Year 4 History Sample assessment Teacher guidelines ...

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Assessment description Category

Students use historical sources to research the Written
life of an individual explorer, settler, convict or Technique
soldier before and after their arrival on the First Research
Fleet. They then develop a historical narrative
that explains how life has changed and/or stayed
the same in Australia.

Context for assessment Alignment

Students pose questions and use historical Australian Curriculum v4.0,
sources to investigate key people who arrived on www.australiancurriculum.edu.au,
the First Fleet, the reasons for the journey and ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment
experiences before and after their arrival. They and Reporting Authority
analyse and explain their findings in a text such
as a personal letter, diary, annotated photo Connections
album or newspaper article.
This assessment can be used with the QSA
Australian Curriculum resource titled
Year 4 unit overview — History exemplar
(Investigating exploration and the movement
of peoples), available at:
www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aust_curric/
ac_yr4_history_year_plan.doc

Definitions

Within this assessment, a narrative about the past is
a retell of a sequence of real events that is related to
the passing of time.

In this assessment
Teacher guidelines
Student booklet
Task-specific standard: Continua
Task-specific standard: Matrix
Assessment resource: Historical inquiry process
Assessment resource: Question starter grid
Assessment resource: Questioning sources

Assessment resource: First Fleet story: Comparing life before and after the arrival in Australia

Assessment resource: Sample historical narrative



Teacher guidelines

Identify curriculum

Content descriptions to be taught

Historical Knowledge and Understanding Historical Skills

First Contacts Chronology, terms and concepts

Stories of the First Fleet, including reasons for the • Sequence historical people and events
journey, who travelled to Australia, and their ACHHS081
experiences following arrival ACHHK079
• Use historical terms ACHHS082
Historical questions and research

• Pose a range of questions about the past
ACHHS083

Analysis and use of sources

• Locate relevant information from sources
provided ACHHS084

Explanation and communication

• Develop texts, particularly narratives
ACHHS086

• Use a range of communication forms (oral,
graphic, written) and digital technologies
ACHHS087

General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities

Literacy

Numeracy

Intercultural understanding

ICT capability

Critical and creative thinking

Intercultural understanding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

Achievement standard

By the end of Year 4, students explain how and why life changed in the past, and identify aspects of
the past that remained the same. They describe the experiences of an individual or group over time.
They recognise the significance of events in bringing about change.
Students sequence events and people (their lifetime) in chronological order to identify key dates.
They pose a range of questions about the past. They identify sources (written, physical, visual, oral),
and locate information to answer these questions. They recognise different points of view. Students
develop and present texts, including narratives, using historical terms.

Source: ACARA, The Australian Curriculum v 4.0, www.australiancurriculum.edu.au

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Teacher guidelines
Year 4 History

Sequence learning

Suggested learning experiences

Refer to learning experiences in Year 4 unit overview — History exemplar (Investigating exploration
and the movement of peoples), available at:
• www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/aust_curric/ac_yr4_history_year_plan.doc

Adjustments for needs of learners

Section 6 of the Disability Standards for Education (The Standards for Curriculum Development,
Accreditation and Delivery) states that education providers, including class teachers, must take
reasonable steps to ensure a course/program is designed to allow any child to participate and
experience success in learning.
The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cwlth) is available from www.ag.gov.au.

Resources

Websites
• First Fleet — resources from University of Wollongong, including a searchable database of the

First Fleet convicts: http://firstfleet.uow.edu.au
• Conviz — the British Convict Transportation Registry brought to life through visualisations

http://conviz.info/convicts/?departure_year=1787
• Convict records: www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/year/1787
• The First Fleet, resources from the State Library of New South Wales, including first-hand

