Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: The Commonwealth of Nations vs. The British Empire

20 minutes

Find Out: Exploring the formation of the Commonwealth

25 minutes

Take Action: Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commonwealth athletes

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions

Students will:

understand the difference between the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire by exploring what it means to be a part of the Commonwealth today.

Success criteria

Students can:

outline why nations participate in the Commonwealth
research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes and what being a Commonwealth athlete means to their identity and the place they represent.

Prior knowledge

Before delivering this lesson, students should have a foundational understanding of the British Empire’s presence in Australia since 1788. So students can fully engage in the content, it’s recommended they have already studied the following:

• Colonisation of Australia: Students should know that the British Empire began colonising Australia in 1788 when the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay. This marked the beginning of British settlement and the establishment of penal colonies.

• Impact on Traditional Owners: Students should understand the profound impact and ongoing repercussions of colonisation on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. This includes displacement, cultural disruption and significant changes to their way of life as a result of past government policies. Students’ awareness of historical events such as frontier conflicts, forced relocations, the introduction of new diseases, and ongoing intergenerational trauma as a result of forced child removal will provide essential context.

• Development of Australia as a British Colony: Students should have some knowledge of how Australia evolved from a series of penal colonies into a collection of British colonies, leading to the Federation of Australia in 1901. They should also be familiar with key developments in Australian history, including the gold rushes, the establishment of self-governing colonies and Australia's eventual move towards becoming an independent nation.

Students should also have an understanding of the Commonwealth Games (you can use the What are the Commonwealth Games? Presentation)

Ensuring psychological safety and inclusivity

Before beginning this lesson, it is essential to account for the experiences of any First Nations students in your class. This resource is developed for mainstream classes, but it is important not to isolate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in how the material is taught. Some First Nations students may have important insights or contributions which should be welcomed. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should not be expected to contribute any more than other students.

Tune In: The Commonwealth of Nations vs. The British Empire

Step 1

Begin the lesson by introducing the topics of the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire. Ask students to consider how ‘the Commonwealth of Nations’ might differ from ‘the British Empire’. Encourage them to share their initial thoughts and ideas.

The Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1949. It is a group of 74 nations and territories, most of which used to be part of the British Empire. The countries are located in the Pacific, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas.

The British Empire was a group of countries around the world that Britain controlled and governed many years ago. Britain made decisions for these countries, and people in the British Empire often had to follow British rules and send resources like goods and money back to Britain. It was the largest empire in history and included places like India, Australia, Canada and many parts of Africa.

Step 2

If students have a limited understanding of 1 or both topics and their key differences, talk them through the information in the What’s the Difference Between the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire? Factsheet, up until the information about the formation of the Commonwealth. At this point, it’s important to emphasise that the British Empire was formed through the colonisation of countries, whereas the Commonwealth of Nations was formed based on shared principles and purpose.

Find Out: Exploring the formation of the Commonwealth

Step 1

Before going through the remainder of the What’s the Difference Between the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire? Factsheet, divide the class into small groups and allocate 1 question below for each group to research:

How was the Commonwealth formed?
Who is the head of the Commonwealth and why?
Which nations are currently part of the Commonwealth and when/why did they join?
What does the Commonwealth of Nations do to support the rights and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians?

Students can record their findings on their Student Worksheet.

Step 2

Invite students to share their findings with the class. As a class, compare these to the rest of the information in the What’s the Difference Between the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire? Factsheet.

Extension opportunity: Students could demonstrate their understanding of the differences between the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Empire by designing and creating a poster or infographic that highlights key facts about the Commonwealth, including its formation, member nations, goals and initiatives.

Take Action: Investigating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commonwealth athletes

Step 1

For the final part of the lesson, invite students to choose an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commonwealth Games athlete to research. They can use the Commonwealth Games Australia website as a starting point for their research. Using the Student Worksheet to guide their research, they will investigate:

the athlete’s involvement in the Commonwealth Games and their achievements
how the athlete’s Aboriginality is an important part of their identity, based on interviews or articles written about them
what being a Commonwealth athlete means to their identity and the place they represent.

Step 2

Give students enough time to find their answers from research online before asking them to create a short presentation. Alternatively, assign students the task of transferring the information into a slide presentation for homework. Refer back to the slide presentation used earlier in the lesson to guide them on how much information to include per slide.

Step 3

Organise a time for students to present their research in small groups. Encourage them to speak for up to 5 minutes and welcome feedback at the end. Once everyone has had an opportunity to share, invite a few students to present to the whole class or ask a spokesperson from each group to summarise what they learned from the presentations.

Reflection

To wrap up the lesson, ask students to reflect on the following questions, inviting them to share their answers in pairs or small groups.

How do sports events like the Commonwealth Games celebrate diversity and inclusion?
Why is it important to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes?
What is your cultural identity?

Identifying the Commonwealth

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Summary

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