AUSTRALIAS IMMIGRATION HISTORY:

The Chinese Experience during the Gold Rush

INQUIRY QUESTION:
Who were the people who came to Australia during
the time of the Gold rush and why? How have they
played an important role in the development of
Australia?
BIG IDEAS:
Australias history is shaped by the stories and experiences of early
immigrants.
The Gold rush played an important role in the migration of Chinese
TEACHING PROPOSAL
diggers.
This unit focuses on the Immigration history of Chinese Australians at the time of the Gold
Rush and investigates the concepts surrounding their experiences, culture, hardships and
contributions to society. At the successful completion of this unit of study, students will be
able to identify the causes and reasons Chinese citizens chose to migrate to Australia during
the gold rush, the way in which these people helped to shape the Australia we know today
and the different experiences/stories/difficulties these immigrants faced. Students will also
be able to understand and use [a range of] historical concepts and skills, including
sequencing chronology, using historical sources as evidence analysing cause and effect
and determining historical significance (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
2016) which will be evidenced by their final assessment in the form of a digital media blog.
Critically analysing the cause and effect of Chinese immigration to Australia will enable
students to develop an understanding of the political climate within Australia at the time and
assist them in accepting the understanding the diversity and multiculturalism within
Australias society as awareness of history is an essential characteristic in any society, and
historical knowledge is fundamental in understanding ourselves and others (Victorian
Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2016). The exploration of the different experiences and
stories of these immigrants will ensure that schooling contributes to a socially cohesive
society that respects and appreciates cultural, social and religious diversity (Melbourne
Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians 2008, p. 7). Students will explore a
range of media and artefacts to assist them in their learning, as well as participate in an
excursion to the Chinese Museum in Melbournes CBD which will be crucial to their
understanding of the living and working conditions of Chinese immigrants. Student learning
will be assessed in a range of ways including a role-play. Role-plays are an effective tool for
learning as students learn through their explorations and the viewpoints of the character or
personality they are articulating in the environment. This student-centred space can enable
learner-oriented assessment, where the design of the task is created for active student
learning (University of New South Wales 2015). Role play gives participants direct
experience with aspects of an issue, and an opportunity to develop skills such as perspective
taking, problem solving and negotiation (Gilbert & Hoepper 2014, p. 90). This is further
enhanced by the use of a student created interview for a known immigrant, which will
contribute to the students empathy and understanding of the differences that surround
them and lead to the development and growth of socially responsible citizens. The activities
and assessments that have been developed for this unit by the guidelines set out by Gilbert
& Hoepper (2014, p.73) with a particular intended outcome by developing experiences that
will lead to certain learning outcomes, [by] constructing a series of activities, sequenced,
which together will engage the students with the desired knowledge, skills or values. The
incorporation of both group and individual work in this unit is done purposely as cooperative
learning in groups can enhance cognitive development and the capacity among students for
reflection through exploratory talk. It can improve motivation and develop confidence if
students recognise their thoughts are valued improve social and interpersonal skills

Learning Intentions:

Understanding Australias Immigration history and

significant events.
We can learn about stories, experiences and contributions
of a particular migrant group that has impacted Australias
history.
Understanding the racism Chinese immigrants faced and
how this affected the law.
Understanding the reasons behind the decision to migrate
to Australia and how to create a timeline
Developing an understanding of the lives Chinese
immigrants lived after the gold rush and what they did for
work
Understand that everyones story is different
Demonstrate the learning that has been undertaken.

SKILLS DEVELOPED:
At the conclusion of this unit students will be able to:

Create a timeline of events using research

Create a digital blog to present their work
Create a profile of a person, based on personal research and
interviews
Critically evaluate their own ideas and beliefs
Use new information and research to change their way of
thinking
ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE:
A digital Blog containing weekly activities and tasks with
weekly reflections
Annotated pictures and artefacts
Involvement and understanding of content through a role
play
Racism protest poster
Immigrant profile
Final Role-play and documentary.
VICTORIAN CURRICULUM:
History, Geography, Economics and Business, Cross
Curriculum priorities and General Capabilities Asia and
Indigenous Studies ( See attached Document)

Lesson: Introduction to Immigration

Learning Intention:Understanding
Australias Immigration history and
significant events.
Activity:
Introduction to Australias Immigration history and
the significant events surrounding this through a
YouTube video. In table groups students will then
define key terms and as a class compile a Glossary
of the terms (Colony, Nation, Migration, Immigration,
Free Immigration, Assisted Immigration, Citizenship
and Democracy) and their definitions Students, in
pairs, will then investigate Australias Immigration
history and produce a timeline of their discoveries
under the heading Australias Migration History.

