Ancient Australians were very diverse and changed over time to adapt to new environments. Open Stage has prepared a six-lesson sequence to teach about the incredible lives of ancient Australians in the context of wider debates about non-farming versus farming societies in ancient history.
This six-lesson sequence has a dual purpose: First, to teach students about the lives and accomplishments of ancient Australians. Second, to introduce the Agricultural Revolution with nuance – highlighting the consequences (both positive and negative) of switching to farming and showing that the many diverse foraging communities were also changing and innovating over time.
Why are ancient foragers called ‘the original affluent society’?
The "original affluent society" is an argument that ancient foragers (i.e., hunter-gatherers) lived in a society in which all the people's wants were easily satisfied, and that they should be considered affluent. This lesson sequence will introduce this argument so that students can begin to analyse this historical interpretation in its context.
In this six-lesson sequence, students will develop a global understanding of ancient forager societies with depth on ancient Australia. Students will read case studies of ancient Aboriginal peoples while mapping their geography and analysing common versus unique characteristics of various groups. Students will also plot the overarching chronology of ancient Australia to show environmental, cultural, and technological continuity and change over time.
Access slides, student workbook, and lesson guides
Open Stage resources have all the materials you need to learn, adapt to your students, and teach.
The above content is part of the Ancient World (Year 7) resources in Open Stage.
