Primary Catalogue

Each year at 11am on November 11 we remember those who died in World War I, and commemorate those who represent New Zealand in conflicts past and present. This Miniclip provides a simplified context for the beginning of the Great War, the signing of the Armistice, the effect of the war on people, and the importance of commemorating it each year. Students will also discover the significance of the red poppy, who the ANZACs were, and the role of cenotaphs in local communities. Show Less

Discover why we commemorate Anzac Day, who the ANZACs were, and the important symbols and emblems of the day in this Miniclip. The significance of flowers, a brief history of Gallipoli and the role of flags are all highlighted in this clip, providing your students with a fantastic introduction into one of our most important days. Show Less

Follow two students as they conduct an historical inquiry into the 1966 Westall UFO sighting in Victoria. Aldi and Jess have completed their research and are now organising their information chronologically. Presentation formats like essays and multimedia are discussed as well as the importance of including historical terms and concepts. Show Less

Follow two students as they conduct an historical inquiry into the 1966 Westall UFO sighting in Victoria. After Aldi and Jess collect information from various sources, they evaluate whether these are fact or opinion based in order to determine the relevance of the information. Show Less

Follow two students as they conduct an historical inquiry into the 1966 Westall UFO sighting in Victoria. Examples of primary and secondary sources are given, how they differ and pros and cons of each. The importance of collecting information from numerous sources is highlighted. Show Less

Athens and Sparta, the leading city-states of Ancient Greece, helped to establish many of the ideas and concepts we take for granted: citizenship; voting; and individual rights and freedoms. This programme provides insight into the values of each city state by examining their attitudes toward: education, entertainment, military training, and crime and punishment. Key groups within Athenian and Spartan social structures are discussed, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens and women in each city-state are compared. Show Less

While the Ancient Greeks lived in separate city-states, most shared a common language, culture and belief system. This programme examines the way their beliefs and values about warfare and death influenced daily life. Specific rules of engagement, battle manoeuvres, naval warfare, beliefs about death, and funerary customs are explored in detail. This resource is ideal for any close examination of the common practices and rituals of Ancient Greece. Show Less

While practicing for his upcoming acting role as a Viking, “Erik” gets a little carried away and ropes his neighbour Mikey into joining him on a modern day exploration mission, with a little bit of looting on this side! This lively and enjoyable look at the Vikings is packed with fascinating information about Viking expansion, and how they were able to be such successful raiders, traders and explorers. Show Less

When a modern day Viking finds himself in police custody, being questioned over some bizarre recent activities, he tells the officer an almost unbelievable story — that of famous Viking, Erik the Red. Can his fantastic tale really be true, or is this a case of one actor taking his upcoming Viking role too seriously? This is a fun and funny look at Erik the Red's significant contribution to Viking expansion and settlement. Show Less

When Mikey catches his neighbour practicing for an upcoming film role as a Viking, he unexpectedly learns a whole lot about the real Vikings — and perhaps that his neighbour is taking his research just a little bit too far! This lighthearted and entertaining look at the Vikings is packed with fascinating information about the daily life of Vikings including home life, work, leisure, laws and society. Show Less

This film is an in-depth look at how it was to be alive at the beginning of the 20th century. This programme looks at how ordinary people lived at the time with particular focus on London, the biggest city in the world in 1900 with six million inhabitants. For the poor it was a time of suffering and want. People lived in cramped conditions, mostly families all living in one house usually with a lodger as well. The divide between rich and poor was immense with poor people in the developed western countries living in conditions much like shanty towns today. This film coves all aspects of life at this time as well as the monumental changes that took place in the early century such as the role of women and suffragettes. Show Less

This programme gives students a chance to meet and question one of history's most famous explorers - Christopher Columbus. Listen as Columbus describes why he believed that a shortcut to Asia could be found by sailing West and how he was able to keep his crew from mutinying after his first voyage lasted much longer than he had expected. Learn about the goals, successes and failures of all four of Columbus's voyages to the New World, and find out about his technique of using the prevailing winds to cross the Atlantic. Learn more about the Taino, the native people of the Caribbean, and their encounters with Columbus and his crew. Discover how Columbus's questionable tactics led to the downfall of this native group. Students will enjoy learning the truth of this often-romanticised explorer and hearing Columbus discuss and defend his actions in this exciting video dramatisation. Show Less

People have explored since the dawn of time, seeking wealth, power, colonies, information and the attainment of other goals. This programme takes a closer look at the major reasons that inspired people to explore throughout the ages and the innovations that supported advancements in exploration. Discover the motivations of early explorers whose bravery in exploration provided a foundation for the successes that would occur during the European Golden Age of Discovery. Learn about the development of some important tools of navigation, and see why these improvements enabled explorers to travel over land and sea more successfully. Show Less

During the Age of Exploration, England's advancement initially lagged behind the other European powers. However, it quickly became involved in the race to colonise and reap the benefits of the new world. Join our two young hosts as they are introduced to Sir Walter Raleigh, who tells the story of the great English explorers. Learn about the voyages of John Cabot, credited with making the first European landfall in North America after the Vikings. Discover the story of Sir Francis Drake, the first European to travel in his own ship all the way around the world. Students will also enjoy listening as Raleigh describes his attempts to organize the first English settlement in North America. Show Less

