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Weston Park Museum tells the story of Sheffield, from its geological roots to the people, politics and music that have helped shaped the city to become what it is today.
The museum, run by the charity Museums Sheffield, also offers a learning programme largely supporting the Primary curriculum, however workshops are also available for Early Years and Key Stage 3.
From embalming a mummy doll, becoming scientists investigating rocks or helping to build the Parthenon, students are challenged with inventive tasks to support topics such as History, Art & Design, Geography and Science.
STO takes a look at just some of the workshops available at Weston Park Museum for Key Stages 1 and 2…
Bronze Age
This Key Stage 1 and 2 workshop focuses on Art & Design and History as students explore what life was like for people in the Bronze Age.
Activities such as dressing up in costume, making replica pottery and creating Bronze Age style jewellery form this workshop and help students to develop an understanding of the period.
Weather
Weather is a workshop suited for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. Focusing on the Geography curriculum, the workshop looks at Weston Park’s weather station (including exploring some of the weather station’s 134 year old archive of weather data) and tasks students with collecting data and measuring the weather using official equipment.
There is also the chance for pupils to learn methods of how to measure the weather when back at school or at home.
Rock It!
To complement studies in Science, the workshop Rock It! teaches students about the different types of rock and looks at how they are formed. Donning lab coats, pupils become scientists for the session as they carry out experiments on rocks.
Local History: Picturing Sheffield
Schools local to Sheffield can visit Weston Park as part of their local history studies. This workshop, suitable for Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, explores what Sheffield looked like through the ages by discovering the town through objects and art.
Also beneficial to Art studies, this workshop sees pupils create their own class picture of Sheffield through printmaking.
Habitats
Key Stage 1 pupils find out about the habitats, from the Artic to the moors around Sheffield, of a variety of creatures, in this workshop. Students learn why animals make their homes where they do and then perform an animal puppet show to help explore where the animals live.
Ancient Greece: Offerings for Athena
To support studies on Ancient Greece, this workshop for Key Stage 2 looks at questions such as Who was Athena?; and how did Athens get its name?
Students also get the opportunity to help build a model of Parthenon, the Temple to Athena, which will show both the interior as well as exterior of the monument. As part of this, pupils also look at how and why the Parthenon was built and explore the legacy the Ancient Greeks left on architectural design, including their impact on the design on Weston Park Museum itself.
Skeletons and Bones
Key Stage 2 students can take part in this Science workshop which gives them the chance to handle real animal bones and teeth, including a partly fossilised mammoth’s tooth and a giraffe’s skull.
The session gets students to investigate why we have skeletons and how different animals’ skeletons have many similarities.
For more information call 01142-782655, e-mail learning@museums-sheffield.org.uk or visit www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/learning.
Photo credit: Adrian Richardson. Courtesy of Museums Sheffield.
