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PMB EDUCATORS’ NEWSLETTER ISSUE 1/2013
MONUMENTSAlive!
We recently commemorated Total Defence Day on 15 February, the day when the British
surrendered to the Japanese at the Ford Factory 71 years ago. Even as we reflected on the importance of bravery, sacrifice and unity in the face of adversity, the challenge of making this milestone event relevant to the younger generation continues to grow every year. This is because commemoration often harks back to significant events that have shaped the present, but that have also become distant to us over time.
How can we be mindful of our shared history, such that it is not “just” another event in a textbook? Likewise, how can our national monuments, such as the Ford Factory, help to bridge the gap in time and demonstrate that the lessons of the past can still be applied today?
One approach we enjoy at PMB is to offer a creative reinterpretation of our history. Whether they appear as the supporting cast in a sprightly children’s book (The Fearless Twins and the Magical Kaleido) or as the highlights of our specially designed Monumental Walking Tours, our monuments have many gripping stories about noteworthy events, as well as the everyday lives of generations past.
For the March holidays, come and check out My Monumental Playground – a day of fun activities at Esplanade Park, designed for children to interact with the Esplanade Memorials on various levels. If you’re looking for ways to liven up learning during the school term, book one of our interactive storytelling sessions for The Fearless Twins and the Magical Kaleido or bring your students out on a Monumental Walking Tour in historic neighbourhoods such as the Civic District, Kampong Glam or Telok Ayer. More details are available in this newsletter.
Also look out for special discounts on books about our national monuments, or participate in our quiz and you could win a pair of complimentary tickets to a walking tour!
If you have ideas on how we can make stories about our national monuments more accessible to you and your students, drop us a note at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!
Best wishes,
The Education Team
DEAR EDUCATORS,
ONGOINGEVENTS
Monumental Walking Tours Suitable for: Students (upper primary, secondary and JC) and teachers (training programmes)
Whisk your students or colleagues off on a learning journey with a difference! The PMB
Monumental Walking Tours will bring you up close to some of our less visited national monuments and reveal the inspiring and heart-warming stories behind them.
Visit the monuments in Singapore’s historic districts – such as the Civic and Cultural District, Kampong Glam and Telok Ayer Street – and hear fascinating stories about the can-do spirit of Singapore’s early immigrant communities, the beautiful architecture they were inspired to create and the secrets of World War Two that some of them concealed.
You can also create a meaningful experience for your students for International Friendship Day, Racial Harmony Day and National Day with one of our walking tours. Help them to imagine what Singapore was like in earlier years and to appreciate how the struggles of the past have helped to build the Singapore of today.
Monumental Walking ToursDates: Tours for the public are conducted weekly (visit the PMB website for listings)Duration: 1½ hoursCost: $5 (adults), $3 (students); for every 20 paying students, 1 complimentary ticket will be provided for the teacherAdditional: Activity sheets for students are available for a nominal feeEmail: nhb_ nationalmonuments @nhb.gov.sg to enquire or make a booking
Win a pair of tickets to Monumental Walking Tours by taking part in our quiz!
Name one national monument that can be found along Telok Ayer Street.
Email your answer to [email protected] together with your name, contact number, school, and the subjects and levels you teach.
Closing date: 31 March 2013Only 5 pairs of tickets are up for grabs on a first-come, first-served basis!
Interactive Storytelling Sessions for The Fearless Twins and the Magical KaleidoSuitable for: Students (lower primary)
This year, our lively storytelling programme for the first PMB children’s book, The Fearless
Twins and the Magical Kaleido, is travelling to schools! Watch our professional storyteller fire your students’ imagination in a high-energy 30-minute storytelling session, while she enlists their help to assist Toby and Tammy, the two lead characters of the book, on their time-travelling adventure around Singapore’s national monuments.
Book a storytelling assembly package and receive: • 20 copies of the book which you can read with your students in class • 5 copies of PMB’s limited edition education kit (for teachers) • Specially designed sticker activity kits which will be given away as prizes during the session
Optional add-on: Order a minimum of 50 additional copies at a special price of $12 per book (retail price $16)! For schools that book the storytelling package and place a bulk order, the books will be delivered to the school free of charge and will be specially autographed by the author! This special offer is limited to the first 5 schools only.
The storyteller was very engaging. The Q&A session helped pupils to recall what they had seen during the assembly programme.” – Ms Felicia Toh, Bukit Panjang Primary School
My elder son really enjoyed trying to place the buildings and name them. It was really interesting to find out that what are national monuments now, were schools or used for other purposes in the past.” – Ms Tina Bhandan, parent
Interactive Storytelling Sessions 2013Duration: 30 minutesCost: $600, inclusive of a storytelling session (worth $350), 20 copies of The Fearless Twins and the Magical Kaleido (retail price $16 per book), 5 copies of PMB’s limited edition education kit and sticker activity kits to be given away as prizesEmail: nhb_ nationalmonuments @nhb.gov.sg to make a booking or enquire about the storytelling package
Sultan Mosque at Kampong Glam and Thian Hock Keng at Telok Ayer Street
What can you and your students see at Esplanade Park?
E splanade Park is home to 3 memorials that were gazetted as national monuments in December
2010. Each memorial – dedicated to an individual, a group and/or an event – holds a story or a lesson which may be meaningful for us to remember.
Lim Bo Seng MemorialUnveiled in 1954, the memorial commemorates Lim Bo Seng’s bravery and sacrifice as he fought against the Japanese during World War Two. The meditative memorial takes the form of a pagoda guarded by 4 bronze lions, with plaques recording Lim’s life in 4 scripts (English, Chinese, Tamil and Jawi).