accounts of the experiences of some of those who travelled south to Botany Bay:
www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/history_nation/terra_australis/firstfleet.html
• The First Fleeters: Biographical and historial resources from the State Library of New South
Wales: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research_guides/convicts/information/first_fleet.html
• Prison hulks on the River Thames, from the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich:
www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.56/chapterId/414/Prison-hulks-on-the-
River-Thames.html
• Convict women, Perth Dead Persons’ Society, Convicts to Australia project:
www.members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/confem.html
• William Hubbard: First Fleet convict — a sample case study, collated by Hubbard First Fleet
Group: www.firstfleet.org.au
• National Library Archives: www.nla.gov.au/australiana/australian-history-selected-websites
• List of provisions, by the First Fleet Fellowship: http://home.vicnet.net.au/firstff/ships.htm
• Picture Australia, Trove, National Library of Australia: www.pictureaustralia.org
• Background sheets, Board of Studies NSW, K–6 Educational resources:
http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/hsie/background-sheets
• Bound for Botany Bay, TLF R1159, Scootle (subscription access only):
www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/R11591/index.html
Print
• Hill, D 2008, 1788: The brutal truth of the First Fleet — the biggest single overseas migration the
world had ever seen, North Sydney, Heinemann.
• Alexander, G 2006, Surviving Sydney Cove: The diary of Elizabeth Harvey, Scholastic, NSW.
• French, J 2004, Tom Appleby, Convict Boy, HarperCollins, Sydney.
• Walker, K 1988, The Letters of Rosie O’Brien: A convict in the colony of New South Wales, 1804,
Martin Educational, NSW.
Other resources
• Donner, C (dir) 1982, Oliver Twist (film, rated PG), Claridge Productions, UK.
• Reed, C (dir) 1968, Oliver! (film, rated G), Romulus Films, UK.
• Gross, Y (dir) 1979, The Little Convict, (film, rated G), Yoram Gross Films, Australia.

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Teacher guidelines
Year 4 History

Develop assessment

Implementing

Section 1. Planning and posing questions

Student role Teacher role

• Examine historical sources about the First • Identify the process of a historical inquiry
Fleet, with particular focus on the experiences undertaken to understand the past. Refer to
of different groups of people such as settlers, Assessment resource: Historical inquiry
convicts, soldiers and explorers. process to identify the steps in the inquiry
process including posing questions, locating
• Review key historical terms such as colony, and analysing sources, and using evidence
felon, transportation and navigator. from sources to develop an explanation
about the past.
• Review the historical concepts of continuity
and change, causes and effects, significance, • Support students to view a range of relevant
perspectives, empathy and sources. sources (see Resources), identifying sources
that will support their inquiry and provide
• Select an individual from the First Fleet to general information about the First Fleet, and
investigate after ensuring that there is a range conditions in England before arrival and in
of source material available. Australia after arrival.

• Pose a set of relevant questions that will help • Support students to develop a set of relevant
answer the key inquiry questions: questions using Assessment resource:
Question starter grid as a support for posing
– What was life like before they came to questions.
Australia?
• Examine the historical sources using the
– Why did they come here? questions in Assessment resource:
Questioning sources to review questions and
– How was life different after they arrived sign approval before each student proceeds
here and how was it similar? with their inquiry.

Section 2. Locating sources

Student role Teacher role

• Locate a range of primary and secondary • Discuss types of historical sources with
sources about their chosen First Fleet person students, providing students with a selection
and record the details about the sources in of relevant sources.
the table. Check on the suitability of sources
with the teacher. • Conference with students and provide
support with locating primary and secondary
• Make changes to their questions if required. sources and documenting relevant
information.

• Encourage students to make changes to
research questions as required.

Section 3. Answering questions

Student role Teacher role

• Use sources to find information and record it • Examine the sources using the questions in
in note form in the table. Assessment resource: Questioning sources.

• Analyse sources to compare and contrast life • Sign approval when they have compiled
before and after arrival in Australia. sufficient relevant information to answer the
key inquiry questions.
• Check there is sufficient evidence from
sources to answer the questions and make
revisions as required.

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Teacher guidelines
Year 4 History

Section 4. Developing a historical narrative Teacher role

Student role • Set guidelines for the text type to be used.
• Complete the Developing a historical This may be common for all students or open
to individual choice, and may include a letter,
narrative checklist to follow the stages of the diary, annotated photo album, or newspaper
inquiry process. article.
• Develop a historical narrative 200–400 words
in length. • Provide students with a Venn diagram to
organise ideas to compare and contrast as
required. See Assessment resource: First
Fleet story — Comparing life before and after
the arrival in Australia for a model of this.

• Compare different kinds of texts that provide
historical information, e.g. written narratives,
websites, museum labels, timelines,
annotated image sets. See Assessment
resource: Sample historical narrative for a
model of a historical narrative.

