Year 4 HASS - First Nations Australians Unit - Australian Curriculum

In this Year 4 HASS unit, students develop an understanding of the diversity, cultures, histories and perspectives of First Nations Australians, while exploring the impact of early contact, sustainable resource use, identity, rules and laws. The unit is aligned to the Australian Curriculum Version 9, with a separate WA Curriculum planner included for Western Australian teachers.

✨ Clear, Comprehensive Planning

The editable planner includes curriculum links, a resources‑needed column, and a simple, teacher‑friendly structure.
A WA Curriculum version of the planner is also provided.

✨ Editable PowerPoint

A fully editable PowerPoint presentation supports every lesson with:

• Learning intentions & success criteria
• Key discussion prompts
• Visuals and diagrams
• Embedded worksheets and display resources

Perfect for Smartboards and TVs.

✨ Simple, Efficient Lessons

Each lesson follows a 5–6 step sequence, keeping preparation light and teaching focused. Clear instructions highlight the key learning points so you can spend more time supporting students and less time planning.

✨ Engaging, Respectful Learning

True to the Mrs Amy123 style, lessons are interactive, thoughtful and engaging. Students explore First Nations cultures and histories through:

• cooperative learning strategies
• retrieval charts
• discussions
• comprehension tasks
• mapping activities
• group research

Some lessons include worksheets, while others focus on discussion, reflection and collaborative learning.

✨ Assessment Made Easy

An editable A–E grading guide is included, showing what achievement looks like using two tasks from the unit. This guide aligns with the Year 4 HASS Achievement Standard.

📦 What’s Included

• Editable planner (6 pages)
• WA Curriculum planner
• Worksheets + answer keys (20 pages)
• Resources (27 pages)
• Editable PowerPoint presentation (86 slides)
• Editable grading guide (1 page)
• Editable learning intentions & success criteria

🎯 Curriculum Alignment

Australian Curriculum Version 9

History

• Diversity of First Nations Australians, their social organisation and continuous connection to Country/Place (AC9HS4K01)
• Effects of contact following the arrival of the First Fleet and how First Nations Australians viewed this as an invasion (AC9HS4K04)

Geography

• Sustainable use and management of resources, including First Nations custodial responsibility for Country/Place (AC9HS4K06)

Civics & Citizenship

• Diversity of cultural, religious and social groups and their importance to identity (AC9HS4K09)
• Differences between rules and laws, why laws are important and how they affect people (AC9HS4K07)

Inquiry Skills

• Develop questions to guide investigations (AC9HS4S01)
• Locate, collect and record information from a range of sources (AC9HS4S02)
• Interpret information and data in different formats (AC9HS4S03)
• Analyse information and identify perspectives (AC9HS4S04)
• Draw conclusions and propose actions (AC9HS4S05–06)
• Present descriptions and explanations using subject‑specific terms (AC9HS4S07)

🎯 Western Australian Curriculum Outcomes (Planner Included)

History

• Diversity and longevity of Australia’s First Peoples and their connection to Country/Place (WA4HAKUH1)
• Nature of contact and the impact of colonisation (WA4HAKUH3)

Geography

• Sustainable use and management of renewable and non‑renewable resources (WA4HAKUG3)

Civics & Citizenship

• Belonging to diverse groups and how this shapes identity (WA4HAKUC3)
• Differences between rules and laws and why laws are important (WA4HAKUC2)

Inquiry Skills

• Identify prior understanding and develop focus questions (WA4HASKQ1–2)
• Locate, collect and record information ethically (WA4HASKQ3–5)
• Select and interpret relevant information (WA4HASKA1–3)
• Draw conclusions and use decision‑making processes (WA4HASKE1–2)

✨ A Note on Cultural Respect

I do not identify as an Indigenous Australian and encourage teachers to use resources created by First Nations authors wherever possible.
All profits from this resource are donated to organisations supporting Indigenous Australian children.

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