Activities summary
This resource provides teachers with 10 activities across the three strands of VELS – Physical, Personal and Social Learning, Discipline-based Learning and Interdisciplinary Learning. Use the VELS Curriculum Mapping pages below to explore the strands and dimensions covered by each individual activity.
Each activity addresses learning outcomes from VELS and comprises detailed Teacher Notes and downloadable Student Worksheets. The Teacher Notes also refer to additional resources.
Each activity is designed around a specific gallery at the National Sports Museum. Students are asked to do some work prior to their visit to the Museum, and to follow up with post-visit tasks utilising their learning from the Museum galleries.
Teachers can use the activities in a range of ways: as stand-alone units of work, as integrated thematic units, integrated VELS units, or by grouping a number of activities to focus on specific galleries at the National Sports Museum to deepen their appreciation of the themes and focus of the Museum.
Level 3 – Year 3/4
What does it mean to be an Olympian?
Faster, Higher, Stronger gallery
Using their visit to the National Sports Museum as a guide, students examine the Olympic oath, write a letter to the Australian Olympic Committee, compare Olympic records, create a training regime for an Olympian, write an inspirational speech for an Olympian and have a class debate about the Olympics.
Level 4 – Year 5/6
The benefits of the Olympic Games
Faster, Higher, Stronger gallery
Students maximise their visit to the National Sports Museum in their study of the Olympics. They come to an understanding of cultural and national factors as they act as marketing agents in designing and presenting a bid to the International Olympic Committee to host the 2016 Olympics in a country of their choice.
What makes a great sportsperson?
Spirit of Sport gallery
Students explore the values and achievements of great sportspeople through their visit to the National Sports Museum and through a range of tasks including a class debate, a short inquiry-based research project, working in pairs and class discussion.
Backyard cricket
Backyard to Baggy Green gallery
Exploring their learning from a visit to the National Sports Museum, students develop an understanding of the diversity of people and places around the world through the context of cricket. Students create a range of artworks, graph climate data, organise a backyard cricket game and present ideas about their research question.
The MCG – more than just a cricket ground
The People’s Ground gallery
Students explore how the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is more than a place to play cricket and football. Using their visit to the National Sports Museum and, if possible, a tour of the MCG, students engage in a “See, Think, Wonder” activity, create a timeline tracking the important role the MCG has played in the history of Melbourne, and work in groups to design and present their own tour of the MCG for a specific audience.
Triumph through healthy living and sport
Levelling the Playing Field gallery
Through this activity and a visit to the National Sports Museum, students develop their awareness and understanding of the importance of healthy living and responsible behaviours in relation to participation in sport. Students create a graffiti wall, engage in class discussion, read and research articles in relation to drugs in sport, and present a persuasive argument on the topic.
Level 5 – Year 7/8
The changing face of the MCG
The People’s Ground gallery
Students draw on their visit to the National Sports Museum to develop their understanding of the national and historical significance of the MCG. They write a newspaper article or create a podcast, hear a personal story, create and present a model of the MCG and complete a research project on a key ‘moment’ at the MCG.
Australian football – a great game
Australia’s Game gallery
Students visit the National Sports Museum to develop an inquiry-based learning project about the people and elements that make Australian football an exciting and distinctive national game. This involves historical research, learning about individuals, group work and internet research.
Cricket: past, present and future
Backyard to Baggy Green gallery
Students conduct a pre-visit inquiry to develop questions about the history of Test cricket and its evolution over time. Exploring their learning from a visit to the National Sports Museum, students conduct further research and present their findings to an audience. They also develop a persuasive text for a sports magazine. As part of this activity students engage in inside-outside circles, work in pairs and use graphic organisers.
Is technology good for the Olympic Games?
Faster, Higher, Stronger gallery
Students examine the impact of technology on the Olympic Games through class discussion prior to their visit to the National Sports Museum, close observation of the specific gallery items indicated in the activity, and completion and dramatic presentations of research tasks after their visit to the Museum. They also consider two interesting situations: the victory of the barefoot marathon runner and the privileges planned for Australian athletes in Beijing.
The Curriculum is available as PDF documents. They can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please click on the links below to download them.
If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed, click here to download the latest free version from the Adobe website.
Sport and War - Levels 4/5
What is means to be an Australian is difficult to define, but sport and war are two strong factors in our national identity.
Teachers can use this resource to prepare students to visit the National Sports Museum with a focus on Sport and War. It also compliments the temporary exhibition at the State Library of Victoria: Sport and War. A discounted joint package can be arranged by contacting the State Library of Victoria.
Their moments in time….Podcasts
We have celebrated their success, they have become our inspiration and we now take you behind the scenes as they share their most defining moments and what these have meant to them personally? We discover what sporting moments in our nation’s rich history they have found inspirational and unforgettable?
Listen as Olympic gold medalists Shane Gould and Giaan Rooney discuss their moments and how they found their motivation from their teammates. Hear Hawthorn VFL Premiership coach, Alan Joyce recall the great moments of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
We will be expanding our podcast library of ‘the moments that made us’ and we encourage your inclusion of them within your classroom activities.