Typical visit

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Arrival and departure times

Most schools arrive around 10.00am and have a quick morning tea outdoors, ready to start the sessions by 10.25am. Early Stage 1 students have a lunch break after the first two sessions as do Year 1s in Term 1 as we find they can’t ‘last’.

For two or three Stage 1 classes the program usually concludes at 1.00pm for lunch, with most schools staying to have lunch and a play in the grounds. The Stage 2 programs, and four class Stage 1 day, conclude at 2.00pm, with lunch between sessions. 

Grouping and rotations

A typical visit includes three or four 45 to 55 minute sessions, depending on the stage and student numbers. Classes are usually kept in their class group but if numbers are low or it’s wet weather we will ask for the cohort to be split into larger groups (but never more than 35 students in a group). 

Typical visit for School Communication in the Past – Stage 1 (2024 HSIE syllabus)

1880s school lessons

‘Writing is almost as important as speaking.’ (Vere Foster’s Copy Book No. 10, circa 1880)

Students step into an 1880s schoolroom and experience snippets of lessons from the past. They practise Copperplate writing on slate boards and with pen and ink, discovering the challenges of scratchy metal nibs, wet ink and ink that fast runs out. Seated at a timber long-tom desk, students view an ornate blackboard, read about slate boards in an early reader, chant tables and closely observe intricate 1890s students’ book work.

Hands-on objects 

Students examine, handle and use a variety of historic objects which demonstrate communication changes and continuities through time. Hands-pn activities include a treasure hunt, printing with a gelatine hectograph and rubber stamps and role playing delivering a correspondence scholl boy’s letters by mail truck, steam train, mail car and horse back. Students also examine or interact with crank handle, candlestick and rotary dial telephones, an early typewriter, hand duplicator and stereoscope viewer.

A peak into the 1950s and 60s 

Students can view the interior of a 1950s classroom with its vintage projectors, screens, filmstrips and slides. Activities include viewing filmstrips and projectors, using a 1960s view-master and writing a postcard using biro. Teachers can select this session or co-operative games.

Students holding goggl-like plastic devices to their eyes in an old wooden classroom

Outdoor activities

Students participate in maypole and drill if the weather is fine. Additionally, they may participate in outdoor games, chants and craft or Cuisenaire rods. 

Maypole  – Invited by an ornate mailed invitation to a combined schools display, students dress in pinafores or sailor collars, if they wish, and skip around a maypole. 

Dumb-bell exercises – Following concise two-word oral commands, students undertake precision exercises using dumb-bells then march in lines to the beat of a drum.

Co-operative games – Students play co-operative games such as skipping or Turi Turi, Koolchee Koolchee or quoits, fly and hoops to recreate the children’s laughter and chatter in playgrounds and streets past.

Child jumping with knees bent above a long rope being turned by a person dresssed in a long skirt and blouse.

Chants and rhymes – Interactive clapping rhymes and story consolidate understandings of changes and continuities in communication in daily life and recreate the cheerful oral play of times past.

Craft or Cuisenaire rods – Seated on picnic rugs, students either make a counted and drawn thread hessian mat or construct a mat of 10 using Cuisneaire rods, enjoying gentle chatter as their hands are busy.

Sample excursion plans – 2 class communication excursion plan, 3 class communication excursion plan, 4 class communication excursion plan.

Social story download – School Communication in the Past social story 

Vintage projectors on a table - episcope, 16mm film projector, slide and filmstrip projector

Typical visit for School Life of the Past – Early Stage 1 (2024 HSIE syllabus) and Stage 1 (2012 History syllabus)

1880s school tools and lessons 

Seated at long-toms on backless forms, students use school tools of the 188os in re-enacted aspects of daily lessons. The session commences with imaginary recounts of travel to school and home chores, water carting and hands inspection. Inside the students write with slate pencils on slate boards, use an early reader and write Copperplate with pen and ink. Stage 1 students also chant tables, view original 1890s pupils’ work and consider school disciplineof the past.

Child writing with a slate pencil on a slateboard resting on a wooden desk

Hands-on objects and activities

Students engage with historic school and everyday objects through activities such as a treasure hunt, printing with rubber stamps and a gelatine hectograph – jelly pad, examining contents of Globite school cases, studying photographs and playing with early toys and puzzles. In winter, an open fire heats the room and Stage 1 students have an option to cook toast over the fire.

