Year 10 History Site Study

In HSIE, authentic learning supports classroom learning as it provides students with the historical skills of empathy, the application of historical knowledge, and builds the development of 21st century skills within a real world context.

To support the classroom study of The Holocaust and World War II, students were given the opportunity to engage with Sydney military history and then compare and contrast the Australian experience with that of the Jewish community through an investigation of artefacts and memorials. Students had the privilege to hear oral history and begin to empathise with the experiences and perspective of a Holocaust Survivor.  A huge thank you to the Year 10 History teachers Ms Blake, Ms Jenkins and Mr Prestifilippo and Mrs Di Ciaccio from the Diverse Learning Team for supporting student participation and historical inquiry of these site studies.

Brigida Zagora
Head of HSIE (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Teacher reflection:

On Wednesday 1 March, Year 10 History students undertook a site study of Sydney and the Sydney Jewish Museum. Students met at Sydney Town Hall where they participated in an historical walking tour of Sydney, visiting significant sites and landmarks and learning about the rich history of the CBD. Many students were surprised to learn about the old burial ground beneath Sydney Town Hall. They also enjoyed the walk through to Chinatown and Haymarket where they saw art installations and sites linked to Sydney’s migration history. The tour then led to Hyde Park, where students learnt about the Anzac memorial and took some time at the installation in commemoration of Indigenous soldiers.

After a lunch break in the shade of the trees at Hyde Park, the group moved on to the Sydney Jewish Museum. There, students experienced a guided tour of the museum where they could see historical artefacts from the time. Many students were saddened by the Children’s Memorial which commemorated young people who were victims of the Holocaust.

The highlight of the day for all students was the sobering survivor testimony of Lilly Wolf, a 96-year-old Hungarian Australian who survived the Holocaust as a teenager. While all legs were weary from the walk that had been undertaken in the morning, this was soon forgotten as Lilly shared what she called ‘The Death March’ where she walked for 25kms each day for over two weeks as part of her treatment at the hands of the Nazis.

Students found the experience invaluable for their studies and for their appreciation of the study of history.

Kate Blake
Year 10 History Teacher

Student reflection:

The excursion for History was a combination of walking and exploring to view historical monuments in the city. My monument was the last one for the tour. I shared information with the class about the sculptural artwork ‘Yininmadyemi – Thou didst let fall’ by indigenous Australian artist Tony Albert, which was located in Hyde Park.

After exploring the city, we set off and arrived at the Sydney Jewish Museum, where we observed historical artefacts regarding the Holocaust. We went on a discovery tour and learned that the ‘pyjamas’ Jews wore in the camps were actually a uniform and they weren’t allowed to remove them from their body.

Then we ended the tour with a survivor testimony from Lilly Wolf. This was a very intriguing experience as we physically heard someone’s story about their journey in the Holocaust. I was personally flabbergasted with how much information she presented us with considering she was 96 years old and remembered every single little detail.

Marina Orlovic, Year 10