WebQuest:
George Augustus Robinson: Friend or Foe?
Created by Fiona Keating and updated by Frances Moore
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Literacy
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Personal and social capability
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural Understanding
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Asian Priority
Australian
Curriculum Cross Curriculum Priorities: Sustainability
Priority
Introduction
Task
Process
Conclusion
Evaluation
Introduction
George Augustus Robinson:
Friend or Foe?
Previously we have learnt about why convicts were sent to Australia, what
life was like as a convict and the early contact between the British and the
people who already inhabited Australia prior to invasion- the Indigenous
people of Australia.
Now we are going to
focus on Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania), particularly George Augustus Robinson
and his role as "Chief Protector of the Aborigines".
Through examining the
actions of George Augustus Robinson we will make connections to the society
of today and specifically Indigenous rights.
It was January 1824 and George
Augustus Robinson had just arrived in Hobart Town after a long voyage from
England. He had left his wife and five children in England with plans to
bring them out to Australia at a later date.
(Image source: fromwhencewecame)
Relations between British settlers and the Indigenous people of Van Diemen's
Land at this time were that of open hostility. This was due to not only to
the invasion of the land that had previously been occupied by the Indigenous
people but also to the general maltreatment and cruelty that had been
directed at the Indigenous people.
Most British settlers at the time believed that the best way to solve issues
with Indigenous people was to relocate or exterminate them all. Some
colonists however, believed conciliation was possible. This included
Governor (Sir) George Arthur and in 1828 he advertised a position that was
to seek out a “steady man of good character to effect an intercourse with
the natives”. George Augustus Robinson applied for the position and was
appointed.
Governor George Arthur
(Image Source: Google Images)
Over the years many people have tried to analyse George Augustus Robinson’s
character and motives. It is evident through the events that transpired
during his time as “Chief Protector of the Aborigines” that George Augustus
Robinson was a complex man but whether or not he was a friend or a foe to
the Indiegnous people of Tasmania has so far remained uncertain.
(Adapted from the following references:
Rae-Ellis, V. (1998); Macintyre, S. (1999); and, Australian Dictionary of
Biography. (2006) - for more details see References in Teacher's Guide)
Your task is to decide whether George Augustus Robinson was an honourable
"protector of the Aborigines" or a greedy, self serving man who betrayed
those Indigenous people who had placed their trust in him.
Get to know George Augustus Robinson by listening to the following sound
recording
Tasmanian journals of George Augustus Robinson
(ABC: The Book Show, 9 June 2009)
Read more about George Augustus Robinson's life by reading the following
short biography
George Augustus Robinson (1791-1866)
(Australian Dictionary of Biography)
Task
(Source:
NSW State Library: WebArchive.org)
Your task is to decide whether George Augustus Robinson should be fondly
remembered as an honourable, innocent man of good intentions or as a
greedy man who is guilty of deceiving the Indigenous people of Van
Diemen's Land in the 1800s.
In groups you will research the people and events that shaped the
differing views regarding George Augustus Robinson. Some groups will be
responsible for researching events while others will be responsible for
examining the personalities of those people who shaped the events of
the time.
You will come to a conclusion about how George Augustus Robinson should
be remembered by taking part in a Court hearing and discussing and
analysing each piece of evidence that has been collected.
Process
*At the conclusion of each lesson you will reflect on what you have
learnt and achieved through the use of the class
Blog, if a computer is not available you can write your reflection
in your workbook. Your teacher will post weekly questions on the Blog
for you to answer.
Step One
As a class, create a mind map using
Mindmeister. Your mind map should include knowledge that you already
have about early Australia, convicts, Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and
early contact between the British Settlers and the Indigenous people of
Australia. You should also include knowledge that you would like to gain
about George Augustus Robinson.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Listen to the sound recording in the Introduction, this time use the
strategy of focused
listening to gain as much information from the recording as you can.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Three
Read the online biography found in the Introduction and create a
timeline of George Augustus Robinson's life as a class
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Four
Individually make a story
board of the life of George Augustus Robinson- you will be able to
refer to the timeline you made as a class
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Five
Form into groups of five people- your teacher will give your group a
particular title and responsibility
Groups:
• Defence
• Prosecution
• George Augustus Robinson-
defendant and associates (one of your group members will be George
Augustus Robinson)
• Indigenous Tasmanians- witness and
associates (one of your group members will act as an Indigenous
Tasmanian)
Further Information about Groups:
Defence (lawyer and associates)
Your groups overall task will be to defend George Augustus
Robison in the court hearing- you will be his lawyers. You will defend
his character, his motives and his actions. You will argue that he is an
innocent man who was a friend to the Tasmanian Aborigines. Your group
will need to research all events that occurred in Van Diemen's Land in
which George Augustus Robinson was involved. Your group will need to
liaise with the group that are responsible for presenting George
Augustus Robinson as a witness at the court hearing.
