Timeline of Transport
in Perth

Students will:

• Develop an understanding of how Perth's public transport has evolved over history
• Organise events chronologically in Perth's public transport 
• Explain in their opinion what are the most important developments and why.

• View the introductory video ABC News : "First look in Perth City Link tunnel"  
• Download and print off the 'Step back in time timeline'. Cut up into strips keeping dates and associated events together 
• Review the co-operative learning strategy Think-Pair-Share
• Print off Graphic Organiser Persuasion Map.

Begin lesson by showing the video 'First look in Perth City Link tunnel'. Explain that the Perth City Link project, and the laying of the first tracks in the new Fremantle tunnel, is an important moment in the history Perth's public transport as it is important change to accommodate the future growth of Perth.

Ask students to discuss any information that they felt was interesting from the video and discuss what the word heritage means.

Introduce the next task by explaining the students will be ordering events in Perth's public transport history in chronological order; arranging events in their order of occurrence in time.

Randomly hand out pre-cut date and associated events, one per student. As a class discuss order and ask students to compile a correct timeline with students standing in the correct chronological order to represent their allocated event. Discuss any terms that students may not be familiar with. Some terms and definitions are listed below.

Omnibus: an old term for a bus or wagonette
Trolley bus: an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires
Motor bus: archaic term referring to a bus powered by an onboard internal combustion engine, as opposed to a horse-drawn bus or steam bus or trolley bus.

Once the timeline has been constructed, have each student pin their date and event in order on a board, or around the room.

To re- engage the students and help clarify their level of understanding, have a comprehension quiz, with teams. Start by dividing the class into two groups, each forming a single line. Begin by posing a question to the first players at the front of each line. The first to answer wins a point for their team. Once the question is answered, ask the two students move to the back of the line, and pose another question to the next pair of students. To help keep students focused, points could also be allocated for co-operation and behaviour while students wait for their turn.

Suggested questions could include:

• What was the first form of genuine public transport in Perth?
• In what year were the first trams used in Perth?
• What was the first train line opened?
• In what year did horse buses operate between Hay and Barrack Street? 
• When was it decided that the WA government would electrify the suburban railway?
• The railway line to the Northern suburbs was opened in what year?
• The northern line was extended to Currambine in what year?
• Which series of trains were introduced into service in 2004?
• The Perth - Fremantle passenger line was reopened when?
• Transperth become part of the Public Transport Authority in what year?
• How did they decide who the first passengers were to ride on the Mandurah line?

Once this has been completed, ask students to return to their seats and individual stop and reflect on about what they see as the 5 most significant events in Perth public transport system.

Using the Think-Pair-Share learning strategy have students share their ideas and opinions with a partner (either allocated or self selected) explaining why they think their choices are valid.

Keeping to the same pairs, hand out a copy of the Persuasion Map (one per pair). Students are to compare ideas and then identify the major historic event they think shaped our public transport system the most and work together to complete the provided Persuasion Map to help them to present their reasoning.

Students are to come back together as a class to share their Persuasion Maps and reasoning for their decisions. This is not an activity that can be right or wrong, it is one that is designed to challenge students thinking encouraging them to present their opinion and justify their decision with facts and logic.

As this activity is designed to be hands on, the level of student engagement in the tasks is an excellent indicator of the student’s level of interest and knowledge gained. Their ability to orally answer questions based on the timeline activity, also demonstrates their level of understanding, as one their completed graphic organiser and presentation. Teacher observation is the key in this task.

Year 5
Learning Area:	History
Strand:	Historical skills
Sub-strand:	Chronology, terms and concepts
Content Code:	(ACHHS098)
Content description:	Sequence historical people and events
Content code:	(ACHHS099)
Content description:	Use historical terms and concepts
Sub-strand	Explanation and communication
Content code:	(ACHHS213)
Content description	Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that use evidence from a range of sources that are acknowledged
Content code:	(ACHHS106)
Content description:	Use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies

 

Year 6
Learning Area:	History
Strand:	Historical  knowledge and understanding
Sub-strand:	Australia as a nation
Content Code:	(ACHHK116)
Content description:	The contribution of individuals and groups, including Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and migrants, to the development of Australian society, for example in areas such as the economy, education, science, the arts, sport.
Sub-strand:	Historical Skills
Content code:	(ACHHS117)
Content description:	Sequence historical people and events.
Content code:	(ACHHS118)
Content description:	Use historical terms and concepts
Sub-strand	Explanation and communication
Content code:	(ACHHS213)
Content description	Develop texts, particularly descriptions and explanations that use evidence from a range of sources that are acknowledged

 

Year 7
Learning Area:	History
Strand:	Historical skills
Sub-strand:	Chronology, terms and concepts
Content Code:	(ACHHS118)
Content description:	Use historical terms and concepts  Sequence historical events, developments and periods (ACHHS205)
Content code:	(ACHHS118)
Content description	Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS206)