Teacher Focus

Tune In
Students will construct
their meanings and
explore their current
knowledge and
understandings.
The student focus
questions are based
around students
discovering what the
topic/issue is and why we
should study this topic.

Learner Activity

Learner
organisation &
resources

Students will bring in

photographs of themselves
throughout their lives and
sequence their lives in order,
they will annotate with ages
and what they were doing in
the photo.
The task is a preliminary
activity to introduce students
to the recent past and the
idea of timelines.

Student
photographs
showing them
growing up (past to
present)
Paper
Pencils

Discussion/Brainstorm:
Students will first brainstorm
together what life their
Begin students
present lives are like at
understanding on
school and home
language of past and
Students will then brainstorm
present in relation to their ideas about what they think
own lives.
their grandparents lives were
to create a comparison.
Teacher to write on board.
Questions to facilitate
brainstorming
How do you think your
lives might be different to
your grandparents when
they were at school?
Do you think your
grandparents played with
the same toys as you do?
What do you think their
school looked like?
How did you all arrive at
school today?
Do you think your
grandparents would have
arrived at school
differently?
What sorts of clothes of
you think your
grandparents wore?
(Teacher to keep
brainstorming of future
activity)

Textas
Butchers paper

Papa and the Olden

Days by
Ian Edwards

Read book Papa and the

olden days by Ian Edwards.
Ask students to what was
similar and what was
different from their life.

Explore

The explore phase of the

model is based on
students exploring the
topic in relation to their
prior knowledge, values,
questions and methods.
This phase is based on
students preparing for
learning.
Students will begin to
formulate questions on
what they want to find
out, how they will gather
the information and what
skills and strategies they
will need to use.
The student focus
questions include
What do I know/feel
about this topic?
What are other peoples
views?
What questions do I
have?

Look

This phase of the inquiry

model is where the
students must look for
and organise information
to understand and
answer the questions.

Refer students back to the

sequence of images of
themselves. Show students a
range of images (see
appendix 1) and ask students
if the images are from the
past or present and to put
them in the correct place.
Ask students to bring photos
from home and add to the
collection.
Adjustment: Provide student
with obvious images from the
past and present and provide
sentence started that the
students must fill out such as
I know this is from the past
because and This is
different to the past
because.

Past and present

images (appendix 1)
Labels (for wall)
past and present
Sentence starters
(appendix 2)

How times change,

Website.
Interactive
whiteboard

Using the interactive

whiteboard the students will
explore the site How time
change with teacher
guidance. This students will
organise images into past
and present for a variety of
topics such as at home,
school, transport and toys.
The students will gain
knowledge about what was
used in the past and what life
was like in order to gain the
knowledge to discover what
is old and new.
Using the interactive
whiteboard, read the story
My Grandmothers Toy Box to
students. Students can be
introduced to the practice of
oral history. Begin by
brainstorming together some

Interactive
whiteboard
My
Grandmothers
Toy Box, Jo Clyne &
Liz Suda.

The student focus

questions include
What do we want to
find out?
How will we gather
information?
What
skills/resources/strateg
ies do we need?

questions the students can

ask their family members
including parents,
grandparents and great
grandparents. The questions
can include
What toys did you play
with?
What were the toys
made from?
Who made them?
How old were you when
you played with them?
What was your
favourite toy?
Introduce language
contributed to going back in
time such as a long time
ago, before you were born
and now and then
Ask the students to bring in
their favourite toy that they
would place in the toy box
and think about their reasons
why they chose this toy.

Sort

The sort phase of the

inquiry model is based on
sorting and examining
the information that has
been acquired. The
students will use their
thinking skills to sort the
information to identify the
ideas and concepts
discovered, if the ideas
are bias or relevant and
the evidence that
supports the findings.

Using the story My

Grandmothers Toy Box,
students will role play the
timeline of the toys by
arranging themselves as
each member of Hannahs
family and ordering the toys
from past to present. The
students will explain why
they think the toy belongs
there. Use the discussion
questions (appendix 3) to
investigate the students
knowledge.

