History: Rights and Freedoms

Matthew Jarrett

History
Rights & Freedom
Grade(s): 10
Designer: Matthew Jarrett
Overview
This unit is based on the ACARA curriculum standards for History in year 10.
Class Materials needed are use of a whiteboard/SMARTboard in each classroom and access to
computers and internet.
The school is in a Mid to Low SES area. It is considered a public super school and has students
ranging from Reception to year 12. The class is considered to be comprised of students who will
hopefully continue to pursue their search of knowledge in History.
Stage 1 Desired Results
The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including Australias involvement
in the development of the declaration(ACDSEH023)
The US civil rights movement and its influence on Australia (ACDSEH105)
Background to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for rights and freedoms before
1965, including the 1938 Day of Mourning and the Stolen Generations (ACDSEH104)
The significance of the following for the civil rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 1962 right
to vote federally; 1967 Referendum; Reconciliation; Mabo decision; Bringing Them Home Report (the Stolen
Generations), the Apology (ACDSEH106)
Methods used by civil rights activists to achieve change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and
the role of ONE individual or group in the struggle (ACDSEH134)
The continuing nature of efforts to secure civil rights and freedoms in Australia and throughout the world,
such as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) (ACDSEH143)

Understandings:
Students will understand

Essential Questions:

What Human Rights actually are.

Is everyone treated equally in todays society?

The need for Human rights in our society.

What can you do to improve Human Rights?

Knowledge:
Students will know

Skills:
Students will be able to

The history of Australian rights.

Analyse and evaluate the influence on the

human rights movement in Australia.

Why are Human Rights important?

The development of the Universal Declaration

of Human Rights.

Demonstrate adept use of research skills.

The timeline of the development of rights for

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islnader people.
Stage 2 Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Summative Assessment 1: Rabbit Proof Fence Essay 800 word limit (30%)
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Discuss Freedom throughout Rabbit Proof Fence. How is freedom represented in Rabbit Proof
Fence? How is freedom important? Who is free and who is not? Make reference to the text and
information from class.
Structure your answer in essay form with an introduction, body and conclusion.
Summative Assignment 2: Case Study (40%)
Students complete a case study on the significance of one of the following civil rights events for
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples:
1962 right to vote federally
1967 referendum
Yirrkala Bark Petition
Tent Embassy
Mabo
tabling of the Bringing Them Home Report (The Stolen Generations)
2008 Apology to Australias Indigenous Peoples.
Students develop a report about the significance of one of these events, develop a referenced script
and deliver an oral presentation for approximately 3 minutes discussing how their chosen event
changed the rights for Indigenous Australians. Students will need to hand up their script after the
presentation.
Summative Assessment 3: Test (20%)
Test given in the final week of semester
Other Evidence: (10%)
Completed worksheets in class/for homework
Class participation
In class activities

History: Rights and Freedoms

Matthew Jarrett
Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
This unit plan is designed for an 8 week block of lessons. The timetable includes two double lessons
(85 minutes) and a single lesson (40 minutes). The double lessons occur on a Wednesday and a
Friday and the single lesson occurs on a Tuesday. The lesson plan will be broken into weeks and
then into individual lessons.
Week 1
Lesson 1: Introduction to rights and freedom and Declaration of Human Rights
Students will be asked to sort into groups of 4. Using butchers paper the groups are to design their
own set of Human Rights. Ask students to write down what they think are the rights of every human
across the world as well as any additions that they think should be made to their list of human
rights. Go over each groups opinions and begin discussing Human Rights. What are Rights?
What is Freedom?
Lesson 2 & 3
Mixture of lecture and class discussion. Use the lesson to understand what the students already
know about human rights.
Go over the history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
What is it?
When was it created?
What does this mean for its signatories?
Lesson 4 & 5
Recap Human Rights.
Build on the knowledge from previous lesson.
Discuss Franklin D. Roosevelts speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iHKtrirjlY
Discuss the Four Freedom model as discussed by Roosevelt.
How was Australia involved in the making of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
What sort of rights did people have prior to signing this declaration?
Go through the history in a range of countries, particularly Australia, US, UK,
Week 2: US Civil Rights Movement
Lesson 1
Begin discussion on US civil rights movement.
Discuss what it was and why it was relevant in the US.
Discuss the difference in area (North v South) and reference to the Emancipation Proclamation.
The segregation laws that were common prior to the CRM.
Discuss the Freedom Riders and show following clip with follow up questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8CAKAXR-AM
Ask students to write down any comparisons to Australias history.
Lesson 2 & 3
Continue with US Civil Rights Movement. Mind Map the following
Discuss Montgomery Bus Boycott
Discuss Greensborough Sit-in.
Discuss Key Figures: Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman & Thurgood Marshall.
Why were they important? What years were they relevant for the CRM?
Lesson 4 & 5
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Recap previous lessons.

