The Globalising World: Changing policies and Australian identity

This unit is based on the Australian Curriculum: History, Depth study ‘The globalising world’. It investigates one of one major global influence that has shaped Australian society during the twentieth century — migration experiences (1945–present). Key aspects covered are immigration and multiculturalism. The role of changing immigration policies, human rights and anti-racism is highlighted as a learning thread in the unit.

Inquiry questions and the use and interpretation of sources help developing students’ historical knowledge, understanding and skills. The key inquiry question covered here (leaving aisde World War II is): How was Australian society affected by other significant global events and changes in this period?

Asylum seekers on the open deck of a wooden boat being washed toward rocks in large waves

Above: Asylum seekers aboard Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel (SIEV 221) off Christmas Island December 2010. WA Coroner


Australian curriculum links

General capabilities emphasised in this unit of work are Literacy, Information and communication technology (ICT) capability, Critical and creative thinking, Personal and social capability, Ethical understanding and Intercultural understanding.

See how this unit relates to the Australian Curriculum: History for Year 10, including appoximate teaching hours and achievement standards.

Focus

This unit provides opportunities to explore changes to Australia’s immigration policies over time; the tension between cultural heritage and assimilation in policies; reasons for migration; dismantling the White Australia policy; defining multicultural Australia in the 1980s and 90s; asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and human rights; and conflict in society.

The unit is designed to support the History curriculum and the incorporation of anti-racism understandings and strategies in teaching programs. Key history concepts in each sequence provide a focus for historical investigation, a framework for organising historical information and a guide for developing historical understanding and analysing sources (.pdf 190 kB).

Teaching and learning activities

  1. Migration experiences: Post-War to the 1970s
  2. Dismantling the White Australia Policy: The 1970s
  3. Multiculturalism and immigration: 1980s and 90s
  4. Shaping multicultural Australia since 2000

Materials here provide more activities in sequences than could be expected to comprise a comprehensive program — the range and depth of topics provide Secondary teachers with the opportunity to select aspects to use in class. Use a program planner (.pdf 88 kB) to select content, outcomes and activities based on resources in this unit, to plan a teaching and learning program.

English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) learners may need an explanation of vocabulary in order to understand each teaching and learning sequence. Teachers should aim to build a student glossary or word-bank during each sequence.

Achievement, learning and assessment

See achievement and learning outcomes. Preview the rich assessment tasks for this unit.

Resources

Find a list of resources used in each teaching and learning sequence, with suggestions for additional teacher resources.