Student reflections on out-of-classroom learning.
Recently our Year 4 and 5 students experienced what it would be like to be a real archaeologist. Linked to their unit of Inquiry investigating the fact that ‘Archaeology and Historical Stories can provide evidence about how people lived in the past.’ within their transdisciplinary theme ‘Where we are in place and time’. The students undertook some learning outside the classroom and were taken to the University of Malaysia (USM) to experience real-life archaeology.
Lenggong Valley Visit.
On the 27th of September, Year 5 and Year 4 went on a trip to Lenggong Valley, an archaeology excavation site. We went there because in school, we have a unit of inquiry about archaeology, and we thought going to the excavation site would be a good choice.
First, I woke up at 6:45 am and went to school. We all boarded the bus at 7:15 am. Year 5 in one bus and Year 4 in the other. The excavation site was in Perak and was run by the University of Malaysia (USM). It took three hours. We were meant to arrive at 9:00 am but due to rain, we arrived at 10:00 am.
Then Professor Dr. Stephen, the head archaeologist on the team, showed us a documentary about the artefacts and fossils they had found. The fossil that caught my eye was a fully preserved skeleton of a human called Perak Man. Perak Man had two disorders, the first one was where his fingers were shorter than usual, and the second disorder was where his spine was curved. Despite his disorders, he lived to the age of 45, twice the age of a normal human at that time.
Next, we did an archaeological dig. We did it for around twenty minutes, and in that time I found six items. First I used a trowel to scoop out dirt, then I used the scraper to create space around the artefact. Next, I used the brush to remove the sand and the artefact.
Finally, we learned how to fire a blowpipe. A blowpipe is a long pipe where you blow at the opening, and the dart comes out the other end. It was a hunting weapon. It was my favorite thing to do at the excavation site.
I think it was worth going to the excavation site because there was still entertainment apart from the stations, such as the puzzle of Perak Man, and the microscope task. I felt lucky because Professor Dr. Stephen is one of the best archaeologists in Malaysia.
Tung
Year 5s
We went to the USM archaeology centre, but first, we had to get there so me and my class went on a bus and so did Year 5. After an hour, we stopped for a snack but we only had five minutes to go to the bathroom and got back on the bus. After an hour and a half more, we finally made it. When we walked in, the staff told us their names (professor Steven Nisa and the photographer Phil). The first activity for my class was looking at the Perak man. He is called that because his real name was never discovered and he was found in Perak. Next, we did the jigsaw puzzle of Perak man (but it was so challenging that no group finished it!). After we guessed the number of shells in a box (congratulations Zoey for winning!). Then we looked at the stone tools that were excavated from the ground under a microscope. It was really interesting. Finally, it was lunchtime! After lunch, we dug up bones; it was so fun because we were able to dig in real mud and clay. we could also learn the real techniques to dig. After we did our last activity… blowpipes. I managed to do it but I failed all my other tries. Then sadly it was time to go we got on the bus and left. It was a wonderful day.
Rowen 4s
Years 4 and 5 went to a Unesco world heritage archaeology site. The people there showed us so much stuff like how to use a blowpipe and how to make stone age tools with rocks. They told us about the Perak man. We got to look into a microscope and we also found real bones and pottery. It was interesting to find out about the Perak man, like how he had disabilities. I was so shocked that first! He is from the stone age and they found almost all of his bones when they discovered he had disabilities. Usually, people in the stone age would live to their 20s but he lived to his 40s.
Abby 4s
On 27.9.22, we went on a trip to USM which stands for University Sains Malaysia, where they showed us so many things that are linked to Our unit “Where we are in place and time.” The most interesting and the best thing I learned on this trip was all about the “Perak man” because the Perak man was a 40 – 50-year-old man with disabilities in the stone age, which was very surprising! Most people in the stone age even without disabilities would die in their 20s. My goal there was to be a mini archaeologist and to learn all the things I could. I was successful in learning a lot and I had a lot of fun.
Dylan 4s
Keep Digging!!
On Tuesday 27th September Year 4 and 5 went to the USM Field Station in Lenggong to see first-hand a real, UNESCO archaeology site and learn from expert archaeologists like Dr Stephen Ming Soon. It was a long journey there, but worth it!
We discovered a 11,000-year-old skeleton – which is one of Asia’s best-preserved remains from Asia’s Stone Age Period. The ‘Perak Man’ lived for 40 to 45 years. We could tell he was a man by his bigger jaw and archaeologist aged him by the number of teeth he had. He was very unique because his left side limbs were all disabled and shorter..Plus his spine was curved. Shells and other animals like deer (meat) were buried alongside him for the afterlife. He was discovered in the nearby cave and it is thought his local community must have really cared for him or respected him, like a short of wise chief?
Next, we went to dig on a real excavation trench site, When we found a bone we had to guess which part of the body skeleton it was from or which animal it might be from eg by looking at its joint end or length. Being an archaeologist is like being a detective!
This was followed by stone age tool making where we had to split or sharpen stones so that we can cut through chicken meat. We also really enjoyed the artifact handling, microscope analysis and jigsaw game. Finally, we had a go at firing a blow dart pipe at fake monkeys – as Stone age people were hunter-gathers.
This trip really helped to bring our History learning alive and it makes you wonder, What else is buried beneath our feet….?
Lotta Lu Christ
Class 5I
