A Message from the Leader of Learning HSIE
Alexander Finall
Year 9 History students
Year 9 History students have been exploring their first topic of the year, The Making of the Modern World. A key focus has been understanding and effectively communicating the cause and effect relationships between major historical events and processes, particularly how they contributed to the outbreak of the first global war in the modern era.
Through collaborative and creative activities, students examined how the Industrial Revolution set in motion key developments such as militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism, factors that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I. To deepen their understanding, students used visual learning tools such as cause and effect chains and flowcharts, allowing them to map out these complex connections in an engaging and interactive way.
This approach not only strengthened their ability to analyse historical events but also encouraged them to communicate their insights effectively, a skill that will serve them well throughout their historical studies for the remainder of this term and into their next topic Australians at War.
Yeah 11 Modern History and Society and Culture students
Year 11 Modern History and Society & Culture students recently had the privilege of visiting the Sydney Jewish Museum, where they explored historical artefacts and participated in a workshop on the role of historians in shaping narratives of the past. A deeply moving highlight of the experience was hearing from Holocaust survivor Dasia Black, who shared her harrowing story of survival as a child during the Holocaust.
Born in Poland in 1938, Dasia was just four years old when her parents made the heartbreaking decision to leave her in the care of a Polish Catholic woman to keep her safe. Forced to take on a new identity, she hid in plain sight, never seeing her parents again. After the war, she was adopted by her aunt and uncle.
Hearing Dasia’s firsthand account was an unforgettable and powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of remembering the past.