Memorialisation
Students will investigate aspects of memorialisation in the past and today and investigate some of the
cultural practices that produced our historic cemeteries. Students will observe that while memorialisation is a
basic human need practiced by all societies it is also culturally based and subject to changing practices by
economic, social, cultural and environmental considerations.
Curriculum
links
Principles
• High expectations
• Cultural diversity
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• Learning to learn
• Community engagement
• Coherence
Key
Competencies
V• Thinking
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• Using language symbols & text.
• Managing self
• Relating to others
• Participating & contributing
Levels 3, 4 and 5
Learning Areas
alues
students will
• Explore with empathy the
values of others
• Learn to accept different kinds
of values – social & cultural
• Learn about the values on
which NZ’s cultural &
institutional traditions are based.
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Learning Areas
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Level Three and Four – Social Sciences
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Strand: Continuity and change
Students learn about past events, experiences and actions and the changing ways in which these have
been interpreted over time. Learning experiences help students to understand the past and the present
and to imagine possible futures.
Level 3 students gain knowledge skills and experience relating to the following concepts
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Understand how cultural practices may vary but reflect similar purposes.
Students can
explain that erecting memorials has been an important way for people from a variety
of cultures in the past, and also today, to respect and commemorate lives, deeds and
events.
Understand how people remember and record the past in different ways.
Students can
describe ways and forms that memorialisation has happened over time identify the
meanings and intentions behind memorials of the past recognize that new ways of
memorialising, remembering and respecting the lives of others.
Understand how early migrations to New Zealand have continuing significance for communities
Students can identify through primary sources offered by cemeteries what was culturally
significant to people of the time.
Level 4 & 5 students gain knowledge skills and experience relating to the following concepts

Understand how people pass on and sustain culture and heritage for different reasons and that this
has consequences for people

Understand how cultural interaction impacts on cultures and societies.
Students can
gather data, investigate and describe some of the ways and forms that
memorialisation has happened and how memorialisation has changed over time.
identify the meanings and intentions behind memorials of the past and that these
have changed and sometimes been forgotten.
recognise that new ways of memorialising, remembering and respecting the lives of
others are now available and appropriate.
understand there are positive and negative consequences in the memoralisation
practices of former generations.
recognise today’s and future generations have responsibilities for maintaining the
cutlural artifacts of past generations and wht this should be done.
Settings
In this module we investigate memorialisation both within and beyond the New Zealand context. A range
of activities allow students to explore memorials within the early period of New Zealand’s European
settlement, that is about 1850 to about 1950. This is set in a larger historical context that shows
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memorialisation is a basic human inner impulse but the expression of that need changes over time.
Learning Areas
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Level Three, Four & Five– English
Strand: Listening, Reading and Viewing
Learning activities encourage students to integrate sources of information, processes and strategies, and to develop
confidence to identify form, and express ideas.
 Processes and strategies: Students can
o Recognise and understand the connections between oral written, and visual language;
o Integrate sources of information and prior knowledge with developing confidence to make sense of
increasingly varied and complex texts.
o Selects and uses a range of processing and comprehension strategies with growing understanding and
confidence
o Monitors, self evaluates, and describes progress with growing confidence,
 Purposes and audiences: Students develop a broader understanding of how texts are shaped for
different purposes and audiences.
 Ideas: Students show a developing understanding of ideas within and across and beyond texts.
o Students make meaning of increasingly more complex texts
o Students make connections by starting to think about underlying ideas in and between texts.
 Language features:
o Shows an increasing knowledge of how text conventions can be used appropriately.
 Structure: Students are introduced to and can demonstrate a developing understanding of text
structures.
o Identifies a range of text forms and recognises some of their characteristics and conventions.
Strand: Speaking Writing and Presenting
Learning activities encourage students to integrate sources of information, processes and strategies, and to
develop confidence to identify, form, and express ideas.
 Processes and strategies: Students can
o Use a developing understanding of the connections between oral written, and visual language when
creating texts.
o Create a range of texts by integrating sources of information with growing confidence.
o Seek feedback and makes changes to texts to improve clarity meaning and effect.
o Are reflective about production of own texts and can self evaluate own progress
 Purposes and audiences: Students show a developing understanding of how to shape texts for different
purposes and audiences by careful choice of language content and form and by conveying personnel
voice where appropriate.
 Ideas: Students select, form, and communicate ideas with increased clarity and drawing on a range of
resources.
 Language features:
o Use oral, written and visual language features to create meaning and effect and to engage interest.
