Australia Colonization Simulation

This is designed as a simulation (designed to mimic real events) to demonstrate to students how Britain was able to wipe away much of Indigenous Australian Culture and was able to take over the land that belonged to them. It is designed as a game to pique student interest and engagement and is in no way intended to be disrespectful to Aboriginal culture. The "game" is designed to demonstrate for students the power held by British Colonists and their advanced weaponry that the Aboriginals were faced with upon the British invasion and colonization of their country.

Students will take on the role of British Colonists and Aboriginals and use the resources that those groups actually had in order to strengthen their hold on the land, or - in the case of the British - to claim the land. I find that this "game" allows students to experience history through direct engagement and analysis of the situation posed by the "game." Students will realize that the Aboriginals were not only outnumbered, but in many ways outmatched by. the advanced weaponry and unfamiliar diseases that the British brought with them. In my experience using this simulation, my students were able to identify the disparity between the two armed forces and draw conclusions about the actual event itself. I generally follow the game with notes over the Colonization of Australia, but my students always beg to play the "game" again and tell me how it "made history seem more real" to them.

For more information on the history of Aboriginal Culture and Australia, visit http://www.shareourpride.org.au/sections/our-shared-history/ OR http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/european-discovery-and-colonisation for more information and resources. These resources were the main source of information for the creation of this simulation. Please remember that simulations are based on actual events. Since this is a simulation based on war and invasion, please use discretion when deciding if it is right for your students. If you have any questions about the nature of the "game," please feel free to message me!

I hope you love this lesson as much as my students and I do!