Stage 2 has been so blessed to go on not one, but TWO excursions this term as part of our History unit on First Contacts.
Our first was to Kamay Botany Bay National Park on 25 March to participate in an outdoor educational program run by Ranger Jamie Tours. We were met by Ranger Jamie and his friends who taught us some amazing facts about local fauna and flora. Did you know that Goanna meat can taste as sweet as ice cream? After a quick snack we took part in a number of activities that taught us what life was like in Australia during the days of early settlement, from both the British and Indigenous perspectives. We went on a bushwalk where we got to learn about how Aboriginals care for the land and find bush tucker. After that, we learnt about some famous British settlers like Captain Arthur Phillip and Sir Joseph Banks and discussed how their arrival changed Australia. We even got to see where Captain James Cook stood when he first landed!
Our next excursion was to the Royal Botanic Gardens on 11 March where we participated in a program called First Encounters. This excursion explored the lives of convicts and some of the struggles they faced after arriving on the First Fleet. Students enjoyed dressing up as convicts and hearing some of the stories from this challenging time. We also had fun exploring a typical British vegetable garden and seeing how different it was to the native bushland. The Aboriginal education officer showed us some traditional tools and weapons that were made from native trees and plants.
These were both fantastic experiences and all students came away with a deeper understanding of the history of our nation. We can’t wait to learn more!
