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Let's celebrate
Learning Intention
We are learning to:
- use photos to ask historical questions about the past.
Success criteria
What I'm looking for:
- I can use a photograph to describe how life was different in the past.
Student Activities
Activity 1
Let's celebrate
NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum History K-10
Outcomes
A student:
- HT 1-4 demonstrates skills of historical inquiry and communication
Historical skills
Students:
Comprehension: chronology, terms and concepts
- distinguish between the past, present and future (ACHHS032, ACHHS048)
Use of sources
- explore and use a range of sources about the past (ACHHS034, ACHHS050)
Research
- pose questions about the past using sources provided (ACHHS033, ACHHS049)
Explanation and communication
- use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written, role play) and digital technologies (ACHHS038, ACHHS054)
Historical concepts
- Continuity and change: some things change over time and others remain the same
- Perspectives: people from the past will have different views shaped by their experiences
- Significance: importance of an event, development or individual/group
LAC
Learning across the curriculum
- Literacy
- Intercultural understanding
Content
How the present, past and future are signified by terms indicating time such as ‘a long time ago’, ‘then and now’, ‘now and then’, ‘old and new’, ‘tomorrow’, as well as by dates and changes that may have personal significance, such as birthdays, celebrations and seasons (ACHHK029).
Students will:
- identify days, holidays, events celebrated by students and their families and discuss cultural differences in days celebrated
- define and use terms relating to time, sequencing objects or photographs from the past using terms such as then and now, past and present, a long time ago.
Activity 1: teachers notes
Task 1
Let's celebrate!
Investigate what old photos can tell us about celebrations in the past – how, what and why people celebrated.
Ask students to:
- Look carefully at the photos.
- Pay particular attention to the people in each photo and what each person is doing.
- Look for symbols that tell us about the celebration (e.g. Olympic rings and dragon)
Answer the questions:
- What are they celebrating?
- How do you know?
- Are these photos from the past or the present? How do you know?
Task 2
Birthday celebrations
Use the photograph of a ninth birthday party to discuss celebrations.
Ask students:
How can you tell this is a celebration?
Is this image from the past of the present? How do you know?
What do you need for a celebration? Think about food, clothing and venue.
How did you celebrate your last birthday?
Draw a picture or write about an exciting place where you would like to celebrate your next birthday party.
Recommended reading

An Aussie year : twelve months in the life of Australian kids by Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling

The big book of festivals by Marita Bullock and Joan-Maree Hargreaves, illustrated by Liz Rowland

Sarah's two nativities by Janine M Fraser, illustrated by Helene Magisson

New Year Surprise by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Di Wu

Celebrating Australia : a year in poetry by Lorraine Marwood