Make judgments

The following table identifies the valued features of this assessment. It makes explicit the
demonstrations of understandings and skills as identified in the Australian Curriculum Achievement
Standard and the Queensland Standards Elaborations for History.

A continua and matrix model of the Task-specific standards is provided for this assessment using the
same valued features. Each model of a task-specific standard uses task-specific descriptors to identify
the discernable differences in student work for A–E standards.

Dimensions Valued features Task-specific valued features

Understanding Historical Knowledge and First Contacts
Understanding
Identifies the reasons for the journey of a
member of the First Fleet and the
experiences of life before and after the
arrival in Australia.

Skills Historical Questioning and Historical questions and research
Skills researching
Poses a range of questions about the past
and locates relevant information from
historical sources provided.

Analysing and Analysis and use of sources
interpreting
Uses historical sources to respond to
inquiry questions.

Communicating Explanation and communication
Develops a historical narrative using
historical terms and concepts.
Chronology, terms and concepts
Sequences historical people and events.

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Teacher guidelines
Year 4 History

Use feedback

Feedback to Evaluate the information gathered from the assessment to inform teaching and
students learning strategies. Focus feedback on the student’s personal progress and the
next steps in the learning journey.
Resources Offer feedback that:

• discusses the students’ success with the inquiry and narrative:
– Were the sources used helpful?
– How useful were your questions?
– How did students use questions in the investigation?
– How well did students develop a comparison?
– Were historical terms and concepts used appropriately?
– Were the key inquiry questions answered using evidence from
sources?

• focuses feedback on the student’s personal progress and the next
steps for improvement

• identifies steps in the inquiry process that need consolidation in
teaching and learning and make adjustments to future planning

• deconstructs a quality student response to identify the elements of a
successful historical inquiry and discuss these features with students.

For guidance on providing feedback, see the professional development packages
titled Seeking and providing feedback: www.qsa.qld.edu.au/18076.html.

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Teacher guidelines
Year 4 History

Australian Curriculum History Year 4 Sample Assessment | Student booklet

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Image: Bricks and Stone from old Water Police Court, 1789; Stone made by convicts , RR are the initials of Major Robert Ross, the first Lieutenant–
Governor who came out with the First Fleet; State Records NSW’s Flickrstream; Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, <www.flickr.com/photos/state-
records-nsw/4740534120>.

Research the life of an individual explorer, settler, convict or soldier on The First Fleet.
You will:
• pose questions about the past
• locate and identify historical sources to answer these questions
• analyse evidence and draw conclusions about historical sources
• develop a historical narrative (200–400 words) that explains how life has changed and/or stayed the

same.

Section 1. Planning and posing questions

Setting the scene

The First Fleet brought about 1400 people to Australia from England including settlers, convicts,
ships’ crew, soldiers and their families.
The eleven ships left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787 carrying two years’ supply of food and the
equipment needed to build a new settlement. They arrived at Botany Bay in New South Wales eight
months later.

Your task

Use historical sources to investigate the individual life of an explorer, settler, convict or soldier of
the First Fleet.
The key inquiry questions are:
• What was life like before they came to Australia?
• Why did they come here?

How was life different after they arrived here and how was it similar?

Follow these steps:
1. Select one of the following to investigate the life of: Convict, Explorer, Settler, Soldier.
2. Research the experiences of an individual, using primary and secondary sources.
3. Develop research questions to help you to answer the key inquiry questions about life before

and following their arrival in Australia on the First Fleet.
Write your research questions in the Historical concept and Research question table.
- Use the historical concepts to guide you in writing your questions.
- Use the question starters to pose different questions: What, When, Where, Who, How?

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Student booklet
Year 4 History

Historical concept Research question
Continuity and change

Causes and effects

Significance

Perspectives

Empathy

Sources

Check with your teacher that your questions are suitable before starting the inquiry:
Teacher’s approval: ...........................................................

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Student booklet
Year 4 History

Section 2. Locating sources

Locate sources of evidence that will help you to find answers to your questions

Name of source Type of source
(Primary or Secondary)

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A F
Year 4 History

s. Record the sources in the table below.

Whose perspective is presented in Which question/s will this source

this source? help you to answer?