Resources:
YouTube Video:
A history of Immigration in Australia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teq__HPNpSI
Dictionaries, Humanities workbook, iPads

Assessment:
- Historical Timeline

Curriculum Links:

VCHHC082, VCGGC087

Lesson: The Immigration Rush

(Gold Rush)
Learning Intention: Understanding
Australias Immigration history and
significant events.

Learning Intention:
We can learn about stories, experiences
and contributions of a particular migrant
group that has impacted Australias
history.

Activity:

Activity:

As a class play:https
://www.australianhistorymysteries.info/cas
estudies/goldrush/

Introduce the lesson by going over; What is the

Gold Rush? Combine the discussions with a slide
show of pictures and artefacts from the era,
focusing on how this resulted in mass migration
to Australia.
In pairs students explore this significant event
recording key information. Students are to
produce a one page informative piece to:
Describe how the discovery of gold
resulted in the influx of immigration to the
country.

Students in pairs will be given a global map; on

this they will pinpoint the journey of the many
immigrant groups that travelled during the gold
rush era.

They will then be given a map of Australia and

using the online interactive map will highlight
significant parts of each state that attracted
immigrants during this era. E.g. Clunes, VIC
First site in Victoria to discover gold.

Interactive Gold Map http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/GOLD_MAP.html

Map of Australia , Map of the World, Humanities
book, Pads, pictures

Assessment:
-

Informative writing piece

Curriculum Links:

VCHHK090,
VCHHK091, VCHHC085, VCGGC087,
VCGGC087, VCGGC089, VCGGK091,
VCGGK092

Learning Intention: Understanding the

racism Chinese immigrants faced and
how this affected the law.
Activity:

Students will recap their learning of previous weeks

and their excursion and discuss the laws and issues
Chinese immigrants faced at the time. Students will
be actively involved in research using the internet
and books from the library to make notes and
develop an understanding of the situation. Students
will use this information to assist them in creating a
digital protest poster in opposition to the anti Chinese
laws of the late 1800s and the White Australia Policy.
Students will lead a discussion about their thoughts
and feeling about racism and how they felt when
learning about these experiences.

Resources:

YouTube clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxw8lfCoJL0

Assessment:
-

Protest Poster

Curriculum Links:
VCPSCSO033

VCHHK094, VCHHC084 ,

Lesson: Cultural Differences

Learning Intention:
We can learn about stories, experiences
and contributions of a particular migrant
group that has impacted Australias
history.

Resources:

Lesson: Immigrants and the Law

Lesson: The Chinese Experience

Lesson: Gold Rush Immigrant

Stories
Learning Intention: Understanding
the reasons behind the decision to
migrate to Australia and how to
create a timeline
Activity:
Students will explore the stories of different
Chinese immigrants, their lives and
circumstances and create timelines to show how
their lives progressed.
Students will work in pairs and find a particular
story that they find interesting and together will
create a timeline of this persons life. They will
create a short presentation in which they will
present this person and explain the
circumstances that lead to their migration to
Australia.

Resources:
Website to explore:
http://immigrationplace.com.au/story/jam
es-chung-gon-part-one/

Assessment:
- Create a timeline and presentation about
a Chinese immigrants life

Curriculum Links: VCHHK091,

VCHHK094, VCHHC084, VCHHK095,
VCHHK094, VCHHC082

Recapping on the previous lessons and

definitions of key terms learned. Discuss as a
class what groups of immigrants were the largest
to flock to Australia and explain that the focus
will be on Chinese Immigrants during the Gold
Rush. Whole class will watch The Chinese
Experience upon conclusion students will
construct a table on push and pull factors,
imagining they are a Chinese immigrant from the
1850s considering moving to Australia, discuss
as a class.

Reading Chapter One from the book Walk from

Robe students will develop questions and
answers to conduct a role play - news report on a
newly arrived Chinese immigrant about their
lives in China, reasons for leaving and their
journey to Australia. (To be filmed and uploaded
to their digital blog.

Resources:

The Chinese Experience YouTube,

online book Walk from Robe, Ipads,
materials to construct props
.
Assessment:
- Role play involvement and
understandings
Curriculum Links:
VCHHK091,VCHHK092, VCHHC087,
VCGGK092, VCGGK098, VCGGC087,
VCICCD012.

