EDN558 Assignment 2 – 4 week HASS program including Rationale & Context
Helen Walter 30026251
1
EDN 558
HASS Program
Subject/Unit/Depth Study
Focus Question/s
Year level
History/The Ancient to the Modern World/The Asia-Pacific World/
 What were the causes and effects of Polynesian 8
The Polynesian Expansion across the Pacific
settlement on Easter Island (Rapa Nui)?
Rationale
Assumed knowledge and skills (dot points)
School & Classroom Context (dot points)
This unit was designed to introduce Year 8 students to the Pacific
 Students have completed a two week Overview
 A Midwest District High School region of Polynesia. Students living in inland Western have little
of the Ancient to the Modern World.
IPS
connection with the Pacific region, unlike their counterparts on the
 Students are learning paragraph and essay
 Year 8
Eastern seaboard of Australia. The over-arching focus question is
writing skills in their Year 8 English Class
 29 students - 17 girls – 12 boys
What were the causes and effects of Polynesian settlement on Easter
– 10 indigenous, 15 on IEP’s, 1
 Students have some experience in Year 7 of
Island (Rapa Nui)? Each lesson will pose a sub-question to be explored
reading, viewing, interpreting and analysing
hearing impaired
in order to understand and explain the focus question.
texts
 3 x 60min HASS lessons per
The giant statues of Easter Island present a mystery to even the
week
 Students are familiar with using computers to
modern day scholars. This fascination with the unexplained will
research information on the internet
 1 hour homework per week
provide a ‘hook’ for encouraging the students to learn more about the
 Students have experience in using Word and
 Internet access restricted to
statues and the way of life on Easter Island prior to and postPowerPoint on the school computers
designated computer room
European discovery. Although the time allocated to learning about
 It is assumed that students have no prior
 Half the students have no
this topic is limited, it is planned to give students an insight into the
knowledge about Polynesia or moai
internet access at home
origins of Rapa Nui settlement, their cultural beliefs and
 HASS classes are conducted in
achievements, and the events that eventually led to the demise of that
both the designated HASS room
culture.
and the Yr 8 Home room
The unit addresses the Content descriptor of Historical Knowledge and
 HASS room and Yr 8 Home
Understanding through the Depth Study, The Asia-Pacific World / The
room have Smartboards
Polynesian Expansion across the Pacific.
 Method of Inquiry Learning to
It incorporates use of the components of the Historical Skills
be used in teaching this topic
descriptor; Chronology, terms and concepts, Historical questions and
 Students attending this school
research, Analysis and use of sources, Perspectives and
come from five different towns
interpretations, Explanation and communication.
from 40 to120kms away. It is
Historical Understanding key concepts include; evidence, continuity
mainly a farming and mining
and change, cause and effect, perspectives, empathy, significance and
region.
contestability.
The Cross Curricular priority is Sustainability.
General Capabilities include Literacy, Critical and Creative Thinking,
Intercultural Understanding, Ethical Understanding and Personal and
social capability.
Evaluation is formative by observations of the students’ participation
in class, their co-operation with others during group-work, a multiple
choice quiz and a source analysis during the 12 lessons and
summative by way of an investigation on the moai (giant statues) of
Easter Island.
Links to Australian Curriculum: Concepts, Content, Skills (specific and targeted)
The cultural achievements of ONE Polynesian society, such as the moai constructed on Easter Island (ACDSEH067)
Investigating the construction of the moai on Easter Island, the techniques used to make and transport them, and theories about their meaning
EDN558 Assignment 2 – 4 week HASS program including Rationale & Context
2
Helen Walter 30026251
Program
Week
1
Link to AC
skills/content/
concepts
Historical
Knowledge &
Understanding
The cultural
achievements
of the Rapa Nui
including the
building of
Moai
Stage of
Inquiry
Teaching and Learning Activities
Resources
Evaluation
Tuning In
1.1 What do we know about Easter Island? Where is Easter Island?
Start lesson by showing an image of the moai or giant statues of Easter
Island. Ask students if they can identify what the image is of, and lead into a
discussion of what the students know about Easter Island. Their ideas and
knowledge to be written up on the whiteboard as a table of What do we
know? and What do we want to find out? Students to copy this down into
their workbooks.
