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 109 - 120 of 150 results
A colourful image of a feast. Men and women are dressed in colourful clothes. There is a table with a white tablecloth. There is a plate of food on the table.

PIC MSR 14/8/2 #PIC/14340/1-51-Early Flemish, German, Italian, Spanish, French woodcuts, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2902124119

Medium Aevum - The Middle Age

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: History for Year 8 students. It adopts an inquiry learning approach that develops students’ skills in investigating the Medieval Europe and the early modern world sub-strand. 

Humanities
Year 8
World cultures and history
A colourful drawn map of the 'ancient world'. The territory of the Roman Empire is shaded in yellow. Inset around the map and border are depictions of people and cultures around the map.

Ellis Luciano Silas & Evans Brothers Ltd, (1939), A picture map of the ancient world / specially painted by Ellis Silas, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2378561352

Imperium Romanum - The Roman Empire

Topic

Throughout human history, societies have grown, matured, and then collapsed, making way for new innovations, people and philosophies to begin the cycle again, building on what came before. The history of Medieval Europe is no different: it has its roots in the collapse of the western Roman Empire in 456 CE.

Humanities
Year 8
World cultures and history
Logo saying Dirk Hartog, 1616-2016, Marking our history, celebrating our future
Dirk Hartog 1616–2016: 400 years of Dutch-Australian connections

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences for Year 4 students.

Humanities
Year 4
Explorers
A print of a woman within an oval frame. She is wearing an elaborate ruffled collar and dress. She is wearing a crown. Below her portrait are words in Latin: 'Elizabetha D.G. Regina Ang: Fran: et Hib.'

(1600). Elizabetha D.G. Regina Ang. Fran. et Hib., nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136050723

Bound to service

Topic

Following the collapse of the western Roman Empire, Europe entered a period of cultural, political and economic change. The stabilising force of the Roman Empire gave way and new states and rulers stepped in to fill gaps.

Humanities
Year 8
World cultures and history
Painting of five men, thought to be Dr Daniel Solander, Sir Joseph Banks, Captain James Cook, Dr John Hawkesworth, Lord Sandwich.

John Hamilton Mortimer, (1771), [Captain James Cook, Sir Joseph Banks, Lord Sandwich, Dr Daniel Solander and Dr John Hawkesworth], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135646842

Science and strategy: The Enlightenment

Module

This resource is aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Modern History for Senior Secondary students, with specific reference to content descriptions for Unit 1: Understanding the Modern World, and specifically those that fall under the topic elective ‘The Enlightenment (1750–1789)’.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
Science and technology
World cultures and history
illustration of man walking with magnifying glass and drawing of a Australian flora

(1772). The botanic Macaroni, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135987238

Science

Topic

During the Enlightenment, social and scientific thinking began to change. Enlightenment thinkers pushed for social change through the separation of church and state and the establishment of constitutional government. 

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
World cultures and history
painting of many indigenous people interacting with Cook

Antoine Phelippeaux & Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, Tableau des decouvertes du Capne. Cook & de la Perouse. (1798). Tableau des decouvertes du Capne. Cook & de la Perouse, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135227083

An enlightened world

Topic

The British colonisation of the Americas began in 1606 with the chartering of the Colony of Virginia.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
World cultures and history
etching of the Endeavour in  Botany Bay

Geoffrey C. Ingleton, (1937), H.M. Bark Endeavour, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135348965

Voyages of discovery

Topic

For centuries, explorers had been funded by their governments and by private investors to set out into unknown parts of the world. Many of these adventures were driven by the potential for profit and resources.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
World cultures and history
watercolour reproduction of pacific island

William Hodges, (1773), Otaheite, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135152176

Transit of Venus

Topic

Officially, Cook had been instructed by the British Admiralty to observe the transit of Venus, at Otaheiti (now Tahiti) for the benefit of the Royal Society.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
World cultures and history
handwritten letter

James Cook & Great Britain. Admiralty. (1768). Cook's voyage 1768-71, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-229102048

Instructions from the Admiralty

Topic

Before sailing from England, Cook had been handed a series of secret instructions by the Admiralty.

Humanities
Senior Secondary
Explorers
World cultures and history
A photo of a large number of protestors gathered in front of the Victorian state library.

Francis Reiss, Protesters gathered outside the State Library in Swanston Street, Melbourne peace rally, 14 February 2003, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147324313

Participation and protest

Module 

This resource is aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Civics and Citizenship for Year 8 students. It adopts an inquiry-based learning approach that develops a student’s understanding of Australians’ rights, freedoms and opportunities to participate in Australia’s democracy.

Humanities
Year 8
Australian history
Protest and dissent
A photo of lots of different coloured plastic love hearts on a wire, stuck in a grassy area. The hearts are decorated with writing about freedom, and drawings.

Loui Seselja, [Section of the field of hearts display in close-up view, United Nations World Refugee Day and Field of Hearts event, Canberra, 20 June 2004], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-130944424

Freedoms and rights

Topic

Australia is a signatory of various international treaties and laws. Treaties, conventions, protocols and covenants are agreements between nation states on how best to respond to international issues.

Humanities
Year 8
Australian history
Democracy
Protest and dissent

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