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Today we wanted something to do, other than sit around. So we went to the info center. we got told some things to do. These were our options: The School Of The Air Museum or The Pioneer Womens Museum. We had a vote and decided first we'd do the pioneer womens museum.
When we got there we found out that it was in the old gaol. First we looked in the old womens cells. They were pretty small and there as only a toilet and a bed. They were actually quite warm. Then we went into the old kitchen. It had been turned into a museum. I couldn't see any clues showing that it used to be a kitchen. It had alot of information about women being the first to win/get a degree/join/become part of thier chosen field. Then we saw the males old cells. They were slightly bigger, alot lighter and heaps colder.
Then we had a bit of lunch. After lunch we went to the school of the air museum. The school of the air is for kids at least 50km out of Alice Springs. There is also alot of other places around Australia they do school of the air too. Not suprisingly there is no school of the air in Victoria. This is because there is no remote familys that cant send thier kids to school every day because it takes 4 hours to get to and back from school. We saw some live lessons. Each lesson goes for half an hour to an hour and a half. Each lesson is either math, english,art & craft, sport or other things. Sometimes they have famous guests. Some of them are: Prince Charles and Princess Dianna, the Queen, the Melbourne Demons and the Wiggles. The kids take school really seiriously. This is because they see it as a social time. Some of the kids have no other kids to talk to. One kid is the only kid in about 100 square kilometers. They dont play around in class. All children have a tutor at home. The tutor can be anyone. 80% of the time the kids mother is their tutor. School of the air has been going for a long time. they used to do it by radio. Back then the kids never got to see their teachers but now the school of the air has a week where the kids all come to Alice Springs and do sports and meet the other kids in thier class face to face. This only happens 3 or 4 times a year. Now they do it over a computer. This means that the kids can see their teacher. Their school hours are 8:30 to 3:00. They have a half a hour lesson with their teacher then they have to do work sheets and problems.
When we got back we had another swim. We went down the water slide a few times and just floated in the other pools.
After tea we went to a place in the caravan park where an astronomer told us about the planets. We got to look at Jupiter through the telescope. It looked like a white cricket ball because it had two lines going through it. These lines are cloud and gas. We also saw the Hubble telescope go overhead. When I was looking at Mars through our binoculars a shooting star went staight past it. We learnt about constalations and the milky way.
Thats all for today and we will check in soon.
by Callan
- comments
Nanny Cal, great blog, I've learnt lots Happy holidays , love Nanny and Pop xxx
Bebsie Wow Cal, it sounds like you're learning so much and having the holiday of a lifetime. Love all you blogs.
Sandra Mullane The school had some famous guests today also - "The McKay family"! Learning lots and having so much fun!