I’m currently teaching concepts of history to students in my school. Stage 3 (Yrs 5 and 6) have been observing and identifying primary and secondary sources. At the recommendation of a colleague, I read Claire Saxby’s My name is Lizzie Flynn. It was such an eye opener for the students.

The life of a young convict girl. Sentenced to 7 years in the penal colony of Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania, Lizzie certainly faces the hardship of convict life and wonders what her future entails. Thrust with a bag filled with fabric scraps, she soon finds herself participating in an activity that will become a treasured source now held in the National Gallery of Australia. The Rajah Quilt is a beautiful piece of history reminding us that no matter our circumstance, we all have something to give.

Linking the text to the image and information provided in https://nga.gov.au/rajahquilt/ made such a great lesson in discussing what made a primary source of information versus a secondary source.  It was great to see the students discussing and comparing their lives to that of Lizzie. The wonder at realising the quilt itself could be viewed in this day and age, more than 150 years later. In understanding the importance of information sources and their relevance, I’m hoping I’ve tickled the curiosities of my students. Spurring them to seek and develop their information literacy. Knowing that sources can make information relevant and applicable to their lives.