An unforgettable teaching-learning experience

Every history teacher would agree that teaching 12-year-olds about the Middle Ages in Malta can be a difficult task. Students can easily dismiss this topic as irrelevant and primary sources are, so to speak, not plentiful.

Mr Micallef, Form 2 teacher at St Joseph Boys' Junior Lyceum, decided to tackle the difficult task by means of a dual activity: a historical fieldwork trip and a treasure hunt in Mdina.

Students of Form 2B and 2D were briefed about the outing. Mr Tony Pace, the school's history co-ordinator, helped Mr Micallef with the exciting activities. In Mdina students were shown round the old capital. At first glance they were simply asked to take in their surroundings.

Briefings were held near Palazzo De Vilhena, on St Paul's (Cathedral) Square, St Agatha's Esplanade and Greeks' Gate.

All fieldwork notes prepared by Mr Micallef came in handy during these preliminary on-site explanations.

If you are interested in carrying out a similar activity, you can view these fieldwork notes at the URL belonging to the History Website of the Curriculum Department: http://schoolnet.gov.mt/history/Form2/FWorkMdina/FWorkNotes.pdf.

During the historical briefings a lot of space was given to incidental teaching. To take just one example, tourists being such a common sight in Mdina, the students were encouraged to reflect on how tourism is helping the Maltese economy today.

Tourist guides and chauffeurs earn incomes directly linked to the tourism industry. Even bus drivers and farmers earn a living more indirectly from tourism. It is calculated that about 40 per cent of Maltese workers are today linked to some kind of income derived from tourism.

The recent project of sending wires and communications underground cost a lot of money, but all students agreed it was a worthwhile exercise, especially when projecting Mdina as a tourist attraction.

At the Cathedral Archives, the students had a rare opportunity of taking a close look at the Militia List of 1419-20. Through a series of questions, Mr Micallef and Mr Pace made students more aware of medieval issues, historical concepts and skills. Examples include the Militia List as a primary source and Dr Wettinger's article on the same list as a secondary source.

With regard to continuity and change, comparisons were made with current population trends. Today one notes that Birkirkara is the largest settlement with about 21,775 inhabitants (November 2005 Census); the Militia List of 1419 shows the greatest concentration of Dejma soldiers (234) in Rabat. Bircalcara had 89 activists. Asked to list lost or deserted villages since 1419, Hal Millieri immediately came to their mind.

Between 1995 and 2005 Mdina proportionately lost most of its residents at a decline rate of 31.6 per cent. Today only 258 people live in Mdina.

Students simply couldn't stop asking questions, such as where was the list found? Who found it? How were Dejma soldiers armed? Who commanded them? Were they often killed? Did they train for battle regularly? Who trained them? How are these documents conserved and restored?

If you are interested in the Militia List visit the Curriculum Department History Website at: http://schoolnet.gov.mt/history/Form2/Dejma/ListaMilizjaNOTI.htm.

The last activity was a treasure hunt prepared by Mr Micallef. Students, who were split into three-member teams, were given a set of sheets to try and complete them in the least possible time. It was truly an exciting finale to a day where teaching and learning did take place thanks to methods that were simply exciting, interesting and, albeit, physically tiring.

You can view Treasure Hunt Notes at http://schoolnet.gov.mt/history/ Form2/FWorkMdina/THuntNotes.pdf