Prosecution (lawyer and associates)
Your group will be responsible for prosecuting George Augustus
Robinson, you will argue that he was in fact a man of poor character who
only ever had his own interests at heart. You will need to investigate
situations that George Augustus Robinson was involved in and show that
through his actions he was a foe to the Indigenous people of Van
Diemen's Land.
George Augustus Robinson
(witness/defendant and associates)
Your group will be responsible for presenting George Augustus
Robinson as a man of honour and esteem at the court hearing. You will
need to research George Augustus Robinson in great detail, you will need
to have a sound grasp of his personality and bring it to life.
Indigenous people of Tasmania (witness
and associates)
Your group will be responsible for presenting the Indigenous point of
view regarding George Augustus Robinson at the court hearing. You will
need to consider life for Indigenous people prior to invasion, prior to
Robinson’s “Friendly Mission” and then after these times. You will need
to consider what life would have been like if George Augustus Robinson
was not appointed in his role and the relationships that he had with
Indigenous people.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Six
Within your group allocate a role to each group member (if you need
help with allocation your teacher will assign roles for you)
Roles:
• Speaker (lawyers and
witnesses)
• Writer
• Team organiser/ liaison officer
• Researcher 1
• Researcher 2
______________________________________________________________________________________
Step Seven
Find out what you have to do within your role:
Resources to use within each of your roles are
located on the "Resources" page
Speakers
Lawyers- You will be speaking for your group at the court
hearing, you will represent them through sharing all evidence that they
have provided you with.
Things to consider:
• How does a lawyer convince a judge of their argument?
• What kind of language does a lawyer use?
• What kind of questions does a lawyer ask a witness? (you will need to
compile a list of at least 10 questions from discussion with your team
writer)
• How does a lawyer elicit certain responses from a witness?
• How does a lawyer make an effective closing statement
Witnesses- You will be representing your group as a witness. You
will be put up on the stand where you will be able to make an opening
statement of your belief about George Augustus Robinson. You will then
face questions from both lawyers.
Things to consider:
• What is your view about George Augustus Robinson?
• How will you best represent your point of view?
• What are possible questions you will be asked by the lawyers? (with
help from your teams writer compile a list of at least 10 questions and
answers you may be asked)
• How can you articulate your answers to questions in a way that
supports your views?
Writer
Prosecution and Defence groups- Your primary task will be to
write the opening statement for your teams lawyer, you will need to
discuss with your teams researcher which information they think is best
to be included in your statement
Things to consider:
• What is the structure of an opening statement?
• What is the structure of an exposition?
• Which pieces of information should be included in an opening
statement?
• How can an opening statement be most effective?
• How long does an opening statement need to be?
• What kind of language is appropriate for an opening statement?
As the team writer you will also need to work closely with the team
lawyer in compiling a list of questions to ask witnesses
Witnesses- You will be responsible for creating a short,
effective statement that your team speaker will present to the court
prior to being questioned.
Things to consider:
• Who is the witness that will read out this statement?
• What is the message they are trying to get across?
• What kind of language should the statement include? Emotive?
• How can the statement be most effective?
• What structure should the statement take?
As team writer you will also need to work closely with your teams
witness/ speaker in compiling a list of possible questions and answers
in anticipation of the court hearing
Team organiser/ liaison officer
As team organiser and liaison officer you will be responsible for
ensuring your team members are on task and also for meeting with
representatives from other teams and sharing information. You will
continually visit members of your group finding out updates of their
progress, providing suggestions and advice and also sharing information
between group members. You may also be asked to meet with your teacher
and provide updates of your groups progress.
Researchers 1 & 2
The teams two researchers will first consult with each other and
organise what it is they need to research in order to best represent the
position of their group.
Things to consider:
• How will you split the research between two people?
• What is the purpose of your research?
• Who are you representing?
• What is the argument your teams is trying to get across?
• Which aspects of events/ characters and actions are most important for
your team?
• Where will you obtain your research from?
• How will you present your research?
