Top School Trips -Issue 6

48 | www.teachwire.net/school-trips There are simple things you can do before, during and after a visit to maximise your pupils’ learning, says Hannah Brown … MUSEUM TRIP E veryone has a school trip that they remember right into adulthood. In fact, you probably have a few such memories that stick in your mind – perhaps somewhere that the teacher made you dress up for (Victorian child, anyone?), or maybe a very long coach trip, or that time one pupil lost something priceless somewhere in one of the attraction’s many acres. But the really memorable bits are usually those sparks of inspiration – trying something new for the first time, or that one member of staff who made the day extra special, or a one-off experience that informed your choice of what you wanted to be when you grew up. I’m speaking from experience, as I’m one of the many schoolchildren who visited a living museum (dressed up as a Victorian child, of course!), and besides this being a cherished memory, it also ignited my love of local history, which I’ve carried on in my career. The question is, how can you as a teacher get the most out of your next school trip to a museum so that your pupils can take one of those sparks home with them? Well, the following tips are a good place to start… 1 Choose carefully What is it you’re looking for with your class trip? From traditional institutions with classical collections to immersive living museums, there is such a broad range of options to choose from. You need to consider your key outcomes, of course, including curriculum links and learning activities, but is there a museum that you haven’t considered that might surprise you? Maybe an industrial museum might be the perfect place for an art class to learn about landscapes, or a geological collection might make for the perfect science lesson. Museum staff are incredibly knowledgeable about their collections, and there may be some topics you can explore in unexpected locations. Tap into that – there are hidden gems in museums that will contribute to your overall plan, which staff can help you find. 2 Link it to classroom learning The key here is to use your planned visit in collaboration with your classroom learning – the trip could introduce the topic, provide memorable points for pupils to look back on when they apply their knowledge in later lessons, or it could be a way to recap what they’re studying in school. There’s often an array of classroom resources available direct from museum websites. From worksheets to case studies, you can pick and choose highlights that apply to your learning and extend the experience for the class. This has the added bonus of helping to make the in-person trip even more memorable. Many venues will also bring the experience to you through outreach sessions. It might be a workshop, a show, or an object-handling box – there’s a host of options available out there. Either on- or off-site, many organisations offer more in-depth workshops that are developed specifically for 6 ways to make the most of your