Use Google Earth to take students on a fly-over sight-seeing tour of Easter
Island
Mapping Exercise – The Polynesian Triangle & Easter Island
Pair and share with 1 student completing a map of the Polynesian Triangle
and the other completing a map of Easter Island. The students will be given
blank maps of each and a list of island names and important geographic
features to label.
Whiteboard, Whiteboard markers,
Whiteboard eraser
Interactive whiteboard & computer
A3 laminated image of moai
Blank map of Polynesian Triangle from
http://nztec.victoria.ac.nz
with a list of the place names.
Blank outline map of Easter Island & list of
features
http://www.google.com/earth/index.html
Class set of atlases and detailed maps of
Polynesian Triangle & Easter Island as a
reference
Coloured pencils or textas
Student workbooks
==========================
National Geographic Islands and People
article sourced from
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/
education/encyclopedia/island
A3 laminated images of Hokule’a
sourced from
http://www.exploratorium.edu/neverlost
/
A3 laminated images of drawings of Easter
Islanders by early European visitors
Blank timeline worksheet
Prepared handout on the European
discoverers/visitors to Easter Island
sourced from
http://www.onthisdeity.com/europeans_d
iscover_easter_island/
=============================
Whiteboard etc
Pearson Year 8 History textbooks– class set
of texts pp 232-233
PPT slideshow of moai images
Illustrated handout sheet adapted from
http://www.easterislandquest.com/moai.
html and
http://www.chileculture.org/easterisland-statues-moai/
Interactive whiteboard & computer
Resource materials from
http://cyark.org/projects/rapa-
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks,
contribution to
discussion topics,
and working with
others
Finding out
==========
Inquiry
Question
What were the
causes and
effects of
contact
between
societies in this
period?
Historical
Concept
Cause & Effect
Historical Skill
Sequence
historical
events,
developments
and periods.
=========
Historical
Knowledge &
Understanding
The cultural
achievements
of the Rapa Nui
including the
building of
Moai
==========
Finding Out
Gathering
information
Sorting out
==========
Finding out
Gathering
information
Going further
1.2 When was Easter Island settled and by whom? When did Europeans
first discover Easter Island?
Ask students for their ideas on who the first Easter Island settlers were and
how they arrived. Show images of Hokule’a, the great replica Polynesian
voyaging canoe. Read as a class the National Geographic article Islands and
People. Start a Glossary of Rapa Nui terms on the whiteboard. Students to
copy the glossary into their workbooks as a table to be added to in future
lessons.
Read a class handout about the European visitors to the island from 1722
onwards. Discuss as a class the observations made by Roggeveen, Gonzales
and Cook about the moai and the island features and population. What was
the effect of European discovery on the islanders? As a class create a
timeline on the whiteboard to show the sequence of events from the first
arrivals on Easter Island in 700 CE, the arrival of the first Europeans in 1772
until the annexation by Chile in 1888. Students then complete the timeline
worksheet and glue it into their workbooks.
1.3 Investigate the construction of the moai or giant statues.
Read as a class p232-233 of Pearson 8 History section on Moai. Read
illustrated class handout sheet on moai materials and types. Show PPT
slideshow of moai.
Write up as a list on the whiteboard the materials used and the different
types of moai – ahu, moai and moai with pukoa (hats or topknots), the eyes
of moai. Add these terms to Glossary.
Use the interactive whiteboard lesson materials from CyArk to view a map
of the island and investigate the features of selected Rapa Nui moai using the
3D viewer.
