Unit of Work: Contested Spaces: La Perouse

Site Details: La Perouse, Sydney, NSW

Class: Stage 5, Year 9

Site Description:
La Perouse is a beautiful suburb situated on the pristine coast of Sydneys southeast region. It is a popular attraction for locals and
visitors alike where people come to behold the scenery, take photos, enjoy an ice cream or have a little swim with their loved ones.
However, what is often overlooked by many is that this particular site marks many years of resistance by the La Perouse Aboriginal
community against dispossession and the resilience of their cultures and connections to land.

Group member Lesson plan Outline Curriculum area covered and link to your site
number
X/10

1 Zena Abdullah- 18572083 Lessons 4 Curriculum area covered: English

and 6 Link to the site: Building on the modern history of La Perouse, students will
investigate and respond to the issues surrounding the 1928 protests of the
Aboriginal community of La Perouse. Students will deconstruct a short article
from the time and in lesson 6, reconstruct it through responding via composing a
letter to the editor. Students will engage with concepts of home, belonging,
resistance and resilience as well as practice empathy and writing skills.

2 Nisreen El Zanat- 17732622 Lessons 3 KLAs: PDHPE and Geography

and 8 Curriculum area covered: PDHPE
Link to site: Using the natural resources of the site of La Perouse to plan
activities and share knowledge of how these resources could be used today
instead of using equipment.

3 Sherri Te Awa- 17647683 Lessons 1 Curriculum area covered: History

and 2
 Link to site: The investigation of the modern history of La Perouse, Sydney
(1770-present) exposes students to the La Perouse Aboriginal communitys
perspectives of the impact of European invasion and settlement of La Perouse.
These counter-Western narratives highlight the resistance, resilience,
continuities and changes of La Perouse Aboriginal peoples culture and identity
in the face of disease, dispossession, protection and assimilation.

4 Annasimone Ghali- Lessons 7 KLAs: English and ESL

17658342 and 9 Curriculum area covered: ESL
Link to site: The community of La Perouse is an effective tool for ESL learners
to engage with Australian culture and draw upon their own identities. Learning
about a different cultural community through symbols and language creates a
connection with ESL learners that allows them to build a respect and
understanding for different identities, histories and experiences

Unit description Resources

Students learn about the loss of autonomy through invasion and Art Gallery NSW. (2010). La Per: An Aboriginal seaside story.
colonisation. They learn about the experiences of the local Aboriginal Retrieved from https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/la-per/
community. In this unit of work, students investigate narratives of
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014).
Aboriginal peoples resistance, resilience and survival post European
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Retrieved on October
settlement. Learning is geographically contextualised in La Perouse,
26,2017 from
Sydney. http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/
standards/list?c=graduate

Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (1988). L a Perouse: the place,

the people and the sea. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.
Australian Sports Commission. (2009). Yulunga Traditional Indigenous
Games. Retrieved on October 16, 2017 from
Time allocation 10 x 60-minute lessons https://www.sportingschools.gov.au/resources-and-pd/schools/yulunga
 Board of studies New South Wales. (2003). Personal Development,
Health and Physical Education. Retrieved on October 18, 2017 from
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_sc/pdf_doc/pdhpe-7-1
0-syllabus.pdf

Board of Studies NSW, 1995, Invasion and resistance: untold stories,

kit, Board of Studies NSW, Sydney.

Kensy, Julia, La Perouse, Dictionary of Sydney, 2008,

http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/la_perouse, viewed 28 Oct 2017.
Retrieved from: https://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/la_perouse

La Perouse Aborigines Protest Against Removal article retrieved

from: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/16454411

Local community resources including AECG, Land Council, ASPA.

Information on local historical sites, including from the local council and
the local historical society.

