Causes and effects of changes to the welfare system
Access denied
Introduction
Students explore what life was like in the period leading up to World War II and examine sources to identify the possible causes and effects of changes to the welfare system in the period between the Great Depression and the present day. They write a bibliography listing the primary and secondary sources they consulted and develop an evidenced-based explanation of the causes and effects of changes to Australia’s welfare system.
Achievement standard
By the end of Year 10, students explain the historical significance of the period between 1918 and the early 21st century. They explain the causes and effects of events, developments, turning points or movements in 20th-century Australia and internationally, leading up to and through the Second World War, and the post-war world. They describe social, cultural, economic and/or political aspects, including international developments, related to the changes and continuities in Australian society over this historical period. Students explain the role of significant ideas, individuals, groups and institutions connected to the developments of this period and their influences on Australian and global history.
Students develop and modify a range of questions about the past to inform historical inquiry. They locate, select and compare a range of primary and secondary sources and synthesise the information in sources to use as evidence in historical inquiry. They analyse the origin, content, context and purpose of primary and secondary sources. Students evaluate the accuracy, usefulness and reliability of sources as evidence. They sequence events and developments to analyse cause and effect, and patterns of continuity and change, connected to a period, event or movement. They evaluate perspectives of significant events and developments, and explain the important factors that influence these perspectives. They compare and evaluate different and contested historical interpretations. Students use historical knowledge, concepts and terms to develop descriptions, explanations and historical arguments that synthesise evidence from sources.
Content descriptions
Historical Knowledge and Understanding
The effects of World War II, with a particular emphasis on the continuities and changes on the Australian home front, such as the changing roles of women and First Nations Australians, and the use of wartime government controls. (AC9HH10K04)
The significance of World War II to Australia’s immediate post-war economic, political and social development, and Australia’s international relationships in the 20th century. (AC9HH10K05)
Historical Skills
Analyse cause and effect, and evaluate patterns of continuity and change. (AC9HH10S05)
Create descriptions, explanations and historical arguments, using historical knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate and acknowledge evidence from sources. (AC9HH10S08)
Teacher resources
In order to see the resources you must Register or Login if you already have an account.
Writing paragraphs in History
Writing paragraphs in History
The making of a welfare state
Student learning resources
In order to see the resources you must Register or Login if you already have an account.
Life during the Great Depression
Sources recording sheet
Writing a bibliography in History
Bibliography example for History
Other resources you might like
Suggested activity sequence
This sequence is intended as a framework to be modified and adapted by teachers to suit the needs of a class group. You can also hand-pick the resources students are assigned by selecting individual resources when you add a work item to a class in 'My classes'.
Part A: Identifying cause and effect
- As a class, develop a Y-chart of what living in Australia during the Great Depression might have looked like, sounded like and felt like.
- Students:
- Revisit the Y-chart students completed at the beginning of the activity and invite students to add to it.
- Conduct a class discussion on student findings. Possible discussion points include:
- how the Great Depression affected different groups of people
- what life would have been like for these groups of people
- how people would have felt and thought and why.
Part B: Identifying cause and effect
- Use a grouping strategy to organise students into groups of 4.
- Give each group a set of sources.
- Groups refer to these sources to:
- identify sources that demonstrate either a cause of changes to the welfare system, or effects of changes to the welfare system
- sort these sources into causes and effects
- discuss why changes to the welfare system may have happened (causes)
- discuss the consequences of changes to the welfare system and indicate whether these effects were intended or unintended.
- Groups read sources W and X and compare welfare payments that now exist with those that existed before World War II. Ask:
- What differences exist?
- What has changed in relation to Australia’s provision of welfare since World War II?
- Discuss findings with the class and record responses on the board under the headings ‘Causes’ and ‘Effects’.
- If applicable, invite students to revisit their initial or revised hypothesis. If it is no longer supported by evidence, have them generate a new hypothesis.
Part C: Writing an evidence-based historical explanation
- Students develop a bibliography that lists the sources they organised into causes and effects. They will need:
- Explicitly teach how paragraphs are structured using Writing paragraphs in History – Visualiser and/or refer them to Writing paragraphs in History – Model.
- Students write 1-2 paragraphs explaining the causes and effects of changes to welfare in Australia, using evidence from the sources they identified.