Discuss how the US Civil Rights Movement compares to Australia at the same time (short
introduction to common features).
Watch the following video from SBS discussing the first Australians with worksheet for students.
http://www.sbs.com.au/firstaustralians/index/index/epid/3
Discuss Australias history from an Indigenous Australian perspective.
Week 3
Lesson 1
Discuss the rights of Indigenous Australians prior to 1967.
Discuss the Freedom Riders of Australia.
Listen to http://www.abc.net.au/archives/80days/stories/2012/01/19/3414788.htm with worksheet.
Go through some basic Indigenous History regarding their rights as individuals.
Lesson 2 & 3
Discuss 1938 Day of Mourning.
What is it?
What does it represent?
Invasion vs settlement/colonization.
Discuss the Speech by Jack Patten.
In class activity. Students to research the events relating to settlement/colonization and identify five
ways that these events would have violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Lesson 4 & 5
Discuss Stolen Generation
What happened?
Why did it happen?
Discuss Bringing them home report.
Begin watching Rabbit Proof Fence.
Hand out task sheet for Assessment Task 1.
Ask students to take notes.
Week 4
Lesson 1
Continue watching Rabbit Proof Fence.
Lesson 2 & 3
Finish watching Rabbit Proof Fence. Discuss Assessment Task 1 expectations. Allow students rest
of class time to begin the essay. Due end of Lesson 3 Week 5
Lesson 4 & 5
Discuss Kevin Rudds Apology.
Either watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiLnsFyAVqE and hand out a copy of the
transcript of what Kevin Rudd said (or both).
Students to identify
5 specific things Kevin Rudd apologises for.
5 specific things Kevin Rudd would like to see in the future.
Why the apology would be significant to Indigenous Australians.
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Go over answers as a class.

If completed early, students may continue with Assessment Task 1.

Week 5
Lesson 1
Class time to work on Assessment Task 1.
Lesson 2 & 3
Discuss 1962 right to vote.
What did this mean for Australians?
How were the Universal Declaration for Human Rights breached?
Discuss 1967 referendum.
What is a referendum?
How did this help Indigenous Australians?
Lesson 4 & 5
Discuss Mabo decision in depth with mind map.
What was the basis of the case?
Go through basic structure of our court system and how it was used in the Mabo case.
Discuss the outcome and precedent it set.
Why was it such a big deal for Australia?
How does it link in with Reconciliation, the Stolen Generation, and the Apology?
Week 6
Lesson 1
Hand out and explain Assessment Task 2. Discuss expectations
Allow time for students to begin.
Lesson 2 & 3
Discussion on how Indigenous civil rights are still being fought for today.
Below the line: difference in expected age and health issues.
Current Government Schemes.
Indigenous communities today.
How are the Indigenous community still fighting for civil rights today?
If time, students may work on Assessment Task 2
Lesson 4 & 5
Allow time for students to work on Assessment Task 2
Week 7: Developing Civil Rights Today
Lesson 1
Allow students time to work on Assessment Task 2
Lesson 2 & 3
Presentations.
Lesson 4 & 5
Global comparisons of human rights.
The Death Penalty.
Australias refugee policies.
Already discussed USA but discuss their refugee policies.
Look at the rights of people in United Kingdom. Look at political parties that are searching to
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overturn current policies on death penalty and refugees in the UK.

Comparison to Middle Eastern and African countries that are considered third world or ruled by
dictatorships.
Week 8
Lesson 1
Continue discussing global comparisons to Australia.
Move onto revision for test. Assess what students need to brush up on.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
US Civil Rights Movement
Rights of Indigenous people pre 1960s
1938 Mourning Day
Stolen Generation
The Apology
Mabo Case
Indigenous Civil Rights Today
Lesson 2 & 3
Revision Lesson going over what the students may need to know for the final test.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
US Civil Rights Movement
Rights of Indigenous people pre 1960s
1938 Mourning Day
Stolen Generation
The Apology
Mabo Case
Indigenous Civil Rights Today
Lesson 4 & 5
Assessment Task 3 (Test)