Koppies offers hands-on history teaching for learners
Special school tours of the Koppies can be arranged during the week at R40 per child.
Grade Seven learners from Solid Foundations Primary School in Kempton Park recently visited Melville Koppies to find out more about its rich history, with findings at the site dating back more than 50 000 years.
Learners tested the sharp edge of a stone scraper once used and discarded by hunter-gatherers, scrambled over rocks to see the blast hole where the Geldenhuys brothers hoped to strike gold and the boys challenged traditional gender norms as they attempted to grind sorghum on an old grinding stone.
ALSO READ: Adri – will you marry me?
The tour “helps you learn about your culture and know where things come from not you just thinking, ‘oh they just made it up’, remarked one learner, while another said “I saw how our ancestors used to build primitive tools and survived,” and “how different they lived compared to how we live.”
“I would definitely recommend it, especially for children from the city,” said their history teacher. “Learners need to see actual physical historical evidence.”
Special school tours of the Koppies can be arranged during the week at R40 per child. The events are suitable for learners aged from pre-school to Grade 12.
For other visitors, the Melville Koppies is open every Sunday with the exceptions of May 2, which will be from 8am to 11.30am.
There is no need to pre-book for a hike. Entrance costs R80 for adults and R40 for children.
All income raised is used for the maintenance and security of the Koppies.
Those interested can park in secure parking opposite the entrance of the Koppies at Marks Park in Judith Road, Emmarentia.
For more information contact wendavid@mweb.co.za
Alternatively, visit the website.
Also follow us on:
