Classroom Resources
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people please be aware that some resources contain images and names of deceased persons.
NEW & FEATURED
Women in the Australian Military
This digital resource explores the role of women in the Australian military.
Australian service in Indonesia after the Second World War
Senior secondary: This digital resource explores the work of the Australian Defence Force in Indonesia from 1947 to 2005.
Commemoration
All ages: This page links to you some of the Australian War Memorial’s resources relating to commemoration.
Story telling through art
Years F-2: Explore four works of art that tell a story about Australia’s military history.
Animals in war
All ages: This page links to you some of the Australian War Memorial’s resources relating to animals in war.
Virtually there – a visit to the Australian War Memorial for Primary students
Years 4-6: This 31-minute film introduces students to themes of commemoration, museum collections, and the Memorial as a site of significance.
Virtually there – a visit to the Australian War Memorial for Secondary students
Years 7-12: This free 32-minute film focuses on the First and Second World Wars. Memorial educators will guide you through the galleries to see collection items and hear personal stories.
Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service
This page links you to some of the Australian War Memorial’s resources related to the wartime experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Tiny tours
Years F-2: These four short films include a story, a look inside some of the Memorial’s galleries, and a craft activity for early learners.
FIRST WORLD WAR
Art in the Aftermath
Years 9+: This resource is a visual exploration of the aftermath and impact of the First World War. Exploring themes of peace, loss, and remembrance, the works of art are brought to life in high resolution via Google’s Art & Culture platform.
A Very Special Day
Years F-6: This resource for primary teachers will help you explore how we remember and understand the past through objects, stories, and ceremonies.
Understanding Gallipoli
Years 5-9: a concise and useful overview of the Gallipoli campaign with activities for students and teachers.
1916
Years 5-9: This package of case studies and inquiry questions looks at the places Australians fought during some of the darkest days of Australia's military history.
Diary of an Anzac: a Gallipoli perspective
All ages: Follow the journey of Herbert Reynolds, an Australian stretcher bearer at Gallipoli, through his daily diary entries.
Anzac Diversity
Year 6 and up: A collection of case studies exploring the ethnic diversity of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people please be aware that this resource contains images and names of deceased persons.
Mephisto: classroom learning resource
Mephisto is the only surviving German tank from the First World War. It was captured by the 26th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force (AIF), at Monument Wood near Villers-Bretonneux, France, on 14 July 1918.
Sources: the conscription debate
All ages: A selection of pro- and anti-conscription leaflets from the conscription referenda in 1916-17.
Second World War
Victory in the Pacific Day
Explore a range of stories, photos, audio files, events, and first-hand accounts from veterans, relating to Victory in the Pacific Day.
Post 45
Korean War 1950 - 1953
This hub contains a range of resources including blogs, online exhibitions, and personal stories, which can be used to investigate the Korean War.
Dust Off - Vietnam
Year 10: This resource explores the 'dust-off' process and the experience of wounded Australians returning home.
Hell no we won’t go!
On 8 May 1970, around 200,000 people marched across major Australian cities as part of the Vietnam Moratorium – a protest against Australian involvement in the Vietnam War – the largest public demonstrations in Australia’s history at the time.
POINT SHOOT CLICK - John Fairley’s Vietnam
An online photographic exhibition based on the works of John Fairley.
I was only 19
This online exhibition focuses on the popular song, I was only 19.
The courage for peace
Years 7-12: Join curators for a tour of The Courage for Peace exhibition. Uncover some of the stories behind peacekeeping and humanitarion operations.
MORE RESOURCES
Carved stone figures
Year 6+: On the walls of the Australian War Memorial’s Commemorative Area are 26 carved stone figures. Read about the figures, the artist who created them, and their recent restoration and reconstruction.
Back to the Source
Years 9+: Turn your students into historical detectives in this guided journey through original source materials from the Memorial's collection
EDUCATION KITS FOR TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS
Hearts and Minds: Education kit
Years 9-12: This resource is a study of propaganda posters from the First and Second World Wars.
Ben Quilty: After Afghanistan
Years 9-12: This resource focuses on Ben Quilty's time in Afghanistan in October 2011 as an official war artist, commissioned by the Australian War Memorial.
Reality in flames: Education kit
Years 9-12: This resource explores the different ways modern Australian artists responded creatively to the Second World War, comprehending its events and consequences.
A camera on Gallipoli
Years 5-8: This education resource focuses on Sir Charles Ryan's 1915 series of candid photographs documenting the experiences of Australians on Gallipoli.
PUBLICATIONS
Education Publications
Downloadable books, posters, and more made available free of charge for classroom and educational use.