First Fleet story Student booklet

Section 3. Answering questions

Use your sources to answer your questions. Record your notes in the table bel

Research question Summary notes Key terms, dates a
people

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A F
Year 4 History

ow. Evidence from the Answer to the research question
and sources to support the
answer

First Fleet story Student booklet

Section 4. Developing a historical narrative

Develop a historical narrative to explain how life changed after arriving in Australia on the First Fleet.
This may be a personal letter, annotated photo album, diary extract or newspaper article.
• Your teacher will help you select a text type.
• Your text should be 200–400 words in length.

Use this guide to get feedback on your draft and make a final copy.

Include:
• an introduction that explains why your person is on the First Fleet
• sequenced historical events in chronological order using dates
• comparison of life before and after the First Fleet arrival in Australia
• historical terms and concepts
• key people
• the significance of European settlement
• a conclusion about how life has changed/or stayed the same

Key: It was clear to understand.
Some more research might be needed.

Australian Curriculum First contacts: A First Fleet story Student booklet
Year 4 History

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment | Task

First Contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publicatio

Purpose of assessment: To compare life before and after the arrival on the F
the same.

Historical Knowledge and Understanding Understanding a

Identifies a story of the First Fleet, including reasons for Poses a range of questions a
the journey and the experiences of life before and after relevant information from historic

the arrival in Australia. uses historical sources to respo
Sections 3 and 4 Sections 1 a

Uses evidence from sources to explain reasons Poses logical, interrelated q
for the First Fleet and the significance of and analyses relevant inform
Europeans settling in Australia. different sources to answer
questions.

Explains how life changed in the past before Develops questions about th
and after the First Fleet. information to answer quest

Makes statements about life in the past. Asks questions about the pa
First contacts: A
Australian Curriculum
Year 4 History

k-specific standards — continua

Name .................................................

on.

First Fleet and develop a text to explain how life has changed and/or stayed

and Skills

Historical Skills

about the past, locates Develops a historical narrative that sequences historical
cal sources provided, and people and events and uses historical terms and
concepts.
ond to inquiry questions.
and 2 Section 4

questions; locates Develops a well-reasoned historical narrative A
mation from with clear and purposeful communication and
key inquiry accurate sequencing of events.

B

he past; locates Develops a historical narrative to explain C
tions. inquiry findings with logical sequencing D

ast. Presents a text denoting time. E
A First Fleet story
Task-specific standards — continua

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment | Task

First Contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publicati

Purpose of assessment: To compare life before and after the arrival on the F
the same.

Historical Knowledge First contacts A Compares
and Understanding how life ha
Identifies a story of the Uses evidence from the past a
First Fleet, including sources to explain the same.
reasons for the journey reasons for the First
and the experiences of Fleet and the
life before and after the significance of
arrival in Australia. Europeans settling in
Australia.
Sections 3 and 4

Understanding and Skills Questioning and Poses a range of Poses logical, Poses log
researching questions about the past, interrelated questions; locates an
locates relevant locates and analyses informatio
information from relevant information to answer
historical sources from a range of sources questions.
provided, and uses to answer key inquiry
sources to respond to questions.
inquiry questions.
Historical Skills
Sections 1 and 2

Analysing and Develops a historical Develops a well- Develops
interpreting narrative that sequences reasoned historical historical n
historical people and narrative with clear and sequence
Communicating events, using historical purposeful order and
terms and concepts. communication and terms.
accurate sequencing of
Section 4 events.

Australian Curriculum First Contacts: A
Year 4 History

k-specific standards — matrix

Name .................................................

ion.

First Fleet and develop a text to explain how life has changed and/or stayed

Task-specific descriptors

B CDE

s and contrasts Explains how life Identifies some aspects Makes statements about
as changed in changed in the past
and/or stayed before and after the of the life before and life in the past.
. First Fleet.
after the First Fleet.

gical questions, Develops questions Uses obvious questions Asks questions about
nd analyses about the past; locates about the past; locates the past.
on from sources and uses information to information from
r key inquiry answer questions. supplied sources.
.

an effective Develops a historical Develops a text to Presents a text denoting
narrative; narrative to explain
es events in inquiry findings with describe inquiry findings time.
uses historical logical sequencing.
denoting time.

