Philips (2005, pp.16 -17) claims that "the authority vested in the word of the dominating view of Australian history is deemed to be unchallengeable not because it is beyond question, but simply because it has been reinforced by repetition and written text over the centuries".

Using the quote above as a stimulus, write a 2000 word critical reflection that examines the History component of the HASS curriculum to identify evidence for or against Phillips' claim with respect to Indigenous and non-indigenous views of the history of Australia. Your response should make reference to key ideas presented in the unit materials and show evidence of independent research, including information gathered from professional associations which support teachers in teaching History.

Your response should include answers to the following questions:

1. How does the curriculum document position teachers to treat the history of Australia?

2. How might an understanding of historiography affect teachers' interpretations or treatment of Australian History topics?

3. What knowledge and skills do teachers of primary school History need to promote inquiry into an historical event or period from Indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives and why is this important?

4. What strategies and resources can teachers use to help learners build their historical literacy?

5. How can teachers help students understand contestability and build respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories?

You must illustrate your response to Questions 4 and 5 by providing examples of strategies and resources that could be used for an inquiry at Year 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Phillips, J. (2005) Indigenous knowledge: making space in the Australian centre. In J. Phillips & J. Lambert (Eds.). Introductory indigenous studies in education: the importance of knowing. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson.

WORD COUNT for written assignments: The word count is considered from the first word of the introduction to the last word of the conclusion. It excludes the cover page, abstract, contents page, reference page and appendices. It includes in-text references and direct quotations.

You may undertake this assessment individually or in pairs.

Choose an inquiry question from the Australian curriculum for any primary year level (F - 6) or create an appropriate key question yourself. Select at least four sources that you think would be effective in engaging learners in an inquiry to answer the chosen inquiry question. Provide bibliographic details or copies of your chosen sources, classifying them as primary or secondary sources, and justifying their selection in terms of building an understanding of a relevant historical concept (e.g. Significance) and exploring one appropriate year level content descriptor (e.g. Year 3, ACHASSK065).

Identify resources and activities, including appropriate ICTs, which would help students analyse, evaluate and pose questions on the sources you have chosen in both online and classroom contexts. For each source and its related activities, justify how they build one of the inquiry skills identified for that year level (e.g. ACHASS1056). Your planning should also show your application of inquiry-based learning, your ability to plan for critical and creative thinking and your ability to plan for the development of literacy and numeracy.

Your inquiry may be presented in the form of your choice (e.g. webpage, concept map, table, etc).