Learning from School Buildings and Buildings associated with schools.
Children's attention is drawn to the design features of early national schools-windows were often high above ground level, they had chimneys,
most were single storey buildings and most had a porch. Children compare what they observe about two school buildings one of which was built in 1865 and the other in 1872.
- External Evidence from School Buildings
The unit gets children to examine clues to buildings such as dates on plaques, chimneys and doors. Children are asked to comment on how well- preserved these plaques are. Children will see many examples of buildings and are asked to comment on any damage caused by weathering or building decay which they notice.
- Teachers' Residences
Children learn that because many of the early national schools were situated in the countryside and because there were no motor cars teachers were often given a house to live in near the school. An example of one such residence is shown. Children also see some written evidence which shows the difficulty which some schools in remote areas had in finding teachers if there was no residence provided.
- Heating in Schools Long Ago
Here children are shown the importance which turf played in heating schools. The see pictorial evidence and visual evidence of this. Later they will hear an oral account.
- Sanitation: Evidence about school toilets
An area which children should find interesting is the question of sanitation in schools prior to the use of modern flush toilets. Children will notice that toilets were situated in outbuildings and that there were separate outbuildings for girls and boys. They will see evidence which remains of these structures. Evidence is presented through the use of pictures as well as from descriptions from oral evidence.
- Doors and Latches on school doors
Some evidence is provided, through examples of photographs, of various latch type and also some doors. Children should be encouraged to take their own photographs of old doors door handles in the locality and compare them to those seen in the unit . They can find out how these were made in the past. Children could also draw doors and latches or door handles in their own school and compare them to the doors seen here.