Darwin’s Beagle Voyage – Outreach Workshop
Posted by: vicky07 on: December 9, 2009
Image, Vicky at our recent Darwin Educator Preview Evening
Hello all, this term has seen the launch of our new primary outreach session, ‘Darwin’s Beagle Voyage’. The interactive museum staff led session has been developed as part of The Manchester Museum’s celebration of our Darwin Extravaganza.
The 90 minute cross curricular session involves a variety of activities including specimen observation and analysis, group discussion and visualisation. Pupils have the opportunity to develop thinking and key skills.
The session provides pupils with an introduction to Darwin, and focuses on his HMS Beagle Voyage of the world. Pupils have the chance to see specimens (from the Museum’s collection) of some of the animals Darwin may have seen on his voyage.
They have the opportunity to observe and explore animals from a variety of habitats and to develop ideas of how they are adapted to their environment.
The session is linked to key areas of the National Curriculum particularly Science, Geography and History and provides pupils with a unique insight into aspects of the Museum’s collection. The sessions are targeted for Key Stage 2 pupils.
We have enjoyed taking this out to schools! Pupils have relished the opportunity to get up close to animals they might never have seen before such as the Kiwi and the Platypus!
One teacher commented:
“The session really engaged the curious minds of our pupils. Great session with friendly and engaging presenters. Thank you.”
We will be taking the session out to 4 more schools before Christmas.
Physics and Frogs A Level Study Day
Posted by: Louise on: December 8, 2009
Image, Students on our recent Physics and Frogs A Level Day
We recently held our first ever Physics and Frogs A Level Study Days. On these study days students get the unique opportunity to work alongside our Curator of Herpetology, Andrew Gray, and his research colleague from the Photon Science Institute, Dr Mark Dickinson.
The day kicked off with great talks firstly from Andrew, talking about his work abroad in animal conservation and giving a great overview of how and why The Manchester Museum has and looks after a living animal collection. Andrew then talked about the research he has been involved in before handing over to Mark who had the tough task of going over the physics behind these exciting scientific techniques. Mark covered topics such as visible light, infra-red light and ultra-violet light before talking in-depth about how the techniques work and the sort of data they provide.
Image, Students using the Infra-red cameras
Following lunch, the afternoon was spent in Mark’s Lab where the pupils used Hi-tech spectrometers, Infra-red cameras, thermal imaging and Optical Coherence Tomography equipment (OCT). Andrew posted up a great OCT image of skin which you can see here.
Students really engaged with being able to carry out the research by themselves, with our supervision, and they all took the opportunity to handle the frogs and have their picture taken.
After the practical work, Andrew took all the students back over to The Museum and provided a hands-on tour of the vivarium and the other animals in his care.
I really hope that the students got as much out of the day as we did developing and delivering it, it’s a real privilege to be able to work with live animals and to work with such cutting edge equipment, so thanks to all involved!
Image, An infra-red photo showing a student and a frog
We thank the following Schools for visiting The Manchester Museum between 30th November and 4th December 2009
Posted by: Nora on: December 4, 2009
Image, The entrance to The Manchester Museum
Bradley Primary
Brooklands Primary
Byrchall High
Claremont Primary
Greenbank Prep School
Highfield Primary
Lower Place Primary
Manchester High School
New Moston Primary
Padfield Community Primary
Rosedale Primary
Rusholme Sure Start
St Annes Lydgate Primary
St James CE Primary
St Paul’s Primary
We hope all these Schools had a very enjoyable trip. If you were part of one of these visits, please feel free to comment below and let us know how your trip went.
Free training Events for early years and family learning Practitioners!
Posted by: Elaine on: December 2, 2009
- In: CPD| Early Years
- 1 Comment
There are 2 opportunities coming up for early years practitioners to explore learning opportunities for young children and families in museums and galleries and to share good practice. Please see details below. Please note that these events are funded by Renaissance NW and are free – so book your places early!
These half day sharing events and designed to provide opportunities for:
- Networking with other EY and FL practitioners and museum and gallery staff over lunch 12-12.50
- Sharing best practice – through case studies presented by early years practitioners
- Exploring learning opportunities for young children on galleries in the museum or gallery where training event is held.
- Museums and galleries being seen to be excellent places to help practitioners meet the EYFS ‘targets’
Who is it for?
Early years practitioners in all settings – schools, private day nurseries, children’s centres, family learning practitioners and Museum and gallery staff.
Dates and Venues (NB the same session is being run twice):
Wednesday 27 January 2010 at Bolton Museum and Art Gallery
http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/visiting/find_bolton_museum/
And repeated on
Wednesday 10 March 2010 at Manchester Museum
http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/yourvisit/travel/
Please Email
Elaine.bates@manchester.ac.uk to reserve your place – bookings are on a first come basis
How The Museum Works…
Posted by: Louise on: November 30, 2009
Here in the Secondary and Post-16 Team we have been receiving a number of interesting and exciting enquries.