A First Fleet story Task-specific standards — matrix

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment | Assessment resource

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Historical inquiry process

New learning Researching

based on the concepts of • locate primary and
historical understanding secondary sources (written,
spoken, multimodal)
Planning
• develop questions to frame
• connect topic to own and others prior inquiry
knowledge and ideas
• modify inquiry questions as
• identify key concepts, terms, people and required
events

• sequence key events and developments
• research information on the key inquiry

question

Historical Using sources
inquiry
• gather and organise
information from
sources

• synthesise information

• evaluate the worth,
relevance and
reliability of evidence

Communicating Interpreting

• organise and synthesise • interpret and analyse
ideas perspectives

• develop arguments • make decisions about the validity
incorporating sources and significance of perspectives

• plan, edit and revise
texts (written, spoken,
multimodal)

• acknowledge evidence
from sources

Reflecting

• review hypothesis,
questions or research

• review sources and
evidence

• revisit appropriate inquiry
phase

Australian Curriculum History Year 4 Sample Assessment | Assessment resource

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Question starter grid

What is? Where/when is? Which is? Who is? Why is?

What did? Where/When Which did? Who did? Why did?
did?

What can? Where/when Which can? Who did? Why can?
can?

What would? Where/when Which would? Who did? Why would?
would?

What will? Where/when will? Which will? Who will? Why will?

What might? Where/when Which might? Who might? Why might?
might?

Australian Curriculum History Year 4 Sample Assessment | Assessment resource

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Questioning sources

• What is the source? Is it a photo? • Who wrote the letter, took the photo or
painted the painting?
• If so, is it in black and white or colour?
• Is it a letter? If so, is it typed, or • Can you be sure it was really that person
who made it?
handwritten?

• What event does it show or describe?

• When was the source created? • Can you tell where the source was
• How can you tell its age? created?

• Why was the source created? • How accurate is the information from the
• Does it tell a story? source?
• Is it giving facts or opinions?
• Does the source tell you why it was • How did events happen?

created? • How can you tell if something has
• Can you work out why it was created? changed or stayed the same?

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment | Assess

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

First Fleet story: Comparing life before and aft

Origin

Different Sam

sment resource

ter the arrival in Australia

Australia

me Different

Australian Curriculum Year 4 History Sample Assessment | Assessment resource

First contacts: A First Fleet story

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) and its licensors 2013. All web links correct at time of publication.

Sample historical narrative Historical events

I was transported from London to the new colony on 13 May in the year Historical terms
1787 because the prisons were crowded and the government needed to
send us somewhere. My crime was stealing bread. When I went to court Key people and
the judge said that if I had stolen more I could have been sent to gallows. places of early
I was sad to leave my family behind. contact and history

I had to leave home to help pay for the family’s rent. I went to London to Comparison of life
look for work like many others. It was there that I was caught stealing and before and after
locked in a rotting old ship called a hulk because the jails were the First Fleet
overcrowded.
Contribution to the
My hardship prepared me for the long journey on the first of the 11 ships settlement of
of the Fleet, a ship called Sirius. I set sail, one of 700 convicts, for the Australia
distant colony that King George had claimed for England. We landed
eight months later at Botany Bay. Many perished.

In the new colony we had to build our own shelter and share it with all the
other male prisoners. There, we had no freedom. It wasn’t as crowded as
the prison hulk in England where I had nothing to do. I was forced to work
clearing land for the officers’ new homes. It was hard work and so hot!
Instead of freezing to death on the streets of London I often fainted in the
midday sun.

There were people already living at the new colony but they were very
different to us. They looked different and they did not speak our
language. Some were friendly but others did not want us there at all.

If I wanted something to eat or drink in London I could go to the market
and my family home had a stove. I missed fresh mutton as we only had
salted beef rations from the ship. There I had to cook on an open fire and
we could only have the dried food from the ship’s store. Anything else we
needed had to be grown first. It was much harder to find food than on the
streets of London where the rich would often throw away good food. Here
everyone was the same and mostly poor.

My job here in this new land was to build homes for the officers. Once
cutting down trees, I would drag the branches to the pits where I was
trained to be a carpenter. I was one of only 12 convicts with these skills.
On King George’s birthday, in June 1789, nearly eighteen months after
the Fleet arrived, I was chosen to help build the house of Governor Arthur
Phillip. A pardon was promised for good work. I dreamed of freedom in
this wild new land.