The Learning Service provides hands-on creative sessions, supporting subjects across the National Curriculum, particularly history. Sessions can be adapted to suit all key stages and all activities are fully risk assessed.

Purpose of the history curriculum and our workshops:

• To encourage pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments and develop perspective and judgement
• To help pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and challenges of their time
• To understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped the nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• To understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference, and significance
• To understand methods of historical enquiry
• To gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts.

Topics

Any of the topics and activities outlined in the Key Stage 1 & 2 section can be adapted for Key Stage 3 groups. In addition, sessions on the Medieval period, the Tudors, First World War, Second World War and Britain since 1940 can also be provided. These are tailor-made sessions, so please let the Learning Officer know your requirements in good time and we would be happy to develop a visit to suit your needs.

The museum has worked with Key Stage 4 teachers and pupils to support topics across the curriculum, including History, English, Geography, Art and Design, Design and Technology and Photography. Using museum objects, artefacts and local studies resources, the full potential of the museum building and collections can be used to support your subjects.

If you have a theme or topic you would like us to support, please contact the Learning Officer to discuss the options.

Work Experience

The museum provides some work experience placements for students who are interested in exploring a career in museums. Please contact us at [email protected] for further information.

Loans Boxes

The Museum of East Dorset offers loan boxes that can be used to support teaching within the classroom – either as a stand-alone resource or to complement learning from our workshop sessions. Loans boxes contain handling objects from the collection, some replica items, photographs, pictures, documents and suggested learning activities. The following topics are covered:

• Stone Age to Iron Age
• Romans
• Victorian Domestic Life
• First World War – Trench Warfare and Suffragettes.
• First World War – Children and their contribution to the War Effort in East Dorset.
• Second World War
• Toys
• Unlocking the Bankes Archive: Local History and Edwardian Childhood.
• 1930s
• Communication Through Time

The boxes can be loaned for a minimum period of two weeks at a cost of £20 per week. Boxes can be collected during museum opening hours Monday-Saturday 10-4pm.