Inspiring Science
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SLIME is Science Links in Museum Education, a network of museums in the South East who want to tell you about the great things which museums are doing to support science! Can they support? a) Scientific enquiry b) Life processes and living things c) Materials and their properties d) Physical processes Young visitor looking at Pyrite at Oxford University Museum If you answered of Natural History yes to all four you are absolutely right! We think museums are great places where a veritable treasure trove of interesting artefacts and specimens can inspire children’s learning. But don’t just take our word for it, here is what the experts have to say! 3 4 Children learn better when Primary Horizons, Science Education they are excited and engaged… Report 2005 recommended that there when there is joy in what should be greater emphasis on they are doing, they learn stimulating enthusiasm for science by: to love learning. • Wider use of creative contexts Excellence and Enjoyment: e.g. role play, stories, open ended A Strategy for Primary Schools. investigations DfES 2003 • Making science more relevant to children’s It was exciting because everyday lives it is a good place to be. • Links between science and other subjects Key Stage 1 pupil at Portsmouth should be made more explicit and Natural History Museum strengthened to bring science to life • Placing a greater focus on children’s thinking, questioning and investigative skills. Science is about thinking creatively to try to explain how living and non-living things work. Sue Cooper, Raising Achievement Museums can help teachers to do Service, Oxfordshire County Council all this – read on to find out more! I really enjoyed it when you put the animal skeletons on the table. I had a pigeon then you gave us a tricky question... why don’t birds have teeth. We answered it. Because the teeth are too heavy. Key Stage 2 pupil at Oxford University Museum of Natural History Testing telescopes at the Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University Forces in Action at the River and Rowing Museum, Henley, supports: • Scientific enquiry • Materials and their properties How can museums • Physical processes support the Primary • QCA Unit 6E Forces in Action. Science curriculum? Children: • Enjoy, and get hands on knowledge of applied science • Develop scientific language • Understand experimental processes • Complete experiments successfully • Collect data • Make conclusions • Transfer knowledge into the practical application of designing a boat. A teacher said: It covered the key objectives for the science unit on forces for year 6. You have more resources so that there was more opportunity for the children to all be involved in the practical aspect of forces. Because museums have real artefacts and specimens children are able to gain first hand knowledge through hands-on exploration, investigation and discovery 5 6 Relating science Enhancing and broadening to everyday life the curriculum past and present Inspiring future scientists credit: Peter Langdown Crocodile encounter at the Where does food come Oxford University Museum from? Museum of English of Natural History A close look at the New Rural Life, Reading Forest Centre I never realised there The language the children were so many bones used following the visit was Around the museum we in a skeleton. far more descriptive and looked at all the dinosaur accurate than if we had Key Stage 2 pupil at Fishbourne fossils and skeletons. Roman Palace stayed in the classroom. I was fascinated with all Teacher, Witney Community of them as I really want to Primary School, Oxford University be a palaeontologist when Museum of Natural History I grow up… I got really Sharing their expertise excited when you said Great for children to meet people could study with real engineers and palaeontology at Oxford be fully involved. University and I really want Primary School teacher, to go there now. Royal Engineers Museum Key Stage 2 pupil at Oxford University Museum of Natural History What can museums do for Early Years children? Animal Antics at SEARCH Hands-on Museums can give children Centre, Gosport, supports the Early the opportunity to investigate Years Foundation Curriculum, and discover through hands-on covering at least one element from experiences with real objects each area of learning. and specimens, in an enjoyable way and in a new and Children: interesting environment. • Experience the five elements of play; pretend play, games, physical play, constructive play and explorative play • Explore real museum collections and specimens using magnifiers and microscopes to learn and understand what animals look and feel like • Dress up, play games, make things, join in with stories, songs and rhymes • Learn how to discover for themselves and to find out from hands-on activities. Teachers said: • It sparked their imagination and made them think about living things. • The visit extended the curriculum beyond the classroom broadening children’s experiences. One teacher said it was the most stress free day she had ever spent while working. Now that must be a recommendation! 