Targeted outcomes

English: EN5-1A Responds to and composes increasingly sophisticated and sustained texts for understanding, interpretation,
critical analysis, imaginative expression and pleasure

History: HT5-7 Explains different contexts, perspectives and interpretations of the modern world and Australia

ESL: EN5-4B A student effectively transfers knowledge, skills and understanding of language concepts into new and different
contexts (ESL scales and lessons are mapped to this outcome in the English syllabus)

PDHPE: 5.5 A student composes, performs and appraises movement in a variety of challenging contexts
SYLLABUS SYLLABUS KEY OUTCOMES/ INTEGRATED TEACHING, LEARNING AND CONNECTIO
OBJECTIVES CONTENT ASSESSMENT NS TO 8
WAYS

Lesson 1 History HT5-1 Explains and This lesson will introduce the unit Contested spaces: La
(pre-site visit)- assesses the Perouse and provide students with an explicit outline of
History historical forces and the units purpose and the significance of La Perouse as
factors that shaped a site study.
European the modern world
invasion and and Australia Prior to the commencement of learning activities, each
settlement in student is given the Appropriate Indigenous Australian
La Perouse, HT5-7 Explains peoples terminology worksheet.
Sydney. different contexts,
(1770-1901) perspectives and To begin thinking about the overarching concept of the
interpretations of the unit- contested spaces- this lesson will use the Story
modern world and Sharing component of the 8 ways of learning pedagogy
Australia to scaffold student learning throughout the unit. To do
this, the teacher will begin by sharing a story of what
contested spaces means to them and/or describe their
personal experience of existing/ feeling like they were in a
contested space. After this, students are given the
opportunity to share their stories. Students participate in
the activity by sharing their stories, listening and/or taking
notes.

Using the previous activity as a segway into the following

learning activity, the teacher is to make explicit links
between the unit theme of contested spaces and the
contestability of the historiography of European
colonisation/ invasion of Australia in 1788.
Students learn about the term dispossession and what it
meant in the early Australian context.

Teacher modelled source analysis activity:

Teacher to use Deconstruct/ Reconstruct pedagogical
tool to scaffold following collaborative source analysis by
quickly conducting a source analysis of the La Perouse
Monument to remind students the process of source
analysis using the TOMAC (Type, Origin, Motive,
Audience and Content) method.

Collaborative activity
Key guided inquiry questions:
Is there a difference between colonisation and
invasion? Use evidence from the sources to justify
your response.
How do these sources provide competing historical
narratives?
What historical forces and factors may have shaped
the perspective of each author?

In small groups, students use the TOMAC source

analysis method to compare and analyse one source
from an Aboriginal Australian person (Williams, Dreaming
trees, 1988) and one source from a non-Indigenous
Australian person ( The founding of Australia by Captain
Arthur Phillip, painted in 1937 by Algerton Talmadge) to
 reconstruct an historical narrative that can answer the key
guided inquiry questions.

Lesson 2 History HT5-2 Sequences This lesson will focus on the resilience and survival of the
(pre-site visit)- and explains the La Perouse Aboriginal communitys culture and continued
History significant patterns of connections to the land and past by investigating primary
continuity and and secondary sources in relation to the La Perouse
Socio-cultural change in the Aboriginal womens shellwork. Students will learn that
and economic development of the shellwork is one specifically geographically located
impact of the modern world and historical narrative of how the La Perouse Aboriginal
La Perouse Australia. community resisted European expansion and
Aboriginal dispossession by creating means in which they could
womens adapt to changing economic and socio-cultural policies
shellwork on and practices of early modern Australia.
the La Perouse
Aboriginal
community The lesson will begin with Non-linear 8 ways pedagogy
from early in the form of a whole-class inductive source analysis
dispossession activity. Students will be shown images of shellwork on
to present day smartboard and given photocopies of the images.
Australia Students asked to hypothesise what these items are and
their purpose.

To link the shellwork images to the local context of La

Perouse, Land Links are integrated as students watch
YouTube clip The Aboriginal shellworkers of La Perouse,
Sydney: Esme Timbery and Marylin Russell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cuWs0XWEDw
Students take notes on the socio-cultural impact of
shellwork art. Teacher to scaffold student notes with
guided inquiry questions prior to viewing.