 Structure: Organise texts using a range of appropriate structures and can sequence ideas and
information with increasing confidence.
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Learning Areas
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Level Three: Mathematics and Statistics
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Statistical investigation.
Students conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle:
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Gather, sort and display multivariate category, and whole number data, and simple time series data to
answer questions.
Identify patterns and trends in context within and between data sets
Communicate findings using data displays.
Statistical literacy
Evaluate the effectiveness of different displays in representing the findings of a statistical investigation activity
undertaken by others.
Level Four: Mathematics and Statistics
Statistical investigation.
Students can plan and conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle:
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Determine appropriate variables and data collection methods.
Gather, sort and display multivariate category, measurement, and time-series data to detect patterns
variations, relationships and trends.
Compare distributions visually
Communicate findings using appropriate displays.
Statistical literacy
Evaluate statements made by others about the findings of statistical investigations.
Level Five: Mathematics and Statistics
Statistical investigation.
Students can plan and conduct investigations using the statistical enquiry cycle:
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Determine appropriate variables and measures.
Consider sources of variation
Gather and clean data.
Use multiple displays and re-categorise data to find patterns, variations, relationships and trends in
multivariate data sets.
Compare sample distributions using methods of centre spread and proportion.
Present a report on findings
Statistical literacy
Evaluate statistical investigations undertaken by others including data collection methods, choice of methods
and validity of findings.
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Introducing memorials
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Specific learning outcomes
Explore students existing knowledge of memorials and develop an understanding that
memorials have always been important to humans. Students understand that permanent
memorials can be found around the world and have been erected by a great variety of cultures.
Students also understand that memorials exist today that span almost the last 5 – 6 millennia of
human settlement.
Starter activities: Introducing memorials
1. Print off or display the picture gallery PowerPoint Slide show that
is included with this unit. Choose as many of the photos as you
need and place them on sheets of paper and display at child height
around the classroom walls. Do not talk to students about the
images. Ask them to look carefully at, about 6 or so of the pictures,
and write on a large ‘sticky’ something they notice about each
picture.
2. Distribute a copy of the pictures to each group. Ask students to
group the images. They can do this in any way they like. They may
group into old and new or they may group photos into buildings and
cemeteries etc. Accept whatever groupings students come up with
and discuss with students as they do this. Ask them to change their
categories and come up with a different set. Discuss different group
categories as a whole class and why they grouped them this way.
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2
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3. Encourage students to try and think what all the images might
have in common. If student have difficulty with this leave it and
come back to for the next activity.
4. Distribute images to groups again. Also photocopy the
information sheet for the images. Have students cut out the
information squares and see if they can match up the information
with the images. Children should be able to match several without
too much difficulty. Students who are encountering difficulty with
some matches can use the website information on the tags to help
them find answers.
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5. Have students complete the timeline worksheet. They place the
memorial in its correct location on the road that represents human
settlement over the last 6 millennia.
6. Some groups of students might like to follow these activities up
by deepening the investigation into historic and prehistoric burial
sites.
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Introducing memorials
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Starter activities: Introducing memorials continued
5. Have students complete the timeline worksheet. They write in each of the memorials in the picture gallery
in its correct location on the road that represents human settlement over the last 6 millennia.
6. Extra: Some students might like to follow these activities up by deepening the investigation into historic and
prehistoric burial sites perhaps as a reading group activity. Both Wikipedia and the UNESCO World heritage
websites are excellent sites for information gathering.
4000 BC
3000 BC
1
Chun Quoit Cornwall England.
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Maeshowe Burial Chamber Orkney
Islands Scotland
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The Great Pyramid Giza Egypt
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Nabatean City and Necopolos of Petra
000 BC
2000 BC
Teacher answer sheet
000 BC
1000 BC
000 BC
5
0 AD
Terracotta Army of the first Emperor of Qin
China
6 Roman Emperor Hadrian’s Mausoleum
Rome Italy
AD000 BC
1000 AD
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AD000 BC
2000 AD
AD000 BC
Abakh Hoja Tomb Central China
Wadham sarcophagus and monumental brass
Ilminster church England Taj Mahal India
10 11 Pennyweight Flat Children’s Cemetery Australia.
Melbourne General Cemetery Australia,
12 13 Arch North East Valley School
/ Niche Wall Both New Zealand.
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Introducing memorials
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Specific learning outcomes
Students begin to think about the human need to memorialise and speculate on some of the
reasons groups and individuals do this.
Starter activities: Introducing memorials continued
THINK: Students can re-categorise the gallery pictures and combined with information from the
Internet about the pictures consider why these memorials have been erected and who has
erected them. The following visual mind map is offered as an idea only. (Keep these mind
maps and build on them later as students develop their resources and inquiries.)