Indulge your students in an afternoon of special programmes at the Esplanade Park Memorials
for the March holidays at My Monumental Playground on 23 March 2013 (Saturday).
Programme highlights: • Treasure hunt (3 p.m. – 6 p.m.): hands-on activities where students will look out for clues to Singapore’s past at the various memorials • Storytelling sessions for The Fearless Twins and the Magical Kaleido (4 p.m., 5.30 p.m. at the Lim Bo Seng Memorial; see page 8 of this newsletter for more details on the story)
• Performances by Tanjong Katong Girls’ School Drama Club (4.45 p.m., 6.15 p.m. at the Lim Bo Seng Memorial): skit performances inspired by the life of Lim Bo Seng • Movie screening of Madagascar 3 at 7 p.m.
Other fun activities to look out for: • Sketching tour (3.30 p.m.) organised by NParks • Bouncy castles (3 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
Visit http://www.pmb.sg for the latest programme details.
SPECIALEVENTMy Monumental Playground (23 March 2013)
CenotaphModelled after the Whitehall Cenotaph in London, this imposing granite memorial commemorates soldiers who died in the two World Wars. The bronze tablets bear the names of those who died in World War One, while the steps marked with the years 1939 to 1945 were added after World War Two.
Tan Kim Seng FountainThis attractive, Victorian-style cast iron fountain was made in England and unveiled in 1882 at Fullerton Square to commemorate Tan Kim Seng’s generous donation to building waterworks for the city. It has called Esplanade Park its home since 1925. The memorial is decorated with 4 sculptured figures of the Muses who can be identified by the items they hold. Note down the items on your next visit to the fountain and find out who they are!
BOOKS FOR SALE
Resonance: Songs of Our Forefathers Photographs by Kwek Leng Joo et. al.Hardcover, 183 pages Published in 2009 Retail price $85.60
This photography book contains an awe-inspiring collection of photographs of 24 national monuments, from the iconic to the lesser known. A team of photographers, led by Kwek Leng Joo, set out to capture these national landmarks with a fresh perspective, placing special emphasis on their architectural features. Use this book to introduce Singapore’s landmarks to your students, or inspire them to create their own artistic responses to the buildings and to Singapore’s history.
The Fearless Twins and the Magical KaleidoStory by Shekinah Linn Illustrations by Tan Seow WeiPaperback, 46 pages Published in 2012Retail price $16.00
Take a ride with Toby, Tammy and their fun-loving Uncle Al, as a time-travelling device swoops them back to Singapore in 1935. The twins’ adventure takes them around landmarks that have become Singapore’s well-loved national monuments. Will they solve the mystery of the spinning clock tower? Can they fight off the fierce flames of a huge fire? Will they escape in time?
This colourful, lively children’s book can be used to introduce primary school pupils to national monuments and encourage them to explore the history behind these places.
Discounts available!Sign up for our mailing list to qualify for a 20% discount on either book (up to 2 copies per teacher). Email us at [email protected] with your name, school and the subjects and levels that you teach, together with your order. Your books can be collected from the PMB office. Offer ends on 24 May 2013!
Note: This offer cannot be combined with the special price offered for The Fearless Twins and the Magical Kaleido at the storytelling session or the storytelling package.
Former Empress Place Building (now Asian Civilisations Museum) Located next to the Singapore River, the former Empress Place Building used to house government offices from the early 1900s till the 1980s. It was designed by Colonial Engineer JFA McNair, who also designed the Istana (also a national monument).
PadangThis grassy historic site has witnessed many important events in Singapore’s history, such as the Japanese surrender at the end of World War Two and numerous National Day Parades. Designed as a recreational space under the Raffles Town Plan, the Padang continues to host events such as rugby matches, Singapore Biennale events and even a Cirque du Soleil performance once.
Looking for useful resources to teach your students about Singapore’s history
and national monuments in English, History or Social Studies lessons? Check out these books by PMB, with special discounts available for teachers who sign up for our mailing list!
In the area, you can also visit other national monuments and historic sites such as:
Civilian War MemorialGazetted on 15 February 2013, the Civilian War Memorial is Singapore’s latest monument and is also commonly known as the “Chopsticks”. Dedicated to the civilians who died during the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), the Memorial’s four pillars represent the shared experiences of the Chinese, Malays, Indians and other races in Singapore. Every 15 February, a commemoration service is held here for civilians and war veterans.
Former Parliament House (now the Arts House) Possibly Singapore’s oldest surviving colonial building, the former Parliament House was first constructed as a residence for a Scottish merchant, before the government used it as a court house and office building. It became Parliament House when Singapore gained independence in 1965.
For more information on our national monuments, visit http://www.pmb.sg/?page_id=6 or check out PMB’s National Monuments of Singapore education kit, also available on Edumall.
My Monumental PlaygroundOrganised by PMB and supported by NParksDate: 23 March 2013 (Saturday)Venue: Esplanade ParkDuration: 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.Cost: FREEEmail: [email protected] if you plan to bring your students – we will prepare special activity kits for them!
Preservation of Monuments BoardAddress: 61 Stamford Road, #03-08 Stamford Court, Singapore 178892Tel: 6332 7953Fax: 6332 3590Email: [email protected]: www.pmb.sg
Download the previous issues of the Educators’ Newsletter from our website: http://www.pmb.sg/?page_id=1059.
