A number of programs for Years 5 to 9 students in WA schools are offered onsite at the JCPML (situated on the Bentley Campus of Curtin University of Technology). Treasure boxes are also available for loan to WA schools and the website offers a special page of online activities at Just for Kids.

On-site program:

• History program: Exploring Australia at war
• Drama program: A week on the wireless.

While the focus of both programs is Society and Environment and the Arts, they also incorporate outcomes from English and Mathematics and other learning areas and link directly to the WA Curriculum Framework.

The education programs run every Thursday and Friday during school terms (starting time is negotiable) and cost $2.20 (inclusive of GST) per student. A convenient bus drop off point is available directly outside the building. Flexible arrangements are possible for groups wishing to customise their visits. Enquiries from educators are welcome - please contact the Education Officer.

Years 5-9 Society and Environment

History program: Exploring Australia at war

The Exploring Australia at war history program requires three to four hours preparation time at school and four hours for the on-site visit. It is suitable for groups of up to 35 students (larger groups by special arrangement).

The scenario

It's 1943 and John Curtin's Labor Government has recently introduced rationing of essential goods as part of the process of gearing up for 'total war'. Darwin has been bombed repeatedly and even though the Americans have arrived to protect us, the possibility of invasion still seems very real.

From now on you will need both coupons and money to purchase essential items like clothing, sugar, butter and petrol. Working women will be most affected because their wages are only 60% of men's, except for women working in a war industry such as munitions. Still, everyone must make sacrifices if we are to win the war.

Cooperative learning activities

Exploring Australia at War employs cooperative learning activities which are designed to cater for a wide range of learning abilities. Students will work in small teams, moving from station to station to complete activities for which they can earn coupon points for their ration books. All activities are hands on and require only limited writing. The activities are cross-curricula in nature and include:

• Document and photograph interpretation of the bombin of Darwin
• Gas masks construction
• Snakes and ladders
• Jigsaws
• Mapwork using magnets
• Pie graph construction using magnets
• A 1940s technology interactive

The program is a self-contained package requiring some 'at school' preparation

When you book you will receive a comprehensive resource kit and instructions for the visit. Exploring Australia at War is a self-contained package which includes lesson outlines and learning resources for the 'at-school' preparation. Students will learn about:

• How rationing and other austerity measures operated
• How to use pounds, shillings and pence
• About wages for men and women during WW2
• How to draw up a simple budget to show what expenses a single person had at this time
• How to interpret cartoons
• About John Curtin's background using internet resources
  
  

The program offers an exciting on-site visit to the JCPML

When you visit the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library your students will:

• View a brief photographic history of the life of John Curtin
• Use archival film, photographs and documents to learn about the bombing of Darwin and air raid precautions (includes making a gas mask)
• Work in teams to complete a series of 6-8 activities in the major exhibition The pursuit of knowledge: Curtin, Looking ever forward in which students can earn coupon points for their ration books
• Use their ration coupons and savings from weekly income to purchase goods

Booking information & form

Years 5-9 Society & Environment and the Arts

Drama program: A week on the wireless

A week on the wireless drama program requires four to five hours preparation at school using the lesson outlines provided by the JCPML and three hours on site at the JCPML. It is suitable for groups of up to 35 students only).

The scenario

It’s March 1945. Throughout the war the radio has been an important source of communication, information, entertainment and education for the Australian people and you are proud to be working in radio, no matter how small a part you play. You know how important your work is to national morale – you believe that your work is as important as any other aspect of the war effort such as Prime Minister John Curtin’s broadcasts to the Australian public.

Cooperative learning activities

A Week on the wireless invites students to create an imaginary series of radio programs set in 1945. The cooperative learning activities are designed to cater for a wide range of learning abilities. The group will be divided into 5 teams, each producing a different aspect of radio programming. Students will use and develop skills in the following learning areas as they create their radio program:

• Society and Environment,
• Mathematics,
• English
• Technology
• The Arts - Drama, Electronic Media and Music
• Values

The program is a self-contained package requiring some 'at school' preparation

When you book you will receive a comprehensive resource kit and instructions for the vist. A Week on the Wireless is a self contained package which includes lesson outlines and learning resources for the 'at school' preparation. Students will learn:

• About the history of radio
• About the importance of radio as a source of communication, information, entertainment and education
• To use secondary sources, documents and photographs to plan and partially prepare an imaginary series of radio programs set in 1945
• About the importance of clear speech on radio

The program offers an exciting on-site visit to the JCPML

Collier Primary School students presenting a Week on the Wireless

When you visit the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library your students will:

• View archival footage of the making of a radio play in 1945
• Listen to music of the 1940s
• Complete planning of their own radio program including the addition of music and sound effects
• Present their radio program to other members of the class
• Have their presentation recorded to take back to school

Combined program requirements

The combined JCPML Society & Environment and Arts (Drama program requires a minimum of seven hours preparation at school (three hours for Exploring Australia at War and four hours for A Week on the Wireless) using the lesson outlines provided by the JCPML. The combined program can ONLY be offered to groups of 35 or less and requires five hours on site.

Booking information & form