Curriculum Guidelines to the Cottage

Blundells' Cottage supports strong links to the Australian curriculum, including the national frameworks for primary and secondary teaching.

Primary Level Curriculum

It has been identified that Blundells' Cottage links to the national curriculum in many ways. We promote learning that relates directly to themes in Studies of Society and Environment with a particular emphasis on colonial Australia, early farm practices and gender roles.

The pre-visit kit and procedure for a school tour at the Blundells' Cottage focuses on links to several teaching strands which include;

• Place and Space
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the past in Australia.
• Develop understanding of sequences of changes that have occurred over time.
• Develop understanding of what is distinctive and important about particular places.
• Develop how people and places interrelate.
• Time, Continuity and Change
• Examine aspects of places and how they change or persist over time and space.
• Focus on continuity and change in people's lives through investigation of sources.
• Analysis of how and why changes have occurred through time.
• Conceptualise time, heritage, causation, change and continuity.
• Investigation, Communication and Participation
• Develop skills of research, processing data and interpreting or applying findings.
• Develop skills of interpreting, using, producing and conveying information.
• Develop ability to listen, share, discuss, debate, reflect and to communicate ideas effectively.
• These teaching strands can be supported by activities held at the cottage or in the pre-visit kits. The activities would develop an understanding of:
• historic activities and events;
• differing life stories of Australian people;
• the way people interacted with their environment;
• the way change can occur over a period of time;
• natural and built features; and
• community care of places.

Blundells' Cottage is an ideal teaching resource which can assist students in learning to identify and empathise with the varying perspectives of individuals and groups throughout Australia's history and attempt to understand the actions, values, attitudes, gender roles and motives of people in the past.

Links have been provided for the National Profiles (Level 2 Studies of Society & Environment) and, where possible, student outcomes and indicators have been listed.  Many of the activities included will also fit into the other state and territory curriculum frameworks.  The National Capital Authority is aware of the development of Essential Learning Achievementstatements.  Suggested Essential Learning Achievement developments associated with school visits to Blundells' Cottage have also been included.