We were recently contacted by Whalley Range High School for Girls who are working on a project where they have to design their own Museum and find out about all the different roles and jobs that are needed to make this happen. Luckily Cat has spent a lot of the last term and a half working on sessions related to Travel and Tourism, and we had previously worked with a wide number of Museum staff on similar days, so we were able to pull together something that would fufil the needs of the students.
Image, The Herbarium during one of our Harry Potter days
We invited the school in and arranged for them to spend two hours here at The Manchester Museum. We split them into two and the first group went with Cat to meet and quiz various members of staff and the other group came with me and a member of the Visitor Services Team who took them on a short tour of The Museum. We also arranged for the touring group to meet Leander, our Curator of Botany (who also has a blog by the way), and visit his collection area behind the scenes. The Herbarium is a great place to take visitors, the students loved it and it is one of the many magical places within The Museum.
We hope that the students left with a greater understanding of the many roles that are carried out in the Museum and with all the information they need to complete their projects.
Thanks for getting in touch!
We thank the following Schools for visiting The Manchester Museum between 23rd and 27th November 2009
Posted by: Nora on: November 27, 2009
Image, The Manchester Museum by Night
Ashton Sixth Form
Acton Primary in Nantwich
Blessed Trinity College in Burnley
Briscoe Lane Primary
Charlesworth Primary in Glossop
Deeside College
Hale Prep
Holmefirth Junior & Infants in Holmefirth
Loreto High Chorlton
Lower Park Primary
Manchester Creative & Media Academy
Manchester Road Primary
Old Moat Primary
Partington Primary
Pownall Hall
Sir Ossley Primary
St Augustins Primary
St Bedes Prep
St Josephs Primary
St Oswalds Worleston CE Primary
St Wilfrieds Primary
Tameside College
Urmston Grammar School
Verdin High
Whalley Range High
Welsh College of Horticulture
We hope all these Schools had a very enjoyable trip. If you were part of one of these visits, please feel free to comment below and let us know how your trip went.
It was 150 years ago today…
Posted by: Neil on: November 25, 2009
I have The Beatles’ ’Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ rattling through my head right now, but, of course, they were only going for ‘It was 20 years ago today…’
What am I wittering on about, I can (quite justifiably) hear you cry?
It’s 24th November as I write this and I spent the morning with the wonderful year 6 class at St James CE Primary in Rusholme (the very same school who worked with us on the amazing “Museum of Me” project).
Image, the Museum's Darwin Extravaganza poster
In preparation for a visit to the Museum next week to explore the Charles Darwin: Evolution of a Scientist exhibition (more on this in a later post!), we were looking through the newspaper produced by the Museum to support the exhibition. It contains some fascinating information about Darwin’s life (and world events happening at the same time).
I was delighted when one of the class spotted that ‘On the Origin of Species’ was published exactly 150 years ago today.
See? We work with observant children here!
Primary Outreach Film
Posted by: Menaka on: November 23, 2009
Why not check out this short film all about our Primary Outreach sessions and the wonderful objects we can bring to your school.
We thank the following Schools for visiting The Manchester Museum between 16th and 20th November 2009
Posted by: Nora on: November 20, 2009
Image, The entrance to The Manchester Museum
Alma Park Primary
Bankfoot Primary
Beechill School
Crablane Primary
Delph Primary
Halifax High
Horton St Michael
Hursthead Junior
Ladybridge Primary
Loreto High
Lower Park Primary
Mossfield Primary
Old Trafford Community School
Prospect Vale Primary
Roseacre Primary
Rosehill Primary
Sedberg School
Summerfield Primary
St Dunstans Primary
St Marys Primary
St Patricks High
Tyntesfield Primary
Withington Girls School
We hope all these Schools had a very enjoyable trip. If you were part of one of these visits, please feel free to comment below and let us know how your trip went.
Myth Makers and Tall Tales!
Posted by: Neil on: November 18, 2009
Sometimes we get the sort of feedback from teachers that we just have to boast about and share.
This was a recent comment from a teacher whose year 3 class had taken part in our half-day Tall Tales session:
“The experience so fired the children’s imaginations that half a day was too short. It was like opening a limitless treasure box.”
Very gratifying (and I’ll try not to have a smug grin!), but this also points to why we’ve made a change to our Tall Tales session for this year. The session now runs for a full day (Mondays only) to allow time for children to collect and develop their ideas for a new myth.
The session already included observational drawing of ancient Greek pots, drama and visiting parts of the Museum to discover what their character is hunting on their quest and the monsters they may encounter en route.
It now also includes handling objects and elements of Talk for Writing to support children in beginning to craft their stories.
It’s a lovely session which links elements of the History curriculum and Literacy framework tightly – and I look forward to seeing many more schools joining us for this amazing experience of “opening a limitless treasure box”.
Contact our bookings administrator, Nora, to book a session.
Image, Odysseus and sirens - The Manchester Museum helps children create their own myths with heroes and monsters
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