Sample assessment task

Year level 6
Learning area Humanities and Social Sciences
Subject History
Title of task Migration to Australia
Task details
Description of task Students to design interview questions and answers for an individual who has migrated
to Australia. Questions and answers are research based, identifying and explaining the
significance of events and developments from a range of perspectives. Answers are to
identify the motives and actions of people at a particular point in history, and
demonstrate empathy
Type of assessment Summative OR Formative
Purpose of To provide feedback on students’ ability to develop questions and conduct an
assessment interview. At the conclusion of this task, the teacher can plan additional teaching and
feedback to allow students to refine their questions.
Assessment strategy Written work
Evidence to be • Research sheet
collected • Questions
Suggested time Research – 1 hour
Questions – 40 minutes
Content description
Content from the Knowledge and understanding
Western Australian Stories of groups of people who migrated to Australia (including from one Asian
Curriculum country), the reasons they migrated (e.g. push–pull factors) and their contributions to
society
Humanities and Social Sciences skills
Q&R> Develop and refine a range of questions required to plan an inquiry
Q&R> Locate and collect information and/or data from a range of appropriate primary
sources and secondary sources (e.g. museums, media, library catalogues, interviews,
internet)
Q&R> Record selected information and/or data using a variety of methods (e.g. use
graphic organisers, paraphrase, summarise)
Key concepts Cause and effect, Perspectives, Empathy

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Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 1
 Task preparation
Prior learning This assessment forms part of a unit of work on migration. Students are given the
opportunity to investigate the push–pull reasons why people migrated to Australia after
1900. They should have an understanding of the migration policies of Australia prior to
federation up until the present day. Students should be familiar with the different types
of migrants (temporary, permanent, voluntary, forced, refugees, asylum seekers) and
have the opportunity to clarify any misconceptions.
Students decide on a migrant to interview. Prior to conducting their interview, they
undertake some background research to ensure that their questions are targeted and
relevant.
Links should be made to literacy, allowing students to consider what makes a ‘good’
question, and investigate different types of open and closed questions. They should
understand the different questions to be used to elicit different responses, and their
role as interviewer. See First Steps, Writing to Inquire for strategies and activities.
Students should also have an understanding of the ethical protocols that apply to
conducting interviews.
Assessment Teachers should differentiate their teaching and assessment to meet the specific
differentiation learning needs of their students based on their level of readiness to learn and their
need to be challenged.
Where appropriate, teachers may either scaffold or extend the scope of the assessment
task.
Assessment task
Assessment This is an individual assessment, completed both in class and as homework.
conditions

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 2

 Resources Students need access to computers to complete their research. They will use this
information, along with their prior history and English learning, to construct their
questions.

Children’s literature to support the teaching of migration:

• The arrival by Shaun Tan (2006)
• Mirror by Jeannie Baker (2010)
• Ziba came on a boat by Liz Lofthouse (2007)
• The colour of home by Mary Hoffman (2002)
• Boy overboard by Morris Gleitzman (2002)
• Home and away by John Marsden and Matt Ottley (2008)
• The little refugee by Anh Do and Susan Do (2001)
• Whoever you are by Mem Fox and Leslie Staub (1997)
Some optional activities to consolidate teaching and learning:

Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers:

• Global Words: Refugees and migration (unit of work)
http://globalwords.edu.au/units/Refugees_UPY6_html/index.html
• Cuc Lam’s Suitcase (video clip and teaching activities)
http://dl.nfsa.gov.au/module/1293/
• What impacts has immigration had on Australia? (unit of work based upon The
National Museum of Australia’s exhibits)
http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/19348/Immigration_impacts
_Australia_all_colour.pdf
• Journeys to Australia (background information)
http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/websites-mini/journeys-australia/
• Museum Victoria: Immigration Museum (background information and activities)
http://museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum/
• One Country, Many Cultures (online resource, lessons and activities)
http://differencedifferently.edu.au/one_country_many_cultures/
• RightsEd: Australia as a Nation – race, rights and immigration (unit of work)
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_
RightsEd_Race_HistoryYr6.pdf
• UNHCR: Lego Posters (posters and activities)
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-
bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&comid=4a5489166&cid=49aea93aa0&scid=49a
ea93a4f&title=lego%20poster
• BTN: New migrants (video and activities)
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3343578.htm

Conducting oral history interviews

• By word of mouth: conducting oral histories (teacher and student resource book)
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/hsie/assets/pdf/wor
dmouth.pdf
• Museum Victoria (creating a digital history step-by-step guide)
http://museumvictoria.com.au/education/learning-lab/history-skills/creating-a-
digital-history/

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 3

Instructions for teacher

Questions to use with students to develop their conceptual understanding:

Cause and effect

Do we always do the same thing every day? Why/why not?
If we win Lotto, would we change our lifestyle? Why/why not?
If there is a flood or bushfire in our region, will it change how we view catastrophes/disasters?
If our parents could not find work, would they perhaps move to another town/region looking for work?
If our country had continuous unrest/civil war, would we necessarily want to stay there?
Identify some other issues/events that perhaps cause changes to take place.

