Night at the Museum Expo

History came to life at both our campuses this week when Year 9 students showcased their creations at our annual Night at the Museum Expo, which focused on their World War I studies in Humanities.

Wonderfully detailed three-dimensional models depicting trench warfare, artworks in remembrance of the fallen and re-creations of historical artefacts were on display, taking visitors back in time and exploring themes such as conscription, weapons, health and food.

Students also focused on mateship, taking part in activities that required teamwork and collaboration.

On behalf of the Year 9 Humanities team, we would like to extend our thanks to the families who supported students in creating the artefacts at home. We hope this gave you a chance to talk with your child about the World War I topics covered in class. We also appreciate the support of those who attended the Expo and saw the hard work of our students.

Lastly, we would like to thank the Year 9 Humanities teachers for all their hard work in facilitating this assessment and exhibition. This unit wouldn't be as successful as it is without their contributions.

Melton Expo

Cobblebank Expo

What our students had to say

I found learning about the trench rats in World War I interesting because I wasn’t aware that any creatures could survive the harsh conditions on the battlefields. So when I found out that there were actually nasty rats lurking and tormenting the soldiers, I immediately decided to research this for my assessment.

My artefact was a painting, crafted with watercolour and inspired by the vintage style of Renaissance paintings. During the painting process, I wanted to depict the trench rats as horrifying and scary.

Learning about World War I definitely opened my eyes to the real realities of war, and I think being informed and aware of topics like this is so important. Many issues, such as war, are often disregarded or discussed satirically in current times. Being informed of the true gruesomeness of war and what the soldiers had to go through could encourage more people to be against unnecessary conflict. Sophia - Cobblebank Campus

In Term 1 we learned about World War I and how multiple things influenced what happened during the war. I enjoyed this topic a lot, since it covered such a big part of our history and allowed us to create artefacts to represent this. We could choose a specific place or piece of machinery to base our project on, and I chose dogfighting (a tactical form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft).

My artefact highlighted the air battles fought. Soldiers had to suffer an endless period of fighting both in the air and on the ground, and my aim was to show the eternal suffering that was normalised throughout the war. Georgia - Cobblebank Campus

I have always been fascinated by the past, so I jumped at the chance to look further into what life was actually like for soldiers on the front lines during World War I. 

For my project, I chose to focus on trench life. I researched the harsh conditions the soldiers faced, such as the constant mud, cramped spaces, and poor hygiene. It made me realise the level of stress they were under every day and gave me a much deeper appreciation for what they went through. 

The highlight of the task for me was definitely creating the diorama. I’ve always enjoyed hands-on, creative work, so I liked being able to bring my research to life. It was a bit of a challenge to get the scale right and make the details look realistic, but I felt proud of the final result. Overall, I found this task really engaging because it combined historical research with a creative project. It was a great way to learn, and it helped me gain a much clearer picture of trench warfare. Ava – Melton Campus

Researching World War I for the expo was fun and engaging. It helped me better understand the causes and impacts of the war, especially events like the actions of Gavrilo Princip and the tensions within Austria-Hungary. Building the artefact was also enjoyable, as it gave me the chance to be creative and bring my ideas to life in a hands-on way.  Maja - Melton Campus