Year 8 KXP 2021
WW1 was a turning point, playing a critical role in the formation of Australian national life and identity.
For too long, the stereotype of the digger in the slouch hat – the selfless, masculine larrikin and the mate - dominated the national narrative.
Meanwhile, women were traditionally assigned the role of the virtuous and sacrificial onlooker or supporter who waited upon or waited for our heroic men.
Her story is far more complex and interesting than that. This KXP explores Australian involvement in The Great War, with a focus on the the forgotten and unheard stories of women.
The unit analyses representations of war in history, art, music, memory and commemoration to better tell...
Herstory
The Women Who Waited?
A Historical Response
Why an editorial?
History is a living, breathing subject. It is a fallacy that it is simply the study of the past. It is in fact, the study of people right now and their interactions with governments and the institutions around them. It can be shaped and altered at any moment, based on new discoveries and sources of evidence. It can also be made today with the single or collective actions of a person or group of people. In fact, history curriculum is the most written about and debated subject in the curriculum.
The editorial task invites you to engage with a national historical debate which resurfaces during commemorations such as Anzac Day and Australia Day.
Whose history do we celebrate on these days?
Are women sufficiently part of the narrative?
Why are women’s contributions to history and government diminished?
Is there a solution to the national problem?
"The fact of the matter is that women played an enormous role in WWI both at home and on the front, but this has been forgotten."
"We at the Iris Times believe that women aren’t given enough credit to what they sacrificed in the war. They are just now starting to be commemorated for their war efforts, and still aren’t remembered nearly as much as the men are."
"The first step towards building a healthier society that we can be proud of is recognizing women’s contributions to WWI in the Anzac legend."
"What makes the soldiers so special and the women so…not?"
"Although women provided an enormous number of contributions to Australia during wartime, they’re not fully remembered by the public."
Music
WW1 Commemoration and Memory
Music's Perspective
Music is a many faceted subject
It is mathematical, scientific and historical apart from being important in and of itself.
When we look back at history we see that music gives a very clear reflection of the time in which it was written.
When the Music Department was invited to be part of the KXP we jumped at the chance to participate as we knew that our ensemble-based curriculum was able to accommodate a change of repertoire to fit the given theme.
The choral piece, ‘In Flanders Fields’, has been a particular favourite for some years now, and it has a string orchestra accompaniment which was able to be performed by the Year 8 Classroom String ensemble.
The students’ reflections clearly indicate an understanding of music’s ability to further enhance already great text.
As our KXP journey has revealed, women are still very much under-represented in the ‘Classical’ composing world and we hope that our current students will be inspired to consider the possibilities around composing in the future.
Music is in itself, an important historical source that helps to deepen our understanding of humanity at the time – in this case those who survived war and the desperate desire for hope and renewal.
Artwork
Online Gallery
The Women Who Waited: A Visual Arts Response
The Year 8 Visual Arts class responded to the theme, ‘The Women Who Waited’ largely through the medium of photography.
Each student produced digital images drawing on the symbolism used throughout World War One that told the stories and emotions of the women who were left behind while their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers were fighting in the war.
The students drew on their knowledge acquired from their History and Art theory classes to develop their own visual language to convey these stories and emotions.
Through the use of a variety of materials they created symbols of grief, anxiety, the need to keep busy and of their contributions to the war effort.
Their imagery was enhanced as they developed skills in a range of artistic conventions such as learning about composition through the placement of subject matter, lighting effects and photographic angles.
The final artworks were highly evocative, communicating the feelings and context of these turbulent times.
To view artwork as a slideshow, click on any image
KXP Excursion
Shrine of Remembrance
Year 8 students have been studying WW1 as a great historical turning point, exploring how the war transformed the social, political and economic landscape of the world. In this expedition, the students studied the legacy and commemoration of war in their Art, Music, Stem and History classes, as part of a KXP called 'The Women Who Waited? Forgotten Stories of WW1’.
The visit to the Shrine marked the official launch of this exciting KXP; a unit which will culminate in the students producing an exhibition for members of the public including The Stonnington Historical Society, Alicia Cerreto (Professional Historian) and Brian Hogg (Composer) who providing added expertise and insight along our KXP journey.
During the launch, students were taken on a guided tour of The Galleries of Remembrance and The Memorial Gardens where they viewed the stories of Australians in wartime through artworks, historical objects, rare images and interactive multimedia. In the afternoon, students viewed the film Gallipoli by Peter Weir, analysing the depictions of the Australian diggers within it as a precursor to learning and understanding The Anzac Legend.
