The Last Lighthouse Keeper
– Knowledge Hunt
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by Marianne Watson
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KWL · Questions ·
Web Resources ·
The Big Question · Conclusion
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Rubric
Teacher Plan ·
Web Quest
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Introduction |
 The treacherous seas around the island state of Tasmania have claimed about 1,000 ships and many more lives. Many ships
foundered as they sank or ran aground in Bass Strait in their attempt to shorten the time needed to reach Sydney. The Cataraqui,
wrecked in 1845 off King Island, is still Australia's worst peacetime disaster
with the loss of 402 lives. Lighthouses were built to improve safety at sea,
becoming refuges for the survivors of shipwrecks and all too often the final
resting place for victims.
Lighthouse Keepers and their families experienced a unique lifestyle;
small communities living a lonely existence usually in a very remote place.
Visitors were few and far between. Although communication with the outside world
improved over the years, lighthouses remained isolated. The more recent change
to automated lighting systems that no longer need staff to maintain them changed
forever the lives of many 'lighthouse families'.
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Brainstorm what you
already know about Tasmanian lighthouses and record the information as dot
points to form a ‘What the class knows’ column within the
KWL (What I Know, What I Want to
Know, What I have Learnt) strategy.
Choose two Tasmanian lighthouses.
Thinking about these lighthouses,
complete the ‘What I want to know’ column of the KWL. After answering
both your own and the guiding questions, you will be able to complete the
'What I have learnt' column. |
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1.
Questions about the two Tasmanian lighthouses you chose:
Why was each built?
What are the similarities and differences between the two?
How did the lighthouses actually work when they were first built and how do
they work now?
What roles did lighthouses play in the past and what are they being used for
now?
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2.
How did the
Lighthouse Keepers and their families live? (consider housing, education
etc)
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Web Resources |
- Map - Tasmania's Lighthouses
- Showing the location of all lighthouses in Tasmania.
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Tasmanian Lighthouses
- Photographs and information about each lighthouse, including its history, keepers and access. Links to more detailed stories about each lighthouse are at the bottom of the page.
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Shipwrecks and Safe Havens
- King Island's lighthouses (at Cape Wickham and Currie) and 7 shipwrecks.
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Drawings and Plans of Tasmanian Lighthouses
- View online copies of the originals, from the collection held by the National Archives of Australia.
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How Lighthouses Work
- Everything you need to know, from the Lighthouse Society of Great Britain.
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- Tasmanian Images 1
- Search the State Library's image collection for "lighthouse", "Eddystone", "Maatsuyker".
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Tasmanian Images 2
- Search the image collection of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
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Being a Lighthouse Kid
- John Kernot describes his childhood on 2 lighthouses in Bass Strait, Cliffy Island and Deal Island during the 1940's and 50's. Click on the title to access the story.
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Deal Island Lightstation Map
- From a 2003 report, this detailed map of Deal Island clearly shows where the lighthouse & residential buildings are located.
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The Big Question |
What
effect would the automation of lighthouses have had on people?
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Conclusion |
Use the rubric to assess your work in answering the guiding and 'What I want to
know' questions.
This Knowledge Hunt is an introduction to the
Web Quest The Last
Lighthouse Keeper where you decide the fate of the last Lighthouse
Keeper.
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