Disrupt, persist, invent learning resource

About Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world

Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world is a National Archives of Australia touring exhibition. From noisy protest to quiet persistence, it explores the many ways people have achieved social change in Australia.

The exhibition tells powerful stories of people and their actions, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Students will learn about Australia’s progress in women's rights, marriage equality, science, and technology – and may even be inspired to create lasting change of their own.

From 2024 to 2026 the Disrupt, persist, invent exhibition will tour to regional locations around Australia. For tour dates and locations visit the Disrupt, persist, invent exhibition page.

About the Disrupt, persist, invent learning resource

This learning resource is designed to help teachers facilitate a self-guided visit with their class to National Archives' touring exhibition Disrupt, persist, invent: Australians in an ever-changing world.

The learning resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum for HASS, History, and Civics and Citizenship. It can be used with students from year 6 to year 12 and includes:

  1. Facilitator Instructions
  2. Middle years activity sheets
  3. Secondary activity sheets.

The program provides participants with the opportunity to engage meaningfully with archival records, and to question and consider a broad range of social issues. It is designed so teachers can independently facilitate the program and modify it to suit the needs of the students in their class.

The resource is supported by Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring and Outreach Program.

More than a self-guided tour

The activities in this learning resource can also be completed by classes who are unable to visit the exhibition in person.

All of the records referred to in the program are available to view on National Archives' website for students and teachers. 

We encourage you to let the records, questions, videos and activities in this resource inspire and inform your teaching of HASS, History and Civics and Citizenship.

Download the Resource

  1. Facilitator instructions (PDF 1.9 MB)
  2. Middle years activity sheets (PDF 12.9 MB)
  3. Secondary activity sheets (PDF 11.3 MB)