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4
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Leaders have erected
memorials to themselves to
commemorate greatness.
People who are historically
significant.
The physical need to
dispose of a person
once they are dead.
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People with status in the
community and who can
afford to leave a memorial.
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Others have erected
memorials to those who have
given their lives in some
cause or event.
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Erected by grieving
family members for
loved ones.
Why have these
memorials been erected and who
has erected them?
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Others have erected
memorials to people who
are religiously significant.
Note:
It is estimated over the entire span of human existence
that there have been about 100 billion people who have
died. Davies J. (1994)
Introducing memorials: Teacher background
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Heritage cemeteries are part of a long tradition!
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Memorials from the far and near past can be found today in many places around the
world. These memorials come in different shapes and styles reflecting attitudes and beliefs as well
as technological capability and span the last five millennia of human settlement.
Much of what we know about many early societies, such as the Celts, the Egyptians, the Chinese
and others comes from studies of burial sites. Yet many early memorials still provide puzzles about
the societies that created them which require more investigation.
While all societies have developed rituals (funerals, tangi) for the acceptable disposal of the
deceased and ways of remembering those who have gone before, not all societies have developed
enduring memorials of stone. Maori memorials for example, exist as stories of the whakapapa
(family genealogies), as ‘portraits’ in the wharenui (meeting houses) and are invested in places of
importance as well as the urupa (cemetery).
The second great wave of new settlers to arrive in New Zealand brought with them the rituals of
burial from their home countries in Britain and Europe and many of the new ideas of the times as
well. A large increase population and movement of
people to large cities in the early 1800s saw the
need to design new places for burial. Traditional
within-the-church and churchyard burials were
giving way to the development of larger, separate,
cemeteries and in New Zealand we clearly see this
development in our town and country cemeteries.
Everything about the memorials in our heritage
cemeteries reflects the social attitudes and values
of the times. The types of materials used reflected
a need for enduring memorials. Decorative trends
and fashions can be observed. Emigration to cities
for work or to new colonies such as Australia and
New Zealand saw the breaking of strong family ties
and bonds as younger people and their families left
for the new colonies, often never to see loved ones
again. Strong religious beliefs were important for
people and this is reflected in much of what we see
in the shapes and decorations of gravestones in
our historical cemeteries. The shapes and
decorations on headstones frequently symbolize
parting and loss, or deep religious beliefs.
In this resource we are taking a much closer look at
what is written in stone in our historic cemeteries
and the hidden messages that are there for the
looking.
Starter Activities
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Specific Learning outcomes
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Students are to develop some familiarity with the key terms – the words and items they will see
when visiting a heritage, old local cemetery and will encounter in the course of the unit.
Starter activity: Developing a cemetery vocabulary
Download, and print off a set of the headstone images provided in the “Worksheets1&2 Introductory Activities” resource. Enlarge and photocopy onto heavy paper or card for
students. Introduce by show students the ‘Cemetery symbols structures’ resource and the
‘Cemetery architecture’ resource.
Print a key word on the front of each of “the gravestones” provided, and place “the
gravestones” in a lidded box or “crypt.” Have the students “dig” for one or more of the
words in the “crypt”.
The ‘correct’ definition can be searched for in a dictionary, an online dictionary, for example
at http://dictionary.reference.com/, or from the glossary of terms attached at the end of this
unit. Students write their definition/s on the back of the gravestone and hang on a mobile
so that other students can use it as a form of hanging dictionary as the unit progresses.
Introducing memorials: Gravestones key words worksheet – Page 1
Print out and photocopy onto heavy paper or card. Cut out each gravestone. Add
a word to the front of each gravestone eg stele, trinity cross, pedestal, obelisk etc. Students
write definitions on the back and hang up on a mobile as a hanging dictionary.
Cemetery Activities 1:
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Teacher background notes for the prepared cemetery trails
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Prepare to take students to the local cemetery for a visit to look more closely at memorials.
Download the Symbolism Guide.ppt slideshow and explore the contents as a teacher lead discussion
before the students undertake a cemetery trail.
Extra starter activities (puzzles) are available and you may choose to use them for homework or
encourage students to create their own activities and share them around.
There are model trails available for the Northern and Southern cemeteries in Dunedin. These offer a
variety of examples for students that involve looking closely at decorative features and exploring their
hidden meanings, gravestone shapes, varieties of statuary and their cultural origins as well as
inscriptions and their meanings. Each trail contains approximately twenty stations where students are
asked to observe some feature of the monument and in some cases infer meanings from inscriptions.
