Support your Year 4 students in their History: Experiences of People in Australia’s Past unit of work with The Effects of Colonisation on First Nations Australians task.

Created to coincide with Year 4 History Australian Curriculum, this activity will provide students with the opportunity to examine the impact that British colonisation had on the lives of First Nations Australians.

Students will investigate how First Nations Peoples were affected by the arrival of the British in 1788. The table template allows students to make clear comparisons between the lives of Aboriginal Peoples before and after the establishment of the first penal colony in the Port Jackson area. As well as including details related to culture, beliefs, family and connection to land and water, students are encouraged to address the topics of loss, including dispossession, dislocation, conflict, loss of life, loss of food and loss of medicine. To conclude, they will reflect upon which effect they think had the greatest negative impact on the lives of First Nations Australians.

To complete this task, students must have prior knowledge about the traditional culture and practices of Aboriginal Peoples. Therefore, it is recommended that before commencing this activity, students should complete the Exploring the Diversity of First Nations Australians task.

This resource includes blank and lined versions of the task sheet.