Western Australian Museum

Contact Us

Western Australian Museum Perth
Francis Street
Perth Western Australia 6000
Phone: +618 9427 2792
Fax: +618 9427 2883
Email: education@museum.wa.gov.au

For Teachers
Loan Centre
Discovery Centre
For Kids
Higher Education

Perth School Programs

Education Program Cost
All program costs are GST inclusive

Assisted visits - $5.00
Non-assisted visits – a class donation would be appreciated

Adult Supervision
The responsibility of children remains with the teaching staff from the visiting school or educational organisation

Kindergarten to Year 7 - one adult per six students
Year 8 to Year 12 - one adult per ten students

Tailor Made Tours
All Years (1 – 2 hours)
Is your class studying a particular topic that you would like brought to life with a visit to the WA Museum? Our Education staff will work with you to design a tailor-made program to suit your needs. Programs can be linked to the Curriculum and will include a guided tour through galleries of your choice, as well as opportunities for interactive activities in the dynamic museum environment. Please contact us to discuss your ideas.

Early Childhood (Kindergarten to Year 3)

Just Dinosaurs
S, S&E
Years K – 3 (1 hour)
Take a journey through time in the Diamonds to Dinosaurs gallery and experience an introduction to the astounding age of the dinosaurs. Touch the massive meteorites, fossick through the fossils and meet the Muttaburrasaurus as you discover fun facts about all things dinosaur – from evolution to extinction.

Treading Land, Reading Art
A, LOTE, S&E
Years K - 3 (1.5 hours)
Students are introduced to Aboriginal cultures in Western Australia, working with language, symbols, narrative and art. After touring the Katta Djinoong gallery, students develop their own artwork and share stories.

Seen and Not Heard
H&PE , S&E
Years K – 4 (1.5 hours)
Life for children in the Victorian era was very different to our experience today. Relive the olden days by taking part in a variety of fun hands-on activities. Set in the Old Gaol, built in 1855, children will experience the past in an authentic, historical setting.

WAM Explorers
E, S, S&E
Years 1 – 3 (1.5 hours)
Take a general tour of our galleries and exhibitions, exploring our unique exhibits and historical spaces. The Museum is full of unexpected wonders and exciting learning experiences. Trek over our suspended walkway and search for the biggest, the oldest and the brightest. A physically interactive tour suitable for busy little people.

Discover the World of Ancient Egypt
A,S&E
Years 1 – 3 (1.5 hours)
Venture down into the crypt and discover the world of ancient Egypt. Our Egyptologist will reveal the mysteries of Egyptian culture, beliefs and worldviews. Find out why the pyramids were built and help make a mummy!

Fantastic Froggy Fun
S, T&E
Years 1 – 3 (1 hour)
Leap in and find out why frogs are great indicators of a healthy environment. See live frogs in tanks and in our own frog garden. Listen and identify frog breeding calls. Identify key features between land and tree frogs of the South-west. Learn how to build your very own frog garden.

Hooray for Creepy Crawlies
S, S&E
Years 2 – 3 (1 hour)
Buzz into the world of creepy crawlies. Bees make honey. Ants aerate the soil. Flies clean up the mess left behind by others. Students investigate the amazing insects that live in our backyards and learn why they are vital to our natural environment.

Eco Explorers
S, S&E
Years 3 – 7 (1 hour)
See examples of endangered animals and learn more about common threats. Discuss how we can make a difference conserving our unique fauna. Learn about illegal trade, and handle bizarre, confiscated objects from our secret briefcase.

Middle Childhood (Year 4 to Year 7)

Fantastic Fossils
S, S&E
Years 4 – 7 (1 - 1.5 hours)
Travel in geological time through the magnificent Diamonds to Dinosaurs gallery. Marvel at amazing giant crystals, touch meteorites and handle fossils hundreds of millions of years old. This program provides hands-on exploration for students, and encourages working scientifically.

Knowing Country, Making Gear
LOTE, S&E, T&E
Years 4 – 7 (1.5 hours)
Treading through the Katta Djinoong gallery students develop an appreciation for the cultural diversity of Western Australian Aboriginal people, traditional Aboriginal life and contemporary issues. Students participate in activities focusing on Noongar language and the relationship between the environment,
resources, needs and wants.

Friends of Frogs
S&E, T&E
Years 4 – 7 (1 hour)
Did you know that frogs are bio-indicators of a healthy environment? Listen and learn how to identify South-west frog species. Discover what you can do to reduce declining frog numbers and how you can help conserve frogs. Check out our live frog display in the Discovery Centre.

Classification of Species
M, S
Years 4 – 7 (1.5 hours)
What makes one animal different from another? What do scientists do when they discover new species? How do they name new species? Answer these questions
and learn about taxonomy by analysing snake specimens. Use a dichotomous key to differentiate a Yellow Bellied Sea Snake from a Death Adder!

WA – Will We Be OK? (New Program 2008)
S, S&E
Years 4 – 7 (1.5 hours)
Society today is alarmed about the recent acceleration of climate change and there are real concerns that more delicate species will not survive. Find out more about the history of discovering and measuring climate change. Explore how climate change may affect us, consider the implications and discover what you can do to protect Western Australian species, environment and culture.

Ancient Egypt
A, S&E
Years 4 – 10 (1.5 hours)
Venture into the musty basement of the Old Gaol to discover the world of ancient Egypt. Explore Egyptian culture, beliefs and worldviews with our expert Egyptologist. Discover how and why the pyramids were built. Take part in a mock mummification ceremony and unlock the mysteries of Egypt’s ancient civilisation.

Step into the Past
A, S&E
Years 5 – 8 (1.5 hours)
Relive the hopes and fears of the early British settlers. Using costumes, props and storytelling, investigate the hardships of a pioneering family, a convict’s life, and the leisure activities of colonial times. Explore the Old Gaol and find artefacts from the past.

Fleas, Flies and Frustrations
The Story of the Swan River Settlement
A, E, S&E
Years 5 – 8 (1.5 hours)
What were the issues faced by the new settlers in the first months of the Swan River Colony? Recreate times past through role-play and consider the problems faced by the settlers led by Captain Stirling.

Dampier Discoveries
S, S&E
Years 6 – 10 (1.5 hours)
Explore the current research of the Western Australian Museum’s scientists at the Dampier Archipelago. Find out about marine biodiversity surveys, study sponges, coral and other marine specimens while discussing the role of scientists in this important and fascinating research area.

Early Adolescence (Year 8 to Year 10)
Ancient Egypt
A, S&E
Years 4 – 10 (1.5 hours)
Venture into the musty basement of the Old Gaol to discover the world of ancient Egypt. Explore Egyptian culture, beliefs and worldviews with our expert Egyptologist. Discover how and why the pyramids were built. Take part in a mock mummification ceremony and unlock the mysteries of Egypt’s ancient civilisation.

Classification of Species
E, S
Years 8 – 10 (1.5 hours)
What do scientists do when they discover new species? How do they name new species? Answer these questions and learn about taxonomy by analysing snake specimens. Use a dichotomous key to differentiate a Yellow Bellied Sea Snake from a Death Adder!

Dreaming Our Future
LOTE, S&E, T&E
Years 8 – 12 (1.5 hours)
Students consider the cultural diversity of Western Australian Aboriginal people and regional variation in Aboriginal traditional life. Take time to reflect on and
discuss issues such as the relationships between Non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people in Western Australia and contemporary Aboriginal issues, such as land rights, native title, discrimination and reconciliation.

Late Adolescence (Year 11 and 12)