The student focus

questions include
How might we sort our
information?
What thinking
skills/strategies do I
need?
What connections can

Using the toys the students

have bought in place them in
toy box and have the
students closely examine
each toy and get the children
to speak about their choice.
Questions the children about
the toys by asking question

My Grandmothers
Toy Box, Museum
Victoria
Discussion
Questions, appendix
3

we make?

Test

The focus of the phase is

to discover if the question
or key concepts have
been identified and
answered. The students
will use the knowledge
they have gained
throughout the earlier
phases to identify if they
have considered the
information correctly. The
students will need to
ensure they understand if
the knowledge acquired
is correct and the
implications of this
knowledge before being
able to act on this.
The students focus
questions for this phase
include
What conclusions can we
draw?
What evidence supports
them?
What might we do with
our findings?

Act

This phase is about

putting the skills and
knowledge gained into
practice and discovering

such as
The function of the toy
(how it works, what it I
used for, how you play
with it?)
What is the toy made
from? (How this differs
to those from the story)
What are the
similarities and
different to toys they
play with?
The toys the students bring
in will be compared to the
toys of the past.
Students will be given a
worksheet (see appendix 4)
with an image from the past,
they must draw the
equivalent image as it is it
the future. This allows for
students to use their
knowledge to identify the
object and what it looks like
in the present.

Worksheet of past
images (appendix 4)

Students will use what they

have learnt from questioning
their family to present an oral
presentation to the class
detailing the differences and
similarities between their life
and their grandparents lives
in relation to school, family,
toys or transport. The
students will explain and
identify the reasons they
think their lives were
different.

Students will draw two

images, one to represent the
past and one to represent the
present. The images should
be drawn from their inquiries

Paper
Pencils

ways to act using this

information. The students
must identify what they
have learnt and how they
feel about he topic now.
The key student focus
question is
What actions could we
take as a result of our
findings?

Relfect

This phase is about

reflecting on the learning
done and the skills and
knowledge that was
gained throughout the
unit. The students must
identify the skills they
have gained and how
they have improved and
how they could have
improved this learning.
The key student focus
question is
What have we learnt
and how do we feel
about the topic

with their grandparents and

the stories read. The students
will write one sentence
describing why the image
represents the past and the
present. The students will be
supported by teacher to draft
sentences.

Read book Then and Now, by

Heather Amery.
Before reading the passages
in the book, ask the students
to identify which image is the
past and which is the future
and to describe the
differences they can see and
why they think this. Then
read the passage next to
each page and ask the
students the questions. This
is used as a reflection task
for students to understand
what they have learnt.
Have a discussion about the
ideas and concepts the
students have discovered
and learnt. Answering any
further questions students
have.
Students will return to their
first brainstorming activity (in
the tune in phase) and
recount what they knew prior
to the learning. The students
will have to opportunity to
add to the brainstorming to
discover what they have
learnt and the improvement
they made.

Assessment
What knowledge and concepts and skills will you assess?

Then and Now,

Heather Amery

First brainstorming
activity (on
butchers paper)

The knowledge and concepts that will be assessed is the ability to correctly
identify between the past and present. The students will have opportunities to
identify the similarities and differences between the past and present through
drawing, images, recounts and discussion. The skills being assessed include
being able to identify the differences and similarities between the past and
present and the reasons why they think this. The students will need to
incorporate questioning skills and oral strategies in order to discuss and gain
understandings from the conversations with their grandparents. The students
will need to increase these oral skills to recount to the class what they have
learnt.
What are your assessment strategies?
The formative assessment strategies will be in the form of ongoing assessment
where students will be assessed through the use of observational checklists,
anecdotal records and an analysis of the contributions made to the class
discussions. The summative assessment will be in terms of the work samples
produced in terms of the worksheet, drawings and oral presentation of their
findings.