In the remainder of the lesson, students will form small

collaborative groups to complete a Gallery Walk source
analysis activity based on the socio-cultural and
economic impact of the La Perouse Aboriginal womens
shellwork. The gallery walk will include six workstations
with one or two key inquiry questions to be answered
before moving on to the next collection of sources. The
inquiry questions will be based upon syllabus historical
concepts of perspectives and change and continuity.
Groups will write their responses on their Gallery Walk
worksheets.

The gallery sources will include:

1. Selling the artefacts- short story by Lee-Anne Mason
2. Extracts from Protector of the Aboriginies report
(1883)
3. Shellwork narrative recount written by Christine
Moore and Sandra Murphy
4. The Aboriginal shellworkers of La Perouse, Sydney:
Esme Timbery and Marylin Russell- Y ouTube clip
5. Quote from Julia Freeman in Pallingjang Saltwater:
Aboriginal artists of the Illawarra and South Coast
regions of New South Wales (exhibition catalogue,
1997).
6. Photograph image Selling boomerangs and
shellwork at The Loop. Photograph by JH Bell.
 The lesson will conclude with a whole class discussion
about the lessons learning activities and students will be
given time to continue their concept map with their new
knowledges.

Lesson 3- Geography GE5-2: Explains The following lesson will investigate and identify key
Geography processes and patterns that have occurred in the area of La Perouse
influences that form over the years. Students will work collaboratively to
Changing and transform places analyse similarities and differences in population,
Places: and environments individual ethnicities and migration patterns that have
Investigating evolved over time.
the geography GE5-3:Analyses the
of the area and effect of interactions This lesson will begin with students brainstorming the
how it has and connections push and pull factors of migration as a class.
changed between people, Using their background knowledge as well as content
overtime places and learnt from the previous two lesson, Students will then
environments work with a partner to discuss the reasons why
individuals may migrate to or away from the area of La
Perouse.

The teacher will then use the Aboriginal pedagogy of

Story Sharing to develop student understanding on the
various evident changes that have occurred in the area of
La Perouse. The story that will be shared is Penguins
and Dolphins-

One Aboriginal lady told me that the Aboriginal name for La

Perouse means place of many penguins and when we were little
kids we always saw fairy penguins out here. We used to see a lot of
whales migrating up and down the coast and a lot of porpoises and
dolphins and things in the bay until they put in all the oil refineries
and the chemical installations. The last fairy penguin i saw here
must be 25 years ago and it was covered in oil. So thats why theres
no more of them around. But it was really beautiful. And even the
shape of the bay, they changed it.

Through this story, students develop a deeper

understanding of the possible changes that have caused
the vast migration patterns of the area.It will further allow
students to have a better understanding to complete the
rest of the activities in the lesson.

Collaborative research task

Students will work in groups of 3-4 and conduct research
on the area of La Perouse in both 1800s and today and
present their findings to the class. Through this activity
students explore the Land links and Community links of
the local area of La Perouse.

Students are advised to research the following:

-Similarities and differences in population over time
-Migration Patterns
-Patterns in ethnicities
-Overall changes in the bay area

Possible sites that students can access for research

http://profile.id.com.au/randwick/geography-notes?WebID
=150
http://www.sydneybarani.com.au/sites/aboriginal-people-a
nd-place/
Group Presentation
Once students have completed they will present their
findings to the class and reflect on what the area of La
Perouse may mean to the local Aboriginal community that
still exists today making a connection to the story
Penguins and Dolphins.

