Many Stories
Discover stories of migration to Australia across time through museum objects.
In this curriculum-aligned excursion, primary students explore Australian immigration history and stories of immigrants through artefacts and objects from the museum collection.
Students will think like historians and museum curators, using museum objects as evidence to uncover, interpret and share stories from Australia’s past.
The program inspires students to explore their own family histories and objects that can be used to tell their stories.
Students will experience
- Examining museum objects, artefacts and documents to discover immigration stories.
- Recognising challenges immigrants face.
- Working in small groups and sharing ideas with peers.
- Creating a museum display.
- A visit to the museum galleries after the staff-led education program to build on the information discovered in the classroom session.
Students will learn
- Immigration stories from the 1800s to 2000s.
- How historians use sources to investigate the past.
- How museum curators select objects to tell stories.
- The role played by immigrants in Australia's history.
In the galleries:
- About immigrant journeys to Australia.
- Reasons people have migrated to Australia.
- Individual immigrant stories across the last 230 years.
- Procedures for immigrants arriving in Victoria.
- First Peoples’ stories of culture and history.
Students will be provided
- All students will be provided with a booklet to guide them through the galleries and for them to record their findings, with related activities to complete back at school
Students will need
- Pen or pencil.
Other key information
-
The length of this excursion is 90 minutes and includes a 45-minute workshop followed by a 45-minute gallery visit.
Availability
Terms 1–4, Monday to Thursday
Duration: 90 minutes
Student information
Years 5 to 6
Minimum 15 students
Maximum 50 students
Bookings
$11 per student + education service fee
Call 13 11 02 or submit an online booking request
Workshop
Presented by a museum educator and followed by a gallery visit
Victorian Curriculum Links
History: Levels 5 and 6
Australia (1800 – 1900)
- the role of significant individuals or groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, local-born colonists and migrants, on the development of or events in a colony (VC2HH6K05)
Australia (1900 – 2000)
- the causes for people migrating to Australia from Europe and Asia, including their experiences and perspectives, and their impacts on Australian society during the 20th century (VC2HH6K09)
- significant contributions of individuals and groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and migrants, to changing Australian society (VC2HH6K10)
Intercultural Understanding: Levels 5 and 6
Culture, identity and belonging
Accessibility
Please view our accessibility page for general information. A sensory map of Melbourne Museum can be found on our Visual Stories page where step-by-step visual and written access guides are available. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at schools@museum.vic.gov.au to discuss how we can support your visit.
Museums Victoria Learning Access Fund
The Museums Victoria Learning Access Fund aims to enhance access to our museums (Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and Immigration Museum), programs and events by offering free or subsidised education programs for eligible schools. Find out more about the fund.
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