ThecomputersatSusan’sschoolareallconnectedtoeachotherandtheschoolhasanonlinenoticeboardwherestudentscanaskquestionsandgivetheiropinions.SusanpostedaquestionaboutthediscoveryofAustraliaontheonlinenoticeboard.Readthequestionsandwhatherfellowstudentsreplied.ReadingtaskonP72DiscoveryofAustralia40,000yearsagoPeoplefromAsiasettledintheplacewenowcallAustralia.ThecontinentwasthencutofffromAsia10,000yearsago.1421SomepeoplethinkaChinesefleetledbyZhengHemayhavevisitedAustralia.1606ADutchseacaptainfirstmappedthenorthcoast.1644AbelTasmanmadeamaponwhichhecombinedallknownlandandguessedtherest.1770CaptainCooksaileduptheeastcoastofthecontinent1802MathewFlinderssailedaroundthecontinent,mappeditandcalleditAustralia.1.WhydoyouthinkschoolchildreninAustraliainthe1950sweretoldthatCaptainCookdiscoveredAustralia?CaptainCookclaimedthelandforBritainandasAustraliawasoriginallysettledbypeopleformBritain,thisisthepartofthehistorythattheyweretaught.Discussion2.WhydoesMaryWhitethinkEuropeanexplorersdidn’tdiscovertheAustraliancontinentuntilthe17thcentury?Before1644,explorersdidn’tknowtheyhadfoundacontinent.Theyjustvisitedsmallpartsofit.3.WhydoesNickChancethinkChineseexplorersreachedthecontinentsomuchearlier?HereadabouttheChineseexplorersontheInternet.4.PatrickHallsaysthattheancestorsoftheAboriginesdiscoveredAustraliaatleast40,000yearsago.Whydoyouthinktheotherchildrendidn’tgivethisanswer?TheymayhavethoughtthatAboriginesalwayslivedonthecontinentsotheydidn’tthinktheydiscoveredit.5.Whichofthestudent'sanswersdoyouagreewithandwhy?Remember,thatyoufirstneedtodecidewhat“discovered”meansandwhat“Australia”means.ManypossibleanswerswilldependonhowstudentsinterpretdiscoveredandAustralia.HomeworkSinceyou’velearnedsomuchaboutAustraliainthisUnit,chooseseveralaspectsthatyouthinkareinterestingtowriteareport(e.g.itsanimals,plants,scenery,cities,beaches,people,leisureactivities,historyorsomethingelse).