Perspectives
If we all saw the same event would we describe it in exactly the same way? Why/why not?
Would boys and girls; adults and children see an issue/event the same way? Why /why not?
Would a person’s religious views/culture influence how they see events and issues?
Would a person living in a country other than Australia, have the same beliefs/attitude as a person living in
Australia?
What are some words that help us understand a person’s point of view?

Empathy
Would the Principal write about bad behaviour the same as a student in detention?
Why might a child/adult, living in a country other than Australia, view of the world be different from a child/adult
living in Australia?

Ensure that the students have identified a migrant to interview prior to starting the research task.

Go over the research sheet with the students and emphasise that the notes need to be focused and informative
as they will use this information to inform the questions that they develop.

Tell the students that they can record their notes in a different way if they wish, or use additional paper.

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 4

 Instructions to students
Migration to Australia

You will be interviewing a migrant to understand why some people have decided to come to Australia. The first part of this task is to think of some questions that will support you in
answering the following focus questions:
• What was life like in their home country?
• What were the push–pull factors that contributed to their deciding to migrate?
• What has been their experience of life in Australia?
You will need to undertake background research on your migrant’s country of origin and the migration policies of Australia at the time of their migration, in order to allow you to ask
targeted and specific questions. You should then be able to write at least 10–15 questions that incorporate this information and will support you in answering the inquiry questions.

Migration to Australia – Background research

Country of origin Country of origin Country of origin
Name: Type of government: Internal disputes (current and historical):

Land area: Main industries:

Population: Economic position:

Main or capital city: Major religions: International disputes (current and historical):

Flag: Literacy rate:

Australia’s migration policy at

Australia at the time of migration
the time of migration
Government in power: Name of migrant: Political situation:

Name of the policy: Date of migration:

Economic situation:
Aims of the policy:

Other information:
Social situation:

The world at the time of migration Any additional information Sources used
Key events: Use this space to record any other relevant
information

Key issues:

Key figures:

Name:

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 5

Using the information from your research, write 10–15 questions that will support you in your interview of your
chosen subject. Your questions should assist you in answering the following:
• what was life like in their home country?
• what were the push–pull factors that contributed to their deciding to migrate?
• what has been their experience of life in Australia?

Keep the following key concepts in mind when writing your questions.

CONCEPT QUESTIONS
Continuity and change What aspects of their life have remained the same and what have changed?
Cause and effect What events or actions caused them to migrate?
Perspective What is their point of view about the event/experience?
Empathy How might other people have experienced this event?
Significance How significant has migration been and what is the impact upon their life?
Sources What pictures, journals, letters or documents support their experience?

QUESTIONS

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 6

 Sample marking key
Description Marks
Research sheet – Locating information (Questioning and researching)
Locates and collects relevant and detailed information from primary and secondary sources. 4
Locates and collects relevant information from primary and secondary sources. 3
Locates and collects information from several sources. 2
Uses provided sources to collect limited information. 1
Subtotal 4
Description Marks
Research sheet – Recording information (Questioning and researching)
Independently records and organises information and/or data, using key words,
4
summarising and paraphrasing.
Records and organises information and/or data, using some appropriate notetaking
3
strategies.
Records and organises information and/or data, using limited notetaking strategies 2
Records information; uses simple methods; some information is copied directly from the
1
source/s.
Subtotal 4
Description Marks
Questions (Questioning and researching)
Develops a range of open questions which incorporate relevant background research.
4
Questions have the potential to answer all aspects of the inquiry in considerable depth.
Develops a range of mostly open questions which incorporate background research.
2—3
Questions will broadly answer all/most aspects of the inquiry questions.
Develops questions which incorporate very little background research.
1
Questions will answer the inquiry questions in a limited way.
Subtotal 4
Total 12

Humanities and Social Sciences | History | Year 6 7