EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The South Australian Museum Education Service has a range of exciting programs. To get an overview of the possibilities, choose one of the following options. When booking a visit, teachers will be given a password that will allow them to select downloadable materials to support their visit.

If you find program below that suits your needs, phone Ann on 8207 7429 to arrange a lesson using our materials or Education Officers.

Cultural Programs

Natural history programs

Other Programs

Internet resources

Cultural Programs

Aboriginal Culture

For over a century, the South Australian Museum has been deeply involved in, and committed to, the collection, study display and interpretation of Australia's Aboriginal cultures. The Museum's collections include artefacts, sound recordings, films, photographs, field notebooks and manuscripts. There are two floors to the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, and there is so much to see that each floor is worthy of a visit in its own right. We ask that classes book only one floor to allow equitable use of the spaces and to help make return visits more beneficial.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery
Norman Tindale
Ngurunderi; An Aboriginal Dreaming
The Big Canvas - Painting Cockatoo Creek
Ingarnendi

Ancient Egypt

This small, but fascinating gallery houses artefacts that give insight into religion, burial practices and every-day life in the Egyptian empire. The program for this gallery focuses on collecting evidence and using artefacts to gain insights into an ancient civilisation.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Beautiful Burial
Panorama of gallery by Peter Murphy

Natural History Programs

In the Footsteps of Sir Douglas Mawson

Douglas Mawson was a scientist, an explorer and an adventurer. The scientific information that he acquired in Antarctica and Australia has on-going importance to our understanding of the world in which we live. The program also looks at the inspirational quality of his life. Geology, biology and history are covered in this gallery.

A special cross curriculum science/history program is available in which students can access the Mawson archives and see what information can be gleaned from primary sources as well as exploring the gallery.

Details of archive program

Useful Museum webpages include;
In the Footsteps of Sir Douglas Mawson

Skeletons

Bones and skeletons are part of many Museum exhibitions. This program takes students to many parts of the Museum to view bones, but the program also depends on specimens that the Education Officers can provide in lessons.

Fossils

The Origin Energy Fossil Gallery currently features a spectacular opalised skeleton called the Addyman Plesiosaur. It has been reconstructed in the gallery under the public gaze. This captivating fossil display has been complemented by giant animals from Australia's more recent past, (such as diprotodon), as well as sea-pens and other primitive creatures from the earliest times of animal evolution.

Useful webpages include;
Origin Energy Fossil Gallery
Addyman Plesiosaur
Naracoorte caves

Marine Life Trail

This program focuses on the oceans. Animal adaptations and human activities are both featured. A trail that includes fish, whales, Aboriginal artefacts, Melanesian artefacts and birds is available. Dividing classes into groups to access different parts of the Museum simultaneously is preferred.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Ocean Life
Marine photgraphic index

Australian Animals

The second floor of the Museum has exhibits that showcase Australian mammals, fishes, birds and reptiles. The Australian Animals programs draw student's’ attention to the variety of Australian wildlife, and to the adaptations our animals have to their environment.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Lost Fauna of Adelaide
Life and Adaptations to Water
Extinctions SA

Biodiversity

This trail involves students looking at animals in many of the galleries of the Museum. A wide range of adaptations are evident.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Lost Fauna of Adelaide
Life and Adaptations to Water
Extinctions SA
Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?

Minerals and geology

Minerals and geology provided the inspiration that sent Sir Douglas Mawson on his famous expeditions. This trail focuses on his geological work and leads into the spectacular mineral gallery. Students can gain an understanding of many geological concepts, from vulcanism to plate tectonics.

Classification

Through the study of birds and mammals in the Museum, this program encourages senior students to examine various aspects of classification. Keys allow identification to family and order.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Lost Fauna of Adelaide
Life and Adaptations to Water
Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?

World Mammals

Mammals from many parts of the world are exhibited, grouped by the region from which they come. Many of the specimens once lived at the Zoo in Adelaide. Animal adaptations and diversity are easily seen. This gallery gives younger students an opportunity to see real examples of animals they may have encountered in books and other media. Great for both Science and English activities.

Website: Panorama of the gallery by Peter Murphy.

Fresh Water Trail

Fresh water is our most precious treasure of all!
An exciting new program to celebrate the International Year of Fresh Water has been designed for schools visiting the museum. A fresh water trail weaves its way through the galleries and highlights natural history specimens and artefacts on display.

Catchment Boards of S.A.

Other Programs

Outback Trails

These trails give teacher information and student activities that guide classes through the galleries of the Museum, looking at one or two objects from each gallery. They are designed to give a taste of the Museum, particularly for country schools looking at educational resources in Adelaide. As the trails ask students to walk throughout the Museum, bookings are strictly limited and splitting classes into smaller groups is preferred.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Museum@work

English

The Museum is an extremely stimulating environment. The possibilities for language development are enormous. The skill of gleaning information from hierarchical textual systems is important for life-long learning. Students can interpret and produce a range of multi-modal texts.

Tourism Studies

The South Australian Museum offers unique opportunities for students undertaking courses in Tourism Studies. This program is designed for Senior Years students and looks at Museum history, visitor attendance, funding, marketing, cultural tourism and careers.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Museum Home page
Media releases

Technology Trail

This trail looks at a wide range of technologies including; solar power cells at the museum, traditional Aboriginal solutions to the challenges of the Australian environment, technologies of Pacific Islanders and tools and machines used by Sir Douglas Mawson.

Useful Museum webpages include;
Ingarnendi
In the Footsteps of Sir Douglas Mawson

Science Centre

School groups can book to see "behind the scenes". Part of the Science Centre has been opened up in the form of visual storage. If you are lucky, perhaps a scientist will be working in one of the labs open to public view.

Customised Programs

The Education Service has many ideas for special, one-off programs. We will be happy to help you develop your own ideas using Museum resources. Contact the office for more information. Education Office

Museum Treasures

The Museum Treasure trail is designed to give students a focus when looking at the Museum as a whole. The program looks at the items in the museum that have been specially designated as "Treasures" as well as inviting students to discover their own treasures.

More information

Pre-school children

The Museum is a fascinating place for preschool children. For successful learning outcomes pre-school groups need to visit in small, supervised groups that can explore independently.
Bookings are essential - to ensure equitable access for all students phone 8207 7429.

More information