30 Students Gender: 16 boys, 14 girls Experience of topic: students have had little, if any,

experience and/or exposure with Indigenous Australians

Brianna

ACARA Strand

Experiences of Australian democracy and citizenship, including the status and rights of Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders, migrants, women, and children (ACHHK 114)

Jaimee

Our Resource

Resource: The DVD ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ Storyline: The movie is set in 1931. It is based on a

true story of three aboriginal girls that are taken from their homes to be trained as domestic staff. They escape and try to make their way back home by following the rabbit proof fence.

Brianna

Watch Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaZtOIsgBqQ

Activity # 1

Discussion 1 (movie is paused for a

few minutes after girls are taken

from their mothers) Questions for students to think about:

What is happening? Who is the man? Why does he only want the ‘half castes?’ Where is he taking them? How do you think the girls feel? How do you think the parents feel?

Brianna

Discussion 2 (movie is paused after girls escape from camp)

Questions for students to think about? How do you think the girls felt about camp? Did you see any examples of the staff trying to

domesticate the girls, and to get them to forget their Aboriginal heritage, culture and traditions?

Brianna

Students create a piece of writing from Molly’s point of view, starting from when they arrived at camp to when they ran away.

Task should include: Molly’s thoughts and feelings correct sequence of events students can skip less important events or add

their own events that they think could have happened while the girls were staying at the camp

Brianna

Activity # 2

As a class, we will discuss the following points:

• How far did the girls travel?• What is this distance in Kilometres?• How many trips would this be from Adelaide to

Melbourne?

Jaimee

Mapping Activity

With the map provided, students trace the path the girls from the movie had taken to get home.

Students will use the movie to describe:

• Terrain covered (the surrounding area)• Where the girls slept at night.• What the girls ate.

Jaimee

Students will then compare to the present day.

• What would the girls have seen if they had run away in the present time?

• Would they have had to make detours to avoid anything?

• Do you think it would have been easier or harder to have run away back then or now? Why?

• Would it have been easier to track the girls?

(Links to Geography)

Jaimee

Activity # 3

When students are finished watching the movie they will be asked to discuss the provided questions about the movie with their table group. They will then need to choose one of the questions to write half a page on.

Jennifer

Discussion question 1:Mr Neville removed half white, half Indigenous children from

their homes and families. Why do you think he would do this? Do you think it was a good reason?

Discussion Question 2:Molly, her sister and her cousin were removed from their

families and taken to Moore River. They decided to run away and make their way back home. Would you have run away stayed there? Why? Why not?

Jennifer

Discussion Question 3:Gracie decided to not continue going home with her

cousins, but go to find her mum where she was told she was waiting. What would you have done if you were Gracie, gone with your cousins or left them to find your mum? Why? Why not?

Discussion Question 4:Gracie didn’t make it to where her mum was waiting; she

was caught and sent back to Moore River. What do you think happened to her when she got there?

Jennifer

Discussion Question 5:Molly decided to turn around and go to the train station to

change Gracie’s mind. If you were Molly would you have gone back for Gracie? Why? Why not?

Discussion Question 6:Molly and her sister made it back home and were reunited

with their mother and grandmother. What would it feel like to be reunited with the people you love?

Jennifer

Project

After students have watched the movie, they will conduct a research project.

This project will be taught and worked on throughout the term.

Students will use the Rabbit Proof Fence as a template to create their own short film of another person's testimony

They will incorporate ICT into this project

Rachel

Year 6 Project Description

The movie Rabbit Proof Fence is based on an Indigenous lady’s story of when she was forcibly removed from her family and taken to Moore River when she was a child.

Molly, her sister Daisy and her cousin Grace were not the only children to be removed from their families and taken to a government home.

Rachel

Your task is to work collaboratively in groups to create your own short film based on a person’s story on their removal as a child.

Visit http://stolengenerationstestimonies.com/ and choose an Indigenous person’s story to make into a short film

Listen to the story and read the testimony of that person

Choose the important parts of the testimony that you want to portray in your short film

Rachel

Story board the short film Script the short film Choose actors, narrators, props and costumes for

the short film Film the scenes of the movie according to the story

board, using the video camera Upload movie to movie maker Edit the scenes using movie maker

Rachel

Add sound effects, titles, voice overs, and credits. Watch a final run through

You have until week 9 to finish the task. We will watch all the short films produced in this unit during week 10.

Rachel

Assessment

Assessment includes handing up work at the end of each step to check your process. Once the task is completed you will be required to peer assess each person in your group and the final product of the other groups.

Rachel

Teacher Role in Assignment

During the Assignment the teacher will explicitly teach at each new section to ensure all students are clear of the expectations and understand the task.

Rachel

Justification

• Fits into the curriculum;• Perspective of an Indigenous person;• Engaging and thought provoking;• Lots of opportunities for discussion;• Focus on the past and stolen generation;• Real-life depictions.

Jaimee

Negatives of using the movie ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’

• Molly’s entire story is not told.• The story is only told from one person’s perspective.• There is no insight into the children who stayed at Moore

River and didn’t get reunited with their families.

Jennifer

Positives of using the movie ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’

• The movie engages the students; therefore they get the most out of it.

• Molly’s story is given visuals, making it easier to comprehend what went on.

• The story leads to further research activities.• The story leads to discussion about the Stolen

Generation.• The movie fits into the curriculum requirements

perfectly.

Jennifer

Positives of using ICT for the assignment

• Using the web site in the assignment helps students to gain skills using ICT to research.

• Using a video camera and movie making computer programs help the students to gain skills using ICT to produce work.

Jennifer

Thanks For Listening