1868: Minna
Minna is bold, curious and full of mischief. When a prank goes too far, she must face the consequences of her actions and learn what it means to take responsibility, repair harm, and rebuild trust.
The 1860s were a decade of gold, migration and rapid social change. New arrivals from Europe, China and other parts of the world reshaped towns and cities, while children often balanced school, chores and work.
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1861: Gold discoveries continued to attract migrants.
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1863: The first steam railways expanded transport and trade.
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1867: The first Australian-made magic lantern slides were produced.
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1868: The last convict ship arrived in Australia, marking the end of transportation.
First Nations Focus: Students can explore how colonisation continued to disrupt Country, cultural practices and family life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Despite these pressures, First Nations communities maintained strong cultural identities, knowledge systems and connections to place.
Provocation Question
What does it mean to make things right when you’ve done something wrong?
Clip 1: The Legend of Bloody Mary
Minna and her friends play the game “Bloody Mary” and scare each other with spooky stories. After Minna breaks a mirror, she decides to frighten the neighbourhood boys by crawling under their house and making strange noises.
Tuning In
Stories can be exciting, mysterious, and sometimes a little frightening. As you watch, notice:
- How Minna and her friends use imagination
- Why people enjoy telling spooky stories
- What happens when a joke goes too far
As a class, discuss:
- What makes a story fun, and what makes it unkind
- Why people sometimes enjoy being scared
- How we know when someone has crossed a line
Finding Out & Sorting Out
Work together to explore how stories create suspense and emotion. In small groups, brainstorm:
- What elements make a spooky story (setting, sound, surprise)
- Why people tell scary stories
- How stories can influence behaviour
Create a Story Ingredients Map using images, words, and symbols to show:
- The elements used in Minna’s story
- The elements used in stories you know
- What these reveal about imagination and fear
Share your map with the class and explain your choices.
Making Connections
Minna’s prank goes further than she intended. Think about a time when you misjudged a situation.
Write a short journal entry responding to the following questions:
- When does a prank stop being fun?
- How do you know when someone is uncomfortable?
- What advice would you give Minna about using stories responsibly?
Clip 2: The Chinese House
Minna and Adelaide visit Mr Wong to share news about a change to local laws affecting Chinese migration. Mr Wong shows them a magic lantern that projects images of his family.
Tuning In
As you watch, pay attention to:
- How Minna and Adelaide interact with Mr Wong
- What the magic lantern reveals about his life
- How images can tell stories across distance
As a class, discuss:
- Why Mr Wong might treasure these images
- How objects can hold memories
- What we learn about people through the things they keep
Finding Out & Sorting Out
Explore early photography and magic lanterns. In small groups:
- List what you notice about the lantern
- Sort ideas into categories (technology, storytelling, family, migration)
- Discuss how people stayed connected before phones and the Internet
Create a Magic Lantern Poster showing:
- What a magic lantern is
- How it works
- Why it mattered to families separated by migration
- What story Mr Wong’s images tell
Making Connections
Objects can hold powerful memories. Write or draw a response to:
- An object that connects you to someone important
- Why it matters
- What story it tells about your life
Clip 3: Night Projection
Minna and Adelaide steal Mr Wong’s lantern and use it to frighten the neighbourhood boys by projecting an image onto their tent.
Tuning In
As you watch, notice:
- Why Minna takes the lantern
- What she hopes will happen
- How the boys react
As a class, discuss:
- What makes something a harmless joke
- What makes something harmful
- How intentions and impact can be different
Finding Out & Sorting Out
Investigate the consequences of Minna’s actions. In groups, create a Cause and Effect Flowchart showing:
- Minna’s decision
- What happened next
- Who was affected
- What the consequences were
Sort your ideas into:
- Actions
- Reactions
- Feelings
- Outcomes
Groups can then share their flowcharts and compare different perspectives.
Making Connections
Think about a time you tried something difficult.
Create a four‑panel comic showing:
- The challenge
- Your first attempt
- What you learned
- How you kept going
Clip 4: Making Amends
Minna and Adelaide confess to stealing the lantern. Minna’s father insists she make amends by working for Mr Wong - a punishment Mr Owen disagrees with.
Tuning In
As you watch, notice:
- How Minna feels about confessing
- How Mr Wong responds
- Why adults disagree about consequences
As a class, discuss:
- What does it mean to “make amends”?
- Why consequences matter
- How repairing harm can rebuild trust
Finding Out & Sorting Out
Explore what it means to repair harm. In pairs, create a Making Things Right Checklist that includes:
- Acknowledging what happened
- Understanding who was affected
- Taking responsibility
- Offering to repair the harm
Think Pairs Share your checklists and refine them together.
