Earlier in the week, a few Year 12 English students were fortunate enough to pay a visit to the Auckland War Museum as part of their ongoing study of war poetry.
Students were able to travel back in time, back to when life was far more difficult and, for many people, living was dangerous. During these times, many men and women sacrificed their lives for the safety of their country and the lucky Year 12s were able to witness artifacts (from planes to their clothes) used by these people. They were also able to find more information about the people who were affected, events that occurred and why they occurred.
The students participated in an activity where they were split into groups and were allocated a station. Each station had an object covered by a small cloth. When they were uncovered, the Year 12s soon found that they were actual objects used during the war.
This was a great learning experience for them because not only were they able to see objects from the war, but to also touch and feel them, which could greatly help them in their studies and writing of war poetry. Even more, they were also shown pictures of horrific injuries that soldiers sustained during the war, allowing them to visualize the feelings of dread, horror and pain that were felt during the time and that war poets are also trying to get through in their writing.
Thank you to Mrs. Sullivan who organized the whole trip that the students not only enjoyed but also gained useful knowledge from.
Angelika Bilbao