Prepared trails include….
The meanings of cemetery symbols.
 Northern Cemetery -Trails 1 and 2
 Southern Cemetery - Trails 1 and 2
Connecting memorials in the wider community to cemetery
headstones
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Northern cemetery trail
Southern Cemetery trail
Anderson’s Bay cemetery trail
It is suggested that students work in small groups. Provide one
recording sheet per group. Students are also encouraged to take a
digital camera with them. If you have limited time have different
groups of students start at different parts of the trail. For example one
group could start at the end of the trail and work backwards.
For teachers using other cemeteries arrange a couple of pre-visits to
the cemetery. Print out the Symbolism Guide Slideshow and the
Epitaph Slideshow so as to identify many of the cemetery symbols
and their meanings, memorial shapes and epitaphs that are
interesting. The best way to develop confidence in the topic is to
familiarise yourself with your local cemetery and the wealth of
historical material you will find there. Plan several simple starter trails
through the cemetery with perhaps 4 or 5 things to find initially. Other
suggested activities for your classes are listed on the following pages.
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The following activities are designed for teachers and classes using
local cemeteries elsewhere in New Zealand
If you are planning a visit to your local larger urban cemetery elsewhere in New
Zealand you will find the Symbolism Guide Slideshow and the Dunedin historic
cemetery trails modeled here helpful in setting up trails for your students that are
specific to your local cemetery.
While the Symbolism Guide Slideshow provides images and examples that can be
found at a variety of cemeteries throughout the Otago and Canterbury region, these
symbols are also representative of what you will find in cemeteries throughout New
Zealand and elsewhere.
What can vary from cemetery to cemetery is the amount of symbolism you may find
especially at small cemeteries and this may not be enough to sustain a whole class.
The following are suggested activities that would allow small groups in your class to
use the whole of a smaller cemetery site but look at different aspects of
memorialisation.
1. Activity 1 looks at decorations, and motifs of the Victorian and Edwardian era.
2. Activity 2 matches decorations with common images from late Victorian and
Edwardian culture.
3. Activity 3 looks at epitaphs.
4. Activity 4 looks at changing forms of cemetery memorialisation over time (this is a
useful activity if you are using a small historic cemetery that is still open for both
burials and cremations so that you have some 21st century memorials available for
students).
These activities can also be used in larger urban cemeteries. When using larger urban
cemeteries it is suggested that you divide the cemetery into manageable well-bounded
study blocks for your students.
When using other cemeteries you need to locate a map of the cemetery for your class.
Some urban areas have cemetery maps available online. For this check out Kiwi Celts
at http://fhr.kiwicelts.com/Cemeteries/NZ_Cem.html In many cases teachers will need
to visit their local museum, information centre or historical society to obtain a photocopy
version. The New Zealand Genealogy Societies have undertaken headstone
transcriptions, which are available in book form at local libraries, and historical
societies. These contain cemetery maps and useful historical information about your
local cemetery.
Additional or Alternative Cemetery Activities 2:
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Victorian & Edwardian Cemetery Symbolism Scavenger Hunt
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Check out your local cemetery first and see what kind of, and range of symbols you find
there. Historic cemeteries may superficially all look the same but they do tend to be quite
different from place to place and the amount of symbolism can vary greatly.
Write the names of different cemetery symbols from the Symbolism Guide Slideshow on
cards. (The following list provides some of the most commonly found symbols.) Students
randomly pick a card and are challenged to see if they can locate other examples of the
same or similar symbol in the cemetery.
For example: Can students (individually, in
pairs or in small groups) find other examples
in the cemetery of
1. hands?
2. broken flowers such as roses or lilies?
3. wreaths?
4. leaves oak, grape or ivy leaves?
5. flowers: passionflowers, roses and lilies?
6. anchors?
7. angels?
8. scrolls and books?
9. draped urns?
10.
Celtic crosses?
11.
animals - lambs and birds?
12.
IHS monograms?
Note:
Symbols can sometimes be hard to find.
Encourage students to look carefully.
Some symbols such as crosses form the
shape of the memorial but sometimes the
shape can be carved into the surface.
Granite is a very hard material and
designs were etched into the surface.
Many of these would once have had silver
or gold leaf applied to the design or
inscription but this has now weathered
and many designs are hard to see.
Standing in different positions can help.
Students can carry fresh water bottles
and pour water over the inscription to help
with reading the inscription or better
seeing the design.
