Dan is on his second patrol to the Botany Bay area when he's asked to capture a local dog (a dingo) to take back to the colony's governor. The only trouble is, the dog in question belongs to Waruwi, the girl Dan befriended last time he was in the area. Dan is a young convict boy living in the early days of the Sydney Cove settlement. Life is harsh, food is scarce, and every day brings new challenges as he learns to survive in a place far from home; a place already full of people, culture and law.

Please note that 1788 unfolds across two episodes, told through the eyes of two children, Dan and Waruwi.

Provocation Question

What do we learn about truth‑telling when we compare Dan’s written colonial perspective with the First Nations' perspectives that were not recorded at the time?

Dan is ordered to capture Waruwi's dingo for the governor. He tries to warn Waruwi that the Marines plan to take her dog but is unable to communicate his intentions in time. Waruwi attacks the camp with stones, putting the Marines on a state of alert.

Tuning In

Dan is caught between orders and empathy. As you watch, consider:

• What does Dan try to do?
• Why can’t he communicate clearly?
• How does Waruwi respond, and why?

With a partner, use the Thinking routine: Step Inside to guide your discussion:

• Step inside Dan’s shoes: What might he be thinking, feeling, wondering?
• Step inside Waruwi’s shoes: What might she be thinking, feeling, wondering?

Share your ideas with the class.

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Explore how communication, power and cultural misunderstanding shaped early contact.

In small groups, choose one of the following tasks:

Task 1: Communication Breakdown Map

Create a visual map showing:

• Dan’s intention
• Waruwi’s interpretation
• The Marines’ reaction

Use arrows, symbols or captions to show how meaning was lost or misread.

Task 2: Source Analysis;  Orders and Obedience

Research and analyse a historical source (e.g., governor’s orders, convict rules).

Ask:

• What do these orders tell us about power and punishment?
• How might Dan feel about following them?

Organise your findings into a PMI Chart (Plus/Minus/Interesting)

Task 3: Role-play Circle

Students take on roles (Dan, Waruwi, Marine, Governor) and respond to the question:

‘What should happen next?’

Use respectful dialogue and cultural protocols to explore conflict resolution, as your group writes a script and role-plays the next scene of this story.

Making Connections

As a follow-up task to the role-play activity above, write a Reflective response in your ‘My Place’ Inquiry Journal:

 “What happens when people try to do the right thing but don’t have the tools to communicate?”

Success criteria:

• uses evidence from the clip
• shows at least two perspectives
• proposes a clear, realistic solution

Learning support:

• provide sentence starters, using key words and phrases
• ask students to include historical context from their research notes and previous tasks (such as convict risks, cultural protocols)

Dan tries to compensate Waruwi for the loss of her dingo by taking a number of items from around the camp and giving them to her. Dan drums out the Marines as they march to the point. 

Tuning In

Dan wants to make things right. As you watch, consider these focus questions as you write some key words in your Inquiry Journal:

• What does Dan choose to give Waruwi?
• What do these items mean to him?
• How might Waruwi interpret them?

Organise your thoughts into a grid with three sections, to complete a Connect / Extend / Challenge thinking routine:

• Connect: What does this remind me of?
• Extend: What new ideas does this give me?
• Challenge: What questions or tensions does this raise?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Using your ‘Tuning In’ notes, work together in small groups to explore how objects, gestures and cultural meaning shape relationships.

Choose one task to complete and share with the class:

Task 1: Artefact Comparison;  Camp vs Country

Compare two sets of objects:

• British camp items (drum, boots, tools)
• First Nations items (dingo, stone, movement)

Research:

• What do these objects represent?
• How might their meanings differ across cultures?

Task 2: Ethics Chart; Gift or Compensation?

Chart Dan’s actions:

• Motive → Action → Impact → Response

Discuss: Is giving objects enough to repair harm? What else might be needed?

Task 3: Sound and Symbol Task

Explore the drum as a symbol.

• What does it mean to Dan?
• What might it mean to Waruwi?
• How do sound and rhythm communicate power or emotion?

Making Connections

Create a short dialogue or comic strip showing Dan and Waruwi trying to understand each other through objects, gestures or sound.

Success criteria:

• uses evidence from the clip
• shows at least two perspectives
• communicates a clear emotional or cultural exchange

Learning support:

• provide visual templates, such as a storyboard.
• find references and visual clues from previous tasks, to ensure appropriate cultural interpretation and ethical reflection are included.

Dan prepares to endure a flogging after disobeying orders and leaving his post. However, his punishment is abandoned after Waruwi appears with a puppy for the governor.

Tuning In

Dan faces punishment for doing what he felt was right.

As you watch, think about:

• What risk did Dan take by disobeying?
• Why Waruwi appears with a puppy?
• What does this moment say about justice and relationships?

With a partner, Think/Pair/Share as you unpack your thinking:

• What do you notice?
• What makes you say that?
• What might this mean?

Finding Out & Sorting Out

Explore how justice, empathy and cultural exchange shaped early relationships.

Choose one group task:

Task 1: Historical Justice Comparison

Compare convict punishments (e.g., flogging) with First Nations justice systems (e.g., restorative practices, kinship accountability, law vs lore).

Ask:

• What values are behind each system?
• What does “making things right” look like?

Task 2: Symbolic Gesture Reflection

Discuss and prepare an oral presentation for the class:

• What does the puppy represent?
• How does this act shift the power dynamic?
• What does it teach us about cultural generosity and resilience?

Task 3: Restorative Response Plan

• What harm occurred?
• What needs to be repaired?
• What actions show respect and understanding?

Draft a short Restorative Response Plan (RRP) - 3 steps a community could use to repair harm while recognising why the rule was broken. Share your chart and explain why your restorative steps are fair and achievable.

See Teacher’s Notes for RRP lesson plan and example of a Restorative Response Plan, applied to the Dan and Waruwi scenario.

Making Connections

Choose a creative way to explore the cross-cultural tension we see between Dan and Waruwi, such as a Comic Strip, Storyboard or podcast script titled “What does justice look like when cultures collide?”

Format: Individuals or pairs create a 6‑panel comic showing: rule broken → discovery → community reaction → apology/repair → restitution → repaired relationship.

Include captions that explain motives and one speech bubble showing a restorative step.

Success criteria:

• uses evidence from the clip
• shows at least two perspectives
• proposes a respectful, realistic response to conflict

Learning support:

• provide sentence starters for younger students
• ask older students to include historical and ethical context
• Success criteria: clear narrative arc; shows cause/effect; includes at least one restorative action.

Learning support: provide a comic strip scaffold with panel prompts