G’day Mates! G’day Mates!

Take this chance to explore holidays Take this chance to explore holidays celebrated in true Aussie fashion!celebrated in true Aussie fashion!

The The WebQuestWebQuest!!

IntroductionIntroductionAustralia is known for many things

such as koala bears and kangaroos, nude beaches and

barbeques, “Waltzing Matilda’s” and deadly wildlife, but did you ever wonder what holidays you

would celebrate if you ever got the chance to visit or even live there?

In this WebQuest, you will have the opportunity to become more familiar with major holidays

celebrated around the country and continent of Australia. You will

learn the history about how and why these major holidays came to

be what they are today, controversies that exist about their origins and how they are

celebrated, how they are similar or different to American holidays, and

what it is about them that Australians love so “bloody”

much!

Little Facts About Big HolidaysLittle Facts About Big Holidays• New Year’s Day -Jan. 1: Due to its geographical location, Australia is one of

the first countries in the world to welcome in the New Year.• Australia Day -Jan. 26: Commemorates the landing of the First Fleet of

convicts from Europe at Botany Bay. Everyone celebrates differently.• Good Friday (varies): People eat hot-cross buns, alcohol sales are limited,

and many sporting events are held or begin on this day.• Easter Sunday (varies): Several festivals and shows are held on this four

day weekend which also marks the end of the Australian summer season.• ANZAC Day - Apr. 25: Marks the day in history when the British landed

1500 Australians at Gallipoli during WWI as an offensive tactic. Many see the celebration of this day as immoral.

• Queen’s Birthday - 2nd Monday of June: Originally this day was marked to celebrate King George III, in 1963 it was decided that the country would keep the date but celebrate their current monarch’s birth instead.

• Christmas Day – Dec. 25: Because of the hot weather, traditional practices are altered such as chilled seafood served instead of turkey and outdoor shrubs become makeshift Christmas trees because no one stays indoors.

• Boxing Day – Dec. 26: On this day it is tradition for many to flock to the commencement of the annual 628 nautical mile Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

Vital Task InformationVital Task InformationMajor holidays in

Australia like ANZAC Day and Australia Day have their roots in tragic events in history. Some Australians believe that Australia Day should mark the true birth of a country and a sense of nationalism, like our traditional American Thanksgiving Day, instead of commemorating the landing of the First Fleet of convicts in Botany Bay. Others have avoided even celebrating ANZAC Day up until recent years because they believe it immoral to celebrate the death of so many Australian Diggers (soldiers) when they landed at Gallipoli, making some of their first and last efforts for the British in WWI.

The Task At HandThe Task At Hand•Your task in this WebQuest is to come up with a written proposal to the Australian government that establishes a stronger foundation, sense of tradition, and nationalism to Australia Day. Consider issues like what day it should be held on, which event in history it should more appropriately be tied to, and what specific activities may be held to honor it. Remember that although you feel a change should be made, it is important to keep the holiday true to its Australian roots; don’t get side-tracked and alter the holiday to fit American traditions.

•If you feel that Australia Day is already celebrated properly, consider ANZAC Day or another widely celebrated Australian holiday that you believe is inappropriately celebrated, tied to an immoral event in history, or should be altered significantly from how it is celebrated today.

•In any case, once your proposal has been established, you must decide who in Australian government or other formal organization would be best to address this issue to. Write a one page paper describing who you chose to propose your ideas to and why they would be the most appropriate person to select. Specify how you might go about making the proposed changes and how you think Australians would react.

A Practical ProcessA Practical Process1) First, take a deeper look into

the various, widely celebrated holidays in Australian culture. Here you may find different holidays that you feel better suited for your task.

2) Decide which holiday you feel should be altered in some way.

3) Plan out your proposal, considering how changes will be made, why the holiday’s celebration should be changed, what historical context the new holiday will have, and how Australians will react to the changes made.

4) Decide who will be best to propose your ideas to based on reputation, qualifications, popularity amongst Australian people, and who will be able to effectively put your changes into action.

Helpful SourcesHelpful SourcesThis site was created by an Australian and provides some direct insight to Australian holidays.http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/traditions.htm

The following list of sites provides in depth descriptions of how each specific holiday is celebrated by Australians. The holidays which are listed are the most widely celebrated by all states and territories in Australia.http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/australia-day

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/new-year-day

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/christmas-day

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/boxing-day

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/anzac-day

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/queens-birthday

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/good-friday

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/easter-sunday

A podcast created by yours truly.

A site to help you decide who to address your proposal to.http://australia.gov.au/

And of course, one simply cannot leave out Wikipedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Australia

Evaluating Your WorkEvaluating Your WorkUnsatisfactory Satisfactory Outstanding %

The Proposal

Student avoids the overall goal of the assignment,

lacking the selection of one major holiday to offer

alterations to. The proposal lacks focus and fails to offer substantial, valid

points and reasons for the alteration of the holiday (s)

he/she chooses to highlight. Also alterations

lean too much towards Western values.

Student clearly selects a major holiday to offer

alterations to. The proposal is valid and offers

straightforward reasons why it should be changed,

however a focus leans more towards Western values and

traditions, losing sight of Australian culture.

Student clearly selects one major holiday to alter.

They make a valid proposal of changes to

make to celebration rituals, dates, and offers

historical support for these choices. Student does not deviate from Australian culture in

making their alterations to the holiday.

50

One-Page Paper

Student fails to complete this portion of the task and

merely states in the proposal whom it should

be addressed to.

Student completes the paper portion of the task, however, it lacks detailed description

of why the person the proposal is addressed to was chosen, how changes will be made, and how he/she feels that Australians will react.

Student completes the paper and clearly details who the proposal will be addressed to and why.

He/she describes precisely how the

changes will be made and how he/she feels that Australians will react.

40

Presentation of Ideas & Creativity

Student either fails to put his/her idea in writing

altogether, or does so in a sloppy, unclear manner of

presentation.

Student neatly types or handwrites the information necessary to complete the task. No extra creativity is added to the way he/she chooses to display the

information.

Student neatly types information necessary to

complete the task. Creative visuals,

decorations, or some other form of aesthetically

pleasing creativity is added to the overall presentation of their

material.

10

CreditsCreditsWebQuest Created by:

Kaitlyn YarbroughKaitlyn YarbroughCreated For:

Dr. Tony Erben’s Honors Dr. Tony Erben’s Honors Australian Australian

Geographical Perspectives Geographical Perspectives CourseCourse

Sources Utilized:Those found on the “Helpful Those found on the “Helpful

Sources” slideSources” slideImages:

All images were found on All images were found on Google Image Search or in Google Image Search or in

Microsoft Clip Art Microsoft Clip Art