7 8 Find out about bees at Haslemere The answer Educational Museum is yes lots of museums do! At the Booth Museum Brighton, the Early Years Education Officer uses natural history collections linked to art and craft activities and stories. He visits Nurseries and Children’s Centres and Oxford University Museum of children come to the museum with Natural History offers a range their parents for special sessions of fun and informative and events geared to their needs. hands-on sessions and online resources that are free to all schools. All activities are designed to introduce young children to the specimens in the Museum. Sessions include Nursery rhyme animals, Dinosaurs and story, Skeletons and story and Bugs and story. To find out about more museums who offer science sessions for Early Years look at the table on page 24 Encouraging children to Making sessions investigate and question hands on and fun I like touching things instead of just watching. It was a fun way of learning because we got to do experiments and feel the stuffed animals. Doing it hands-on makes Investigating at the it stick in your mind. This is the T-Rex from Mary Rose Museum Key Stage 2 pupils taking part in Maidstone Museum – Inspiring Science a programme I think you will agree with the to raise achievement in Science I really enjoyed doing the comment below – and just SATs at SEARCH and the Royal Navy science experiments and peeping through it is Harry, Submarine Museum, Gosport. finding out how the Invicta from Teston Nursery School (steam engine) worked. Key Stage 2 pupil at the Museum of Canterbury for I loved learning about We never really do science All Steamed Up! teeth, especially the T-Rex. where we can see and hold It was gianormous even some of the most amazing though it was just the plants… That was the best cheek. And it was great science lesson ever. fun. I’d like you to come Primary school pupil at Harcourt back because it was Arboretum, University of Oxford interesting. Pupil from Chevening CEP School in Sevenoaks after a Teeth and Bones outreach to their school 9 10 Giving them a purpose/ Focussing on skills context for finding out Listening to children’s as well as knowledge ideas and asking them and understanding to explain Flour Power at the Museum of Canterbury Using IT, Reading Examining and discussing Museum’s Bug Club Project The best bit was turning the the evidence at big stone round (to grind the Maidstone Museum Excellent hands on flour). It was dead hard cos opportunities to learn about they didn’t have windmills insects. Very visual and and stuff in Roman times. Guildhall gave the interactive to inspire Key Stage 2 pupil, Flour Power, children a chance to further research. Museum of Canterbury handle artefacts and Teacher, Portsmouth Natural discuss what things could History Museum have been used for rather than be told... Giving children first-hand experience of artefacts and Year 5 teacher, Guildhall specimens that may not be found anywhere else. Museum, Rochester What I felt most was One thing I’d tell another school about this intrigued and interested session is that you see things you will never because there were [have seen] before. loads of things to Pupil and teacher, Shadows and Sundials, look at. Museum of the History of Science, Oxford University Museums offer children the opportunity to investigate and learn in a safe and stimulating environment Minibeasts, Portsmouth Natural What can History Museum, supports: museums offer • Scientific Enquiry for Key Stage 1 • Life processes and living things. children? Children • Discuss • Compare • Investigate • Identify • Explore • Enjoy Teachers said: • Excellent hands on opportunities to learn about insects. Very visual and interactive to inspire further research. Children said: • Had fun learning in a different educational setting. • I thought it was great. I liked the bit when we went to look for minibeasts in the huge garden. • We went in the garden and we had a word called invertebrate. 11 12 Many museums offer science sessions for Key Stage 1 pupils At Lewes Castle you can learn about Materials and Forces! Watch a Magic Lantern show at Rochester Guildhall Museum Super resources that are not available in school so captivated children. A very enjoyable and interesting session which I’m sure has stimulated an interest in anatomy in many of the participants The museum was great; it was lovely to be able to handle all the fossils. To find out about more museums who offer science sessions for You can go to Key Stage 1 look at the table credit: Stewart Turkington the Ugly Bug Ball at the River and on page 24 Rowing Museum Museums offer children the opportunity to employ different learning styles – especially those who favour a kinaesthetic approach Museums can help to explain, reinforce and embed learning about science Clock this! Museum of Canterbury I liked filling the Egyptian water clock, being a (human) Sorting Soils at credit: Peter Langdown sundial and doing the SEARCH, Gosport pendulum experiment.