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Visit a schoolhouse museum

In the video clips, students view elements of what schools, teachers, classroom routines and outdoor activities were like in the past. The re-enactments show that school and the life of students were very different from today in some ways, yet similar in others. The videos relate particularly to the Australian Curriculum key inquiry question: How can we show that the present is different from or similar to the past?

The clips can be used to help students develop historical concepts such as continuity and change, empathy, use of evidence and significance

Present-day teachers and students dress in 1880s or 1910 outfits in the re-enactments as they take on the role of teachers and students in the past. The teachers also appear in modern dress as they talk about aspects of the past and provide insights into the thinking or beliefs of those times (e.g. why students did drill with dumb bells or wands for PE). This should also help students understand that this video is a re-enactment.

Ask questions such as:

Show the videos over a period of time or choose specific video clips to share with students.