Encourage to students to mark their findings on a cemetery map and also photograph
their findings. Have students bring or provide them with drawing paper and pencils and
encourage them to draw sketches of any symbols and memorial shapes that appealed to
them.
On return to school students prepare a poster, or pamphlet on the type and range of
symbols that are found in their local cemetery along with a map showing the marked
headstones. A poster display along with pamphlets could be used by the local museum,
information centre or historical society as a special interest walking tour for the
community.
Additional or Alternative Cemetery Activities 3:
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Victorian and Edwardian popular culture and cemetery symbolism
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For this activity you need print out the postcard student worksheets. Working
singly or in small groups students search the cemetery for one or more examples
of the symbolism they see represented on the postcard/s they have.
Students photograph the headstones they find with symbols and motifs on the
postcard/s and mark the location of the headstone on a map.
When they return to school, provide the memorial motif fact-sheet-set to students
and have them get together a written report, poster, brochure, or computer
presentation about the memorial motifs that can be found in their local cemetery.
Additional or Alternative Cemetery Activities 4:
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Epitaph Scavenger Hunt
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Before students start this activity they need to have been introduced to the kind and
range of inscriptions that can be found within cemeteries and the variety of information
that can be provided on headstone inscriptions. Download and show the Epitaphs
Slideshow that comes with this unit.
Write the names of different types of epitaphs from the factsheet set on cards. Students
pick a card and are challenged to see if they can locate other examples of the same or
similar epitaph in the cemetery.
For example: Students (individually, in pairs or in small groups) find other examples in
the cemetery of these epitaphs. Students record in some way using pencil and paper,
read onto a small tape recorder or photograph. Students also record locations on a
cemetery map.
1. One or more drownings in streams, rivers lakes, harbours or the sea.
2. Other unusual accidents such as a fall of earth/snow or explosion, or exposure to
weather.
3. Other unusual transport accidents such as a shipwreck, a fall from a horse or tram,
a railway accident or death resulting from a motor vehicle.
4. The profession or trade of the deceased.
5. The goodness of, or the good works of the deceased.
6. Religious epitaphs, such as “Asleep in Jesus”, or “safe in the arms of Jesus”.
7. Religious epitaphs: people separated by death hope to meet again after the
resurrection.
8. ‘Prepare yourself’ epitaphs
On return to school students prepare a poster, or pamphlet on the type and range of
epitaphs that are found in their local cemetery along with a map showing the marked
headstones. A poster display along with pamphlets could be used by the local museum,
information centre or
historical society as a special
interest walking
tour for the community.
Additional or Alternative Cemetery Activities 5:
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Changes to cemetery memorial design and shape over time
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The amount of symbolism in an historic cemetery can vary. Some, especially
smaller and still-functioning cemeteries, may not provide enough variety for student trails
for a whole class.
An excellent alternative activity is to have students locate and photograph one headstone
from each decade (go by the first date of death mentioned on each headstone). For
example one headstone from the 1860s, one from the 1870s, one from the 1880s and so
on up to the present day.
When students return to school they can print out the photos and place them in a time
sequence. Students can observe, describe and comment on changes they notice to the
way cemeteries, and symbols and memorials look over time.
A selection of headstones arranged by decade from the Blueskin Bay
Cemetery, Waitati.
1870
s
…… 1920s
1880
s
1930
s
1890
s
1940
s
1900
s
… …1990s
Finishing activities for younger students
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Reflection activities & production of a cemetery heritage trail for visitors
Note: Teachers of younger students may wish complete the unit at this point. The following
activities are included if teachers wish to do this.
Finishing activity 1:
Why memorialise. In this activity students find possible reasons for memorialisation in
their local (historical) cemetery and compare these with some of the reasons derived
from the photo gallery activity.
When students return from the cemetery visit have them photocopy their completed
group recording sheets for the symbolism trails. They need to cut them up for this
activity. Revisit the mind maps that students started at the beginning of the unit and have
then categorise those memorials they can into their existing categories. Some memorials
may fit several categories. Students may need to think about creating new categories.
Students also examine to what extent the reasons are the same or different from those
they have already come up with for ancient memorials.
Finishing Activity 2
When students return to school from the cemetery visit they can investigate more about
some of the grave sites they have found, combine information with the photographs they
have taken and present their findings to the class. Students may be interested in
developing heritage trails for tourists to their local cemetery. Take a look at this heritage
trail for the Northern Cemetery in Dunedin. Teachers could make this an assessment
activity. Have students help design an assessment rubric before you start this activity
based on their mind-maps.
