Unit focus: Historical bias and silenced voices of history

Content focus: skills and understanding

Understanding: the Polynesian expansion

- Theories about the origin and spread of Polynesian settlers throughout the Pacific
(ACDSEH013)
- The way of life in ONE Polynesian society, including social, cultural, economic and
political features, such as the role of the ariki in Maori (ACDSEH066)
- Cultural achievements of ONE Polynesian society, such as the Ta moko and hangi in
Maori society (ACDSEH067)
- The way Polynesian societies used environmental resources (sustainably and
unsustainably), including the extinction of the moa in New Zealand (ACDSEH068)

Historical Skills
- Sequence historical events, developments and periods (ACHHS148)
- Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS149)
- Identify and locate relevant sources, using ICT and other methods (ACHHS151)
- Identify the origin and purpose of primary and secondary sources (ACHHS152)
- Locate, compare, select and use information from a range of sources as evidence
(ACHHS153)
- Draw conclusions about the usefulness of sources (ACHHS154)
- Identify and describe points of view, attitudes and values in primary and secondary
sources (ACHHS155)
- Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that use evidence from a
range of sources that are acknowledged (ACHHS156)
- Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies
(ACHHS157)

Achievement standards

1. Recognise and explain patterns of change and continuity over time by sequencing
events and developments within a chronological framework.
2. Explain the causes and effects of events and developments.
3. Identify the motives and actions of people at the time, and identify and explain different
points of view.
4. Explain the significance of individuals and groups and how they were influenced by the
beliefs and values of their society.
5. Describe different interpretations of the past.
6. Interpret sources, identify their origin and purpose, and distinguish between fact and
opinion.
7. Develop texts incorporating: analysis, historical terms, historical concepts, use of
evidence, and acknowledgement of sources of information.
SEQUENCE:

Weekly focus Lesson focus Task summary/resources

The Polynesian Expansion

Traversing the Monday (double) Wednesday

Pacific: Public holiday - no Image analysis - photographs of Maori, Hawaiian,
(way)finding class and Easter Island people - students answer prompts:
the way to NZ - Who are they?
Wednesday (single) - What are they doing?
Who were the - Where might they come from?
Polynesians? - Where was the photo taken?
- When was it taken?
Thursday (double)
How did they spread Photo reveal - answers to questions
across the Pacific
Islands? And when Intro to “polynesia” - draw the polynesian triangle on
did they arrive in NZ? a map

Thursday
Video (wayfinding):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8bDCaPhOek

Timeline activity - arrange a timeline of historical

events - including the settlement of NZ

https://www.timemaps.com/history/oceania-1453ad/

Discussion + presentation of correct timeline -

answer prompt question:
- What surprised you most on the timeline?

Temperate Monday (double) - Model

climates and What did the first - Interactive (web or video)
terrifying settlements look like?
birds: (Maori architecture - Deconstruct infographic
settlement in and culture) - Construct a task sheet
Aotearoa (NZ)
Wednesday (single) - Video
What is an - Design a recipe
infographic? - Extinction game?
(deconstruction)

Thursday (double)
What did they eat?
(farming, hangi, and
the extinction of the
Moa bird)
Here come Monday (double) - Advertisements for colonists (decons.)
the British: When/who was the - Interactives
early contact first European
and the contact? - Comparative infographic of religions
Musket Wars (crusades + vikings)
Wednesday (single)
How do you put an - Trading game (goods you have vs. goods
infographic together? you need to make…)
(joint construction) - Video (musket trade)

Thursday (double)
British trade and the
Musket Wars

Aotearoa in Monday (double) - Intro tasks for content

the modern How did NZ become - Work on infographics
age: a British colony? - Extension tasks for early finishers
colonization,
treaties, and Wednesday (single)
Maori rights What do you need to
movements finish your
infographic?

Thursday (double)
How/why did Maori
activists push for
change? Land rights
in New Zealand.

Summative Task One: Perspective comparison (colonist vs. Maori)

Students produce an infographic comparing the experience of colonisation in NZ from the

perspective of a European settler, and a Maori person. A template will be provided for
students to collect and organise information about how motives and perspectives may have
differed between the two groups.