Learning from the Paddock to the Plate

The region’s students are invited to take a seat at the dinner table for an 1860s family feast, and imagine opening a takeaway box of a millennial makeshift meal, handle centuries old cooking equipment and investigate fridges before electricity.

Orange Regional Museum’s exhibition Paddock to Plate, A history of food and wine in Orange and district, which opens in April, has a hands- on education program targeted at students from Kindergarten to year 11.

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said students would use objects their grandparent’s might have used to cook with and investigate how evolving technology changed how people ate and worked the land.

“The education programs are one of the most important aspects of our regional museum,” Cr Kidd said.

“During the last exhibition, we had 1,800 students participate in a workshop and we’d love to double that number this time around.

“The feedback we had from teachers during the workshops was really positive and the highlight was the hands on learning experiences.

“Kids picked up objects, played with them, used them and really got into details of how the objects worked.”

Orange City Council’s Services Policy Committee Chair Cr Kevin Duffy said the programs developed during the planning of the new exhibition directly related to the current school curriculum.

“We’re specifically targeting kindergarten and Year 1 and Year 2 science classes, Year 1 to 5 history and geography classes and Year 11 food and technology classes,” Cr Duffy said.

“Each workshop is designed for each class and will follow and enhance the learning in the classroom.”

Some of the exhibition highlights designed with schools in mind, include an interactive kitchen where students can see the difference and the similarities of everyday life in the past and compare it to their own.

The kitchen activity is enhanced by a multimedia installation on a tabletop where students can ‘join us for dinner’ from the 1860s to the millennium.

Indigenous cultural education also plays an important role in this year’s schools offering with cultural engagement days running each term.

During the Indigenous engagement days Indigenous educators will run workshops on basket weaving, bush tucker and storytelling.

A special teachers’ preview of the exhibition will be held on Friday 6 April, 4pm-5pm. Contact the museum to book a place.

To discuss opportunities for your class or group contact Jessica Dowdell, Public Engagement and Education Officer at museum@orange.nsw.gov.au or phone 02 6393 8444.

LEARNING: Children enjoying a school holiday workshop during the Journeys exhibition.