By Ian Williams
Students in Renmark have been on a fascinating journey back in time reliving the pioneering era of the River Murray paddle steamers.
It seems ‘riverboat captain’ is now top of the career list for many Year 3 and 4 students at St Joseph’s School after being immersed in the glory days of the riverboat trade.
Teachers Greg Reeks and Jordan Whitelaw worked together on the four-month history project which explored all aspects of life on the river.
“By tapping into local resources we’ve really brought history to life,” explains Greg. “Our classes have been exposed to real river people and real things that directly relate to where they live and who they are.”
Teacher Greg Reeks with students and their riverboat models
Studying The River Kings by South Australian author Max Fatchen provided a great insight into the adventurous spirit of the early settlers and their lives on the Murray.
Riverboat captains Tony Smith and Nick Sciancalepore visited the school to provide first-hand insights into working on the boats and the various skills required.
Riverboat captain Nick Sciancalepore provides first-hand insights into working on a riverboat
Local steamboat volunteer Jackson Wickham also took a class to explain the history of PS Industry and Amphibious, the two steamships that featured in the movie version of The River Kings.
Greg says the emphasis today was very much on team teaching and student-based learning that is inquiry focused, with teachers acting more like facilitators.
“This is how students learn best,” says Jordan. “The students have experienced what the riverboat era was like and now they are doing their own research on a variety of topics from the evolution of transport to the history of paddle steamers.”
Teacher Jordan Whitelaw and students on a riverboat visit
Parents have also got right behind the project and will be joining their children on board PS Industry for a riverboat cruise and tour in early June. Demand is so strong that two trips are planned to accommodate all 120 passengers.
“It’s been an adventure they’ll never forget and has inspired them to follow their own dreams,” Greg says.
mapp.data.push( {“alignment”:””,”center”:{“lat”:-34.1705702,”lng”:140.7501095},”editable”:null,”filter”:null,”height”:200,”hideEmpty”:null,”initialOpenDirections”:null,”initialOpenInfo”:false,”layers”:null,”layout”:”inline”,”mapid”:”59″,”mapTypeId”:”roadmap”,”metaKey”:null,”mapOpts”:null,”name”:”mapp1″,”poiList”:false,”postid”:”8023″,”query”:null,”title”:”Untitled”,”width”:”100%”,”zoom”:11,”pois”:[{“address”:”Renmark SA 5341, Australia”,”body”:”Australia”,”correctedAddress”:”Renmark SA 5341, Australia”,”iconid”:null,”point”:{“lat”:-34.1705702,”lng”:140.7501095},”poly”:null,”postid”:null,”kml”:null,”thumbnail”:null,”title”:”Renmark SA 5341″,”type”:null,”url”:null,”viewport”:{“sw”:{“lat”:-34.1921646,”lng”:140.72405300000003},”ne”:{“lat”:-34.1344601,”lng”:140.77679009999997}},”html”:”
“}]} );
if (typeof mapp.load != ‘undefined’) { mapp.load(); };
Regional Awards Partners