Child lifting a page from the top of a bed of jelly in a glass tray

Marching, drill and maypole dancing

Students hold a ribbon and skip around a maypole, dressed in pinafores or sailor collars if they wish. After a recreated 1880s class photo, they march in lines to the beat of a drum. Stage 1 students also undertake precision exercises using wands or dumb-bells. 

Playground chants and games

Students play schoolyard games such as skipping or Turi Turi, fly, quoits, Koolchee Koolchee and bowling hoops. If four classes, they also learn some simple chants and play circle games.

Sample excursion plans Early Stage 1 – Early Stage 1 – 2 classes, Early Stage 1 – 3 classes, Early Stage 1 – 4 classes.

Sample excursion plans Stage 1 – Stage 1 – 2 or 3 classes, Stage 1 – 4 classes.

Social story download – social story 

School children on grass throwing rope rings onto pointed stands

Typical visit for Continuity and Change – Stage 2 (2012 History syllabus)

1880s re-created lessons

Seated at original long-toms and forms, the students take part in snippts of 1880s daily lessons to gain an understanding of education in the past. Students chant tables, write with slate pencils on slate boards, read from an early reader and write Copperplate with pen and ink. They examine original 1890s pupils’ work and an early school punishment book to consider changes and continuities in learning and discipline. 

1900s-1970s school resources investigation

Students work as ‘history detectives’ through activities such as finding and interacting with objects and treasures, examining contents of Globite school cases and studying photographs. In role as students from the past, they print from a gelatine hectograph – jelly pad, label a map using pen and ink and do craft such as twisted threads and assembling wooden toys. In winter they can toast a piece of bread over the fire. 

Two students holding wooden wheels and a rod with metal screws

1900s drill and maypole dancing

Students learn precision exercises using wands and march in formation to the beat of a drum. They learn simple maypole ‘dancing’ and can wear lacy or sailors’ collars to help recreate the era. 

1960s lessons and games

Students experience a short session in our recreated 1950s/60s classroom where they sit at 1960s timber chairs and desks to use Cuisenaire rods to complete number sentences. They play ‘fly’ or skipping with a long rope on the grass outside the room.

Two students laying out small colourful blocks onto the desk

Sample excursion plans – Stage 2 Continuity and Change – 3 classes and Stage 2 Continuity and Change – 4 classes.

Adverse weather

In rain, extreme heat or poor air quality some outdoor sessions are run in a modified format indoors. Students may do drill indoors and may do craft or an activity with Cuisenaire rods in our recreated 1960s room. If raining, maypole dancing will be omitted. If four groups in wet weather, the program will run as a three session rotation due to space limitations.

Two children at a wooden desk with a square of hessian fabric. Threads have been pulled out leavinf a checked pattern.

Facilities

For school groups there is a block of toilets, an undercover outdoor eating area and grassy grounds for playing. There’s an adult toilet in the museum. There are no tea and coffee making facilities. Take-away coffee can be purchased nearby in Cox’s Road or BYO thermos.

Medical matters

Schools must bring their own first aid kit and emergency medications for their students. All museum staff are trained in e-Emergency, anaphylaxis and emergency asthma procedures. An Epi-Pen, first aid kit and Ventolin reliever is located on site.

Toast

Toasting bread over the open fire is by request only for the Stage 1 program School Communication in the Past. It is not suitable for Early Stage 1 students but for the other Stage 1 and 2 programs it is optional. Please notify us if you want your students to undertake the toasting activity.

Toasting can only proceed if two adult helpers are in attendance at the fire at all times. For safety and efficiency reasons, we ask that the same two adult helpers remain with the fire for all the classes if two or three classes, or with a lunchtime swap if four classes. The toasting helpers cannot be the class teacher or class support officer.

White bread and golden syrup are used for toasting. Download images of the ingredient panels and packages.

Schools should supply alternative bread for students with special dietary requirements. Students with coeliac disease will be able to toast their own gluten free bread first using clean equipment.

Resources

Pre and post visit learning, information sheets, souvenirs, photo galleries and other links are on our Resources page.