Extension Activity
When students have completed drawings and have returned to school they can design and draft up
a plan for memorial of their own. Older students can plan a memorial to scale. You can add to the
fun of this by restricting the scope of the design using numbers ‘drawn from a hat’. Simply write a 1
or 2 on a small card and place in one box. Write an equal number of cards with single, or double
and place on another box. Students ‘fish’ for a number from each box. With a 1 and a single
students can design an erect structure on a single width plot. With a 2 plus a double, students have
to design a low level structure not more than a metre high.
Many cemeteries had restrictions as to what people were allowed to erect on a plot. Plots were
different sizes depending on what people could afford. Class I plots allowed people to erect tall
monuments. Class II plots restricted the height of a memorial to no more than 12 inches above
the ground.
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Memorialisation Unit Part II
Investigating cemetery memorialisation with the purpose of observing changes over
time.
The next part of this unit allows to students to investigate changes to aspects of
memorialisation over the time that our historic cemeteries have been in existence and to
suggest reasons for these changes. This part of the unit could be carried out by Level
Three Social Science students, as long as the analysis was kept to a relatively simple
level. The data gathering and analysing of the data unit is an ideal activity for level 4
and 5 students.
Follow on Cemetery Activities: Inquiry & research Activities
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Specific learning outcomes
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In this set of activities students investigate using various methods of data gathering to
reveal the changes to the way people and communities memorialise over time.
Changes to cemetery memorial design and shape over time
Some of the previous activities may be good starter activities for this section of the
unit. The following activities involve a return visit to the cemetery.
Starter Activity 1:
Download and show students the PowerPoint presentation called Cemetery
Architecture Slideshow. Run the presentation through with some background music
and let students enjoy the variety and diversity of shapes and types of memorials that
can be found.
Starter activity 2:
Reuse the starter activity cards with students but this time encourage them to group
different types of headstones into broad categories defined by shape. They can defend
their groupings. In a whole class discussion attempt to come up with a generally
agreed set of groupings. Have students come up with questions about the headstones.
Such questions might include:
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What kinds of memorials are there?
Are some memorial shapes more common or popular than others?
Were there fashions in memorial shapes? Did some shapes loose popularity?
Have memorials always been the same or have there been changes?
If there have been changes, what are the changes that have occurred to the way
memorials look in our cemeteries?
 How can we find out?
Activity 3a: Investigating changing fashions in headstone shape
Once students are agreed on headstone shape categories a return to the cemetery will
be necessary. Teachers can alternatively use existing worksheets. Download
worksheets called “Headstone Shapes.pdf”. Back at the cemetery the students
undertake a block analysis of headstone shapes using their own or the provided
student analysis sheets. Assign a manageable area of the cemetery comprising 50 or
so headstones for each group to cover if you are working in a larger urban cemetery or
larger rural cemetery. Included with the worksheets are examples of headstones
depicted in various categories for students to check if they encounter difficulties in
categorising headstones.
Follow on Cemetery Activities: Inquiry and research activities
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Changes to cemetery memorial design and shape over time
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Activity 3b: Investigating changing fashions in the materials used to construct
headstones.
Students investigate changing patterns in the kind of headstone materials that have been used at
different times. See worksheet and resource sheet sets.
Activity 3c: Investigating changing fashions in headstone decorations and
symbolism
If you are using a smaller rural cemetery then groups can be encouraged to develop questions and to
look at changes to popular headstone symbols. Students can draw up a list of symbols they see in
the cemetery and collect data to investigate when particular symbols were popular. Students can
draw up their own recording sheets. These will be dependent on which symbols are most commonly
found at the cemetery understudy.
Activity 4:
When students return to school have them analyse the data they have gathered on the local
cemetery. There is a lot students can analyse here. Students can plot results on a scatter graph
template on a decade-by-decade basis. They can compare graphed results on a decade-by-decade
basis. They can look for declines in popularity. They can observe and comment on changing patterns
over time on headstone decorations, on shape and structure and on materials used.
Activity 5:
Older students can use graphic organisers such as the fishbone organiser provided over the page to
reflect on and consider the possible reasons for changes to memorials. Students can do this on a
simple level. For example ask the group investigating building materials to consider reasons why
materials used to build memorials might shave changed from the four perspectives
1. What might have been some of the economic reasons that encouraged changes in shapes of
memorials
2. What might have been some of the social reasons that encouraged changes in shapes of
memorials
3. What might have been some of the cultural reasons that encouraged changes in shapes of
memorials
4. What might have been some of the environmental reasons that encouraged changes in
shapes of memorials
Each group of students can look at the varying reasons from their investigative perspectives.
