The Stolen Generation

Social Studies Online

Divide into five groups and each have a sheet of coloured paper with a hat on it. The colours are pink, white, yellow, green and grey. There is also a blue hat – for the person or group who coordinates this activity.

Pink Hat:

Write down your feelings in your hat. For example:

• Feelings about the mothers as they ran after their children
• Feelings about the children as they went to live in strange circumstances.
• Feelings about the officials
• Feelings about the long term impacts on these children

White Hat:

Write down the facts, only the facts in your hat. For example:

• Facts about the policy of assimilation
• Facts about how the children were treated
• Facts about the short and long term effects on the children
• Facts about the reasons for the implementation of the policy

Yellow Hat:

You are the optimists. Write down positive, bright and sunny, constructive comments in your hat. For example:

• Positive benefits for the children
• The success stories
• The benefits for the families, for Aboriginal culture and Australian society

Green Hat:

Green represents creativity! Write down some creative solutions in your hat. For example:

• Solutions for the people to help them overcome their pain and loss
• Solutions/actions that white Australians can do to ease the sorrow?
• Solutions that the government could take to help move the country towards reconciliation

Grey Hat:

You are the pessimists. You need to make judgements. In your hat, write down the negative things. For example:

• What are the logical negative consequences of these people asking for an apology?
• Negatives for race relations in Australia

Blue Hat:

You are the coordinator. Please allocate the tasks and coordinate the discussion at the end.

After the students have spent approximately 20 minutes brainstorming their ideas and writing them into their hat, they can report back group by group to the class or in expert groups. Vote on the best idea from each group and record.