Education

All programmes can be tailored to your students level of learning.

• General Visit (e.g. guided tours, tank ride, dress up like a soldier)
• Life in the Army (e.g. rations, uniforms, POWs, firearms)
• The Battlefields (e.g. NZ Wars, Gallipoli, Vietnam)
• Societies at War (e.g. refugees, women, children)
• After the War is Over (e.g. remembrance, peacekeeping)
• Self Discovery (activity workbooks)
• Costs of programmes

A General Visit

• Introduction and Guided Tour: Beginning with an introduction to Tears on Greenstone-Roimata Pounamu and tour of the museum exhibits.
• Hands on experience: Exploring and enjoying the artefacts and dressing up in the classroom.
• Understanding the museum: Promoting the purpose of the museum as a memorial and as a resource of historical information.
• Creating memories: An opportunity for visitors to form their own special memories of New Zealand’s military history, and of the museum.
• Tank Ride: “M548 Tank Ride” includes a ride in a M548 Armoured Fighting Vehicle and Tracked Vehicle Lesson. Please contact our Education Staff for further details.

Life in the Army

• A career in the army: An opportunity for visitors to form their own special memories of New Zealand’s military history and of the museum.
• Prisoners of war: Considering the POW’s experiences, how they became POW’s and how they adapted to living in the prison camp environment.
• Uniforms: Old Uniforms. Why and how we preserve them. Exploring changes in style and fabric relating to changes in technology and purposes. A chance to dress up.
• Rationing, soldier style: An opportunity to try out a soldier’s field rations. To experience decision-making on the job. To develop an understanding of why rationing is necessary.
• The Kiwi soldier/the NZ identity: How military experiences have contributed to the New Zealand character and what it means to be a “Kiwi”. NCEA Level 2 “the growth of the NZ Identity 1890-1980, AS90214.
• The evolution of military firearms: An exhibit of firearms focusing on the changes in technology and emphasising safety. For Year 7-13 ONLY.
• Transport: Considering the importance of mobility to an army and a study of technological changes. (Can include specific forms of transport e.g. tanks)
• Bravery and courage: A study of how we recognise the Bravery and Courage of individual persons.
• Wartime music and entertainment, words and pictures: How soldiers in action have contributed and created a cultural legacy.
• Propaganda and censorship: A study of primary resource material used for propaganda and censorship.

The Battlefields

For each of these a lecture can be given, and/or a guided tour focussed on the specific battle. NCEA Level 1, Change and Continuity AS90209, NCEA Level 2 AS90465, NCEA Level 3 AS90654.

• NZ Wars: a general overview or specific battle areas.
• The South African Campaign: an exploration of the NZ military experience in South Africa.
• WWI: a general overview.
• Gallipoli: a study of the Gallipoli experience. Focus can be given on the New Zealand identity if required.
• WWII: a general overview or specific study.
• Vietnam: a study focussing on the different perspectives of a variety of participants.

Societies at War

• Refugees: Students investigate through role play the different roles and perspectives of participants in a refugee situation.
• War and Women: A look at the impact of war on women’s emergence in the workforce.
• Children in War: Experience war through the eyes of children.

After the War is Over – Year 4-8

• Remembrance: The museum is essentially a memorial. We explore the reasons for remembrance and symbols and ceremonies of remembrance.
• Keeping the Peace: Investigate the background of peace keeping and explore some current peace keeping operations.

Self Discovery – Year 4-8

Activity Books: Explore the Museum and find the answer to the puzzles in supervised groups.

• Guide yourself around the displays.
• Special focus worksheets.
• Individual research.

Helping you back at school

• Student research questions: Students can send us their questions and we will endeavour to provide research material for them.
• Pre and Post visit activities. These can be organised through contacting the museum education service.