Activity 6:
As a class use the fishbone graphic organizer to overview the various changes to memorialisation
students have observed in their group investigations or have students do this individually as an
assessment activity.
Reasons and causes for change in New Zealand’s old cemeteries
In this fishbone organiser students reflect on some of the possible reasons and causes for
changing forms of memorialisation in our cemeteries.
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Unit finishing activities
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Learning
outcomes
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In this activity students look at memorialisation today and compare to that of the
past. The activities encourage students to develop Understand how cultural
practices may vary but reflect similar purposes.
Memorialisation today – what changes can be seen?
Activity 5: Investigating memorialisation today.
In groups (or as a homework activity) have students think about and brainstorm (they can
use a simple mind map or concept map for this) what ways we memorialise or remember
people today and or experiences of memorialisation they have been involved in.
Download and use the Powerpoint Slide Show Memorialisation “Then & Now.”
In groups and for homework students can investigate various ways that memorials and
tributes are made to the lives of people today by collecting examples of
1. Tributes in popular media such as newspapers for local people.
2. Tributes in magazines and television for celebrities; for example the death of Sir
Edmund Hilary.
3. Recent memorialisation occurring at the cemetery. Students may like to collect some
photos of recent ashes beams, forest or bush burial sites, columbrian walls etc.
4. Tributes outside of cemeteries such as the laying of flowers at the site of an accident
for accident victims, leaving of flowers on streets, lamp posts and outside homes of
celebrities.
5. Memorial websites for those who are separated.
Unit finishing activities
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Memorialisation today – does it exist?
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Activity 6: Group thinking or reflection activity or individual assessment activity.
Students use a ‘compare and contrast’ matrix to consider memorialisation in Late
Victorian and Edwardian times to that of today. In what ways was and is
memorialisation similar then and now? In what ways was and is memorialisation
different then and now? Teachers and students are encouraged to extend the ideas
presented in this chart.
How are they similar?
1. Memorials Symbols/
shapes/ materials etc
2. Places where people
are remembered and/or
commemorated.
3. Ways people are
remembered and/or
commemorated.
4. Choice in the variety of
ways people were/are
remembered and/or
commemorated.
5. What happens to the
physical remains of a
person after death.
6. Beliefs and
philosophies about life
and death.
How are they different?
Unit finishing activities
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Living today with past expressions of memorialisation
Activity 7: Group thinking or reflection activity or individual assessment activity.
Students use another ‘compare and contrast’ matrix to consider the consequences of
ways of memorialisation in Late Victorian and Edwardian for us today. What are the
positive consequences for us today? What have been the negative influences of past
forms of memorialisation on us today? Teachers and students are encouraged to extend
the ideas presented in this chart.
Positive
consequences
1. Economic
2. Social
3. Cultural
4. Environmental
Negative
consequences
After the cemetery visit: Additional Areas of inquiry
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Extending the unit or encouraging ongoing student inquiries
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Investigate your school or community war memorials
Local war memorials commemorating the men who lost their lives in WW1 can be found in most small
towns. Many older schools are the keepers of roll of honour boards, and memorial archways for ex
pupils who served with the forces or were killed in action. These memorials are interesting to
investigate in relation to your local cemetery.
These resources include some ideas for classes and teachers to use for local war memorials.
1. Anderson’s Bay Primary School in Dunedin has a WW1 memorial arch, honour
boards, and a magnificent local memorial called Arthur’s Seat. The school is
also located close to the Soldiers’ Cemetery at Anderson’s Bay in Dunedin.
(Some useful ideas here for an ANZAC teaching unit for L3)
2. Like many older schools, Otago Boy’s High School has a magnificent memorial
archway commemorating those who fell in the 1914-1918 War. Several trails
have been developed where individual men mentioned on the bronze
plaques in the archway can also be found mentioned on family gravestones in
Dunedin’s Northern and Southern Cemeteries.
Deserved or undeserved?
Who was memorialised? Students can investigate those groups in society in the past, who do NOT
have lasting memorials. Stories from the criminals, and poor of the past can be compared to who did
get memorialised.
Develop a heritage trail that links your town with the cemetery. Some ideas include…
Investigate your city/town plaques and statues
Locate and find out about the statues and commemorative plaques in your town or city. Who features?
Why are these people featured? What did these people do? Develop a trail around your city plaques.
Investigate your city/town street names and link to your local cemetery.
Locate and find out about some of the street names in your town or city that have been named after
first settlers and early identities who are also buried in your local cemetery. What did these people do?
