Returned World War I is a Theatre-in-Education program that journeys back to the time of the Great War to explore the personal, social and political impacts of war. The program addresses impact before, during and after soldiers had returned to Australia. Based at the World War I heritage sites of Fort Lytton and the Lytton Quarantine Station, students are engaged in a deep exploration of complex ideas about the cause and effect of historical events and the changes this war brought to Australian society.
During the program, students interrogate actors in role and engage with personal historical material. They explore developments in military technology, touching on themes of warfare, women, waste and loss, both during The Great War and upon returning to home soil under the immense threat of Spanish Influenza.
The use of theatre and drama conventions provide students with opportunities to engage intellectually and emotionally with the material to develop and express their own understandings and personal views. They are asked to reflect on why we choose to remember this time and to encapsulate these ideas by designing a new 21st century memorial at the time of the 100th anniversary.
Curriculum Intent
History
Historical Knowledge and Understanding
Students investigate key aspects of World War I and the Australian experience of the war, including the nature and significance of the war in world and Australian history.
An overview of the causes of World War I and the reasons why men enlisted to fight in the war (ACDSEH021)
The places where Australians fought and the nature of warfare during World War I, including the Gallipoli campaign (ACDSEH095)
The impact of World War I, with a particular emphasis on Australia (such as the use of propaganda to influence the civilian population, the changing role of women, the conscription debate) (ACDSEH096)
- The commemoration of World War I, including debates about the nature and significance of the Anzac legend (ACDSEH097)
Historical Skills
Use historical terms and concepts (ACHHS165)
Identify and locate relevant sources, using ICT and other methods (ACHHS168)
Identify the origin, purpose and context of primary and secondary sources (ACHHS169)
Process and synthesise information from a range of sources for use as evidence in a historical argument (ACHHS170)
Identify and analyse the perspectives of people from the past (ACHHS172)
Identify and analyse different historical interpretations (including their own) (ACHHS173)
Select and use a range of communication forms (oral, graphic, written) and digital technologies (ACHHS175)
General Capabilities
Critical and creative thinking
- Identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas; generating ideas, possibilities and actions; analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
Ethical Understanding
Personal and social capability