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Fake blood, latex buboes and special effects make-up were all part of the lesson when pre-service Humanities and Social Science (HASS) teachers took part in a Black Death workshop.

The workshop, delivered by UWA’s Centre for the History of Emotions (CHE), gave pre-service teachers a taste of the incursions which the CHE can offer to school students.

Joanna Tyler, Education Outreach Officer at the CHE, shared the teaching and learning activities she would normally use with Year 8 school students with the pre-service teachers, before running a practical session using special effects make-up.

The UWA Graduate School of Education’s Dr Loretta Dolan arranged for the CHE to deliver the workshop to pre-service teachers.

“The Black Death, which killed an estimated 75 to 200 million people in Europe and Asia during the 14th century, is approached through a depth study as part of the Western Australian curriculum for Year 8,” Dr Dolan said.

“Due to the fact that HASS teachers can come from four subject areas—history, geography, economics and politics and law—many will have to teach the subject with little or no prior knowledge. The workshop not only furthered their knowledge on the subject, but gave the pre-service teachers an idea for a fun and informative incursion that could be run in schools.”

UWA’s pre-service teachers also have access to experts from leading government and non-government agencies.

“During the first half of this year, we had visits from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA); One World Centre, which is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation which provides transformative education, with the aim of encouraging and supporting an active and engaged citizenship, and a just and sustainable future for all; the Electoral Education Centre and the WA Parliamentary Education Office,” Dr Dolan said.

“Now that UWA’s Graduate School of Education and School of Humanities are both part of the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education, the Black Death workshop was a fantastic opportunity to have some intra-faculty collaboration. The workshop helped our pre-service teachers understand what a great resource UWA will be for them once they begin their teaching career.”

Media references

Verity Chia (Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education)                                              (+61 8) 6488 1346