Museum learning

Herefordshire Museum Service offers unique and inspirational resources and experiences to support pupils' critical thinking and creative learning. Our museum resources for schools enrich learning and inspire curiosity and wonder in pupils of all abilities and backgrounds. Using our networks, we can also signpost you to resources offered by other cultural organisations. Please send us your enquiry. 

Herefordshire Museum Service offers workshops to support learning in some areas of the curriculum. These take place at one of our museum sites. They are delivered by museum educators who are also trained teachers.

Key stage 1 workshops

• Keeping House
• Toys

Key stage 2 workshops

• Britain in the 20th Century
• Digging up the Romans
• Evacuees
• Stone Age to Iron Age
• Tudors and Stuarts at home in Hereford

Keeping House - KS1

 

Come to the Black and White House in Hereford to explore what houses and homes were like in the 1600s. Meet Alice the chief maid and assist her with the chores. Help lay the table for dinner, make the beds and swaddle babies. Listen to the story of Sir James Scudamore, a gallant knight from Herefordshire, who is part of our history. The Great Fire of London had got everyone talking. Could it happen in Hereford? Find out how easy it was for a fire to start and how you could prevent it.

KS1 Curriculum links:

• Houses and Homes
• The Great Fire of London
• Significant historical events, people and places in the locality

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Toys - KS1

Explore a delightful selection of old, new and replica toys from Herefordshire Museum's handling collections. Compare old and new versions of the same type of toy including the Victorian jumping monkey. Look at different materials that have been used to make toys today and in the past. Explore different toys for boys and girls and find out what they were teaching children. The session includes lots of replicas of early toys that would've been made by hand including pecking hens, a man who tumbles down a ladder and a Russian doll toy with smaller and smaller dolls inside. 

'Great to be able to touch old things!  Better than looking at it all in books or on video. Thank you.'  

'Old toys are fun.'

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Britain in the 20th century - KS2 

This workshop explores changes in technology, popular culture, leisure and lifestyle in the 20th century. Children listen to music from the century and try and work out which decade it comes from. They then dress in a costume from one of the decades and 'strut their funky stuff' down a catwalk to the music of their decade. This workshop is packed with original artefacts and costume. 

'An incredibly valuable resource for Herefordshire children.  We had a brilliant day. I can't praise it enough.' 

'Five star rating on fun education and laughter.'

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Evacuees - KS2 

Children step back into wartime Herefordshire and take on the role of an evacuee arriving from Birmingham on the train. They find out what it was really like to be an evacuee and help out with the chores. Children wash and iron clothes, make the fire, sort out rationed from unrationed food and 'make do' with toys they make themselves. 

'Excellent, as usual. The children thoroughly enjoyed the session'.

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Digging up the Romans - KS2 

How do we know about the Romans in Herefordshire? Your pupils will become archaeologists evaluating evidence such as aerial photos and crop marks, real and replica artefacts and other evidence to find out about our Roman past. Pupils have an opportunity to use a Roman mortaria and pestle to grind herbs and decipher a message on a wax writing tablet. 

'This is better than a visit to Carleon.'

'The practical 'hands-on' sessions were fabulous. I really liked the focus on evidence..'

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Stone Age to the Iron Age - KS2 

Imagine you lived thousands of years ago?  What would you need to survive?  How would you stay warm? Where would you find food? What clothes would you wear? How would you defend yourself against wild animals? Children experience life in prehistory, use reasoning to select objects for their survival and practise some every day skills. Children will have the opportunity to see and handle real artefacts from prehistory. 

'I think seeing and handling archaeological artefacts made the pupils appreciate the value of these objects historically. It really brought the learning to life.'

'It was the best trip ever.'

'My favourite activity was the mystery objects because it was fun and exciting.'

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Tudors and Stuarts at home in Hereford - KS2 

Come to the Black and White house to experience home life in Tudor and Stuart times. Meet Alice the chief maid and help her with household chores. Explore the colourful parlour, lay the table for dinner and learn some manners! Dress up in Tudor and Stuart clothes. Tip toe up the creaky staircase to help make the beds and see how family life was different from today.

Find out what it was like when Hereford was under siege and the Civil War was turning people's lives upside down. Join Alice for the morning and get your hands on history!

KS2 Curriculum links:

• A site dating from a period beyond 1066 that is significant in your locality
• A significant turning point in British history: The English Civil War

'We could've gone all the way to Warwick castle but why go all that way when we have this resource on our doorstep.' 

'I thought history was boring but this is brill.' 

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