When France sent explorers to the New World, it was searching for wealth, colonies and a route to the East. Follow along with our two young hosts as they learn how the French established New France and claimed most of present-day Canada. Hear about Giovanni da Verrazano, the first European to sail into present-day New York Bay; and Jacques Cartier, who discovered the St. Lawrence River. Hear about Samuel de Champlain, who established the first permanent settlement in North America at Quebec; and Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, who traversed the Mississippi River Valley; as well as Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who claimed the land at the mouth of the Mississippi for France. Show Less

Ferdinand Magellan sailed West in search of a passage to the trading lands of the East and became the first person to lead an expedition to circumnavigate the globe. Join our young hosts as they listen to Magellan describe his discovery of a new passage at the southern tip of South America and his experience crossing Earth's largest ocean. Learn about his discovery of a new chain of islands, the Philippines, and how he proved that the Indies could be reached by sailing West. Find out why Magellan renounced his Portuguese citizenship and set sail as a Spanish subject. Discover the way in which his crews conspired to mutiny on several occasions, and learn how Magellan met his untimely death in the battle in the Philippines. Plus, find out how we discovered the true story of Magellan's great voyage, even though most of his journals were destroyed. Show Less

Portugal, despite its small size, became a pioneer in the exploration of international sea routes through the vision of its leaders, the support of its merchants and the courage and perseverance of its explorers. Follow along with our two young hosts as they are given a chance to meet and speak with Prince Henry the Navigator, who, though he never left Portugal, inspired the first European exploration of the African coast. Discover how his leadership encouraged explorers like Gil Eanes to travel and map areas where no European had been before. Listen to Bartolomeu Dias describe his exploration around the southern tip of Africa, and hear Vasco da Gama speak about his voyages to India. Learn about the seafaring voyages of brave Portuguese explorers in this exciting dramatisation. Show Less

Discover the story of Marco Polo, the most famous European to travel to Asia in the 13th century. His book, The Travels of Marco Polo, helped to inspire countless other European explorers, including Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama. Follow along with our two young hosts as they are given a chance to meet and speak with this famous explorer as he describes the fascinating tales of his adventures to the East. Polo details his relationship with Kublai Khan, the great Mongol ruler who allowed him to travel throughout China to collect information about the land and its people. Viewers will hear about how the account of Polo's travels was written - exaggerations and all - in a jail cell in Genoa, Italy. Students will enjoy hearing Marco Polo speak and answer questions about all this and more in this exciting dramatisation. Show Less

Following Columbus's initial voyages of exploration, Spain established a pattern of conquest and settlement in the New World, fuelled by a desire for wealth and colonies. In the name of Spain, many adventurers set out to explore and conquer the remainder of the unclaimed and uncharted Americas. Join our young hosts as they discover the world of the conquistadors who, in their exploration for a shorter path to the East, found personal wealth and an empire with boundless treasures for Spain. Hear the story of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, who traveled across North America from Florida to California. Learn of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado's exploration of the American Southwest, Juan Ponce de Leon's discovery of Florida, Vasco Nunez de Balboa's trek through the jungles of South America to claim the Pacific Ocean for Spain and Hernando de Soto's discovery of the Mississippi River. Show Less

Within a period of 15 years, the Spanish conquistadors Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro gathered untold riches while conquering two native empires, the Aztec and the Inca. This programme teaches students how Cortes was able to capture and destroy the great capital city of the Aztec. Then, hear from Pizarro as he describes his various expeditions in search of the vast wealth of the Inca. In addition, examine the sophisticated civilizations of the Aztec and Inca, and discover how European diseases decimated each empire's population and ultimately led to their destruction. Show Less

Sailing 500 years before Columbus, the Vikings are credited with being the first Europeans to reach the New World. Join our two young hosts as they speak with Leif Erikson as he recounts the history of the Age of Vikings. Discover why the Vikings decided to leave their European homes in search of fertile lands, timber and adventure. Learn how the technology of their ships enabled them to voyage to new lands. Hear the tale of Erik the Red and his quest to settle a new colony in Greenland. Then, listen as Erikson describes the Viking attempts to settle in Vinland, which many historians now believe to be in modern-day Newfoundland. Show Less

For five hundred years, castles held the key to power and dominated the landscape. The programme examines a fascinating aspect of life in the Middle Ages. An examination is made of: - the structure and purpose of castles - their defence, layout, great hall, the keep, the moat; castle life - food, cooking, medicine; knights - jousting, knighting ceremony, feasting; combat and armour; war - battle of Tewkesbury (re-enactment); the end of castles - attack strategies and the advent of gunpowder. We look at why they were built, life inside them and the reasons behind their demise. Show Less

Through spectacular re-creations, beautiful footage and 3-D graphic models, students will discover how ancient peoples lived, ate, dressed and worked. These civilisations were multifaceted, each with unique leaders, systems of government, trade, religion and culture. By exploring archaeological sites and artefacts, art, architecture and writings, students will understand how historians have come to know about life many centuries ago and how these civilisations still influence our lives today. Show Less