Bound for Botany Bay: A Day in the Life of a Convict
Lesson Overview
Target Age: 10 Years Old (Grade 4-5)
Subject: World History / Social Studies
Duration: 60–90 minutes
Description: Students will step back in time to the 18th century to discover why people were "transported" to Australia, what the journey was like, and how they survived in a strange new land. This lesson focuses on empathy, historical inquiry, and creative problem-solving.
Learning Objectives
- I can explain why "petty crimes" led to transportation in the 1700s and 1800s.
- I can describe at least three challenges convicts faced on a transport ship.
- I can identify the tools and skills a convict needed to build a new life in a colony.
- I can use historical evidence to create a character profile of a convict.
Materials Needed
- Paper and pens/pencils
- Tea bags and a small bowl of water (for aging paper)
- A small bag of "rations" (e.g., hard crackers, a piece of dried fruit)
- Tape measure or string (to measure "living space")
- Access to the internet or library books about the First Fleet (optional)
1. Introduction: The Bread Dilemma (The Hook)
Scenario: Tell the student: "It is London, 1787. Your family hasn't eaten in two days. You see a loaf of bread sitting on a baker’s window sill. You grab it and run, but a constable catches you. In modern times, you might get a warning or a small fine. But today, the Judge says: 'I sentence you to 7 years transportation to the land of New South Wales!'"
Discussion:
- How does that feel? Is it fair?
- Why do you think the prisons in England were so full that they had to send people across the world?
2. Body: The Journey and the Colony
Phase 1: The "I Do" (Teacher Modeling)
Explain that back then, England had very strict laws called the "Bloody Code." You could be sent away for stealing a silk handkerchief, a sheep, or even just for being homeless. Explain the First Fleet: 11 ships that sailed for 8 months to get to Australia.
The "Cabin" Activity: Use the tape measure to mark out a space on the floor that is 2 meters by 2 meters. Tell the student: "You and five other people have to sleep, eat, and live in this space for 250 days. There are no toilets, just a bucket. The floor is wet, and it smells like old fish."
Phase 2: The "We Do" (Guided Investigation)
Look at a "Convict Indent" (a list of prisoners). You can find these online or use these fictional examples:
- James: Age 11, stole a pair of silver buckles. Sentence: 7 years.
- Mary: Age 24, stole 4 yards of lace. Sentence: 14 years.
- Thomas: Age 19, "Highway Robbery" (stealing a horse). Sentence: Life.
Activity: Talk about what skills these people might have. Did a lace-stealer know how to build a house? Did a horse-thief know how to farm? Discuss why the early colonies struggled to find food because they didn't have enough farmers!
Phase 3: The "You Do" (Independent Practice)
The Convict Profile: The student will create their own "Convict Identity Card."
- Assign or let them choose a crime and a name.
- Age your paper: Use a wet tea bag to wipe over a piece of white paper. Let it dry to make it look 200 years old.
- Fill in the details: Name, Crime, Sentence (7 years, 14 years, or Life), and "Trade" (what job they did before being caught).
- The Diary Entry: On the back, write a 5-sentence diary entry about the first day they arrived in Sydney Cove. What did they see? (Strange animals like kangaroos, hot sun, thick bushland).
3. Conclusion: The Ticket of Leave
Recap: Not all convicts were "bad" people; many were just very poor. After they served their time, they were given a "Ticket of Leave," which meant they were free to stay in Australia and start businesses or farms.
Review Questions:
- What was one crime that could get you sent to Australia?
- Why was the boat journey so difficult?
- What happened to convicts once they finished their sentence?
Success Criteria
The student has succeeded if they can:
- Create a believable convict character based on historical crimes.
- Describe the physical constraints of the transport ships (using the floor-marking activity).
- Identify that the "punishment" often led to a new life with more opportunities than they had in England.
Adaptations & Extensions
- For Struggling Learners: Instead of a diary entry, have the student draw a picture of the "Convict Cabin" and label three things they see.
- For Advanced Learners: Research "The Great Escape." Have the student write a plan for how a convict might try to escape the colony (and why it was so hard because of the bush and the ocean).
- Kinesthetic Option: "Ration Math." Give the student a bowl of 20 crackers. Tell them they have to make these last for 4 days. How many can they eat per meal? What happens if the crackers get moldy?
Assessment
Formative: Observation during the "Cabin" activity and participation in the "Bread Dilemma" discussion.
Summative: The completed and "aged" Convict Identity Card and Diary Entry will serve as a portfolio piece showing their understanding of the period.