Living History: Costumed School Camp
📚 About this Excursion
This is the ultimate immersive learning experience — where your students don’t just learn history, they live it.
🧑🏫 LEARN
Over two unforgettable days, students take on the identity of a child in the 1850s, complete with period dress, schoolbooks and social expectations. They’ll be guided by strict 1850s-style teachers (Ma’am or Sir) and attend one of Sovereign Hill’s five historic schools. Students will explore discipline, etiquette, education, class and community through roleplay and structured activities — becoming part of the museum itself.
🔥 EXPERIENCE
Campers will attend a live Gold Pour Demonstration, observe and participate in period-specific tasks, and visit Sovereign Hill businesses and homes from the inside out.
🗺️ EXPLORE
Students roam the Diggings, Main Street, and Speedwell Street as 1850s schoolchildren — engaging in daily life, museum experiences and reflections on how much has changed (and what hasn't).
🎯 This two-day camp blends deep historical understanding with empathy, critical thinking, and roleplay — and creates memories your students will be talking about for years.
About the Program
📚 About this Excursion
This is the ultimate immersive learning experience — where your students don’t just learn history, they live it.
🧑🏫 LEARN
Over two unforgettable days, students take on the identity of a child in the 1850s, complete with period dress, schoolbooks and social expectations. They’ll be guided by strict 1850s-style teachers (Ma’am or Sir) and attend one of Sovereign Hill’s five historic schools. Students will explore discipline, etiquette, education, class and community through roleplay and structured activities — becoming part of the museum itself.
🔥 EXPERIENCE
Campers will attend a live Gold Pour Demonstration, observe and participate in period-specific tasks, and visit Sovereign Hill businesses and homes from the inside out.
🗺️ EXPLORE
Students roam the Diggings, Main Street, and Speedwell Street as 1850s schoolchildren — engaging in daily life, museum experiences and reflections on how much has changed (and what hasn't).
🎯 This two-day camp blends deep historical understanding with empathy, critical thinking, and roleplay — and creates memories your students will be talking about for years.
Documents
Questions & Answers
Objectives
Years 5–6
History
VCHHK091
Causes and effects of change on a colonial society
VCHHK093
Perspectives of people in the past, incl. children
VCHHK094
The significance of events and daily life in shaping a colony
Years 5–6
Personal & Social Capability
VCHPS041
Relationships, empathy, and group responsibilities
VCHPS042
Understanding how roles and values change over time
Years 5–6
Critical & Creative Thinking
VCCCTR025
Consider alternatives and consequences in decision making
VCCCTQ022
Pose questions and apply reasoning to historical situations
Years 5–6
Ethical Capability
VCECU010
Explore ethical decisions in historical contexts
VCECD012
Understand rights, fairness and authority in past settings
Years 5–6
Drama
VCADRE029
Roleplay and perform characters in historical settings