| History | Historical Concepts and Skills | Chronology | Sequence significant events in chronological order to support analysis of the causes and effects of these events and identify the changes they brought about (VCHHC121) | Learn a chronology of the Old Melbourne Gaol landscape and social changes over time, relating to the Gaol’s inception, expansion and eventual closure. |
| | Historical Sources as Evidence | Analyse and corroborate sources and evaluate their accuracy, usefulness and reliability (VCHHC123) | Investigate the museum interpretation in the Gaol which includes first hand accounts and historical opinions. |
| Historical Knowledge | The Making of the Modern World – Asia and Australia. | Key social, cultural, economic, and political features of one society at the start of the period (VCHHK133) | Understand the strong links between the discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 and the expansion of the Gaol. Learn about the lawless nature of the gold fields. |
| | | Intended and unintended causes and effects of contact and extension of settlement of European power(s), including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (VCHHK134) | Learn about the high level of Aboriginal people incarcerated, and executed, at the Old Melbourne Gaol over the years, and the causes and consequences of this incarceration. |
| | | Patterns of continuity and change and their effects on influencing movements of people, ways of life and living conditions, political and legal institutions, and cultural expression around the turn of the twentieth century (VCHHK136) | Be introduced to the atrocious living conditions within Old Melbourne Gaol and the downfall of many due to the 1890s depression that hit Melbourne after the Gold Rush. |
| | | Different experiences and perspectives of non-Europeans and their perspectives on changes to society, significant events, ideas, beliefs and values (VCHHK137) | Learn about the people who came from all over the world to seek out the riches of the goldfields and ended up on the wrong side of the law – facing prison sentences that were given to them without any explanation to them in their mother tongue. |
| Civics and Citizenship | Laws and Citizens | | Describe the key features of Australia’s court system, including jurisdictions and how courts apply and interpret the law, resolve disputes and make law through judgments, and describe the role of the High Court in interpreting the Constitution (VCCCL033) | Learn about the role that courts played in determining the sentences of criminals. Students can then critically think about whether these sentences were fair, and whether, contextually, prisoners received a fair trial, when considering factors such as age, social status, gender, race, political beliefs, religious beliefs, etc. |
| | | Discuss the key principles of Australia’s justice system, including equality before the law, independent judiciary, and right of appeal (VCCCL034) | Learn about many cases of people being imprisoned at the Old Melbourne Gaol and facing different sanctions, such Ned Kelly. |
| Citizenship, Diversity and Identity | | Discuss how and why groups, including religious groups, participate in civic life (VCCCC037) | Learn about the prominent role of the Church at the Gaol, as a place of rehabilitation, reform, and counsel. Critically discuss whether the church was there for the prisoners or to appease the general public. |
| Ethical Capabilities | Understanding Concepts | | Distinguish between the ethical and non-ethical dimensions of complex issues, including the distinction between ethical and legal issues (VCECU021) | Discuss the ethics behind issues such as incarceration of minorities (in the past and today) and execution. |
| | | Investigate the connections and distinctions between and the relative value of concepts including fairness and equality, and respect and tolerance (VCECU019) | Discuss the fairness of criminal sentences, that may be different based on circumstances even if the crime is the same. |
