Times past
Times past develops students knowledge and understanding of how the history of events
and people they are connected to affect the way they live today.
HSIE Syllabus references:
EN
CU
CC
SS
CCS1.1 Significant events
Communicates the importance of past and present people, days and events in their life, in
the lives of family and community members and in other communities.
CCS1.2 Time and change
Identifies changes and continuities in the local community.
Students will learn about:
• original stories of other students, their families, their community and other communities
• origins of important days and holidays
• people who are important in the lives of students in the class
• technologies, both past and present
• days, holidays and events celebrated by students, their school, families in their
community and other communities
• places in the local area associated with historical events, eg Aboriginal sites, a memorial
• changes, both past and present, caused by changing needs
• stages in a lifetime
• school, local, national and global events.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
What is heritage?
Tell students a story about when you were young (real or
made up) or use the texts listed below. Convey in the story a
sense of change over time and cultural heritage that reflects
family and community at the time, e.g. a family holiday, a
significant incident, a particular family tradition, something
special you did with grandparents.
Texts could include:
• Abel's moon, Shirley Hughes
• Catherine and Laurence Anholt's big book of families,
Catherine & Laurence Anholt
Use the Screen Australia video clips All about Olive, who is
105 years old and is telling what life was like when she was
young, View the 3 linked video clips.
• Discuss what has changed from then to the present and
relate to students’ own experiences, for example:
- were events in your life like those in the story or video?
- what is one big event that you remember from the past?
e.g. the arrival of a baby sister or brother, family holiday,
Australia Day picnic, family outing to the local fair.
• What is one big event we have had this year in our class?
e.g. Education Week or cross country. Have students:
- describe the event and record as a class what is said
- read out what has been written about the class event
- explain to students that they gave an oral recount of a
past event and that this is a useful way of gaining
information about the past.
• Invite a guest speaker, preferably a grandparent or older
member of the community, to visit the class and share some
stories of what life was like when they were young using
some artefacts to illustrate.
Assessment: Place students into small groups. Give each
group images to classify into ‘then’ and ‘now’. Students will
take one set of images to their desk (e.g. Horse and cart +
car) and paste onto assessment sheet under headings ‘Then’
and ‘Now’. Invite students to continue activity by drawing more
‘then’ and ‘now’ images. If possible students can label
drawings and write a statement on why things have changed
http://tlf.dlr.det.nsw.edu.au/learningobjects/Content/L675/objec
t/index.html (This website depicts a Cobb and Co coach. It is
interactive and discusses comparisons between then and now
transport.)
(Literacy link: listens to and identifies with stories read;
recounts key events; listens to an oral recount from a guest
speaker
Personal heritage
View the Screen Australia video clip Young Bill's first public
appearance (1926),
Explore who young Bill might have been - the boy or the pony,
the significance of the pony to the boy, the importance of
attending the show to the family, the time and effort in
preparation to maybe get a ribbon or medal. If you found one
of these show ribbons or medals now what would their
CCS1.1 Communicates the
importance of past and
present people, days and
events in their life, in the lives
of family and community
members and in other
communities
CCS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in the local
community
• identifies past events and
explains their significance
to self and others
• retells original stories
associated with traditions
of own family and
community,
• reflects on the oral history
of the guest speaker and
compares to own
experiences
• compares artefacts from
different times and
evaluates their significance
and purpose
• explains how different
generations of people lived
in the local area
• communicates the value of
the contributions made by
past generations to the
community.
CCS1.1 Communicates the
importance of past and
present people, days and
events in their life, in the lives
of family and community
members and in other
communities
• communicates an
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
significance be?
• Select a personal artefact of significance to show the class
to model the historical inquiry process. Explain the story
behind the artefact, its significance, why you have kept it
and what it reminds you of.
• Identify something that is important to the class that cannot
be represented by an artefact.
• Students discuss what is very important in their lives and
identify both tangible and intangible items:
- tangible e.g. a special toy, something that is important to
their family, such as a painting or an old memento,
perhaps from another country
- intangible e.g. love and friendship, a special relationship
with grandparents or cousins, the significance of rituals
and celebrations.
• Encourage students to bring in a personal artefact. A class
letter sent home could include the questions below to help
students prepare. Ensure items are securely stored.
• Students then share their artefacts with the class, using
questions to focus their presentation:
- what is your personal artefact?
- how did you get it? (Where, when and who from?)
- why is the artefact special to you?
• Read books about personal artefacts e.g.:
- When I was young, James Dunbar and Martin Remphry
- Isabella’s bed Alison Lester
- identify what was important to the major characters in the
story, why they kept the items and why they were
treasured.
