International students experience living history museum
Posted on May 22, 2024
A group of 12 Vietnamese students and their teacher, visiting from Nguyen Sieu School, recently spent a day at the Howick Historical Village.
Located on seven acres of grounds and heritage gardens, the Howick Historical Village is a living history museum. The museum depicts settlement in the region during the period 1840 to 1880 and shows how people lived in early Auckland.
The day began by viewing a raupo whare (a thatched house made of reeds and flax) which was followed by a team building exercise where students learned how to build walls and a roof out of reeds, wood and rope.
In Bell House, a wealthy home built in 1851, the visiting Vietnamese international students got to learn and experience communication using braille, morse code and flag signalling. The students also enjoyed a hands-on learning experience which simulated an 1800’s childhood, where children played with quoits, stilts, waders. The students also had a go at playing the game of graces which is an outdoor game involving rods and wooden hoops.
A fun and fascinating cultural day was enjoyed by all, with the students coming away appreciating the conveniences of life in the 21st century.
