Studying the Past: History Incursions and Excursions
FEEDING CURIOSITY AND FOSTERING INTEREST
Experiential and tactile learning promoting student engagement and assisting learning
FROM THE FIELD TO YOUR CLASSROOM
First-hand experiences from Macquarie University archaeological research projects
EXPERIENCED AND DYNAMIC EDUCATORS
Developed and facilitated by academics, PhD candidates and researchers with a diverse set of skills, experiences and expertise
About us
Studying the Past is the education and engagement initiative of the Department of History and Archaeology, which facilitates engaging curriculum-linked workshops and programs for Modern and Ancient History students. Through incursions, excursions, and online workshops, the program links the discipline expertise of academics and researchers from Macquarie with schools and community groups.
Our programs are designed to complement the relevant NSW curriculum and create a dynamic environment for students to put the knowledge they have learnt in class into action. Our workshops are designed to provide students with the opportunity to engage in higher-order thinking tasks such as critical analysis and the evaluation and synthesis of written and material sources. They involve a variety of learning styles, incorporating performance, creative thinking, visual processing, tactile learning, and group work, ensuring that students are provided with an informative, enjoyable and enriching engagement with history.
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Our Programs
We offer a range of incursion and excursion programs tailored to Stages 4, 5, and 6 across Ancient and Modern History. For schools outside Greater Sydney, programs are delivered online via your school’s preferred video conferencing platform (i.e., Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams). All security protocols will be followed to ensure safe delivery.
Excursion programs at all levels include a tour of the new Macquarie University History Museum, with spotlight talks on objects and displays related to students' areas of study. Workshops are engaging and tactile opportunities for students to put their historical skills into practise through Object-Based Learning. Seminars present the latest scholarly research and may be prepared and presented by academics (additional cost incurred and subject to availability), Early Career Researchers, or Higher Degree by Research candidates from the Department of History and Archaeology.
We also offer a selection of our programs to non-school community groups with an interest in history and archaeology, such as aged-care facilities and local clubs. For further details about these programs, please see the information booklet/Expression of Interest form: Community Groups.
Stage 4 – Ancient History
The Ancient History Stage 4 program offers workshops on Ancient Rome, Greece, or Egypt. Any of these workshops can be delivered as part of an excursion or incursion, and those marked with * can also be offered in an online format.
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For further details about these programs, please see the information booklets/Expression of Interest forms:
Stage 6 – Ancient History
The Ancient History Stage 6 program offers workshops and academic seminars on Ancient Rome, Greece, or Egypt. Any of these workshops can be delivered as part of an excursion or incursion, with the exception of Artefact Analysis, which utilises artefacts from the Macquarie University History Museum’s teaching collection and takes place in our artefact handling laboratory. Seminars can also be offered in an online format.
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* We have the capacity to deliver seminars on almost all Stage 6 Ancient History topics relating to ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece, and Rome. Please let us know the subject you would like the seminar to be on, and any key topics you would like addressed.
For further details about these programs, please see the information booklets/Expression of Interest forms:
Stage 5 – Modern History
Our newly developed Stage 5 Modern History program offers seminars and workshops centred around the Stage 5 core study 'Australians at War'. The workshops can be delivered as part of an excursion or incursion, and seminars can also be offered in an online format.
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Having recently launched our Modern History programs, we look forward to expanding our program offering. Please let us know what you would like to see covered in workshops and seminars and we will make it happen!
For further details about these programs, please see the information booklets/Expression of Interest forms:
Stage 6 – Modern History
Our newly developed Stage 6 Modern History program offers seminars and workshops centred around the Year 11 'Investigating Modern History' section and the Year 12 'Power and Authority' core study. The workshops can be delivered as part of an excursion or incursion, and seminars can also be offered in an online format.
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Having recently launched our Modern History programs, we look forward to expanding our program offering. Please let us know what you would like to see covered in workshops and seminars and we will make it happen!
For further details about these programs, please see the information booklets/Expression of Interest forms:
Contact Us
To book a program with us, please complete the relevant Expression of Interest form/s and email to arts.historyprograms@mq.edu.au.
Please contact us by email to be added to our teacher contact list or for further information on how the Studying the Past team can tailor our programs to suit your students.
Follow us on Twitter @PastStudying and Facebook @StudyingthePast
Testimonials
We had a great time, and our students got a lot out of the sessions … the interactive session was very informative and fun at the same time. We also loved the museum and the wonderful displays you have. – Al Amanah College, 2023
An outstanding education experience – Morisset High School, 2023
highly engaging and informative … thorough and pitched really well to the age group and ability level of the students - Stella Maris College, 2023
All the students were thoroughly engaged in the Artefact Analysis session. They were able to build observation skills, practise drawing hypotheses and identify objects they could refer to in examinations. This was excellent preparation for upcoming assessment tasks. The Year 12s were able to gain more detailed analysis of source material from Pompeii and Herculaneum. We were able to construct deeper and more complex evaluations of their usefulness. The Museum visit allowed the students to understand what a well run museum actually feels like. This gave them a genuine understanding of the importance of preservation and conservation. It was wonderful to see them so enthused and engaged in a real learning experience. They were so proud to be the first school group to have used the dry space. – Epping Boys High School, 2023
An engaging and exciting morning for Stella’s Yr 7 historians. The girls were able to be “hands-on” in history… - Stella Maris College, 2021
This incursion fit beautifully with our current unit of work Investigating History. It allowed students to access authentic information about archaeology in practice and encouraged students to think critically about the physical remains of the past - Patrician Brothers College, 2020
The students absolutely loved being able to handle the physical features of history! ...solid links to the syllabus - Caroline Chisholm College, 2020
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