Australian History Mysteries
Australian History Mysteries is a video and print resource developed by the National Museum of Australia and Ryebuck Media. It draws on materials from a variety of museums, historical collections and historic sites to bring students a rich array of evidence about five case studies in Australian history. It has been designed for use at middle secondary level, but teachers will find the materials and ideas readily adaptable for both higher and lower levels.
Topics: |
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Who 'discovered' Australia, what was the life of a female convict really like, the Eureka Rebellion - could you have stopped it from happening, what happened in a frontier conflict near Broome in 1864, was Ned Kelly a hero or a villain? |
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Type: |
Curriculum materials | |
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Years: |
9–12 | |
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Key Curriculum Links: |
SOSE, HSIE, History, Australian Studies | |
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Aims
The resource shows teachers and students how museums are an excellent starting point for historical investigations. Museum objects and displays can raise questions, suggest inquiries, provoke debate, reveal stories, and present mysteries that need to be solved through investigating evidence.
Key features of the resource
The resource contains:
- A 25-minute video, Australian History Mysteries, with short introductory sections on each of the five case studies. These introductions take students to the places associated with their investigations, and show them current and historical images of the site. Students are also introduced to the ‘mystery’ that they will investigate in each case study.
- Five print case studies, containing a variety of reproducible information and evidence pages for use in the classroom. The case studies investigate these ‘mysteries’:
- Case Study 1: Who ‘discovered’ Australia?
- Case Study 2: What was the life of a female convict really like?
- Case Study 3: The Eureka Rebellion – could you have stopped it from happening?
- Case Study 4: What happened in a frontier conflict near Broome in 1864?
- Case Study 5: Was Ned Kelly a hero or a villain?
A set of introductory ‘tuning in’ activities for each case study. These activities help students focus on the key concepts involved in each case study in a way that makes sense in a modern context.
Suggested teaching strategies for each of the case studies, setting out a planned sequence of lessons for individual and group work, so that even the least experienced history teacher will feel confident presenting the units to their classes.
An inquiry approach
All the units in Australian History Mysteries come from the practical classroom experience of the writers and reflect a commitment to inquiry learning.
| Some comments from reviewers The materials are presented in a way that emphasises skill development whilst conveying the factual content in an interesting way . . . I believe this resource raises the standard for such kits to a new level. Andrew Buxton, past president, History Teachers’ Association of Australia Each of the video excerpts was engaging and enticing. In all cases I would have liked more as the presentation was so captivating. Dr Kay Saunders, University of Queensland A good range of resources and good graphics. Examination of key concepts such as ‘discovery’ and ‘memorials’ is excellent. Encourages reflection and clear thought processes. I also liked the way these case studies were linked with on-going debates which students may be familiar with. Marita Cullen, History Teachers’ Association of Victoria I am very impressed at the emphasis both on primary sources . . . and on the exploration of the problematic nature of fundamental concepts and differing perspectives. Dr Bill Gammage, Australian National University The authors should be congratulated for producing an interesting approach to different issues in Australian history. Professor John McQuilton, University of Wollongong |
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