Learning and Teaching

A Spotlight on what is happening in Year 5/6

In Year 5/6 this term, our classrooms have transformed into hubs of historical investigation as students dive deep into the people and events that defined Australia’s colonial era (1800–1900).

We began our journey tracking the perilous routes of early inland explorers like Burke and Wills and Charles Sturt, before shifting our focus to the economic backbone of early Australia: the booming wheat and wool trades. From there, we struck gold—metaphorically speaking—as we explored the massive migration boon of the Gold Rush, culminating in a dramatic look at the Eureka Stockade. Through these topics, students have gained a profound understanding of the significant moments that have shaped Australia’s history, identity, and future.

Young Historians at Work

It has been encouraging to see the students engage so enthusiastically with these lessons. They haven't just been memorising facts and dates, they have been acting as true historians. In any given session, you might see our students:

• Analysing Sources: Examining both primary sources (like real diary entries and sketches from the 1800s) and secondary sources to piece together the past.
• Exploring Perspectives: Debating the different viewpoints of government officials, indigenous communities, and miners during the turbulent gold rush days.
• Applying Literacy Skills: Bringing history to life through creative writing, such as drafting personal accounts in their Life and Times journals.

A major highlight of the term was an immersive classroom role-play where students experienced the tense atmosphere of the Ballarat goldfields. Students took on the roles of hopeful diggers trying to make their fortune, navigating the strict requirement of purchasing a costly miner's license. The excitement—and stress!—reached a peak when classmates took turns playing the government troopers, conducting unexpected "license hunts" and inspecting everyone's paperwork. This hands-on activity vividly demonstrated to the students why the miners felt so unjustly treated, providing the perfect context for our lessons on the Eureka Stockade and visit to Sovereign Hill. 

Life & Times Excerpts

The students have taken on the persona of a migrant to Australia from the mid to late 1800s. They have been asked to keep a journal as the person writing entries from significant moments in their new life in Australia. Some excerpts below.