• How much research do you need to do in order to provide your group
with enough information?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Eight
Organise what your group must do,
ensure all groups members understand what they need to do
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Nine
Carry out your roles- at the beginning of each lesson your group will
meet for 10 minutes and discuss what has been achieved and further work
that needs to be done
_______________________________________________________________________________
Step Ten
Come together as a group and put together all work that will
be included in the court hearing, practise what you plan to say
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Eleven
Set up the classroom as if it were a court room
______________________________________________________________________________________
Step Twelve
Take part in the court hearing, your teacher will be the magistrate,
you will need a notepad and pen at all times as if you are not speaking
you should be listening and taking notes
Remember you
will be under oath… Only include factual information!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Thirteen
Opening statements shared by lawyers- five minutes each
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Fourteen
Call upon witnesses, witnesses make opening statements and are
then questioned by both lawyers
______________________________________________________________________________________
Step Fifteen
After a brief meeting with their groups, lawyers will make their closing
statements
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Sixteen
You (the class) become the jury, forget all of your previous roles!-
analyse all evidence from the notes you have taken and discuss your
opinions of the factual nature of the evidence
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Take a class vote as to whether George Augustus Robinson was a friend
to the Tasmanian Indigenous people or a foe?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Eighteen
Make recommendations as to how you as a class think George Augustus
Robinson should be remembered
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Nineteen
Add to the class Mind Map- What have you learnt? Have all of your
questions been answered? If not, what will you do to find answers
to your questions?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Twenty
Assess yourself using the self assessment rubric located on the
"Evaluation" page
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Step Twenty One
Answer the reflection questions located on the "Evaluation" page
Was
George Augustus Robinson a Friend or a Foe?
Article Name and URL |
Arguments |
Fact or
Opinion |
Counter Arguments |
Use the Resources listed [below] to
help with your perspective.
6.
Resources
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Background Information
Listening Activity: Hancock, J., & Leaver, C. (2009).
Teaching Strategies for Literacy. Norwood, South
Australia: Australian Literacy Educators' Association.
General
Resources
Macintyre, S. (1999). A Concise History of Australia.
Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Fate of a Free People by Henry Reynolds
Aboriginal Tasmanians by Lyndall Ryan
Telling the Truth about Aboriginal History by
Brian Attwood
Weep in Silence by N.J.B Plomley
Rae-Ellis, V. (1998). George Robinson- Black
Robinson, Protector of the Aborigines.
Melbourne: Melbourne University press.
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|
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Evaluation
Reflect on the
mind map that your class created before you began the unit, as a class
add your new understandings (in a new colour). Have all of your
questions been answered? Are there still things you want to find out?
Self assess your
learning and effort from the unit by filling in the following assessment
rubric. Your teacher will also fill in the same rubric in order to
assess your work.
Write a small passage about what you did well
during the unit, what you could have done better and how you think the
information you have acquired will be beneficial in the future.
Activity |
Working
Towards |
Achieved |
Exemplary |
1. Perspective
Individual Role
Group Work
Class Work |
Fulfilled their individual
role within the group.
Contributed to the group and class discussion, found and responded
to the perspective with some understanding of this role.
Research completed with limited idea of arguments or counter
arguments, not sure of either facts or opinions.
Contributed to the class consensus.
|
Went to some effort to fulfil
their individual role.
Contributed to the discussion, found and responded to the
perspective, thought of the purpose or reason for the perspective,
and described their reactions, and thoughts to these understanding.
Research completed, arguments and counter
arguments analysed with distinct notion of either fact or opinion.
Contributed to the class consensus process.
|
Went to
extraordinary lengths to fulfil their individual role.
Contributed to the discussion, found and responded to their
perspective, thought of the purpose, reasons and predicaments of
their perspective. Research completed, arguments
and counter arguments analysed methodically; distinct notion
of which is fact or opinion and categorised into perspectives.
Contributed to the class consensus process.
Drew conclusions about each perspective and gave thoughtful and
provocative ideas to stimulate ideas.
|
2. CITES Recommendation
Individual Role
Group Work
Class Work
|
Fulfilled their individual
role within the group.
Contributed to the brainstorming session. Able to distinguish the
reasoning of each perspective.
Contributed to the group's understanding of the recommendation.
Contributed to the class' consensus building exercise.
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Went to some effort to fulfil
their individual role.
Contributed to the brainstorming session, and analysed the reasons
of each perspective. Was able to distinguish and speak out about the
difference between each reason.
Contributed to the group's exercise of writing the recommendation.
Contributed to the class' consensus building process.
|
Went to
extraordinary lengths to fulfil their individual role.
Contributed to the brainstorming session, synthesised and analysed
the information about the issue. Raised questions about the
perceived differences in interpretation of each perspective and the
recommendations put forward. Was able to distinguish and speak out
about the difference put forward by each perspective and help the
group know the difference.
Contributed to the class' consensus building process by debating the
recommendations involved in a positive way. |
3. Strategy
Individual Role
Group Work
Class Work |
Fulfilled their individual
role within the group.
