What Babanango Valley What Babanango Valley Environmental Centre can Environmental Centre can

offer History educators and offer History educators and scholars.scholars.

Practical learning is inspired Practical learning is inspired learninglearning

Improving History at “foundation Improving History at “foundation phase”phase”

•We strive to popularize history amongst We strive to popularize history amongst Primary and Secondary scholars Primary and Secondary scholars•We strive to make history a hands-on, We strive to make history a hands-on, practical discipline whereby scholars go practical discipline whereby scholars go into the field to discover history in its into the field to discover history in its primary source. primary source.

Perceptions of History amongst Perceptions of History amongst students before and afterstudents before and after

19 of 30 students spoke of History in an uninterested 19 of 30 students spoke of History in an uninterested and dispassionate manner before toursand dispassionate manner before tours

10 of these 19 students spoke differently subsequent 10 of these 19 students spoke differently subsequent to 2 full day excursions to battlefields and historical to 2 full day excursions to battlefields and historical places of interest – they seemed positive and places of interest – they seemed positive and enthusiastic about history/history toursenthusiastic about history/history tours

Prior to the tour:Prior to the tour:Question: How do you feel about history:Question: How do you feel about history:• ““I’m not going to take History as a I’m not going to take History as a

subject next year, it is boring” (Grade 9 subject next year, it is boring” (Grade 9 student)student)

• ““History is numbers and dates I can History is numbers and dates I can never remember ” (Grade 8 student)never remember ” (Grade 8 student)

• ““My father said I must not take History; My father said I must not take History; he said accounting and business he said accounting and business economics will benefit me more” (Grade economics will benefit me more” (Grade 9 student)9 student)

• ““Aaahhh…do we have to do any reading” Aaahhh…do we have to do any reading” (Grade 8 student)(Grade 8 student)

• ““Is it Apartheid history?...I don’t like Is it Apartheid history?...I don’t like apartheid history ” (Grade 9 student)apartheid history ” (Grade 9 student)

After tour:After tour:Question:Question: how do you feel about History how do you feel about History

after the tour?after the tour?• ““It was fun, it was a great story and I It was fun, it was a great story and I

liked the hike up the Isandlwana liked the hike up the Isandlwana mountain”.mountain”.

• ““The history tour was really interesting, The history tour was really interesting, the views from Spirit of emakhosini were the views from Spirit of emakhosini were great”. great”.

• ““History can be so much fun especially History can be so much fun especially when you right there where it all when you right there where it all happened”.happened”.

• ““I could picture everything happening I could picture everything happening right in front of me at Rorke’s Drift”.right in front of me at Rorke’s Drift”.

Popular History Destinations (0-1 Popular History Destinations (0-1 hrs)hrs)• Isandlwana Battlefield (A-Z)Isandlwana Battlefield (A-Z)• Rorke’s Drift Battlefield (A-Z)Rorke’s Drift Battlefield (A-Z)• Fugitives Drift (A-Z)Fugitives Drift (A-Z)• Battle of Blood River battlefield (Z-B)Battle of Blood River battlefield (Z-B)• Babanango coppermine (local)Babanango coppermine (local)• Spirit of emakhosini (Z)Spirit of emakhosini (Z)• Piet Retief’s grave/kwaMatiwane (Z-Piet Retief’s grave/kwaMatiwane (Z-

B)B)• uMGungundlovu/Dingaanstad (Z)uMGungundlovu/Dingaanstad (Z)• Prince Imperial monument (A-Z)Prince Imperial monument (A-Z)• Senzangakhona’s grave (Z)Senzangakhona’s grave (Z)

Popular destinations: (1-2 Popular destinations: (1-2 hrs)hrs)

• Ondini Royal homestead & museum (A-Ondini Royal homestead & museum (A-Z)Z)

• Talana Battlefield and museum (A-B-Z)Talana Battlefield and museum (A-B-Z)• Shakaland (Z)Shakaland (Z)• Cetshwayo’s grave (Z) Cetshwayo’s grave (Z) • Battlefield of Khambula (A-Z)Battlefield of Khambula (A-Z)• Battlefield of Hlobane (A-Z)Battlefield of Hlobane (A-Z)• Battlefield of Ulundi (A-Z)Battlefield of Ulundi (A-Z)• Battlefield of Nyezane (A-Z)Battlefield of Nyezane (A-Z)

Battle of Ulundi

umGungundlovu

Prince Imperial monument

Battle of Blood River

Tertiary phase?Tertiary phase?= Large scope for University = Large scope for University

excursionsexcursions

Babanango - Bringing History back to life

Thank you!