Digital Classroom | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Digital Classroom

Explore Australia's history at the National Library's Digital Classroom, aligned with the Australian Curriculum. With over 10 million items, we support diverse learning styles, fostering inquiry-based learning for students to analyse sources and draw conclusions about the Australian story.
Showing 13 - 24 of 206 results
A war memorial
Historian interview: Commemoration

Topic

Historian Dr. Jennifer Wellington explores the similarities and differences of commemorative ceremonies in Australia with the rest of the world and unpacks the question of whether what we are commemorating is based in truth or myth.

Humanities
Year 9
Military history
Sepia photograph of World War One soldiers mounted on camels lined up for inspection on the sand

Imperial Camel Corps in Palestine, 1917-1918. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-153422443

Historian interview: Australia's context in a global war

Topic

Military historian, Dr. Aaron Pegram, explores the experience of Australian men and women across the 4 year conflict.

Humanities
Year 9
Military history
Conscription referendum poster 'The crime of those who vote 'no''

G. H. Dancey, (1916), The crime of those who vote "No!", nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136421813

The 1916 conscription debate

Topic

Reflect on the deep divisions this referendum imposed and its long-term effects on Australian society

Humanities
Year 9
Military history
A black and white photo showing how two half shells and the round pieces cut out of them

Frank Hurley, [Cut shell] showing the method of cutting shells commercially, 1921, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-149364077

Torres Strait Islander conservation

Module

Engaging students with a rich selection of sources and challenges them to draw their own conclusions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ approaches to custodial responsibility and environmental management in different regions of Australia.

Humanities
Year 10
First Australians
Geography
A sweeping landscape of a mountain range. The mountains are craggy and rocky. They are covered in mist.

Peter Dombrovskis, Frankland Range, Southwest National Park, Tasmania, 1995, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-150007802

Understanding the living world

Module

Explore the connections between living things, the environments they inhabit, and the forces that shape them. 

Science
Year 4
Environment and biodiversity
Woman sitting on a stool looking thoughtful in front of a red banner with the words 'The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s'
The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s

Module

Examples of advertising and media drawn from the National Library of Australia’s exhibition The Sell: Australian Advertising 1790s to 1990s and looks at their influence over time.

Arts
English
Humanities
Year 10
Art, drawing and illustration
Australian history
Literature and writing
Engraved portrait of James Cook in an 18th-century naval uniform, featuring a high-collared coat with buttons and light-coloured waistcoat. The illustration includes a small scene below showing a group of people interacting near the shore.

J. Chapman sculpsit, Captain Cook [picture], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-240952710

The legend and legacy of James Cook

Module

Explore the historical impact and legacy of James Cook's voyages in this learning module.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Australian history
Explorers
First Australians
Law books stacked on a desk
Trailblazing women lawyers

Module

Explore the stories of Australian women who broke barriers in the legal profession in this learning module.

Humanities
Year 10
Australian women
Law and legislation
The Japanese print shows the major members of the Satsuma Rebellion, surrounding Takamori Saigo, the leading figure; the text at the back of each image explains more details about each figure.

Yoshitoshi Taiso & 大蘇芳年, Kagoshima bōto shōzō ryakuden Morimoto Junzaburō, Tōkyō, 1877, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-152241305

Japan under the Shoguns (794-1867)

Module

Examine Japan under the Shoguns (794-1867), focusing on the feudal system and its societal impacts.

Humanities
Year 8
Asia-Pacific
Two boats with rope hanging between them filled with men, women and children coming from Vietnam

Michael Jensen, Vietnamese boat people, Darwin, 1977, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-149648567

Australian migration

Module

Discover how migration has shaped Australia’s diverse identity through stories from the first colonies, the gold rush, refugees and more in this learning module.

Humanities
Year 6
Migration and immigration
A group of women marches down a city street, holding various protest signs. Signs include messages like "Sexism is alive & living in Australia" and "Dress for comfort, not for style." A large sculpture is visible in the background.

John McKinnon & Australian Information Service, Women on the march wave their placards at the International Women's Day march, 1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137045864

Feminism in Australia

Module

Explore the evolution of women's rights in Australia from women's suffrage to contemporary movements like #MeToo in this learning module. 

 

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Australian history
Australian women
Democracy
Protest and dissent
A streetscape of Bourke street, Melbourne.

Tom Roberts, Bourke Street, Melbourne, 1885, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134285521

Time and place

Module

Explore how communities evolve over time, how different cultures influence and contribute to communities, and how symbols convey meaning.

Humanities
Year 3
Australian history

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