8. Teachers' Page for Richard Robins
Class activity ideas from Richard Robins' great great great grandaughter.
1. Examine the Evidence and ask questions
Examine the evidence about Richard's life. Look at his convict record. What did he experience? Why did his behaviour change so that he was given a Ticket of Leave and later a Conditional Pardon? Do you know what happened to convicts who fought against the authorities?
2. Imagine what happened.
Richard's father was a chemist in Birmingham . What could have happened to him to be housebreaking near London (as he was tried there he must have committed the crime
near there!).
Create an imaginary life for him if he was
(a) Just headstrong.
(b) A villain or Bad boy
(c) A victim of circumstances.
Which do you think is most likely in Richard's case? WHY do you think this?
3. Compare the times and values.
Housebreaking .What does this mean? What is the punishment for this in the 21st century? Write or explain the differences between then and now in regards to housebreaking.
4. Trip to Cranbourne cemetery to find Richard and Eliza's grave.
How many other Clyde residents (perhaps only those who lived in Clyde in a
certain time frame or those mentioned on the website) are buried in that Cemetery?
a) Children, in two groups, each have a list of names and have to find graves and plot the position on a grid. Using their map co-ordinates tell the other group where these graves are found. eg Patterson A 19 (fictitious numbers)
b) Make observations about families from reading the inscriptions on the tombstones
eg. how many children died in infancy, how many children in a family, the age of adults at death
c) Take some photos of children standing next to tombstones of well known Clyde people. .
NB Don't do this activity in the summer - too much risk of SNAKES in the cemetery!!! (I saw one there a few years ago when looking for graves!!)
Check with the Aboriginal Seasonal calender to ascertain which is the best time of the year to visit the cemetery. ( ie when do and don't snakes appear according to the Bunurong tribes people?)
5. Diary in the daily lives of the Robins.
Write a diary of a day in the life of Eliza and also a day in the life of Richard, using an hour by hour format, from sun-up to sunset in summer, and the same for winter. (After class discussion on seasonal tasks, cooking facilities, heating and lighting, size of homes and number of children etc.)
6. Illustrate the life of Richard Robins or Eliza Robins.
1. Draw a map showing the life journey of Richard Robins. Include dates, comments and little drawings
a. From England to Australia
b. From Hobart to Clyde and final resting place.
2. Using Cartoon Comic Book Frames tell the story of Richard or Eliza Robins.
a. Journey from United Kingdom to Australia
b. Richard - from Hobart to Clyde and final resting place
c. Eliza - Melbourne to Clyde and final resting place.
Both of these ideas can be scanned and presented in a photostory or powerpoint format.
Children to "Interview Richard and Eliza Robins"
Divide the class into two groups.
Group One
a) prepare a Time Line for Richard Robins- date, activity, his age at the time, location any other details of interest.
b) guess the questions that might be asked by group two
c) prepare answers to these probable questions
d) practice interviewing
- one person who will act as Richard Robins OR
- a Panel of 2 Clyde History Experts to answer the questions OR
- one person acting as the biographer for Richard Robins.
e) Then prepare questions to ask the other group about Eliza Robins.
Group Two to do the same for Eliza Robins
These are rehearsed and then presented to the other group.
Bring the two groups together with Group One interviewing Group Two and vice versa.
8. Test your teachers
The Year Six teachers, on a panel to answer questions fired to them by the children. However there must be a team of judges who know the answers.
9. Solve some mysteries
1. How old was Richard Robins when he got married or died? What evidence or reasons are there for this? Why could there be difference between the details of his Death Certificate and Convict Description?
2. For how long did Richard Robins live in Tasmania?
10. Song " Botany Bay"
Old Bailey is mentioned in this song. This is where Richard Robins was sentenced.
Request to Year Six teachers.
Please share other ideas for activities with the website editor.
Mrs Kath Soulsby, great great grand daughter of Richard Robins, also an experienced teacher has suggested most of these activities for senior primary school children
Sources
1. Kath Soulsby – Robins Family historian
http://foundersandsurvivors.org/pubsearch/convict/chain/c31a31370297
2. Irish Bounty Girls
http://www.irishfaminememorial.org/