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By Cath
12 Mar 2013
By Cath
26 Oct 2012
By Robert
20 Sep 2012
Explore changing attitudes to migration
Where did your Mum and Dad grow up? Were they born in Australia or overseas?
In Australia's Migration Stories students investigate some of the ten million migration stories from 1788 to today, and reflect on Australia's changing attitudes towards migration.
In this program students use a digital camera and activity card to record when, how and why individuals came to Australia. All photographs will be available on our website for follow-up classroom activities.
Details
| Year levels | 5–12 (6–12 in Qld, WA and SA) |
| Group size | 40 students – two groups can run concurrently |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Cost | $6 per student |
| Availability | Tuesday–Friday at 10am, 12pm, 3pm |
| Curriculum links |
Australian History curriculum links to our programs (178kb PDF) |
Aims
- Provide students with the opportunity to explore stories of individuals and groups who have migrated to Australia since 1788.
- Enable students to reflect on why over 10 million individuals have migrated to Australia since 1788.
- Challenge students to investigate changing attitudes to migrants.
Structure
- Introductory activity – through an investigation of mystery migrants' belongings, students explore stories of migration and reflect on how Australian government policies and community attitudes towards migrants have changed over time.
- Gallery activity – working in groups, students explore migration stories in the Australian Journeys gallery and record, using digital cameras and activity cards, when, how and why individuals came to Australia.
- Reflection – students gather to discuss the stories they selected and the range of contributions migrants have made to Australia, as well as how their photographs may be used for further research and reflection on Australia's migration history back at school.
Exploring the Museum
You may like to allow extra time to visit other exhibitions and to explore other places in the Museum, such as Circa and Kspace. For everything you need to know about visiting, see Plan and book a visit.
Related resources
These classroom activities might be useful in your classroom.
You may also be interested in the following teacher resources:
- What impacts has immigration had on Australia? – a unit of work investigating the stories and impact migrants have had on Australian society over time
- Gold and Civilisation – an education kit exploring life and minority groups on Australia's goldfields
- New homes – discover the stories of two 'displaced persons' who migrated to Australia after World War II.
- Hong Hai – Journey of the Hong Hai – take a trip on the first refugee boat that came to Australia's shores in 1978.
You can also see the full list of resources related to Australian history.
