About this module

Students will engage with a rich selection of sources and be challenged to draw their own conclusions and understanding about the changes from the end of the ancient period to the beginning of the modern period.

• Polynesia is a region covering almost 30 million square kilometres. Within the “Polynesian Triangle” are thousands of islands inhabited by people of many faiths, cultures and histories. Have students research and identify the islands that make up the Polynesia region on a blank map template. These can be found online for free use in the classroom. This map can be referred to throughout the depth study.
• The word Polynesia comes from the Ancient Greek “Polys” (many) and “nēsos” (islands).
  • Ask students to consider why a region that has no known connection to Ancient Greece would be named using its language? Are there other instances of this around the world?
  • Ask students to think about or research other words they know or have seen with the prefix “poly”, what do these words mean or refer to? Are they compound words? What do the separate word parts mean? Some words to get them started:
  • Polygon, polytechnic, polyglot, polymer, polyphone, polygraph, polytheism, polysyllabic
• Polynesian societies have long histories with distinct, yet interconnected cultures and, like many ancient societies around the world, have their own legends and stories passed down through the generations. Many histories or traditional narratives include a creation story, telling how the world was born, or stories about the deeds and lives of deities. Have students research a Polynesian legend or traditional story and represent it creatively. This could be in any format - a comic strip, through illustration, or even a modern retelling.

• Many towns and cities around Australia have Pacific Islander community groups who run outreach activities. Research your local area and make contact with a local group. They may have people who are able to come and share their knowledge of the history and tradition of their country’s and/or Polynesian culture with your students.
• Polynesian societies are featured frequently in film and literature, however the depiction is not always accurate.
  • Choose a reference work and ask students to evaluate the work for accuracy. Ask the students to consider why artistic licence may have been taken.  Ask them to suggest ways the work could be remade with more accuracy.
  • Note: Older representations of Pacific and Polynesian societies may be offensive by today’s standards. Ensure all material is appropriate for use.
• As discussed in The first Polynesians and their environments: Adaptability, innovations and horticulture, many Polynesia languages share similarities, some almost identical. Similar cultural practices are also seen across many different societies, as explored in Religious and social significance of marae in Polynesian cheifdoms.
  • What impact do these commonalities have in a region comprised of so many individual nations? Is it important to find common ground with others? Is it important to have differences? How do nations with similar cultures and histories forge national identities?
  • Have students conduct a survey in the class or among friends. Pose questions about different things they do or ways they do things. This could be as simple as asking "how do you celebrate a birthday in your family?" Have students collate the results and identify commonalities and any differences. For instance, many people will have a cake on their birthday, but some people may dine out ont heir birthday while others will cook (or have cooked) a special meal at home, others may not celebrate birthdays at all. Ask students to think about the things they do with their family that might be unique.
  • Note: This exercise is a prompt to enhance inter-cultural understanding and celebrate the difference and similarities in our communities.However, some students may feel uncomfortable if they are the only point of difference. Ensure questions and topics are appropriate and sensitive to the class.
• After 1756, European explorers began arriving with increasing frequency in the Pacific, charting lands previously unknown to European societies. What impact did the arrival of these explorers have on the societies already established in Polynesia? How did the way of life change? What connection to pre-European contact remain in the present?

Curriculum links

This resource has been developed to support the Australian Curriculum: History Depth Study ‘The Asia–Pacific world’ for Year 8 students.

It has specific reference to the four content descriptions regarding the Polynesian expansion across the Pacific (c.700-1756):

• Theories about the origin and spread of Polynesian settlers throughout the Pacific (ACDSEH013 - Scootle)
• The way of life in ONE Polynesian society, including social, cultural, economic and political features, such as the role of the ariki in Maori and in Rapa Nui society (Easter Island) (ACDSEH066 - Scootle)
• Cultural achievements of ONE Polynesian society, such as the Ta moko and hangi in Maori society OR the moai constructed on Easter Island (ACDSEH067 - Scootle)
• The way Polynesian societies used environmental resources (sustainably and unsustainably), including the extinction of the moa in New Zealand, the use of religious/supernatural threats to conserve resources, and the exploitation of Easter Island’s palm trees (ACDSEH068 - Scootle)