Bookings for group tours of the Victorian Archives Centre, phone (03) 9348 5600.

PROV is open daily from 8am-6pm.

Victorian Archives Centre, 99 Shiel Street, North Melbourne

Which year levels do these resources best fit?

While students of all ages can benefit by using parts of this education resource, it is most suitable for students in Years 5 – 10 and VCE. For example:

• key elements of the story of the Chinese prisoners have been translated into Cantonese to support students studying that language
• students investigating Victoria’s history will have the opportunity to find out about parts of our history that have been long hidden
• the photographs provide an insight into some of the Chinese who came to Victoria between 1870 and 1900
• students of art and photography will find them to be equally fascinating and informative.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) links

Humanities - History Level 3

Learning focus

Students apply the concepts of time, continuity and change through a study of the history and traditions of Australians. They examine stories, artefacts and other evidence from the past and present to learn about Australian society and its origins. They examine the histories of the cultural groups represented in their class, community and nation.

Standards

-Humanities knowledge and understanding

At Level 3 students describe … key aspects of the histories of cultural groups that make up their class, community and nation.

Humanities skills

At Level 3 students use a range of historical evidence, including oral history, artefacts, narratives and pictures, to retell events and describe historical characters. They explain some of the differences between different types of historical evidence, and frame questions to further explore historical events. Students draw simple maps and plans of familiar environments observing basic mapping conventions. They identify the location of places on a simple map using an alphanumeric grid and describe direction using the four cardinal compass points. Using atlas maps and a globe, they locate and name the states and territories of Australia.

Humanities - History Level 4

Learning focus

Students develop an understanding of change and continuity over time through the history of the establishment and growth of Australia. They consider important events, such as the colonisation of Australia, the gold rushes and people in Australia's history. Through structured activities they explore links and comparisons with contemporary Australia.

Students develop an understanding of the histories of the cultural groups which have contributed to the Australian identity. They explore the concepts of nation, culture and identity in both Australian and regional contexts, and learn that identity is complex, multifaceted and evolving.

Students use a range of written, visual, oral and electronic sources to study the past. With support, they frame research questions and plan their own inquiries using historical vocabulary. They begin to question sources and make judgments about the viewpoints being expressed, the completeness of the evidence, and the values represented. They learn to develop explanations and narratives, in a range of forms.

Standards

-Historical knowledge and understanding

At Level 4 students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Australian history: they describe the colonisation of Australia and key events in the development of Australia such as …the 1850s gold rushes …

They compare and contrast the values and beliefs of Australians and people of other cultures. They make comparisons between aspects of different cultures and countries, in both the past and present, and ask questions about their own society. They sequence events and describe their significance in bringing about particular developments.

-Historical reasoning and interpretation

At Level 4 students use a range of primary and secondary sources to investigate the past. With support, they frame research questions and plan their own inquiries. They question sources and make judgments about the views being expressed, the completeness of the evidence, and the values represented. They use historical vocabulary, including the language of time and comparison. They construct timelines, and develop explanations and narratives in a range of forms.

Humanities - History Level 6

Learning focus

Students investigate how Australia developed in terms of social, political and cultural structures and traditions. Students learn about significant issues and events in Australian history…They investigate the contribution of significant Australians …

Students frame research questions and locate relevant resources, including contemporary media and online resources. They continue to expand the range of primary and secondary sources they consult, and evaluate them in terms of origin, context, information, reliability, completeness, objectivity and bias. They use historical conventions to document sources.

Standards

-Historical knowledge and understanding

At Level 6 students analyse and describe the factors involved in the British colonisation of Australia and evaluate the impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Students explain the historical foundations of contemporary issues, such as constitutional change, land rights, multicultural issues, and changing community values and beliefs.

-Historical reasoning and interpretation

At Level 6 students frame research questions and locate relevant resources, including contemporary media and online resources. They use a range of primary and secondary sources and use historical conventions to document sources. They critically evaluate sources of evidence and recognise that in history there are multiple perspectives and partial explanations. They develop historical explanations in a variety of forms and using a range of methods.

Discipline-Based Learning - The Arts

The main focus here is for students of photography.

Level 4

Standards

-Exploring and responding

At Level 4 students use appropriate arts language to describe the content, structure and expressive qualities of their own and other people's works. They compare features of arts works by artists working in a range of times, places and cultures. They identify and describe influences on their own works and the purposes for which arts works are created in different historical and cultural contexts.

Level 5

Standards

-Exploring and responding

At Level 5 students develop and express opinions about their own and others' use of arts elements, principles, skills, techniques, processes, media, materials and technologies using appropriate arts language. They evaluate, interpret and respond to arts works created by artists from different social, cultural and historical contexts, offering informed opinions and using appropriate arts language. They describe aspects and requirements of different forms, audiences and traditions, and identify ways that contemporary arts works, including their own, are influenced by cultural and historical contexts.

Level 6

Standards

-Exploring and responding

At Level 6 students critique a range of contemporary, traditional, stylistic, historical and cultural examples of arts works in the disciplines and forms in which they are working. They critically analyse, interpret and describe the stylistic, technical, expressive and aesthetic features of works created by a range of artists. They describe ways that their own and others' arts works communicate and challenge ideas and meaning. They use appropriate arts language and refer to specific examples in the arts works they are analysing. They comment on the impact of arts works, forms and practices on other arts works and society in general.

Languages Other Than English (LOTE)

The four Cantonese texts that are provided as part of this online resource can be used in LOTE classes to help students understand the contribution of Chinese people in nineteenth century Australia and some of the difficulties they faced in this new country where their culture, traditions, appearance and way of life were so different to people used to seeing things through European eyes.

Students at Levels 1 – 4 could also be asked to identify features and items in these photographs using Cantonese words to describe them orally and perhaps later to write Chinese characters to label these photographs and their features.

Teachers will find the texts most suitable for students in levels 4 to 6, though some students in Level 3 may be able to read and discuss these texts too. For information about the LOTE Learning Focus and Standards, visit http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/discipline/lote/index.aspl.

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