E News 4 2009
Welcome to our Term 4 Teacher E News
Index
News
Ballarat Miners Diary Project Update
New Creswick Mining Disaster Exhibit
Coming Events
A Taste of Empire
2010 Primary History Teachers Conference
Barry's Rumour
Fire in Main Road
News
The Ballarat Miners Diary
The Ballarat Miners Diary recently acquired by the State Library of Victoria is being put to good use in Ballarat schools. A program involving Sovereign Hill Education, The Art Gallery of Ballarat and The Eureka Centre challenges local students to choose a section of the diary to "illustrate". Using their notebooks, year 5 students are searching the diary for good quotes to record. They are then using the resources of Ballarat cultural institutions and the web to find suitable images to illustrate their quote. It all culminates in a PhotoStory movie combining ICT, History and Literacy.
The New Creswick Mining Disaster Exhibit
Sovereign Hill will soon launch an exciting new underground experience. It will tell the story of Australia's worst mining accident - the Creswick Mine Disaster. On 11 December 1882, twenty seven miners were trapped in the New Australasia Mine buy a huge 'burst' of water. They were trapped for three day in pitch black with water up to their chins while the whole town of Creswick waited for news at the poppet head. Frantic rescue efforts were attempted but water and foul air forced the rescuers back. Only five men survived.
This new exhibit uses state-of-the-art technology to tell a tale of heroism, dispair and tragedy. A teaching kit of web-based resources is being developed.
Coming Events
A Taste of Empire
Help us celebrate History Week at Sovereign Hill. Enjoy a unique twilight experience of a Victorian-era table with entrees, mains and desserts while you learn about etiquette and fashions in food and clothing of the 1850s. Friday 30 October, 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm. $50 p.p. Drinks at bar prices. For Adults. Download a flier here and a Menu here. Phone 5337 1188 to book.
Primary History Teachers Conference
The new National History Curriculum will be upon us in the next couple of years and it mandates the teaching of History in both primary and secondary schools throughout Australia. Sovereign Hill Education is planning a one day conference in September 2010 specifically for primary teachers. The idea will be to up-skill teachers in readiness for the National Curriculum role out. Sessions would cover History content and skills. We are keen to guage interest in such a conference and invite you to contact Marion Littlejohn if you have staff that would be keen to attend.
Barry's Rumour
Barry Kay is Sovereign Hill's Interpretive Theatre Manager. Each week he researches and provides a rumour for Sovereign Hill interpreters as a topic for the week. Barry has agreed to publish one of his rumours each term in our E news.
This term's rumour is an audio file from the Ballarat Miners Diary. It is 1st December 1855 and our diarist records the scene the day after a tragic fire in Main Road that claimed 11 people.