Contributed to the making of the strategy and helped with deciding
and contributed to the creative presentation. |
Went to some effort to fulfil
their individual role.
Contributed to the making of the strategy. Listed and interpreted
information about the strategy. Listed the important messages and
analysed the information from the various sources given. Helped with
the group's creativity to show their strategy and added to any ideas
in a positive and creative way.
Created an app with limited functionality.
Thought of some questions about
their strategy and helped construct the strategy in a positive and
creative way. |
Went to
extraordinary lengths to fulfil their individual role.
Deduced the characteristics of the strategy. Analysed and
categorised the messages and qualities of their strategy. Helped in
an extraordinary way with the group's creativity to show their
strategy. Thought of interesting and challenging questions for the
strategy.
Helped in deciding on the group's strategy and added new
twists or innovation to its completion.
Created an outstanding app.
Contributed to the group's activities in a positive and creative
way. |
Conclusion
Through considering the life and actions of George Augustus Robinson you
will have awareness of the complex history that exists in Australia
between Indigenous people and British settlers. You will know that
Indigenous people were forced to change their way of life due to the
invasion of their land and that society has continued to encourage
Indigenous people to "conform" ever since the arrival of the First Fleet
on Australian shores.
Consider the actions of George Augustus Robinson in relation to his
quest to "civilise" and "Christianise" Indigenous people in the 1800s
and compare those actions to the actions of the government in Australia
today.
Visit the following sites that detail current government programs aimed
at improving the education of Indigenous people and then answer the
subsequent questions
- Has anything really changed?
- How are the actions of the government in Australia today any
different to the actions of the government in Van Diemen's Land in
the 1800s
- Is the present government in Australia doing the right thing by
Indigenous people in Australia?
- How are government strategies now more beneficial to Indigenous people
than those that were put forward during the 1800s?
- Is there anything else the government could be doing to improve the
quality of life for Indigenous people?
Teacher's Guide
This WebQuest has been designed to be used as an integrated unit of
work. It has been designed to be used with students in years 5-8.
The WebQuest has been made in the ACT, Australia.
The purpose of this WebQuest is to elicit awareness in students
about Australia's history, particularly Indigenous history.
Indigenous rights have often been neglected in our education
curriculums in the past. This WebQuest aims to take students back
to the British invasion of Australia and to encourage students to
make connections between the past and the Australia we live in
today. Students will need to make judgements about events that
occurred in the past and whether we have improved as a nation since
those events.
The unit aims to encourage higher-order thinking in students through
the examination of the people and events that surrounded the life of
George Augustus Robinson. Students will need to investigate people
and events of the past and then use that information to produce
effective pieces of work that endorse the argument they are trying
to portray.
The WebQuest is not prescriptive in that students have control over
which direction they wish to take their research. It is important in
a unit such as this one that there are no explicit opinions offered,
this way students are able to create their own opinions based on the
research that they undertake. In this unit there are no right or
wrong answers. Critical thinking is a vital skill that students will
need to use and develop throughout this WebQuest.
While teaching this unit it is
vital that sensitivity to Indigenous culture is apparent at all
times. This is particularly important when using certain images
and presenting certain information. Language used must be respectful
and appropriate, it is important to be aware of the language most
acceptable to the Indigenous people that reside in the area in which
your teaching will take place.
ACT Curriculum
Framework- Every Chance to Learn
The WebQuest has been aimed for use in the "Early Adolescence" Band
of Development. The WebQuest best applies to the following Essential
Learning Achievements (ELAs).
ELA 21. The student understands about
Australia and Australians
21.EA.3 Indigenous perspectives of colonisation and how
Indigenous peoples’ lives were affected (e.g. impact of disease,
frontier wars, dispossession and land disputes, differing
experiences in different locations, increasing government control)
21.EA.4 past and contemporary people, movements, events and ideas
that shaped Australia as a nation with a sense of Australian
identity
21.EA.8 current issues an challenges facing the local community and
Australian society
ELA 22. The student understands
and values what it means to be a citizen within a democracy
22.EA.13 ways to become involved in, or influence, representative
groups in the school or community (e.g. a campaign to raise
awareness about a significant issue, elections)
22.EA.16 express their own viewpoints on issues and contribute to
class and group decision-making.
