Teaching Primary History through Museums

Delivered by expert museum educators and curators, each course provides five hours of BOSTES QTC Registered PD and explores practical strategies and approaches to teaching History in the museum that you can take back to your own classroom.

The Teaching Primary History through Museums professional development day for primary teachers explores practical ways to teach skills and concepts through museum-based learning strategies.

To gain insights into the different ways museums help us to understand the past, participants will visit three museums: Susannah Place Museum, the Museum of Sydney and the Justice & Police Museum. Curators explain how historical significance is interpreted in museum displays and exhibitions and how participants can integrate similar strategies into the classroom context. 

Participants will receive a range of handouts, reading material and references to support them in implementing museum-based learning strategies in the classroom.

The course includes:

Susannah Place Museum

• Tour and discussion

Museum of Sydney

• Curator-led tour and discussion
• Understanding an exhibition
• How to view and evaluate an exhibition

Justice & Police Museum

• Curator-led tour and discussion
• Planning a museum exhibition in the classroom

The value of museums for K-6 learners

• What does the research show?
• Making the most of your museum visit
• Resources to support the use of museum-based learning in implementing the K-10 History syllabus

Curriculum links:

History K-10 syllabus - Historical concepts and skills:

• Analysis and use of sources
• Significance
• Perspectives and interpretations
• Explanation and communication

NSW Education Standards Authority

Completing each course in the Sydney Living Museums Teaching History in the primary classroom program will contribute 5 hours of QTC Registered PD, addressing 2.1.2, 3.4.2 and 6.2.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.