Humanities
Year 7 Dive into Ancient Egypt: Exploring Social Hierarchy Together
Our year 7 Humanities students recently took part in an engaging collaborative activity to deepen their understanding of life in Ancient Egypt. Working in groups, students were challenged to sort and organise members of Egyptian society into a social hierarchy – from the Pharaoh at the very top to farmers, slaves, and servants at the base.
The classroom was alive with discussion, negotiation, and teamwork as students debated where each role should sit and justified their choices with evidence from their learning. Many were surprised to discover how much power priests and scribes held, or how essential farmers were to keeping Egyptian society running.
This hands-on activity not only helped students grasp the complexities of social structure in the ancient world but also gave them a chance to practise essential skills in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration.
It was fantastic to see students working so positively together and making connections between the past and the present. Well done to all our year 7s for their enthusiasm and teamwork as budding historians!
Ms Betteridge
Year 9 Commerce Students Shine on Mock Election Day
Last week our year 9 Commerce students put their learning into action by running a Mock Election Day, where they prepared and delivered an advertising campaign, election day pamphlets and political speeches to their classmates. The event was the culmination of weeks of research, planning, and collaboration, as students formed parties, created a logo, developed a school-based policy, which they surveyed other students on as well as researched and compared to other countries or schools for validity.
We were delighted to have Ms Millard join the class to watch the speeches and see firsthand the creativity, confidence and critical thinking our students brought to the task. Students impressed her with their ability to clearly communicate on their party platform and their passion for improvements to Berwick College.
Our mock election day not only deepened students’ understanding of Australia’s political and voting system but also helped them develop essential skills in public speaking, teamwork, and persuasive writing.
Congratulations to all year 9 Commerce students for their enthusiasm and effort and thank you to our principal for supporting and celebrating their learning.
Some words from the class –
“I really enjoyed participating in this CAT. One of my favourite things was doing the marketing area when we got to create an advert and a pamphlet. I learnt a lot in this politics unit and especially how parties work. Even though there was a lot of work to be done, it was a very fun group project to contribute to.” – Tinaya
“One thing I learnt about Australian politics is how there is sometimes more disagreement within the political party than there is outside the party.” – Akshay
“I found our political party topic very interesting because we all got to explore different topics and on our political voting day, we got to hear all the different ways groups wanted improve the school” - Noah
Year 9 History: Bringing the Industrial Revolution to Life
Earlier in term 3 our year 9 History students explored the exciting and transformative period of the Industrial Revolution. To showcase their learning, students researched a range of inventions – from the steam engine to the spinning jenny – and created informative and eye-catching posters to highlight how these innovations changed the world.
Working both independently and in pairs, students investigated not only how the inventions worked, but also their impact on people’s lives, work, and society as a whole. The posters were filled with fascinating facts, creative visuals, and thoughtful explanations, showing just how much effort and curiosity our students put into their research.
Each poster gave a snapshot into how the Industrial Revolution shaped the modern world. From transportation to textiles, students discovered how these inventions laid the groundwork for much of the technology we use today.
A big congratulations to our year 9 historians for their hard work and imagination – their posters were a fantastic way to celebrate both history and creativity in action!
Nicole Betteridge - Humanities Teacher
Year 10 Politics Elective: Democracy Incursion
This term our year 10 Politics class has been investigating different types of governments: Autocracies, Oligarchies, and Democracies. To give students a deeper insight into our own Democracy here in Australia, we were lucky enough to have a video incursion from the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in Canberra. MoAD’s presenters are based in Canberra, but the magic of Zoom allowed them to beam right into our A-block classroom and deliver an engaging program on Democracy and political cartoons.
Initially it felt a little strange to be taught by a person trapped in the projector from a different city, but it didn’t take long for the class to settle in. Students learnt about the democratic process in Australia, the process of a referendum, and the role of political cartoons in shaping the perspectives of citizens.
Students were introduced to the idea of ‘caricature’ and the power of exaggeration to influence public perception in a democracy. After breaking some cartoons down as a class, students got to develop a cartoon of their own on an issue that concerns them.
These cartoons were designed to galvanise action on important issues.
During the incursion we ‘visited’ (virtually) the House of Representatives in Old Parliament House and got to see where politicians, spectators, and the media would attend from 1927 to 1988. It was a unique opportunity to learn more about the internal workings of our government. Overall, this incursion gave our students a different lens on democracies, how they are run, and how opinions get shaped. Our students resoundingly recommended it for future years, so I hope they enjoyed the chance to try something new. Matthew Blanch - Humanities Teacher
Year 8 Students Step Back in Time for Medieval Week
This week, our year 8 students swapped their pens and laptops for shields, paint brushes, and even a taste of medieval food as they took part in our much-anticipated Medieval Week. The program was the culmination of their studies on Medieval Europe, designed to bring history out of the textbook and into real life through a range of hands-on experiences.
Throughout this week, the students have immersed themselves in the sights, sounds, and even the 'survival skills' of the Middle Ages. Activities included castle design and heraldry sessions, where they designed and painted their own coats of arms. Students also enjoyed medieval games, which showed that entertainment in the Middle Ages, though simple, could be every bit as competitive and fun as today.
Teachers and students alike agreed that the week was a wonderful way to round off the Medieval Europe unit.
Medieval Week was not only educational but also an unforgettable experience.
Celina Underwood
Humanities Domain Leader