Year 5 students from Mount Pleasant Primary School were the lucky recipients of an all-expenses paid excursion on the Perth Heart of Gold Discovery Trail last week.
The excursion prize was one of two won at the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia’s HASS Week Conference in July.
Meeting at the Golden Eagle nugget replica in Perth’s iconic Elizabeth Quay, the students began their journey of discovery. Using their school’s iPads, the students teamed up in pairs to unlock the state’s golden past with the free Heart of Gold Australia app.
The app provided a virtual golden adventure for the students as they walked 11 landmarks through Perth’s CBD, from the Quay to The Perth Mint.
Recently refreshed content taught the students about life during the early gold rushes, famous gold discoveries, the growth of WA’s economy, the role of women in mining, development of new infrastructure and ultimately the establishment of Perth as a capital city.
Fascinating tales were conveyed through timeless photographs and captivating video clips, whilst historic facts and most recent statistics were easily explained using info graphics.
Augmented reality games and fun widgets kept the students entertained as they walked from point to point, acting out their own tableau in the Stirling Gardens, using the camera frames to pose for photos with each other, locating their very own gold ‘diggers brooch’, and jostling to be the first to stand atop the landmark of point zero.
Upon arriving at The Perth Mint, the students received their #heartofgold medallions for completing the 2.5 km gold trail and posed for a snap with Bayley and Ford’s statue to commemorate the golden knowledge they’d acquired that day.
The Heart of Gold Australia app is available for download from iTunes or Google Play.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE GOLD INDUSTRY GROUP TO DEMONSTRATE AT A TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT DAY, EVENT OR CONFERENCE, PLEASE CONTACT EXECUTIVE OFFICER REBECCA JOHNSTON AT RJOHNSTON@GOLDINDUSTRYGROUP.COM.AU
The Perth Heart of Gold Discovery Trail is a Gold Industry Group community initiative sponsored by The Perth Mint, Ramelius Resources, Gold Fields, St Barbara Limited, Gold Road Resources, City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Northern Star Resources, AngloGold Ashanti Australia, Mining Education Australia and Saracen Mineral Holdings.