Introduction

As a group you're going to explore the topic of Australian Migration. It's gone through some changes from White Australia to Pacific Solutions. Although we sit in a cozy corner of New South Wales which sits in a cozy spot on the globe, we're a country whose life and history is defined by migration.

The following WebQuest asks you to consider some pretty tricky questions - ones that don't have right answers, but the answers you choose will impact peoples' lives.

The Question

The main question you will be asked to find an answer for is:

• What factors influence migration?


• What are the issues that complicate migration?


• Are water borders different than man-made borders?


• Does might make right?


• Is possession 9/10s of the law?


• Whose interests should dominate?


• What is Australia’s place in a globalised world?


• Hero or Villain? - choose a prominant Australian who has had an impact on migration in Australia. Argue whether this person has bettered or battered Australian life through his or her efforts.
  

Background Information

Before becoming an expert on one aspect of this topic, we'd better make sure that everyone on your WebQuest team knows the basics. Use the links below to answer the six general questions: who? what? where? when? why? and how? Make sure everyone on your team can answer all the questions before moving into your individual roles.

Discovering Democracy - What Sort of Nation?

Questions

Timeline Tool

Cross Generational Interview

Summary Rubric for Dimensions of Learning

Autobiographical Incident Rubric

Imaginary Conversation Rubric

Newspaper Report Rubric

Editorial Rubric

Stage 5 Australian History Course Performance Descriptors (download Word Doc)

Individual Roles

Now that you have some overall background knowledge, it's time to return to the main question for this WebQuest. Questions this big and important are better answered when a few people are working on it at one time. Things work even better when a group of you decide to look at the question from different perspectives. This way team members can become experts on different aspects of the question and then come together to poll their learning. This is where team work pays off. So are you ready to divide and conquer this question?

Complete 3 of the following 5 activities:

Autobiographical letter from the perspective of a migrant from a particular era. Specific references must be made that correctly correspond to an time of mass migration.

Spoken Dialogue portraying a conversation that might take place between people who are in the dominant culture as they comment on New Australians. This is not an excuse for bigotry, but an opportunity to explore perspectives.

Personal Interview of someone you know well you is a first generation immigrant to Australia. Learn what motivated the immigration, what experiences the person has had in their new country, how life here compares to 'home,' etc.

Influence Map that depicts all the pressures, experiences, hardships, motivations, feelings, hopes, etc. that an immigrant might feel in one of the following situations: Migrant working on the Snowy Mountains Scheme, teenager sailing with 'the boat people,' child in Woomera detention camp.

Federal Government Poster 'selling' the idea of accepting more or less migrants. This message must fit the era in which it would be used. The style and symbolism should match the message. If you'd rather make a video commercial, animation, etc. this is acceptable.

1788 - First Fleet

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

Document: Order-in-Council ending transportation of convicts 22 May 1840 (UK)

THE FIRST FLEET 1787 - 1788: THE VOYAGE

First Fleet Stories - from the University of Wollongong

Do it Yourself Convict Story - for earlier grades, but fun for a start

Women Convicts' life

Convicts and the British colonies in Australia - comprehensive site

1901 - Federation & White Australia

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

ABC 100 Years – The Rise and Fall of White Australia

Document: Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (Cth)

Illustrations from the National Archive

White Australia Policy - wikipedia

White Australia has a Black History'

White Australia Policy - from Convict Creations

1945 - Post WWII

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

Document: Significance of the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 (Cth)

Photograph: Immigrants from Malta arrive in Sydney having disembarked from the S.S. Partizanka, 1948

Photograph: Immigrants to Australia participating in a 'crossing the Equator' ceremony, ca. 1950

Ben Chifley - from Wikipedia

From Calwell Onward

1956 - Snowy Mountains Scheme

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

Snowy Mountains Scheme - Migrants' Stories

The Snowy's Women

Immigrants' Stories - Immigration Museum of Victoria

Origins - Immigrant Communities in Australia - terrific!

People of the Snowy Mountains Scheme

Quick facts about the Snowy Mountains Scheme

1970 - Boat People

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

Tears and joy as ex-Vietnamese boat people revisit camp

The Boat People - 1970-1979

Boat People entry from Wikipedia

Pulau Bidong: Vietnamese Boat People in Malaysia

We are All Boat People - Debunking the Myths

We are All Boat People - Debunking the Myths - download all

Immigration Laws: May, 1996

Vietnamese refugees : crime rates of minors and youths in New South Wales

2000+ - Current Events

Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:

1) Oxley history faculty - Please add questions that would help students acquire an appropriate body of knowledge on the topic. These will appear on the Web page, but also be available for download as a Word document. Realise that completion of this task could be easily plagiarised and personal assessment would be needed to validate student mastery.

Google Images Search for Immigrants

Refugees Australia.org

Visas & Immigration - Australian Federal Government

Asylum seeker Bill splits Government unity - from the ABC's AM broadcast

Liberals cross floor in Immigration Bill vote - ABC's Lateline

The Rise of Islamophobia in ‘White Australia’

White Australia Abusing Asian Mothers And Children

UNHCR concerned by Australia's handling of boat people

Bring 100,000 tsunami refugees to Australia – fast

Group Synthesis

Congratulations! Your team is now full of expertise. Each person (or pair) on your team have become experts on the topic of Australian Migration. You've all learned a lot of information. But guess what, gathering useful information isn't the same as truly understanding a topic. What experts in the field of learning suggest is that you now use that information in a new and challenging way. Then you'll really know about this topic.

So with your team members all gathered together, carefully read and try answering the main question for this WebQuest. See where you all agree and where differences arise.

Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion). Your WebQuest team should write out an answer that everyone on the team can live with.

Your answer must include references to:

• The white settlement of Australia


• The White Australia policy


• Acknowledgement of Australia’s small population and its effect on immigration policy


• Concrete reference to an episode in Australian history where migrants played a significant role (Gold Rush, Snowy Mountains Scheme, the era of assisted passage, South-East Asian boat people, etc.)


• Personally-gathered biographical information of an immigrant’s unique story.


• An opinion on a current event related to migration: Children Overboard, Off-shore detention debate, Children in dentention, Cronulla Beach riots, Islamic Fundamentalism in Australia.

Real World Feedback:

Conclusion

Did you discover the truth about migration and how it has changed Australia? Was there only truth? Did everyone in your class think the same way? Why did you choose the main question you did? Maybe you have a particular interest is this part of the Australian saga. Maybe during your life you will influence the next chapters.

One thing is for certain, choices made by the Australian people and government regarding immigration will continue to change our nation.

created by Tom March email: tom@ozline.com http://web-and-flow.com/members/tmarch/migration/webquest.htm