Students to complete a data sheet on selected moai with name and facts
Formative: completion of
Polynesian Triangle
& Easter Island
maps
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks
and contribution to
discussion topics
and Glossary
Formative: completion of Easter
Island timeline
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks
and contribution to
discussion topics
EDN558 Assignment 2 – 4 week HASS program including Rationale & Context
Finding out
2
Historical Skills
Use evidence
from sources to
support
historical
narratives and
explanations
Historical
Concept
Contestability
===========
Inquiry
Question
What key
beliefs and
values
emerged and
how did they
influence
societies?
Gathering
Information
Sorting out
Gathering
Information
Communicati
ng
Historical Skill
Identify the
motives and
actions of
people at the
time
Historical
Concepts
Empathy
Perspectives
Evidence
2.1 The Moai were made long before modern methods of lifting and
transport. How were moai moved around Easter Island?
Start by asking students for their ideas about how the statues might have
been moved. Write up suggestions on the whiteboard. Discuss some of these
theories and show some images of the different methods. Read as a class the
handout sheet on different moving theories. Play YouTube clip (1 minute) of
animation of how the statues moved. Play audio podcast (12 minutes) from
National Geographic about the latest theory on the movement of the statues.
Accompany the audio with a visual slideshow of moai images. Play Youtube
clip (1 minute) from National Geographic of the scientists' re-creation of the
statue ‘walking’.
Students to discuss and create a Plus Minus Interesting chart on the
whiteboard for the theory that the moai ‘walked’. Copy this into their
workbooks and draw sketches in their workbooks of moving the moai.
Commence viewing of BBC video Easter Island Mysteries of a Lost World in
15 minute segments over the next 4 lessons as it’s an hour long and some
students have poor concentration spans.
==========
Historical
Concept
Contestability
============
Helen Walter 30026251
==========
Gathering
information
Going
Further
2.2 What are some of the theories about the meaning of the moai? Why
were they destroyed by the islanders?
Divide students into groups of 4 to brainstorm their theories of the meaning
of the moai. Provide a large sheet of butcher’s paper for each group to draw
a web map or concept map of their theories.
Discuss some of the theories about the meaning of the moai (eg:
representations of dead ancestors or chiefs) with the students. Class
handout sheet of some theories to be read as a group. All of the moai were
toppled by the islanders. Several theories to be presented on PPT slideshow
together with information on environmental issues. Any new terms to be
added to the Glossary.
Continue viewing of BBC video Easter Island Mysteries of a Lost World (15
mins)
2.3 Imagine you are a Rapa Nui islander in 1722. What were your living
conditions like? Who were your Gods? What was your reaction to the
arrival of a strange ship with white men on it? Were you frightened or
angered by the strangers, or welcoming of them? How did you
communicate?
Revisit the information in lesson 1.2 extending the information provided by
the European visitors to Rapa Nui by viewing PPT summary of ships logs
information about the islanders from Roggeveen. Students in groups of 4 to
brainstorm on butcher’s paper and then role-play this scenario for the rest
of the class.
Continue viewing of BBC video Easter Island Mysteries of a Lost World (15
mins)
nui/overview
Data sheet templates adapted from
http://www.achistoryunits.edu.au/verve/_
resources/htaa_year8_Angkor_angkorpedi
a_research_template.pdf
Whiteboard etc.
Interactive whiteboard
YouTube, slideshow images and podcast
resources from
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012
/07/easter-island/blochtext?source=news_easter_island_story
Coloured pencils or textas
Student workbooks
Handout sheet of Moai moving theories
from
http://pbs.org/wgbh/nova/easter/move/
past.html
YouTube video BBC Easter Island Mysteries
of a Lost World.
================================
Whiteboard etc.