ELA 1. The student uses a range
of strategies to think and learn
ELA 2. The student understands and applies the inquiry process
ELA 4. The student acts with integrity and regard for others
ELA 5. The student contributes to group effectiveness
ELA 6. The student uses Information and Communication Technologies
effectively
ELA 7. The student creates, presents and appreciates artistic works
ELA 8. The student listens and speaks with purpose and effect
ELA 9. The student reads effectively
ELA 10. The student writes effectively
ELA 11. The student critically interprets and creates texts
Duration
The integrated unit would ideally take place over a duration of 10
weeks, with two one hour lessons per week being dedicated to this
WebQuest.
The following lesson timetable is a guide only and should be adapted
to suit the particular class undertaking the unit of work.
Lesson Timetable
Pre-requisites
Students undertaking this unit will ideally have previously
completed a unit that detailed early Australia and the convict era
although this is not essential. It is important that students
undertaking this unit are mature enough to approach the subject in a
manner which is respectful and valuable in their learning.
Visual (spatial)
- Many images used throughout WebQuest,
opportunity to create poster or cartoon in "Conclusion"
Aural (auditory-musical) - Sound recording in "Introduction",
opportunity to listen to and create a song in "Conclusion"
Verbal (linguistic) - Speaker and writer roles in "Process"
Physical (kinesthetic)- Students take part in a court hearing
in "Process"
Logical (mathematical)- Role in "Process" involves organising
the team to work effectively
Social (interpersonal)- Co-operative learning throughout
WebQuest
Solitary (intrapersonal)- During roles students can work
independently and students need to complete conclusion tasks
independently
Class Management and Process
During this WebQuest there is an extended amount of group work. It
will be up to you as the teacher as to whether you wish to assign
groups and roles or allow students to organise groups themselves. As
much of the unit involves students working independtly, the teacher
will need to constantly ensure students are on task- an effective
way to ensure this may be to organise weekly meetings with each of
the groups' liaison officers.
Majority of the work in this WebQuest requires the use of
computers, if possible it would be most advantageous to have the
school computer lab booked for the two lessons dedicated to this
unit each week. If this is not possible, many lessons will need
to be adapted.
Recommended Resources to Consider in Preparation for the Unit
The most effective way to pursue this unit as a teacher would be to
first research the life of George Augustus Robinson prior to the
commencement of the unit.
The first port of call would be a
visit to one of the following online biographies:
Additional, in depth
information is available from the following books:
Fate of a Free People by Henry Reynolds
Aboriginal Tasmanians by Lyndall Ryan
Telling the Truth about Aboriginal History by Brian Attwood
Weep in Silence by N.J.B Plomley
George Robinson- Black Robinson by Vivienne Rae-Ellis
Blood on the Wattle by Bruce Elder
Additional Notes
Class Blog - Throughout the unit students will be asked to write
reflections on the class Blog, this is a fantastic way for students
to capture their progress throughout the unit. You will need to set
up the class Blog prior to the commencement of the unit, as
administrator you will have the overall authority. You will have
to approve all posts before they are published and you will be the
only one who can post topics/ questions.
Each week you will ideally post a new set of questions for students
to answer, examples of questions may be: Describe something
interesting that you found out during today's lesson, What are your
goals for next lesson? What could you have done better during
today's lesson?
Group work- If there are more than 20 students in your class, extra
roles can be easily included with the addition of either extra
researchers or writers. It would be most effective if while students
are completing their roles within their groups, they meet for 10
minutes at the beginning of each lesson to discuss their progress.
Court Hearing- Whilst the court hearing is taking place, you- the
teacher, will ideally act as the magistrate and ensure that order is
maintained within the "Court room".
Assessment- Assessment of this WebQuest will be ongoing through
observation as well as the completion of an assessment rubric by
both the student and the teacher
Credits
This WebQuest was constructed as part of a university unit (EDFD
213: Technology and Learning) that was undertaken in Semester 1,
2010 at the Australian Catholic University, Canberra campus
with Frances Moore as the Lecturer.
Disclaimer
All content including images contained within this WebQuest have
been used purely for educational purposes, if anyone should know of
any reason why an element should be removed or edited please contact
the author via the email address:
fionakkeating@hotmail.com
References
Hancock, J., & Leaver, C. (2009). Teaching Strategies for
Literacy. Norwood, South Australia: Australian Literacy
Educators' Association.
Berzins, B. (1988). The Coming of the Strangers. New South
Wales: Williams Collins Pty Ltd.
Forsyth, W.D. (1970). Governor Arthur’s Convict System: Van
Diemen’s Land 1824-36. Adelaide: Sydney University Press.
Macintyre, S. (1999). A Concise History of Australia.
Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Rae-Ellis, V. (1998). George Robinson- Black Robinson, Protector of
the Aborigines. Melbourne: Melbourne University press.
Plomley, N. (1987). Weep in Silence. Tasmania: Blubber Head Press
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