Rare Trades: Making Things by Hand in the Digital Age

Topic: Rare Trades: Making Things by Hand in the Digital Age
Type: Curriculum needs
Years: 5-9

Key curriculum links:

SOSE (Studies of Society and the Environment)
Investigation, communication and participation;
Time Continuity and Change;
Resources Subjects: English, The Arts, Science, Technology.

Rare Trades: Making Things by Hand in the Digital Age
A travelling exhibition developed and presented by the National Museum of Australia.
6 June - 12 October 2003

Rare Trades celebrates the art of skilled manual work and ancient trades, their special tools, traditions, languages and secrets which are now threatened by the onslaught of technological change.

The list of traders includes a glass eyeball maker, haystack builder, craypot maker and wheelwright. There's also a horse collar maker, milliner and bladesmith among many others, who explain their motivations for mastering their trades.

Rare Trades explores themes including transformation, tools, passing on knowledge, the maker's mark and the changing nature of work. The exhibition was co-curated by author Mark Thomson and Museum staff member Sophie Jensen.

Rare Trades education kit

This education kit has been written for students in years 4-8. The activities in this program complement the Rare Trades exhibition.

The kit contains a range of classroom activities and 24 fact files about each of the trades represented in the exhibition. They provide background information and may be used as a starting point for student research.

Click on the PDF file name below, to download the education kit.

If you are unable to download the below resources, please contact the Education section at education@nma.gov.au.

Contact details

Group bookings: +61 2 6208 5021
Schools Programs information: +61 2 6208 5119