Category Archives: History Teaching

Household Arts in the 1850s: Laundry (Drying)

Hanging Clothes out to Dry in the 1850s

Melanie wrote to ask to ask what people used for clothes lines and pins in the 1850s, so we thought we’d share some information and photos about clothes drying methods from years gone by.

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Australian History in the Australian Curriculum

Engaging Students in Australian History Studies

Yesterday The Age featured an article about History in the Australian Curriculum.  Specifically they were referring to the decision not to make a specific Australian History subject part of the national curriculum in the Senior Years.  Modern and Ancient History are the two subjects to be offered.

The-Age-10-July-2012-Australian-Curriculum-History

Front page of The Age – 10 July 2012

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What caused the Eureka Stockade? – Part 2

How to find and piece together the events that led to the Eureka Stockade

Earlier this year we wrote about our Eureka Day celebrations where students relived some of the events that led up to the stockade.  Not all students have the opportunity to participate in an event such as this and so we wanted to share with students and teachers some other resources for finding out more about the Eureka rebellion and consider what caused the Eureka Stockade.

So what did cause the Eureka Stockade?

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Our 5 Favourite Victorian Proverbs

5 of the best proverbs from the good old days!

Victorians, that is to say: those from the Victorian era, were very fond of proverbs.  Short and sharp moral lessons or wise observations that could be shared easily and drilled firmly into the minds of children.  Common proverbs from the 19th century can tell us a lot about the ideas, beliefs and daily lives of those who professed them.

We’d like to share with you 5 of our favourite proverbs that you would have likely heard during the gold rush days.

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Science and History: The Transit of Venus

The Transit of Venus and it’s Connection to Australian History

Coming up this Wednesday 6th June, the planet Venus will cross in front of the sun.  This phenomenon is known as the Transit of Venus and we are fortunate enough to be able to view it in Australia.  This is a rare opportunity as the Transit only occurs  twice in more than 100 years.  It last occurred in June 2004 and after this week it will not be seen until December 2117!

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Top 10 student questions and misconceptions

Top 10 questions and misconceptions From Students Visiting Sovereign Hill

This week is Education Week in Victoria.  In the spirit of thinking about learning and learners we have written this post about some of the most common questions and misconceptions students bring to Sovereign Hill.  Each day we work on developing students’ understandings about these concepts.  Some are small, while others are very complex.  It gives you an insight into common student thinking…

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Visit a cemetery and discover the past

Image by Sunday’s Child

Stuck for a great local history excursion?  Historic cemeteries offer inquirers a number of insights into life in the past.

The key to a good cemetery excursion is providing the students with an investigative purpose or question.  Visiting a cemetery without a purpose would be akin to browsing a database for leisure reading.  However, with the right questions, a cemetery visit can provide students with opportunities to form their own understanding of key ideas such as demographics, social tensions, wealth and health.

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Books for teaching history – Scatterheart

Scatterheart By Lili Wilkinson


scatterheart-books-for-teaching-historyScatterheart
sits itself between the First Fleet and the Gold Rushes, but it’s delightful fictional story encompasses the themes of fear and hope in the journey to an unknown land that are common to both periods of history.  Lili Wilkinson tells the story of Hannah Cheshire, a well-born London girl who we meet in the midst of her confusion and despair over her sudden change in circumstances.  It interweaves her present predicament with reflections of her life past.

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