Danielle Raffaele – Jewish Studies Teacher

On Thursday 28 May 2020, the Year 9 Jewish Studies elective class for ‘Israel through Archaeology’ participated in an online excursion called Groundwork at the Big Dig Archaeology Education Centre located at The Rocks, Sydney. This virtual online program replaced the physical excursion that was scheduled before the COVID-19 physical distancing measures were established. Students used written and archaeological sources to undertake an inquiry-based investigation into topics such as the lives of the men and women who lived and worked in The Rocks in the 19^th century. Daniel Solomon, Lucy Klein and Aaron Khedoori shared their reflections on the program: 

Instead of physically going to the Big Dig in the Rocks, the Year 9 Jewish studies class went on a virtual ‘excursion’. Although it was disappointing not to go there physically, the ‘excursion’ was very interesting and fun. There was lots of information to learn and it was quite enjoyable.
By Daniel Solomon

In our Jewish Studies elective of Archaeology we had a very interesting online virtual excursion. During this excursion we were taken through various activities where we learnt about the history of our land, examining artefacts and using knowledge to date certain items in chronological order. There were three instructors who essentially showed us what we would’ve done if we were there but took us through it as if we were there. We could relate examining artefacts to our lives at home and we engaged in an activity at our own homes where we examined an object and made observations like we would with an artefact. It was super interesting and amazing that, despite our circumstances, we were still able to engage in fun activities as if we were on an excursion. By Lucy Klein

When studying archaeology in and around Israel, our class was fortunate enough to have an online excursion with the Big Dig to learn about archaeology, its impact on society, and what we can learn from it. The talk was presented online, and live, where students could view it in real time.

In the talk, a range of interesting archaeological features and items were discussed in detail. We were encouraged to ask questions about archaeological artefacts, such as “What materials is it made from?”, “What are its uses?”, and “Is the artefact complete?”. Using these focus questions, we studied one object around us, and one everyday item from an Australia family’s household in the 1800s-1900s.

Another activity during the online excursion consisted of dating different bottles throughout the past 200 years. The bottles were dated from oldest to youngest, and we learnt that several factors enabled us to understand the dates of each bottle, including the bottles design, label and different uses.

Overall, this online excursion about archaeology by the Big Dig was extremely enjoyable, and enabled a further understanding of archaeology, and different ways to explore it. It provided valuable insights into the world of archaeology for all who partook in it, and encouraged us to learn further. By Aaron Khedoori

Year 9 Jewish Studies excursion online