Curriculum links

Port Arthur and our education programs align with the Australian Curriculum primarily in the areas of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) and History. Our Curriculum Guide identifies curriculum links with Version 8.4 and Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum and includes suggested elaborations that relate to our site.

Curriculum Guide

Lesson plans

Ideas for lessons to consolidate student learning before and after your visit to Port Arthur:q

General resources

Find out more about Port Arthur:

Discovery Boxes

Request loan

Our Discovery Boxes support object-based learning experiences without leaving the classroom. Each box contains convict-era objects that relate to our sites – Port Arthur, Cascades Female Factory, and the Coal Mines Historic Site – teacher notes, and suggested classroom activities.

The Discovery Boxes are available for loan by Tasmanian schools free of charge. The following table shows the loan periods for the Discovery Boxes in 2026. It does not reflect current availability.

Term 1 Dates
Weeks 5-6 2 Mar – 13 Mar
Weeks 8-10 23 Mar – 10 Apr
Term 2 Dates
Weeks 2-3 11 May – 22 May
Weeks 5-6 1 Jun – 12 Jun
Weeks 8-9 22 Jun – 3 Jul
Term 3 Dates
Weeks 2-3 3 Aug – 14 Aug
Weeks 5-6 24 Aug – 4 Sep
Weeks 8-9 14 Sep – 25 Sep
Term 4 Dates
Weeks 1-2 19 Oct – 30 Oct
Weeks 4-5 9 Nov – 20 Nov
Weeks 7-8 30 Nov – 11 Dec

 

Boxes must be collected from the Cascades Female Factory Historic Site in South Hobart. No postage or shipping is available. Please submit a loan request form to enquire about borrowing one of our Discovery Boxes for your class. Loans are subject to availability.

Convict Brickmaking

Additional resources to support our Workshop: Convict Brickmaking program:

Pre-visit lessons and activities:

Post-visit lessons and activities:

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to get the most out of your visit to Port Arthur, please contact our Education team.