Curriculum connections

F-6/7 Humanities and Social Sciences

Year 2

Report: Elizabeth Farm House

Summary of task

Students attended Elizabeth Farm, a historical estate in Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney, to investigate what life was like in the 1800s.

The students explored the family home of wool pioneer John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth, including the bedrooms and objects within the home, and they spoke with a representative of the Historic Houses Trust about the history of the house. Students compared a range of objects within the home with those found in homes today.

The students were asked to write a report describing what they saw as they moved through the house, pointing to aspects of life in the 'olden days' that had changed compared to today.

Achievement standards

By the end of Year 2, students describe a person, site and/or event of significance in the local community and explain why places are important to people. They identify how and why the lives of people have changed over time while others have remained the same. They recognise that the world is divided into geographic divisions and that places can be described at different scales. Students describe how people in different places are connected to each other and identify factors that influence these connections. They recognise that places have different meaning for different people and why the significant features of places should be preserved.

Students pose questions about the past and familiar and unfamiliar objects and places. They locate information from observations and from sources provided. They compare objects from the past and present and interpret information and data to identify a point of view and draw simple conclusions. They sequence familiar objects and events in order and sort and record data in tables, plans and on labelled maps. They reflect on their learning to suggest ways to care for places and sites of significance. Students develop narratives about the past and communicate findings in a range of texts using language to describe direction, location and the passing of time.

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Annotations overview

Develops a report based on sources from Elizabeth Farm, using accurate terms relevant to the time period, for example 'quill', 'bell pull', 'drawing room'.

1 2 3 4

Annotations
1
Annotation 1
Provides details about a historical site in the local community, that is, Elizabeth Farm House
2
Annotation 2
Provides details about an aspect of life in the past, that is, the nature of the game and what toys were made of
3
Annotation 3
Uses a range of terms to denote the passing of time, for example, 'first', 'after', 'next', 'then'
4
Annotation 4
Identifies aspects of daily life have changed, for example, 'In the olden days there were no washing machines'

Annotations
1
Annotation 1
Identifies an aspect of daily life that has changed, that is, in the olden days women entertained guests in the drawing room