Pacific Islanders in Australia

• This is an excellent resource for the Making a nation depth study and for the Historical Skills strand in year 9 history curriculum. It concentrates on three content descriptions in the depth study that refer to the experiences of non-Europeans in Australia prior to the 1900s; living and working conditions around 1900; and legislation 1901-1914. It provides valuable opportunities for students to develop their historical skills. The skills emphasised connect closely to content descriptions about using chronological sequencing; evaluating sources; analysing the perspectives of people from the past; and developing texts that use evidence.
• The fourth part of the unit of work, Australian Pacific Islanders today, is of considerable value for the Rights and freedoms depth study in the year 10 history curriculum. It provides an important context for content descriptions that refer to the continuing nature of efforts to secure civil rights and freedoms in Australia, such as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the contribution of migration to Australia's changing identity as a nation and to its international relationships.
• Student activities in the unit of work aid the development of a number of the general capabilities, particularly Literacy, Intercultural understanding and Critical and creative thinking. They are especially relevant to the Literacy organising elements of comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing, and composing texts through speaking, writing and creating; and the Critical and creative thinking elements of recognising culture and developing respect in intercultural understanding; and inquiring - identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas.

9; 10