The lesson will then conclude with students writing a

reflection on how they would feel if they place they lived
in changed and no longer had significant things to them
for example no more penguins in the bay.
SYLLABUS SYLLABUS KEY OUTCOMES/ INTEGRATED TEACHING, LEARNING AND CONNECTIO
OBJECTIVES CONTENT ASSESSMENT NS TO 8
WAYS

Lesson 4- EN 5 - Students will be able This lesson will build on the previous history specific
English thinks to deconstruct, lessons on contested spaces with an English KLA
imaginative interpret and critically approach.
Article ly, analyse an article
Analysis about La Perouse The lesson will begin with a quick, whole class
creatively,
and the resettlement brainstorm, creating a concept map about the concept of
interpretive
of Indigenous home and it what it means to us. This will ease students
ly and inhabitants. into the focus of the lesson which involves landlinks
critically approach, requiring students to understand the
about Students will be able significance of connection to land and how it creates a
information to exercise empathy sense of home for each of us.
and skills and
increasingl understanding of the Using the deconstruct/reconstruct component of the 8
y complex context of the Ways pedagogy, students will be put into groups of 4 and
ideas and Indigenous are given the task of reconstructing information cards.
population of La These cards will contain background information about
arguments
Perouse the contention around La Perouse and the long standing
to respond
resistance of the Aboriginal community on the reserve.
to and Assuming this information was once sequenced as an
compose essay, students are to reconstruct the information in
texts in a sequential order so as to give it logical flow. This will give
range of students the opportunity to gain contextual knowledge
contexts surrounding the La Perouse as a contested space.

This task will be followed by a close reading of the article

with the teacher. The guidance of the teacher throughout
the lesson and the whole class discussions ensure that
the work and concepts are scaffolded as teacher will use
prompting and guiding cues.

The vocab list and emotive word exercise will ensure that
students are able to understand the language devices
used in the article, specific to the context and hence
derive/make meaning from it.

The lesson will conclude with a focus question sheet

which requires students to think analytically and
empathetically. This ties in well with the activities of the
follow up lesson (lesson 6) which will consist of students
composing a response to the text in the form of a letter to
the editor of the newspaper.

This lesson will also act as a precursor to the site study

(lesson 5) as students will gain background knowledge of
not only the connection and significance of the land to the
Aboriginal peoples, but also the various uses and
contestation of it. During the site students will be able to
see different monuments left by European settlers and
understand the historical significance of the presence of
the Aboriginal peoples since.
Lesson 5- GENERAL HT5-2 Sequences Students will conduct a site study by visiting the site of La
GENERAL and explains the Perouse. They will be provided with booklets which must
significant patterns of be completed individually throughout the course of the
Site Study- continuity and day. This booklet will contribute towards formative
Excursion to change in the assessment records for teachers.
development of the
La Perouse
modern world and Upon arrival to La Perouse, and prior to the Museum tour,
Australia. students are given 5-10 mins to roam the grassy area
outside of the museum and complete a senses chart
worksheet i.e. what do they smell, hear, see and so on.
Students are then taken inside the La Perouse museum
to learn about the history of La Perouse and the French
connections of the Sydney suburb.

Tour guide takes students to Bare Island and explains the

history behind the site and how it holds this dual identity
as a natural Aboriginal site but also a commercially
established area.

A walk around the town with a focus on monuments will

highlight the prominence of the European narrative within
La Perouse whist students investigate the seemingly
absent Aboriginal peoples narrative.

Students investigate three monuments and complete site

booklets.
Lesson 6- responds to Students will revise The lesson will begin with a quick revision session to
English and content of lesson 4 rehash lesson 4 (article analysis). This will mitigate
composes feelings of uncertainty and confusion for students and
increasingly Students also give them an opportunity to ease into the task ahead.
Creative sophisticate demonstrate their
response to d and understanding of the Deconstruct/ Reconstruct
Article sustained article and the Students will be building on from the deconstruction
(English) texts for significance behind lesson (4) in order to compose a letter to the editor.
understandi the contested space Activities will be scaffolded by teacher, focusing on the
ng, through working on two main characteristics/requirements of composing a
interpretatio an informal letter to the editor:
n, critical assessment.
analysis, A letter to the editor is an expression of opinion on
imaginative a topical subject (usually one that has been
expression recently published in the publication to which it
and has been written).
pleasure A letter to the editor is a persuasive text, with the
aim to express views to a wider public.

The teacher will spend some time listing ideas that might
be included and some guiding questions to answer before
beginning.

