It’s 1967.  You have no iPad, no iPhone, no personal computer.  Colour television is a dream not to be realised until 1975.  It’s black and white.  Forget streaming of television programmes or movies.  If you miss it, you’ll have to wait until it’s repeated in a couple of years.  Fast food is limited to the fish and chip shop or the local pie retailer.  You can’t buy water.  In fact, the idea of one day doing so is laughable.  It is more likely than not that mum is at home and dad at work.  Breakfast is usually a cooked meal and dinner sees the family around the table. 

Some stereotypes there but this was the thrust of the current Unit of Inquiry in which Stage One is currently engaged.  The transdisciplinary theme of “Where We Are in Place and Time” was supported by the central idea “Roles and responsibilities within a society can be a reflection of the times in which we live.”  The lines of inquiry follow:

• Family life over time (Change)
• Needs of society (Causation)
• Traditions and activities within communities over time (Reflection)

A glimpse of life 50-60 years ago through the National Film and Sound Archive allowed our students to compare and contrast with their own life now.  They could see children their age at play, in school, on the sports field and in the home. 

Engagement in this unit of inquiry has been high as the boys discuss both at school and home how family life over time has changed.  Investigating the development of toys and games.  Playing a selection such as Jacks or Knucklebones and Tiddledywinks made for a fun morning.  Most interesting was the way the boys altered the rules to create new methods of playing demonstrated that games, pastimes and traditions undergo subtle changes over the years.

Integrated into this inquiry has been the study of special days in our calendar.  Following the Melbourne Cup was exciting and in the same week, observance of Remembrance Day highlighted how traditions may change but at their core, traditions endure. 

When it’s personal, meaningful and close to home it means so much more.  Learning is fun!

David Musgrove – Year 2 Teacher