Ngoolyark (Class 7) Medieval History and Literature

For the past four weeks Class 7 have been delving deeply into the Middle Ages. Our first stop was to explore how life may have been in the Middle Ages in our own hemisphere with the Indigenous People of Australia. To get a real sense of the breadth of time the First Nations People have lived upon this land, we took a piece of rope and measured off 1 metre for every 10,000 years until we totalled 60,000 years. We then measured the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia, and a tiny quarter of a centimetre was marked, hardly perceptible to the eye!

Time is such an interesting barometer for measuring a lived reality we can hardly imagine now. Interestingly, time allows us to reflect upon endings and beginnings, to get a feel for what was once real and true, and to discover how much time ‘back then’ has contributed and influenced here and now. 

The Middle Ages, brought to the class so many unique characteristics and qualities. As we discovered about the Lady of Shallot, who lived in a tower under a curse so she could only observe Camelot by looking through a mirror and weaving her observations, we were stirred by her choice to leave the tower, even though she knew the consequences for such a choice. Intriguingly, when put to the test, we all agreed we would have also left the tower for a moment of freedom and life.

We became Monks for a day listening to Georgian Chanting, describing a life that adhered to the vows of obedience, poverty and chastity. No-one in the class, however, seemed remotely interested in giving up their modern comforts to live such a life, but we did get to appreciate the long-lasting influence Monks and their Monasteries have had upon the world.

Learning all about King Arthur, we took delight in creating our own Knightly Code of Chivalry, using decorative calligraphy, adorned with gold leaf, water colours and some very fancy work, so paper looked old and worn. Completely immersed and attentive, you would have heard a feather float to the ground during that lesson, it was an experience I will deeply cherish.

I will leave you with the 6 Codes of Chivalry to ponder:

Justice – always hold yourself to the highest standard, be fair

Honour – adhere to what is right and true

Generosity – give willingly, including attention, wisdom, and attention

Faith – have trust, believe in yourself

Strength – follow through with your convictions, stand again when you fall

Humility – be willing to take care of others as you take care of yourself

Go Gently,
Anne-Marie McShannon
Ngoolyark (Class 7) Teacher

Class 8

Class 8 performed their play, ‘A Feast of Shakespeare’ to parents and families last Monday evening at the Darlington Hall. After some hot rehearsals the previous week, the students donned their costumes and make-up and took to the stage. The evening performance went well with the audience enchanted by fairies, and amused by bumbling mechanicals, tired nurses, and exotic islanders. Thanks to Jane Diamond and all those involved in the wonderful production.

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Class 9

Class 9 is currently engaged in the unravelling of the physics of technology, discovering and explaining how the many technologies that we take for granted work. Science is about asking questions and considerately speculating on the answer. During lessons, we have explored and discussed many questions about the operations, uses and applications of the many technologies that we find around us.  There has been a specific focus on the telephone and the internal combustion engine as these machines have played an important and integral part in our society and the way we move and communicate (for better and for worse). 

English scientist, Michael Faraday, observed and recorded that when he slid a bar magnet in and out of a coil of copper wire, it generated electricity.  As long as the magnet was moving inside the coil, electricity would always occur. By moving a magnet slowly inside a copper coil, small amounts of electricity would flow, and by moving the magnet quickly inside a coil, large amounts of electricity would flow. This concept became known as Faraday’s Law of Induction, an important basis of modern technologies such as the microphone and speaker of a phone, a key component of the telephone. This concept formed the basis of the Class 9 students’ understanding of how a telephone works.

As for exploring the internal combustion engine, students have begun to dismantle a four-stroke engine from a petrol lawnmower to observe how it works. The dismantling process was messy, invoked curiosity and questions, and was lots of fun. Thanks to Simon the Design & Technology Teacher, without whom the lawnmowers would still be hiding in the garden shed. This week we will be wrapping up the Main Lesson with a detailed exploration of the stages of the four-stroke engine and how it relates to the petrol cars of today.

Bill Bennett
Science and Maths Teacher