Resources
Then and Now, Heather Amery
My Grandmothers Toy Box, Museum Victoria
My Grandmothers Toy Box, Jo Clyne & Liz Suda.
How times change, Website.
Past and present images (appendix 1)
Sentence starters (appendix 2)
Discussion Questions (appendix 3)
Worksheet of past images (appendix 4)

References
Amery, H 2008, Then and Now, Educational Development Corporation.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2014, The
Australian Curriculum v8.0, viewed 7th December 2015,
<http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/>
Clyne J & Suda L 2011, My Grandmothers Toy Box, Museum Victoria, accessed
28th December 2015 <http://museumvictoria.com.au/education/learninglab/little-history/teacher-guide/my-grandmothers-toy-box-activities/>
Education Services Australia 2010, Global Perspectives: A framework for global
education in Australian schools, Australian Government, Aus Aid, accesse 20th
December 2015 <
http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/GPS_web.pdf>
Edwards, I 1990, Papa and the Olden Days, Walker Books Australia.

Gordon K, 1999, Inquiry Approaches in Primary Studies of Society and

Environment, Key Learning Area. Education, Training And Curriculum
Services, Queensland School Curriculum Council.
Reynolds, R 2014, Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences in the Primary
School , 3rd edition , Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria
State of NSW, Department of Education, 2012, How times change, NSW
Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre accessed 7th December 2015
<https://schoolsequella.det.nsw.edu.au/file/1e321aee-682c-467f-a3b659ad89ad859f/1/14160.zip/index.html>

Appendix 1

Appendix 2
Sentence Starters
I know this is from the past because
I know this is from the future
because

This is different to the past because

The ways this has changed from the past are

Appendix 3

Computer game Hannah's father's toy

1 What do you think this is?
2 What is it made of?
3 Are computer games still like this?
4 How are they different?
5 Did your fathers or mothers play computer games when they were
children?
6 What were they like?
Barbie doll Hannah's mother's toy
1 What is this doll made of?
2 Where would Hannahs mother have got the doll?
3 Does anyone in the class have a Barbie doll? How is it similar or
different?
4 What games do they play with it?
Doll in ethnic dress Hannah's grandmother's toy
1 What is this doll made of?
2 Where would it have been made?
3 Why is it dressed like this?

4 How would Hannahs mother have played with it?

5 Would Hannahs mother still play with a doll? Why not?
6 Do their mothers still have dolls they played with as children?
Box Brownie Hannah's great-grandfather's toy
1 What do you think this is?
2 How is this camera different from ones your parents use?
3 How are the photos different?
4 These photos are of Christmas Day. What do you take photos of?
Paper dolls Hannah's great-great-grandmother's toy
1 How do you play with these paper dolls?
2 Do you have a set of paper dolls?
3 Did your mother play with paper dolls?
4 How would you make your own clothes for a paper doll?
Toy soldiers Hannah's great-great-grandmother's twin brother's toys
1 What do you think these might be made of?
2 How can you tell the little boy who owned them painted them himself?
3 Do you have toy soldiers?
4 What are they made of?
5 Did you paint them yourself?
Coles Arcade book Hannah's great-great-great-grandfather's book
1 Look at the bookshop in the picture in the story. How is it different from
bookshops today?
2 Listen again to what Hannah's mother tells her about the bookshop.
Could you do this in a bookshop today?
3 How is Hannah's great-great-great-grandfather's book different from
your books?
Skipping rope Hannah's great-great-great-great-grandmother's toy
1 How many people in the class have a skipping rope?
2 Where did yours come from?
3 Do you think this one would have been bought in a shop?
4 What is it made from?
Marn Grook Hannah's great-great-great-great-grandfather's toy
1 This is a toy made by an Aboriginal father for his child before white
people came to Australia. What do you think it is made of?
2 What might have been put inside the ball for stuffing?
3 What games might the children have played with it?
Your toy what will you leave for the future?
1 What do you want to put into the toy box?
2 Why have you made that choice?
3 How is it similar to or different from the toys already in there?
4 Can you draw a picture of your toy to add to the other toy pictures?

Appendix 4

Then

Now

In the past____________________________________________________
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