This elective course is designed to provide students with opportunities to explore unsolved mysteries and puzzles from the remote past to contemporary times. It draws upon a variety of thinking skills such as Edward de Bono’s 6 hats and 6 shoes problem solving strategies, a wide variety of self-directed project choices and practical activities centred on a core of archaeological experiences. Great Mysteries of History is a course that runs throughout Years 9 and 10 

In Year 9 a combination drawn from the following units:

• The Magic of Myths and Legends from Ancient times to the quest for the Holy Grail and King Arthur – was it really a cup? 

• Hide 'n' Seek – Atlantis, The Loch Ness Monster and the Bermuda Triangle.

• Under the Waves: Maritime Archaeology – The Mary Rose (Henry VIII’s pride and joy) and Iceberg dead ahead!  (The Titanic – was this the ship that sank?). 

• Biblical Mysteries: Fact or Fiction? - The Flood, The Ark of the Covenant, The Crucifixion of Christ. 

• The Tales of the Dead: Bog Bodies (Iceland, Denmark and South America). 

• Tomb Raiders: Rinse the blood off my toga (Julius Caesar), Vixen or Vulnerable (Cleopatra VII), Misunderstood nationalist (Vlad the Impaler).

• Digging Up the Past – Forensic Archaeology case studies. 

• Heroes and Villians: Men and women of the past who we’ve loved, feared and despised. 

• Pirates: Sail the Spanish Main with the real swash bucklers of the Seven Seas. 

• Historical Investigation (A). 

In Year 10 a combination drawn from the following units: 

• Historical Investigarion (B) 

• Murder Most Foul: The Yorkshire Ripper 

• Fakes and Forgeries: Anna Anderson –  Romanov or Ruse? Hitler – Where did the Furher go? The Persian Sarcophagus. 

• Weird Customs and Habits: They’re not like us, are they? – Scythians, Amazons and Tudors.

• Famous Assasinations: Thomas Becket, J.F.K., Che Guevara and Abraham Lincoln. 

• The Need to Destroy Effectively: Battlefield detectives-From tank to terrorist. 

• What If...? Counter-factual History: What would the world be like if the outcomes of major and minor events had turned out differently? 

• Espionage and Spies: Codes, cover-ups and crazy gadgets 

• Terrorism: Where? Who? Why? 

• KKK and Civil Rights

• The Decade that Changed the World – 1960’s 

• Cold Cases in History

Evidence collection and evaluation, critical thinking and communication, advanced written communication, data analysis, interpersonal interaction/co-operation and debate, deductive and inductive reasoning, differentiated empathy, multimodal presentation skills.

An A4 exercise book for each topic and a BYOD device.  Must bring blue or black pens every lesson.

• Architect

• Legal professions

• Marketing

• Interior Design

• Teacher

• Diplomat

• Human Resource Management

• Archaeologist

• Museum Curator

• Travel Consultant

• Archivist

• Gaming Software Designer

• Photography

• Editor

• Writer (novelist, etc.)

• Journalist

• Philologist

• Set Production and Designer. 

As they become available – museum exhibitions, Interactive incursions with expert reenactment troupes, guest speakers, field trips / site studies. 

• Nil