Junior School Humanities
Year 9 Fremantle Excursion
On Wednesday 22 August, the Year 9 HASS extension class went on an excursion to Fremantle. Once we arrived in Fremantle, we visited the WA Maritime Museum Welcome Walls. Many people were able to find the names of their relatives or relatives' friends on the walls, and it was exciting to see familiar surnames and figure out if they happened to be related to anyone we knew.
Next, we visited the Roundhouse. Seeing old jail cells first put into use in 1831, just 18 months after settlement was interesting as it showed the heritage of the building and proved its significant role in the history of Perth.
After a lunch break on Fremantle’s 'Cappuccino Strip', we visited The University of Notre Dame for the Courage to Care presentation. It was separated into four parts consisting of a film, a survivor's testimony, an exhibition and a facilitated discussion. The objective was to show the importance of being an up-stander in the face of injustice.
The film was based around the Holocaust and the bravery and courage shown by many people when faced with the horrific acts of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Brave people opened their homes to the Jews, and helped them despite being faced with the danger of being caught, or even killed. A survivor told his story and spoke of the kind acts of a family who helped keep him safe for years. He hid among the pigs in the pig sty, in bales of hay and even in an underground hole, which he referred to as feeling like a grave. He survived the ordeal and many years later the families reunited and he was able to share the story with the new generations of his family.
The message of having the courage to care and being an up-stander not a bystander is extremely important. Certain people in the Holocaust displayed astounding acts of courage in the face of injustice, which further proves how important it is to stand up for what is right and just. While these people displayed extreme acts of courage, simply standing up for someone who is being bullied or helping someone cross the street is a step in the right direction.
The Courage to Care presentation was very eye-opening and interesting to listen to. The main message of the presentation helped me understand that everybody needs help at some time including ourselves, and we need to have the courage and the strength to help without thinking too much about how it would affect us. The HASS excursion was a very eventful day, I made many memories with my peers and learned more about our world’s past and what it really means to be an up-stander not a bystander. It was an educational and fun day.
By Arielle Chant and Gigi Armenti (Year 9)
Miss D Pisconeri (Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher -Geography)
Year 7 Humanities and Social Sciences (History)
This term our Year 7 students were given a History assignment and they completed an investigation on Ancient Chinese inventions. Knowledge, creativity and application are skills that our young SNC students implemented in order to complete such fantastic works!
Task: Historical Inquiry on Ancient Chinese Inventions
Dr A Runco (Head of Learning Area - Humanities and Social Sciences)