Develop a trail around your town streets and cemetery.
For teachers and students interested in developing a heritage trail see the New Zealand heritage Trails
Foundation http://www.heritagetrails.org.nz/index.asp
Cemetery words: Glossary (Adapted from Betteridge, (2005) and Keister, (2004))
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For use with introductory activities.
Columbrium,
Columbrium Wall,
Niche wall
Column
Celtic Cross
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A sepulchral vault or other structure with recesses or niches in the walls
to receie the ashes of the dead. From the Latin word columba, a dove,
relating to the fact that some columbrian walls are like dovecots or pigeon
lofts.
A pillar or tall vertical circular structure sometimes presented as a broken
especially when life has been cut short or a person has died at a young
age.
The Celtic cross has a circle or a nimbus connecting the four arms of the
cross and usually placed on the graves of Irish or Scottish deceased.
Cenotaph
A monument, usually of imposing scale, erected to commemorate one
whose burial remains are at a separate location, literally means ‘empty
tomb’. Usually applied to monuments such as war memorials.
Coped Stone
A coped stone lies horizontal to the surface of the grave and rests on a
built up plinth. It may consist of a flat stone or it may be a shaped stone.
Greek Cross and variations
The Greek cross looks like a + sign is more likely to be carved into
headstone than be freestanding. The variations are the Maltese cross
which has flared ends, and the St Andrew’s Cross which is shaped like a
X.
An upright stone marker placed at the head of the deceased, usually
inscribed with demographic information, epitaphs or both, sometimes
decorated with a carved motif.
The Latin cross looks like the letter t and can be found in cemeteries
carved into a stele headstone or as a free-standing shape. The variations
are the Cross of Calvary on three steps, the Trinity cross with arms that
end with three prongs that represent The Trinity, and the Glory Cross with
a halo of light radiating from the point where the arms cross.
Headstone
Latin Cross and variations
Obelisk
Orthodox Cross
A four sided tapering shaft, having a pyramidal point. A monument
popularised by romantic taste for classical imagery.
The Eastern orthodox cross lools like the Latin cross but has two
additional cross arms. A narrower arm above and a tilted arm below.
Mausoleum
A building above the ground with places for emtombment of the dead.
Pedestal
A monument with four faces. Hard flat vertical sides often surmounted
with a column, obelisk, urn, cross or statue such as woman or angel etc.
Sarcophagus
A stone coffin or monumental chamber for a coffin
Stele
An upright slab of stone bearing an inscription and usually a sculptural
design, as in traditional headstones and footstones. From the Greek word
for a standing block of stone.
Plural of Stele
Stelae
Table Tomb
A stone that lies horizontal to the surface of the grave that is raised on
four or six legs and looks like a table.
Resources:
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For memorial activities.
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A large number of pictorial teaching resources have been put together for this unit due
to the difficulty of finding reliable material to use with students that is useful for New
Zealand settings. Not all examples provided will be found in every cemetery.
Any teacher wishing to use their local cemetery as a teaching resource really needs to
spend time in the cemetery to develop familiarity with the particular kinds of mortality
opportunities and memorial opportunities that are presented by the local artifacts
available. Every cemetery is different. Some of the resource materials should be helpful
in helping teachers as well as students recognise the shapes, designs and epitaphs
that can be so easily overlooked unless we know about them.
Books.
The following resources have been used to support the development of this teaching
unit.
Betteridge, C. (2005). Conservation Plans: Northern and Southern Cemeteries.
Unpublished report for Historic Cemeteries Conservation Trust of New Zealand.
Greenaway, K. (1884). Language of Flowers. This is a well known ‘dictionary’ of flower
meanings used by Victorians. The 1884 edition (with illustrations) is available as an
online illuminated text at http://www.illuminated-books.com/books/flowers.htm
Keister, D. (2004). Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and
Iconography. Gibbs Smith Publisher. Salt Lake City.
Mytum, H. (2000). Recording and Analysing Graveyards: Practical Handbook in
Archaeology 15. Council for British Archaeology in association with English Heritage.
Seaton, L. (2004) Timaru Cemetery: Messages in Stone. A Guide to the meanings of
the symbols on headstones. South Canterbury Museum.
Sagazio, C. (1992) Cemeteries: Our Heritage. National Trust of Australia.
Tyler, L. (No Date). The broken lily and the grim reaper’s scythe: The iconography of
Victorian and Edwardian Gravestones in the Northern Cemetery. Presentation Notes.
Director of the Centre for New Zealand Art, Research & Discovery. University of
Auckland.