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.

In this video clip the teacher explains that students had chores to do before school so it was necessary to inspect their hands and feet for cleanliness. Costumed students line up outside the 1880s classroom. The teacher inspects their hands before they file inside. Students then stand behind the desks as they say the oath.

Show students images of horse transport in the photo gallery of the Government schools of NSW since 1848 website.

Ask students: 'What jobs do you have to do before coming to school?'

Ask students to identify differences between the 1880s schoolroom in the video and their own classroom such as the use of candles, oil lamps and heating from the open fire.

In this video clip students recite the three times tables from the blackboard.

Ask students: 'Do students still learn multiplication tables? Why are they useful?'

Share a more modern times table rap or song with students such as this animated 3 times table YouTube clip.

In this video clip the teacher explains the materials and demonstrates the slate board and the use of the slate pencil. Students practise writing on their slates.

Watch Writing tools through time which uses the Slowmation technique.

In this video clip the teacher puts on gloves and shows a very old book called The second reading book. She explains how reading was taught. Students are given a copy of some pages of the old book and read words from it.

Find old reading books at your school and ask students to bring examples. Talk about features of the books together with the class.

Pause the video at the image of a book open at a double page. Ask students: 'What do you notice about this book?'

Share online storybooks from the past.

In this video clip the teacher shows an old copy book and shows writing samples by students of the day. Students are given dip pens with nibs and shown how to use them, dipping them into the ink well.

In this video clip the punishment book is shown and original entries are read out. The teacher shows the cane as a form of discipline.

In this video clip students go out for drill. The teacher explains why drill was introduced as a fitness program to improve behaviour and learning. Wooden dumbbells, a wand and Indian clubs are shown. Students march to a drum beat.

Discuss with students:

Share image 5 in the Sport photo gallery of the Government schools of NSW since 1848 website. It shows students performing drill with the Indian clubs.

In this video clip the curator explains how clothes were handmade and passed down. Pinafores were worn by girls and boys wore breeches remade from the father's old trousers with braces to hold them up. Jumpers were hand knitted. Children skip and dance around the maypole, which was done on special commemoration days.

Pause the video to look closely at the clothes and read more about what teachers and students wore.

Show students images 6, 7 and 8 in the Dancing section of the photo gallery of the Government schools of NSW since 1848 website.

In this video clip, costumed students file into the 1910 room and notice differences between this room and their own classrooms. They sing the national anthem 'God save the King'.

Ask students to identify other differences between the 1880s schoolroom in the video and their own classroom. Students might also compare the 1910 classroom with the 1880s classroom.

In this video clip the curator shows artefacts from an old leather school satchel: marbles and arithmetic book. A Globite school suitcase contains objects for students to examine: a wooden pencil box, a game of jacks, a handkerchief, a penny and old books.

Talk about 'museum practice' when handling very old objects. Ask students: 'Why is it important?'.

More information is contained in Artefacts (.docx 24kB).

In this video clip students put together puzzles, play cat's cradle string games and marbles inside the classroom. Outside the classroom students play fly and bowl hoops.

Discuss with students:

Organise a 'Go back in play day' and invite another class to join. Learn the rules and give instructions on how to play 'Fly'. Try bowling hoops and tossing quoits.

Invite parents and grandparents to:

In this video the curator demonstrates the use of a stamp and stamp pad to copy a map of Australia into the students' books. A jelly pad method of printing is demonstrated.

Discuss with students:

Make a jelly pad. Scroll down this NSW Schoolhouse Museum web page for the recipe.