Optional hands-on… | Year 11 Ancient History · T1 W1–2 · Hands On Lab

10–15 minutes after Day 3 or 6. Use this as a generic modern design problem: direct imaginary rainwater from a roof to a garden. It is not a Budj Bim reconstruction, a kooyang trap, a replica of Gunditjmara engineering, or a source about the archaeological site. The purpose is to make the boundary between an observed shape, a possible function and a historical conclusion visible. No actual water, site map, cultural design, image or location is needed.

Set up with ordinary materials

Draw a rectangle labelled roof outlet at the left and another labelled garden bed at the right on blank paper. Keep both invented; do not draw Budj Bim or use any site coordinates.
Give pairs three strips of scrap paper, a pencil and two markers or coins. A screen-only learner can drag three labelled boxes; a tactile learner can place three folded strips on a tabletop. No cutting is required.
Tell learners the challenge: “Can you propose two routes for rainwater from outlet to garden, and explain what observation would distinguish them?”

Run the inquiry

Build, 3 min: arrange strips as a possible channel, barrier or diversion. Mark one route Proposal 1 and another Proposal 2. Do not say either was used at Budj Bim.
Observe, 2 min: another pair sees only the arrangement and records what is physically visible (e.g. three paper strips and an opening) without guessing purpose.
Infer, 3 min: the builder describes a possible flow route and lists one test that could reject it. With paper alone, water flow remains an untested design idea.
Return to history, 4 min: read Card B. Contrast the invented model with reported excavation context: the 2012 team used real channel infill and dated charcoal; the model supplies no date and no evidence of anyone's ancient practice.
Exit, 2 min: complete “Our paper design can show . It cannot establish ___ about Budj Bim. For the historical claim, I need source ___ and its limit .” Accept written, spoken, typed, photographed labelled layout or AAC responses.

Teacher check: if a learner says their layout “proves how Gunditjmara did it,” stop and return to maker, source and limit. Credit the corrected inference. If a learner cannot manipulate objects, offer the same source comparison as text; the assessment target is the reasoning, not dexterity. A person can skip the model without loss of access to the historical task.