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Make a law: House of Representatives

Discover how bills—proposed laws—are introduced, debated and voted on in the House of Representatives by turning your class into a Parliament and doing it yourself! This lesson plan outlines the steps to run a role play in the classroom and includes a video illustrating the process, teacher notes, class preparation and ...

Video

Making a law

Get an introduction to the law-making process of the Australian Parliament with this short video. It includes all the law-making steps in the Senate and House of Representatives.

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Cabinet

Cabinet is the top-level decision-making group within the Australian Government. Find out more about who is in Cabinet and how it works with this fact sheet.

Interactive

Federal Parliament history timeline

This interactive timeline explores key milestones in the history of Australia's Parliament that led to federation and how the work of Parliament has influenced Australian democratic development since 1901. The timeline allows users to explore the milestones chronologically or follow thematic trails. Selected milestones ...

Online

Make a law: Senate

Discover how bills—proposed laws—are introduced, debated and voted on in the Senate by turning your class into a Parliament and doing it yourself! This lesson plan outlines the steps to run a role play in the classroom and includes a video illustrating the process, teacher notes, class preparation and plans for making the ...

Text

Three levels of government: governing Australia

In Australia the three levels of government work together to provide us with the services we need. This webpage provides a detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of each level, how they raise money and how they work together. Case studies show how the powers of the Australian Parliament have expanded.

Online

School of rocks: teacher resource

In this structured inquiry unit of work students explore the formation of rocks and minerals. They investigate how the properties of rocks and minerals are related to their use, and how these naturally occurring materials provide valuable resources for human activity. Students also investigate the effects of volcanic activity, ...

Online

The gold rush

This collection of 5 activities explores life on the NSW and Victorian goldfields in the 1850's. Using primary sources from the State Library of NSW's collection (diaries, artwork and a satirical cartoon), students investigate the everyday activities of the gold sush. Read an eyewitness account of the first gold escort ...

Online

Features of places - Beaches

In this sequence of 6 activities, students explore the natural and human features of beaches and develop an understanding of the way coastal areas are used for leisure, recreation and sport.

Online

Games children play

This Learning Activity includes a sequence of two student activities and a downloadable word documents for teachers’ programming requirements. In Activity 1, students use seven photographs from the State Library of NSW collection to compare games and activities from the past. Activity 2 focuses on sports played in the ...

Online

Greenway and Macquarie

This learning activity consists of 3 tasks examining the work of Francis Greenway, appointed Colonial Architect by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Students analyse visual sources to access the impact made by the Macquarie – Greenway partnership on the development of the colony of Sydney in the early nineteenth century. Included ...

Online

The world of Mickey of Ulladulla

This series of learning activities is based on a past State Library of NSW exhibition, Mari Nawi: Aboriginal Odysseys containing links to video content and collection items including artworks by Mickey of Ulladulla, letters, journals and official documents. Activity 1, explores how life for the Aboriginal people changed ...

Online

Whose shoes?

This sequence of 2 learning activities explores the present and the past using photographs of shoes from the State Library of NSW's collection. Students are encouraged to use time sequencing vocabulary e.g. then and now. Activity 1 asks students to compare a variety of shoes for purpose, similarities and differences. The ...

Online

Significant Individuals - Frank Hurley

In this learning activity, students explore the work of James Francis 'Frank' Hurley and his photographic documentation of historical events. These include the Antarctic expeditions of Mawson and Shackleton, World War I and World War II. Students use primary source material and their own research to prepare an interview ...

Online

Significant Individuals - Governor Macquarie

In this sequence of two learning activities, explore the life of Governor Macquarie as a significant person in history. Students examine events, people, politics economics, social structures and settlement patterns of the colonial period. Video content and links to the State Library of NSW's artefacts are used to support ...

Online

Holidays, past and present

This three- part activity compares similarities and differences between family holidays of the past with the present. Students view the Allen family's photo album (1899 - 1900) and compare them with holidays they have experienced.

Online

Who was Quong Tart?

In this sequence of two activities, students learn about Quong Tart's contribution to Australian life by examining photographs and responding to questions. Based on Quong Tart's tea house, students redesign their classroom to create their own tea house experience.

Online

People live in places. Important places - Homes

This sequence of five activities focuses on places. Students investigate their own home as an introduction to the concept of place. The inquiry can be expanded to include other places students belong to, why they are important and how they care for them. These activities use photographic resources from The State Library ...

Online

World War I - the Western Front

In this learning activity students locate and sequence the places where Australians fought and describe the nature of warfare during the Gallipoli campaign. Students and teachers are provided with links to a rich collection of diaries, letters, maps, photographs, artworks, posters and newspapers on the Great War. Students ...

Online

Sydney Harbour Bridge

This sequence of four learning activities examines the design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Students view alternate designs that were not chosen and explore the reasons behind this decision. In the final activity students identify reasons why the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a symbol of Sydney and consider ...