Tag Archives: teaching history

Books for teaching History – Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution

Posted on March 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution

By Peter FitzSimons

Front cover of Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution

Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution
Published By : William Heinemann, North Sydney, N.S.W. Australia, 2012

The trouble with the Eureka story is that it is very involved and complex.  As Education officers at Sovereign Hill, we well know how difficult it is to maintain the interest of an audience when we try to explain the details leading to the bloody storming of the stockade. There are so many important twists and turns that the story teller often falls in a repeating pattern of “and then …. and then… and then…”

Not so Peter FitzSimons in his recent book Eureka: The Unfinished Revolution.  Continue reading →

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Books for Teaching History: Days of my Youth

Posted on March 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

Days of my Youth

By Charles Napier Hemy Ra, ARA, RWS, 1841 – 1917

Days of my Youth

Edited by Peter McGann
Published by Viglione Press, Black Rock, Victoria 2009

This fantastic little book is a great way to personalise students experiences of our History, and provides an opportunity to debate the classification of a source as primary or secondary. Charles Napier Hemy was a renowned maritime artist of the late 19th century. At the age of 10 he accompanied his father on a trip around the world, culminating in a visit to the Goldfields of Victoria in 1851-2. In 1904 Charles sat down on board his yacht Van Der Meer in Falmouth harbour and wrote a journal of his recollections of his travels under sail, and adventures on the Goldfields. Continue reading →

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Posted in Books for Teaching History, History Teaching, Victorian Gold Rush

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The Industrial Revolution in Australia

Posted on February 6, 2013 | 17 comments

Teaching about the Industrial Revolution in Australia

Steam Power

Steam Power

The Industrial Revolution (1750-1914) is a fascinating part of modern world history.  It had far-reaching impacts and was the catalyst for dramatic social changes.  It is a great option for secondary teachers to choose as a Year 9 Depth Study in the new AusVELS History course.

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AusVELS Resources for the New Year – Settlement of Victoria

Posted on January 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

New Teaching Kit focused on AusVELS level 5

Home Bound by ST Gill (Gold Museum Collection)

Home Bound by ST Gill (Gold Museum Collection)

The Education team at Sovereign Hill have just completed a new resource for teachers of History at AusVELS level 5. The Settlement of Victoria. It provides some practical advice on teaching the content and skills required by the National Curriculum, as well as online links to resources for teachers and students. The kit also provides links to a Teachers Guide and AusVELS Grid and a Diigo social bookmarking website, dedicated to this topic, so that teachers and students can share their resources.

Just follow this link to find out more.

Are you implementing AusVELS in your school yet? How are you coping with the changes? 

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School Anniversary Events

Posted on November 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

Planning an Anniversary Event at your school

Many schools plan history events for significant anniversaries of their school’s founding.  These events are a great way to immerse students in history that is directly relevant to them and their communities.  We often have queries for ideas and support of these events, so we thought we’d share with you some of our tips for holding a great anniversary event.

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The Gold Museum is blogging

Posted on September 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

A new resource: the Gold Museum blog

Sovereign Hill’s Gold Museum has recently started a blog to uncover their collection, share interesting behind-the scenes stories and also offer research tips and advice.

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Australian History in the Australian Curriculum

Posted on July 11, 2012 | 3 comments

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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Science and History: The Transit of Venus

Posted on June 1, 2012 | 3 comments

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

Posted on May 23, 2012 | 8 comments

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

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

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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