Making Connections
Think about a time when someone misunderstood your intentions. Write a short diary entry from the perspective of one of the boys and explore:
- How the prank made them feel
- What they might want Minna to understand
- What might help repair the situation
Australian Curriculum Links
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Year Level |
Content Description |
Inquiry Sprint + Clip link |
CCP Integration |
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Year 3 |
Causes, effects and contributions of people to change; significance of events and symbols; similarities/differences in community life |
Clip 1 The Legend of Bloody Mary |
First Nations Peoples’ deep connections to Country/Place; diversity of cultures; continuity of cultural practices. Asia: Chinese migration stories; cultural traditions and family connections. |
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Year 4 |
Diversity of experiences before/after 1788; effects of colonisation; cultural and social identity |
Clip 1 The Legend of Bloody Mary |
Effects of colonisation on First Nations Peoples; resilience and continuity of cultures; shared histories.
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Year 5 |
Causes of colonial expansion; roles of significant individuals; influence of people on places |
Clip 2 The Chinese House |
First Nations Peoples’ knowledge systems, innovation and sustainable practices; contributions to Australian society.
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Year 6 |
Significant people/events leading to democracy, migration, and interconnections with other countries |
Clip 4 Making Amends |
First Nations Peoples’ ongoing contributions to contemporary Australia; recognition of shared futures. Asia: Migration stories; cultural exchange and influence. |
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Year Level |
Strand |
Content Description |
Inquiry Sprint + Clip link |
CCP Integration |
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Years 3–4 |
Literature |
Describe how characters, settings and events develop; how texts reflect contexts |
Clip 1 The Legend of Bloody Mary |
Understanding diverse cultural identities, recognising First Nations stories as part of Australia’s narrative.
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Years 3–4 |
Literacy |
Interact, discuss and present ideas; interpret multimodal texts |
Clip 2 The Chinese House |
Recognising diverse ways of communicating and sharing knowledge. Asia: Visual and symbolic literacy in Chinese cultural artefacts. |
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Years 5–6 |
Literature |
Explain how ideas are developed through characters, settings and events; how texts reflect context |
Clip 1 The Legend of Bloody Mary |
Exploring First Nations perspectives alongside colonial narratives. Asia: Representation of Chinese communities in historical texts. |
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Years 5–6 |
Literacy / Language |
Use vocabulary, sentence structures and multimodal features to create and interpret texts |
Clip 2 The Chinese House |
Using respectful language when referring to First Nations cultures and histories. Asia: Building vocabulary related to Chinese culture, migration and storytelling. |
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Organising Idea |
Curriculum Link |
Episode 15 Connection |
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Country/Place |
First Nations Peoples have deep spiritual, cultural, social and economic connections to Country/Place |
Contrast Minna’s sense of place with First Nations perspectives on connection, belonging and responsibility. |
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Culture |
First Nations cultures are diverse, dynamic and continuous |
Explore cultural diversity in the 1860s, including First Nations and Chinese communities. |
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People |
First Nations identities are shaped by Country/Place, culture and community |
Discuss how identity is shaped differently for First Nations children and colonial children like Minna. |
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Shared Histories |
Colonisation has had significant effects on First Nations Peoples; resilience and continuity |
Situate Minna’s story within broader colonial contexts and acknowledge parallel First Nations experiences. |
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Knowledge Systems |
First Nations Peoples’ knowledge systems continue to influence Australian society |
Connect the era to First Nations innovation, sustainable practices and knowledge of place. |
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Shared Futures |
Australia has shared histories and shared futures |
Reflect on how multicultural stories and First Nations histories contribute to contemporary Australian identity. |
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Organising Idea |
Curriculum Link |
Episode 15 Connection |
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Asia’s diversity |
Students explore the diversity of Asian cultures |
Magic lantern images; Chinese family traditions; cultural storytelling. |
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Asia–Australia connections |
Historical and contemporary connections between Asia and Australia |
Chinese migration in the 1860s; community relationships; cultural exchange. |
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Asia’s contributions |
Asian peoples’ contributions to Australian society |
Mr Wong’s presence, skills, cultural knowledge and community role. |
Additional Resources
Toby, Adelaide, Minna And Leo With The Golem
Setting Up The Projector
Minna Muller And Adelaide Owen
Leck Wong, Minna Muller And Adelaide Owen
The Owen Boys Flee The Tent
The Confrontation
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