Modern History

On Thursday 26 April the Yr11 Modern History class travelled to the Sun Theatre in Yarraville to view the film ‘Till’. The film is based on an historic event, the racially motivated murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, and the activism of his mother Maimie, who brought her son’s case to wider public attention. With the help of other significant African Americans in the 1950s, Maimie ensured her son’s legacy was to shed light on the atrocities conducted in the Southern states of America and garner broader support for the Civil Rights Movement.

Students will use the information gained from viewing the film while studying the Civil Rights Movement in Term 3. It was a great way to learn about the case and it enabled us to also shop at the bookstore next door. I believe there are students who are reading Kafka and Plath while you are reading this article! 

A great day was had by all.

 

 

Jill Donaldson  –  Humanities Teacher


Geography

To engage with our study of hazards and disasters, the Year 11 Geography class spent a day in the Kinglake region, which was heavily impacted by the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

Throughout the day, our class participated in a range of fieldwork activities at Toorourrong Reservoir, Mount Sugarloaf, Mason Falls, and in Central Kinglake, including field sketches and surveys. In these areas, our class also completed measurements of a fully to determine the regrowth of vegetation 14 years after the fires decimated the natural environment. We also took quite a steep hike to Mason Falls Lookout, where we completed tree growth measurements at the picnic ground, and posed for a class photo with the waterfall backdrop upon our departure from the lookout.

By completing these activities and more, we were able to collate data for our field report, which will examine the economic, environmental, and sociocultural impacts of the Kinglake bushfires in 2009, and how the community and environment have recovered.

The day was enjoyable overall, as the rain held off during our visit. The fieldtrip was beneficial as we not only collected information about the fires but were able to improve our teamwork skills by working in groups to collect this data. Thanks to Ms Lee for organising the field trip for us, as well as Mr Swan’s support and Mr Cooper for driving the bus.

Students drawing and annotating field sketches of the landscape at Toorourrong Reservior

 

 

Amy Lee – Humanities Teacher & Daniel Koutras Yr 11 Students