What does a portrait tell us about the sitter? Your pupils will learn to unravel the clues that can be found in the picture of a person. The children and staff are encouraged to look around the gallery, choose their favourite picture and talk about why they like it; no talking in hushed tones here…

Finally, your pupils will learn about the rules behind portrait painting before they have a go for themselves and make their own portrait which can be developed back in the classroom.

Half day session

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The session is divided into three parts; first, we look at toys, both old & new and explore the ways in which we can tell ‘old’ from ‘new’. At the same time the children learn how the old toys were played with.

Then your pupils get to play with the toys before, finally, sitting down and making their own toy to take back to school.

Half day session

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Your pupils will get the opportunity to find out all about Ancient Egypt from our own collection, including visiting our mummy! The children will use objects from the collection, both those on display in our Ancient Egypt room and in a handling session, to find out what objects from this period can tell us about the lives of the people who used them.

Finally, your pupils will take part in a craft activity.

Half day session

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The session is built around a carousel of three activities. After looking at the late eighteenth century evolution of the towns of Pennine Lancashire into industrial towns, your pupils will split into three groups – to handle objects from the period, discover about working in a weaving shed and different aspects of life in a Victorian mill town.

Half day session

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Our museum is full of different inventions and the children will spend half a day finding out about the inventors on their doorstep and how they changed their world before exploring the whole of the museum, tracking down all the inventions to be found and discovering how they made money, saved time and made the world a different place.

Half day session

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This half-day workshop is a practical printmaking session, where the children make their very own prints inspired by the collections at the Museum. They will learn about traditional printmaking processes, learn the names of key printmaking tools, see a variety of different style prints and then have a go at making their own mono and lino print.

Half day session

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An introduction to Victorian Fossil Hunters such as Mary Anning and their importance as pioneering palaeontologists. The children get to handle some fossils, make their own model fossil to take away and dress-up as Victorian fossil hunters. This can be suitable for KS1 or KS2 upon request.

Half day session

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An introduction to museum’s spectacular insect collection and the fascinating world of entomology. The children will explore and identify various specimens, learn about their unique habitats, and get creative by making their own bug model to take home.

Half day session

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Looking around the museum with your class is free, but please do make us aware ahead of time so you do not clash with another school visit.

If you let us know we can also provide you with an up to date quiz for your class!