Interactive whiteboard
Butcher’s paper
Coloured pencils/ textas
Handout sheets on theories of meaning of
the moai and why they were destroyed
sourced from
http://www.easterislandtourism.com/east
er-island-blog/the-easter-island-heads/
and
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/e
ntry/Moai
Teacher provided PPT presentation on the
environmental issues of living on Easter
Island and deforestation prior to 1722
================================
Interactive whiteboard
Butcher’s paper
Coloured pencils/ textas
PPT slides with information from ships log
of Roggeveen sourced from
http://easterislandtraveling.com/easterisland-facts-and-info/history/ship-logsand-journals/jacob-roggeveen-1722/
3
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks
and contribution to
discussion topics
==============
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks,
contribution to
discussion topics,
and working with
others in a cooperative group
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks,
contribution to
discussion topics,
and working with
others in a cooperative group
EDN558 Assignment 2 – 4 week HASS program including Rationale & Context
Finding out
3
Inquiry
Question
Which
significant
people, groups
and ideas from
this period
have
influenced the
world today?
Gathering
Information
Finding out
Gathering
Information
Sorting Out
Historical
Concepts
Perspectives
Evidence
Cause & Effect
Ethical
understanding
Gathering
Information
Reflecting
===========
==========
Historical Skills
Use evidence
from sources to
support
historical
narratives and
explanations
Gathering
information
Sorting out
==========
Gathering
Information
Sorting out
4
Helen Walter 30026251
3.1 Introduction to Investigation assignment on the moai.
Students are required to complete an Investigation assignment on the Moai
of Rapa Nui. This is to be presented as a poster. Students may prepare their
work on the computer, print off their text and illustrations, cut them out and
glue onto A2 coloured card (provided for each student at a later lesson). The
poster must include a title and the student’s name.
Students may choose to investigate one or more aspects of the moai

Materials, size, construction methods & tools used to make moai

How the moai were moved – 2 different theories

The meaning of the moai – what did they represent, why were
some on platforms, why did some have “hats” and why were they
toppled or destroyed

Restoration of the moai since the 1980’s including those damaged
by the tsunami in 1960

Moai in museums around the world and how they are assisting the
research and conservation of moai on Rapa Nui
On a separate sheet of paper the students must provide a reference list or
bibliography of the sources they used for their information. Students will be
given two in-class lessons to research, plan, layout and present their
assignment, plus homework time.
Allow time for students to ask questions about the assignment.
Discuss location of resources for research – Library Books, Encyclopaedias,
Internet. Handout sheet of suggested websites and books in the school
library to be given to each student, along with the bibliography framework
template for recording the resources used.
Removal of moai from Easter Island
Teacher led presentation of information about moai that are in collections of
Museums around the world, specifically the British Museum (Hoa
Hakananais), the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the Musee du
quai Branly (Paris) plus others.
Multiple choice and short answer quiz on about moai that are in collections
of museums around the world. Opinion “ethics” question -“Is it right for
museums around the world to have moai in their collections?” Students to
write a short answer justifying their reasons for why they think this. To be
completed in class.
Completion of viewing of BBC video Easter Island Mysteries of a Lost World
(15 mins)
Printed copy of the investigation
assignment task for each student
Printed copy of Assessment Rubric for
each student
Bibliography Framework template sourced
from
http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/resou
rces-gallery/resource-gallerytemplates.html
3.2 Research period in the Computer Room
Students are to commence their research into their chosen aspect of the
moai.
Any new terms for the Glossary to be given to the teacher
Computer room to be booked prior to the
lesson
3.3 Research period in the Computer Room
Students are to complete their research into their chosen aspect of the moai
and commence layout of their assignment on A2 coloured poster card.
Any new terms for the Glossary to be given to the teacher
Computer room to be booked prior to the
lesson
A2 coloured card
Handout sheet of suggested resources –
websites, library books
PPT slideshow on moai in museums
around the world. Sourced from
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/o
nline_tours/museum_and_exhibition/audi
o_description_tour/hoa_hakananaia.aspx
And
http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears
/featured_objects/easter_island_stone_figu
re.html
And
http://www.eisp.org/category/archaeolog
y/museumobjects/
Multiple Choice & short answer quiz sheets
prepared by teacher from above sources
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks.