Lesson: Life After the Gold Rush

Learning Intention: Developing an

understanding of the lives Chinese

immigrants lived after the gold rush
and what they did for work
Activity:
Students will be asked to put themselves
into the shoes of a Chinese immigrant and
think about what they would do after the
gold rush. The answers will be written
down on a piece of paper and submitted
anonymously, discussed as a group and
tabulated into a graph

Resources:
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-re
sources/factsheets/74.html
http://www.goldrushcolony.com.au/australian
-gold-history-culture-info/chinese-australi
an-gold-fields/anti-chinese-racism

Curriculum Links:
(VCHHK094) (VCHHK095) (VCHHK096)
(VCHHC084) (VCHHC087),
(VCGGK098), (VCEBW007)
(VCEBW008) (VCHHC087)

Activity:

Cultural differences between China and

Europe that led to racism anti - Chinese
riots - students will explore the differences
of culture by bringing in two artefacts of
the same area: e.g. Religion - Buddha and
Cross- as a class they will compile a visual
of similarities and differences of both
cultures. This will then be looked at and
discussed further on
http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?sto
ryid=46
and
http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/story.php?sto
ryid=47
Look at the cartoons that were apart of
the anti - Chinese sentiment and pose the
question of how are the Chinese portrayed
and how is this different to the Europeans?
What if that was today? How would you go
about doing things differently to promote
equality and acceptance? Draw a cartoon
outlining this change.

Lesson: CHINESE MUSEUM MELBOURNE

Learning Intention:
We can learn about stories, experiences
and contributions of a particular migrant
group that has impacted Australias history.

Activity:
Students go on an excursion to the Melbourne
Chinese Museum. Whilst walking through they are
expected to take pictures on their iPads of
artefacts and stories that relate to the unit.
Pictures will later be used to make a collage and
annotations of what has been learned during the
excursion

Resources: iPads, Pictures

Assessment:
-

Annotated pictures

Curriculum Links:

VCHHK091,
VCHHK092, VCHHK095, VCHHK096,
VCHHC087
VCECU011, VCECD013,
VCPSCSO029, VCPSCSO030, VCPSCSO031,
VCICCD012

Resources:
Gold Rush Game:
www.australianhistorymysteries.info
/casestudies/goldrush/
Curriculum Links:VCHHK090,
VCHHK092, VCHHC083, VCHHC084,
VCHHC087

Lesson: Interviews with

Immigrants
Learning Intention:Understand that
everyones story is different
Activity:

Students be involved in a class discussion about

their backgrounds and immigrants they know/are
related to. Students will discuss what they believe
it would have been like to pack up and leave their
own homes forever and what reasons would cause
them to migrate. Students will break off into table
groups and compile a list of questions they would
like to ask an immigrant, ensuring all questions
are respectful and relevant Students will decide
upon an immigrant they wish to interview, this
person can be a relative, a family friend or anyone
else they know, and will create a profile about this
person (who can remain anonymous if they wish)
as a poster. Profiles will include the immigrants
birthday, country of origin, reason for
immigration, any hardships and good fortunes
they have experienced since immigrating, their
families, their background and any other relevant
information. Students will present their poster to
the class and display it in the classroom.

Resources:
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-resources/factsh
eets/74.html
http://www.goldrushcolony.com.au/australian-gold-history-c
ulture-info/chinese-australian-gold-fields/anti-chinese-ra
cism

Curriculum Links:
(VCHHK091) (VCHHC084) (VCHHK094)
(VCHHK095) GENERAL CAPABILITIES
(VCPSCSO029)

Lesson: Role-Play for Assessment

Learning Intention: demonstrate the

learning that has been undertaken
Activity:
Recap of topic by creating a mind map
with students
Discussion about reasons people immigrated,
when people immigrated, living conditions and
what life was like for immigrants.
Introduce assessment to students
Divide students into groups of 4 or 5, depending
on class size so they can begin writing and
planning their role-plays. Students are to write,
direct and act out a role-play that depicts the
Asian immigration boom in Australia around the
time of the gold rush. Their role-plays are to
include why they immigrated to Australia, when
they immigrated, what their lives were like when
they arrived, how they lived and if they think they
will return. Plays are to go for 3 5 minutes,
include props and costumes and all students are
to play a part and be involved. Plays will be
recorded and compiled into a documentary type
film and parents will be invited into the class for a
final expo, where students will present their
learning via the role-play and their digital blogs.

Resources:
all material explored throughout the unit

Assessment:
- Role Play
Curriculum Links: All curriculum links should be
present in this final piece.