This little piggy

• View the clip This little piggy and ask students why they think betting on a race was so important for the enjoyment of the half-day holiday and for the characters of Alice's story. To assist the students in understanding this question, have the class research daily living conditions in 1828 Australia and the events that constituted a holiday. Refer to Wikipedia, 'Religion in Australia' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Australia
• In pairs, students should research the history of racing in Australia. Direct students to research some of the following questions:

1. What were some of the earliest organised racing events? (for example, horse racing, dog racing, foot racing, pigeon racing, rowing, sailing races)
2. Who attended these races?
3. Where and when were these events held?
4. Who were some famous owners/trainers of race horses?

• The following websites may be useful:

1. Melbourne Cup, Victoria Racing Club, http://www.melbournecup.com/victoria-racing-club/about-history.asp
2. National Library of Australia, 'Cooee: Australia in the 19th Century', http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/cooee/leisure.html
3. Racing Victoria, http://www.racingvictoria.net.au/australianracingmuseum/default.aspx
4. State Library NSW, 'A Day at the Races', http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/society_art/races/index.html

• Divide the class into pairs. Ask each pair to produce at least ten questions about Australia in the early 1800s that could be answered with a 'true' or 'false' response. Collect all the questions to form a class question set. These questions will be used to create a 'pig race' game. Each pair of students represents one pig in the race. Make a track with enough lanes for every contesting pig. In each lane, mark out 10 squares from the start to the finish line. For every question that a pair answers correctly, their pig advances one square. The winning team is the one that reaches the finish first.

Student Activity Sheet: H19.1 Pig race

• After viewing the clip This little piggy have a class discussion about workers' rights in Australia today and how these were different in Alice's day. Today there are strict laws governing the rights of workers that cover safety, length of hours, types of work performed, age of workers, holidays and what happens when someone has an accident or is sick.
• Ask students to create a timeline of key events for the introduction of laws relating to working conditions in Australia.
• The following websites may be useful:

1. Eight Hour Day, http://www.8hourday.org.au/
2. State Library of Victoria, 'Fight for Rights', http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/ergo/fight_for_rights

• In the 1820s, workers including children could be expected to work very long hours. To allow students to reflect on how difficult life was in this time, they should complete the Student Activity Sheet H19.2 Working conditions recording their own working, sleeping, eating and recreation habits.
• Using the Student Activity Sheet H19.2 Working conditions, ask students to answer the following questions:

1. How many hours are they are at school each day?
2. How many hours do they usually sleep?
3. How many hours are left for eating, play, music practice, sports etc?

• Ask students to imagine that school days have been increased to 16 hours long and include Saturdays. Have students answer the following questions:

1. What would this mean for the time you had for sleep and play? 
2. How would you feel about having to work or go to school for 16 hours a day?

• Students should draw up a 16-hour schedule for a 10-year-old child working in the early 1800s and compare it to a child's schedule today.
• Alternatively, students can create a vodcast advertisement bringing people's attention to the poor working conditions that some people still face every day.

Student Activity Sheet H19.2: Working conditions

• As a class, view the clip This little piggy and help the students to understand who the characters are and what is happening in the clip. Ask questions such as: Who are the other characters and what are they doing? Which characters belong to the one family? For example, we know Alice is the daughter of one of the men because she calls him 'Pa'. Encourage students to find evidence that gives information about characters, such as: the Owen family that is sitting in the horse and cart has requested the building of a house by Christmas Day; the workers are building the house by quarrying stone; Alice's father, Sam, is supervising the building of the house and the convicts who are building it. Ask students to write their responses on Student Activity Sheet E19.1 Children's games to record this information.
• In 1828, pastime activities, games and entertainment were different to those of today. Children primarily played outdoors, making up games or playing games that they had learned from their parents. For example, in this clip, Alice and George play chasey, sing 'This little piggy' and beat a drum. Resources were often limited, so entertainment involved enjoying one another's company, telling stories and creating toys from found objects. Ask students to research children's games and entertainment in the 1820s. They should use Student Activity Sheet E19.1 Children's games to complete a Venn diagram with five games played in the 1820s, five games played today and five games that have been played in both eras.
• As a class, discuss:

1. When and where can the games in the clip and those listed in the Venn diagram be played?
2. How inclusive are the games in the clip compared with the games children play today?
3. Why do some games stand the test of time?
4. What are some similarities and differences between traditional and modern games?

• As a class, work together to organise a traditional games morning. Divide the class into groups of two or three. Each group needs to find out how to play a traditional game. As part of the games day, students can teach each other the games they have learned and also bring in and play traditional board games.
• Additionally, students can make up their own games. This may be a card game, board game or schoolyard game. For their game, they are to write a set of instructions on how to play the game and how to win the game. If possible, film the game in action with a narration about how to play the game.

Student Activity Sheet E19.1 Children's games

• As a class, view the clip This little piggy, focusing students' attention on the relationship between the character of Alice and that of George, her playmate. Then view the entire Episode 19 | 1828: Alice. Ask students to respond to the following questions:

1. How old do you think Alice is? How old do you think George is?
2. What sort of person does Alice appear to be and how do you know this?
3. What sort of person does George appear to be and how do you know this?
4. What roles and responsibilities does Alice have in the family and on the farm? 
5. What roles and responsibilities does George have in the family and on the farm? 
6. How does Alice relate to other characters?
7. How does George relate to other characters?

• Create two class sociograms, one for Alice and one for George. Place their names in the centre of each and then use lines to join circles containing the names of other characters and listing their association/relationship with either character. For example, Alice helps her mother to carry food to the workers; Alice plays chasey with George. Visit the ABC3 My Place for Teachers website (The Community Tree, http://www.abc.net.au/abc3/myplace/) for 1828 and read the diary of Alice to see who she is and what she is like.

• Ask students to develop historyface pages (http://historyface.wikispaces.com/) for the characters of Alice and George. Students need to analyse and deconstruct the characters. Have students read the script for My Place Episode 19 and discuss the following: 

1. Who is Alice? 
2. Who is George? 
3. How do they dress? 
4. What is their personality? 
5. Why are they friends? 
6. Who are their family members? 
7. What roles and responsibilities do they have on the farm?

• For the historyface profiles, suggest that Alice and George have been transported to the present and want to have a social networking home page. Refer to Student Activity Sheet E19.2 Family structure and social status.
• Have the students select another character, such as Freddie the convict who is keen to hold a horse race, Sam (Alice's father) or Sarah (Alice's mother). Using what they see and hear in the clip, have students create a historyface profile for that character.

Student Activity Sheet E19.2 Family structure and social status