Formative:Multiple Choice &
short answer quiz
Summative task
explained.
(Task specifications
and assessment
rubric on a separate
page)
===============
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks.
Observation of
students’ skills at
searching for and
processing of
information on the
internet
Formative: - multiple
choice and short
answer quiz
============================
=============================
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks.
Observation of
students’ skills at
searching for and
processing of
information on the
internet
EDN558 Assignment 2 – 4 week HASS program including Rationale & Context
4
Historical Skills
Analysis and
use of sources
Sorting out
Communicati
ng
===========
=========
Historical Skills
Use a range of
communication
forms (oral,
graphic,
written) to
communicate
about the past.
===========
Inquiry
Question
Which
significant
people, groups
and ideas from
this period
have
influenced the
world today?
Communicati
ng
Reflecting
==========
Going further
Reflecting
Acting
Historical
Knowledge &
Understanding
Theories of the
decline of Rapa
Nui, such as
deforestation
and
unsustainable
practices.
Historical Skills
Explain the
causes and
effects of
events and
developments
Helen Walter 30026251
4.1 Source Analysis on moai
Students to complete an in-class source analysis task on the moai. Following
this task, students can complete the layout of their assignment on A2
coloured poster card and hand it in to the teacher for assessment.
More terms for the Glossary to be added to list.
4.2 Presentation of posters to the class
By selection of "drawing names out of a hat" 8 students are to make a brief
presentation of their poster to the class stating what aspect of the moai they
researched and one fact that they found interesting. All posters then to be
spread out on display with a separate sheet of paper for 1 positive
anonymous comment to be written by each of the other class members
about each poster. Allow 10 minutes for students to browse the posters and
write their comments. After this, draw another 8 names "out of the hat" and
those students are to collect their posters and read out the positive feedback
from their peers. Allow reflective group discussion on the posters and the
feedback process. Posters are to be retained by the teacher for final
assessment.
4.3 Reflection on decline of Rapa Nui society and legacy of the Moai
The collapse of Easter Island society has been portrayed as an example of
what could happen on a global scale if countries and economies continue to
destroy their natural environments and habitats with overpopulation and
unsustainable practices.
View a YouTube video (11 mins) of a theory of the collapse of Easter Island's
economy through deforestation
Teacher presents other possible explanations for Easter Island's decline.
Students to consider these on a handout sheet and rank them from most to
least plausible, justifying their ranking
Class to discuss how the environment has shaped human history and how
humans have affected the environment. In groups of 4, students rewrite the
history of Easter Island by posing "what if" questions by means of a concept
map on butcher's paper
What if the moai had never been built?
What if the trees had not all been destroyed?
Students may devise their own "what if" questions.
Groups then present their revised history of Easter Island to the rest of the
class for discussion and reflection.
Final presentation of the Rapa Nui Glossary by teacher, using the terms
learned over the past 4 weeks and contributed to by the class. Glossary
given out to the students as a small booklet. Reflective class discussion
about this learning journey.
5
Source analysis test from Pearson History 8
teacher resource
A2 coloured card
Summative: – Source
analysis task,
worth 15 marks
===============================
Container with each student's name on a
separate piece of paper (raffle ticket style)
Summative: Investigation of the
moai poster worth
50 marks. (task
specifications and
assessment rubric
on a separate page)
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks,
contribution to
discussion topics,
and working with
others in a cooperative group
A4 sheets of paper with each student's
name to be attached to their poster for
positive comments / feedback on their
posters by other class members.
===============================
Whiteboard etc
Interactive whiteboard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfbQ
A-Krx9Q Lessons from the Past - Easter
Island
Handout sheet with table of possible
explanations for Easter Island's decline
with columns for ranking most to least
plausible and why.
Butcher's paper
Prepared Glossary booklet for each student
================
Formative: observation of
student engagement
with the set tasks,
contribution to
discussion topics,
and working with
others in a cooperative group