Land Links
Students will be able to connect with the significance of
the land and express their connection through writing the
letter to the editor. This is also an empathy task which
gives students the opportunity to express their empathy
for the Aboriginal peoples of La Perouse during the time
of 1928.

The last 7 minutes of the lesson will be dedicated to

handing out and explaining an informal assessment task
which will require them to demonstrate their
understanding of the concepts and content as well as
skills acquired during the unit of work.

Students are given the option of whether or not they

would like to complete the task in groups of individually.
Students are given the autonomy to choose their mode of
response and are required to have it completed to
present in lesson 10. Options include:

> A political speech

> Journal entry (from perspective of Indigenous inhabitant
of La Perouse during 1928)
> A protest poster persuading people to join the protest
for La Perouse resettlement
> A poem (focusing on any aspect of the issue)
> A Powerpoint presentation

For students who would like to choose a mode which is

not included in the aforementioned options, they are
welcome to discuss with their teacher and have it
approved.
Students are advised to create and prepare for the
upcoming presentations in week 10
SYLLABUS SYLLABUS KEY OUTCOMES/ INTEGRATED TEACHING, LEARNING AND CONNECTION
OBJECTIVES CONTENT ASSESSMENT S TO 8 WAYS

Lesson 7- ESL Scales: Students are required Intro

ESL to draw upon previous Greet students and seat them in a circle,
Oral Interaction knowledge and asking them to draw upon their favourite
4.4 Accesses and experience from their part/s of the excursion. They take turns until
The Diaries incorporates English into
class excursion to the class is finished.
of La own oral repertoire from a
range of oral and written discuss the
Perouse:
sources in order to extend significance of For the class to think about: How does story
Junga (the oral skills in English. storytelling as a telling make communication easier?
octopus) method of
Reading and communication. Play a class game of charades if time permits
Responding in order to build an appreciation for
4.6 Relates own culture,
Students will engage communication.
knowledge and
experience to information with storytelling in
In this introduction, links to land and place are
in the text. Aboriginal spirituality to
utilised by allowing students to connect their
respond to various
Writing experiences to what they know about themselves
stories about the La and the world.
4.11 Writes a variety of
texts, demonstrating
Perouse community.
some overall cohesion Stories- Junga
and coherence. Using symbols to link Explain storytelling in Aboriginal culture. Well
image and language, use Junga as our example. Using the
students will develop presentation, introduce students to the
their creativity to concept of an octopus, then read them the
portray their text Junga as displayed.
understanding of the
Aboriginal site by first Get student opinions on why they think this
engaging with the story story was told in the community of La
Junga, then Perouse.
composing their own
stories. Story sharing is prominent in this lesson in that it
covers the significance of storytelling in Aboriginal
culture as the means through which morals, ideas
and values are passed down through
generations.

Junga Craft
Providing students with the resources, they
will create their own Junga and retell the
story in 8 sentences, using a leg of the
octopus for each sentence. Have the
scaffolding for the task in the presentation
displayed.

Image and symbol are used to capture a symbol

in order to creatively construct a text

Write your own

Once students have completed their Junga,
they are to write or draw up their own story
about a natural element they saw La
Perouse. Have the examples listed on the
board as indicated in the presentation.

The lesson closes with story sharing as a

composing task proceeding their responding.
Lesson 8- PDHPE 5.5- A student The focus of this lesson will allow students to
PDHPE Personal composes, performs make a link to the Eora Nation whilst
Development, Health and appraises participating in several practical activities.
Project based and Physical movement in a variety
learning- Education of challenging The lesson will begin with the teacher
Work in contexts. explaining that the Eora Nation is the name
groups and Strand: given to the coastal Aboriginal people around
use natural Strand 2: Movement 5.9 A student Sydney. Students will also be told that sport
resources of Skill and formulates goals and and leisure activities in the Aboriginal
the land to Performance applies strategies to community is considered significant as it
create an enhance participation reinforces social connectedness.
activity Strand 4: Lifelong in lifelong physical The introduction of the lesson will incorporate
Physical Activity activity story sharing where the
importance of sport and recreation to
Aboriginal communities is made clear to
students.