- compare students’ artefacts with those in the story;
discuss similarities, differences and significance of
artefacts.
understanding of the
importance of the past
events in peoples lives
• examines artefacts in
relation to peoples lives in
the past.
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Family heritage
Refer to Topic 3, page 31, from Caring for place – caring for
country (DET)
• Students briefly describe a special tradition, activity or place
that is of special significance to their family. Students may
use artefacts and photos. Other students may ask
interesting questions.
• Introduce The river is big by Connie Ah See, included in
Caring for Place – caring for Country or use a similar story
that includes an Aboriginal perspective.
• Explain that the book is about Connie’s place and the
special stories she shares with her family.
• Talk about the games that Connie and her cousins played –
rounders, rolly polly, marbles (jacks). Consider making
some of the ‘toys’ and playing these games. Identify some
other Aboriginal toys found in museums. Compare to the
games children play now.
• Read the story with the class, recall special people, places
and activities that Connie refers to. Connie’s Nan told
special stories about the old people and the old times gone,
The Dreaming.
• Students identify special people, places and activities that
are important to their families. They identify one special
thing to write about. Students will complete a writing plan
before the task, including a labelled diagram of their topic,
to assist their writing. In their writing they should; identify the
person, place or activity, describe it and identify why or how
it is special to them,
Explain the significance of some important days (ongoing as
they occur) that we now celebrate or remember in Australia
e.g. Australia Day, ANZAC Day, Christmas and Easter.
Students explain the way these important days are
acknowledged either in their own family or in the community.
CCS1.1 Communicates the
importance of past and
present people, days and
events in their life, in the lives
of family and community
members and in other
communities
• identifies and talks about
the lives of people in their
family and community
• retells original stories
associated with traditions
of their family
• explains why a personal,
family or community event
is important.
Our heritage
Reference the Screen Australia video clips such as Archibold
family scenes and outings 1932, 5 linked video clips, City
traffic in variable moods 1920, Sydney tramways 1928, 3
linked video clips.
• Reference a junior pictorial history book or the video clips to
explore the past. Deconstruct an era, relative to Australia,
and depicted in a history book, and explain things such as
the transport used, whether there was electricity, TV,
clothing, type of food eaten. Relate to students’
experiences.
• Discuss the images presented in the pictorial history, and
describe the events, life and time represented by the
images. Consider:
- the activities occurring on the page
- who is performing the activities
- the types of occupations depicted
- the types of play and games depicted
- where these events may be happening.
CCS1.2 Time and change
Identifies changes and
continuities in the local
community
 examines aspects of life
in another era
 discusses how life was
different in the past
 organises events into a
simple sequence that
depicts change over time.
.
Teaching and learning
• Work in groups to read and explain an allocated section of
the book, presenting information in chronological order to
reinforce the changes that have occurred over time.
Evidence of achievement
Teaching and learning
Evidence of achievement
Our families – lives and times
Create a display depicting the life and times of students in the
class. Use a 10 year period. Refer to the information gathered
in the previous lesson to model of examples that could be
included in the display.
CCS1.1 Communicates the
importance of past and
present people, days and
events in their life, in the lives
of family and community
members and in other
communities
CCS1.2 Identifies changes
and continuities in the local
community
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
• Develop and list the important things, with sensitivity, that
have affected students’ families in the last 10 years e.g.
births, deaths and marriages. Identify some important
community events that their family, or family members, have
participated in or been involved with. Consider:
- who was important or significant to us?
- when did particular events happen?
- what events do you think are important? Why?
- who was involved in these events?
- how did the life of your family change?
• Assessment: students prepare questions to ask family
members to identify and explain the significance of
important events for their own family.
Use students’ questions to assess understanding of the
importance of people, days and events in the past and the way
these have affected their lives. (Family responses are not
assessed due to personal and family privacy).
• Students:
- interview family members using the questions they have
developed. Students may share some suitable
responses.
- collect some images such as photos, video clips or
drawings illustrating some significant events in their
family and community. Write captions to include in the
class display.
- compare and collate events named during family
interviews.
- collate images and events into chronological order
according to year
- review information displayed and relate to the stories an
old person tells about when they were young.
Assessment strategy
The teacher:
• analyses the student’s questions to evaluate understanding
of the significance of important events in their family.
Assessment criteria
The student:
• prepares questions about important family events
• prepares questions to identify some important community
events
• prepares questions to identify people in their family and
their significance in the lives of other family members
• identifies the impact of events on own family members.
• identifies past events and
explains their significance
to self and others
• retells original stories
associated with traditions
of own family and
community,
• reflects on the significance
of events and their impact
on the community
• compares artefacts from
different times and
evaluates their significance
and purpose
• explains how different
generations of people lived
in the local area
• communicates the value of
the contributions made by
past generations to the
community.