Students have embraced this year’s National History Challenge resulting in almost 100 entries from 20 schools across the State.
Between them they have produced 50 essays, 28 museum pieces and more than 15 multimedia entries on topics as diverse as convicts, wars, exploration, environmental issues and indigenous Australians.
Today 15 students from nine Tasmanian schools were recognised for their efforts. Ruby Van Ommen-Brown, a year 9 student from the Friends School was named Tasmania’s Young Historian for her project Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Journey of the Endurance. Two Tasmanians also received national recognition for their work: Beatrice Thurston-Regan (Taroona High School) for her project The Franklin River Dam proposal 1978-1983; and Laura Ashby (Sheffield School) for her project Triumph and Tragedy in the Plains Wars.
The three will travel to Canberra at the end of the month for the National Awards at Parliament House.
It’s a huge credit to Tasmanian teachers that such a large number of students have invested themselves in this project.
The National History Challenge encourages students to use research and inquiry-based learning to discover more about the past. This year the competition theme was ‘Triumph or Tragedy’. The full list of winners can be found at www.historychallenge.org.au