By Angélique Préau
Australia: Changing Perspectives Firstly I decided that I would use the First Settlements in Australia for my project on this year’s theme: ‘Changing Perspectives’. I also chose to do a Museum Exhibit for my project entry format. Secondly I thought of all of my categories and brainstormed them on paper. I picked: Men, Women, People of England, People around the World, Convicts and Natives (Aboriginals and Animals). Then I did some research on these topics and wrote down all the information I gathered. After, I classified this information according to two perspectives: ‘Now’ and ‘Then’, for each of my six categories. Next I made my transitions from the ‘Then’ perspectives to the ‘Now’ perspectives to explain the progressive changes. I searched up images with Google or made my own pictures in Microsoft PowerPoint and then put them in chronological order with a text box so that people could see what the images represented in the changes of the perspectives for all the categories. I wanted to include cartoons to illustrate some of the perspectives so I used the ‘Bitstrips for Schools’ website to create these. After my informative part was finished, I started making my Museum Exhibit. I designed a prototype where there would be two panels and then I bought all the materials I needed to create my exhibit. I cut out my two background circles where I would stick my information later and my two wheels that spin on top. I cut out two slots in those spinning wheels to make two windows so that you can see the corresponding ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ perspectives on one topic at the same time. I did all the formatting and printing of my information, transitions and images/cartoons and glued them on my project. The information and images/cartoons went onto the background circles. The transitions were put on the two panels below the two circles under the topic they are about. I used two paper fasteners to pierce through the middle of my two spinning wheels and through the middle of the background circles to attach them to my panels; that way the spinning wheels can spin over my information and reveal the ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ perspectives for each category through the two windows. Finally I wrote my title in different styles of letters to reinforce the ‘Changing Perspectives’ theme. Then I put an image of the Australian flag in the shape of Australia to represent the ‘Australia’ in my title: ‘Australia: Changing Perspectives’. The title is across the top of my two panels. On the first panel there is the information on the ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ perspectives and their transitions for the topics of Women, People of England and People around the World. On the second panel there is the information on the ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ perspectives and their transitions for the topics of Men, Convicts and Natives (Aboriginals and Animals). Once my Museum Exhibit was finished, I completed my bibliography and created a physical and digital book using the website ISSUU with all of my information and transitions. My digital book is available at http://issuu.com/hildajunior/docs/apreauchangingperspectivesbook.