The next part of the lesson will require

students to work in small groups to
brainstorm the possible natural resources
found at La Perouse that could be used for
play in PDHPE-Land links. Students are to
reflect on their site visit and recall all the
resources such as shells etc.
They are then required to further consider
two sports played today and suggest natural
resources instead of the equipment used
today. For Instance; in cricket use a stick
instead of a bat and use small stones instead
of using a cricket ball.
For the bulk of the lesson students will
participate in multiple traditional Aboriginal
activities. There will be four stations set, at
each station students will spend 10 minutes
reading the activity card and participating in
the activity as a group.

Station 1:will consist of an activity card for

the game Yangamini and the equipment
needed.
Station 2:will consist of an activity card for
the game Wemeand the equipment
needed.

Station 3:will consist of an activity card for

the game Tambil Tambil and the equipment
needed.

Station 4 will consist of a project based

learning activity where students will create
their own activity using the natural resources
at their station, this will include things such
as stones, shells,leaves,sticks etc.
The following activities have been chosen to
broaden students knowledge and experience
of how Aboriginal people still participated in
activities however used the resources of the
land to play.
This gives students the opportunity to learn
through a non-verbal way as they participate
kinaesthetically in traditional Aboriginal
games independently without teacher
demonstration.

The lesson will conclude with students

reflecting on:
1 thing they enjoyed,
1 thing they learnt and
1 thing they would like to improve.
Lesson 9- ESL Scales In this unit, the Intro and Speakers talk
ESL students have Greet students and seat them in a group.
Community Oral interaction: undertaken a visit to Invite the speaker to the front of the class.
Involvement 5.2 Considers how the site of La Perouse The school will arrange with the speaker to
interpersonal and cultural to connect with the discuss the following areas of an Aboriginals
contexts affect
Inviting an local community. This life in La Perouse, with time for questions at
communication in
elder of the English. lesson brings La the end:
Indigenous La Perouse to school by
Perouse inviting an Aboriginal - Storytelling
Community Reading and elder of the community - Family life
(workshop) responding: to talk to the children - Historical events
4.6 Relates own culture, and tell stories.
knowledge and Stations
experience to information Students are required Based on these different topics, 3 stations
in the text. to carefully listen to the will be set up with a series of hands-on
speaker, engaging with communicative activities that students will
Writing: them and participating engage with in pairs or groups of 4,
2.10 Demonstrates
in the learning depending on the size of the cohort. Both the
awareness of particular
ways that information is activities. teacher and speaker will scan the room
presented in written regularly, guiding students through the
English. Students will be called activities.
upon to ask questions
and provide responses,
which assesses their
listening and speaking
skills.
SYLLABUS SYLLABUS KEY OUTCOMES/ INTEGRATED TEACHING, LEARNING AND CONNECTION
OBJECTIVES CONTENT ASSESSMENT S TO 8 WAYS

Lesson 10- GENERAL syllabus EN5-5C Thinks The final lesson of La Perouse: Contested
outcomes imaginatively, creatively, spaces has been allocated as a project of
GENERAL interpretively and critically learning presentation day.
about information and
Project of increasingly complex
Groups will:
learning ideas and arguments to
respond to and compose
presentatio present their projects to the class and
texts in a range of
ns contexts provide a reflection statement that
provides clear links between learning
HT5-10 Selects and uses and their project to demonstrate
appropriate oral, written understanding of concepts, content and
and digital forms to skills acquired.
communicate effectively
Complete presentation within 3-5 mins
about the past for
Incorporate their reflection statement in
different audiences
their presentation.
PDHPE-5.11 Adapts and
evaluates communication Story Sharing is utilised as students share
skills and strategies to their journey of learning through the oral
justify opinions, ideas and presentation of their reflection statement
feelings in increasingly throughout the presentation.
complex situations
Non-Linear learning is produced as students
share diverse interpretations of their learning
journey, culminating is new ways of
understanding and knowing.