This Guide has been created for teachers, to help plan their visit to the museum, and provide some ideas for classroom activities before and after a class visit.

You will find lots of great resources and activities that can be explored in the classroom, even if you can’t make it to the museum in person. You will also find information about each exhibition with suggested questions for discussion, which can be used to support a self-guided museum visit.

Download the pdf booklet here:

Visiting the Migration Museum: a Guide for Teachers

Update on Education Programs

In 2021, the Migration Museum is offering the following COVIDSafe education programs:

CHANGING WORLDS (Years 3-4)

This program focuses on the lives of children both pre- and post-colonisation in South Australia, including the experience of children at The Native School Establishment, which was on the same site as the Migration Museum from 1845-51, providing a unique and personal example of first contact (life for Indigenous Australian pre- and post-contact). Students will be asked to reflect on the following inquiry questions: Who lived here first and how do we know? How have laws affected the lives of people, past and present?

UNPACKING HISTORIES (Years 6-8)

This program is an investigative multimedia-assisted workshop that shows how the stories of individual lives fit into the local, national and global mosaic of history. Working like historians and curators, students wear gloves to unpack, examine, research and record the lives of several South Australians and their 20th and 21st century immigration stories. Students will be asked to reflect on the following inquiry questions: How are social histories put together? What stories can objects and documents tell? 

BEING A CHILD IN THE 19TH CENTURY (Years R-2)

In this fun education program students explore the past focusing on school life and daily life of colonial Australia before schooling became compulsory in South Australia. What did children learn at school? What technology was used?

All programs are 75 minute with a short COVIDsafe introduction.

Submit a booking request form to start the booking process. 

Follow us on our social platforms including Facebook to keep up to date with the latest information.

Frequently asked questions: COVIDSafe visits

What are you doing to keep students and other visitors safe?

• Our hygiene program includes increased cleaning of all exhibits, supply of hand sanitizer throughout the museum and specific session times to allow for deeper cleaning between sessions.
• We can allow storage of school bags for school groups only.
• Some rooms and galleries have limited capacity to retain social distancing
• We will provide cleaning in eating locations after use by each school group.
• If required, students can use our disposable gloves after being shown correct use.
• We have an approved COVIDSafe Plan available to view on request.

What do teachers need to do to arrange an excursion?

• Department for Education guidelines require teachers to complete a risk assessment for each excursion – we can provide information to teachers that will assist in completing this form.
• Be aware of our capacity limits, program changes and gallery limits.
• Contact our education team for more information or to book your visit!

Please note: 

In the instance that a facility has a confirmed case of COVID-19 or a confirmed close-contact among staff, students, residents, or team members which requires the facility be closed, HTSA and its museums will delay any bookings made by that facility for a minimum period of 14 days from the date that the case was identified. Should no further cases occur during this period the booking may be rescheduled, subject to availability. Any subsequent cases within that period will extend the period an additional 14 days, starting from the date of the last confirmed case or close contact.

• • The period of 14 days in accordance with current understanding of the COVID-19 incubation period.
  • No cancellation fees will be applied to any bookings cancelled or delayed due to circumstances relating to COVID-19 confirmed cases and all attempts will be made to reschedule within a reasonable timeframe.

If walls could speak is a multi-modal resource which features primary sources and is designed as an inquiry into the lives of 5 people who relied upon government welfare and were affected by government legislation from 1830s to 1918.

The iBook is best read on an iPad, and downloaded through itunes via this link: If walls could speak

(The iBook is an Apple product and can only be downloaded via iPad, iPhone or an Apple Mac computer)

Visit the Migration Museum to see the exhibition In this place: a history of the Migration Museum site, which inspired the development of the eBook.