Overview
The children take part in an interactive storytelling session with plenty of opportunities to engage and join in with the presenter as well as taking on the role of the three little pigs with help from our puppets. Following the story, the group are split in half. One group explores traditional Black Country brick making techniques while the other explores free-standing structures using plastic straws, wooden lollipop sticks and Lego bricks.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Age group: EYFS and Key Stage 1

Objectives

• To participate in an interactive retelling of the three little pigs.
• To experience the process of making bricks by hand using clay.
• To know and understand how bricks were made in the past.
• To create free-standing structures using a variety of materials.
• To work cooperatively as part of a small team.

Links to Development Matters and the National Curriculum:

Early Years Foundation Stage:

Communication and Language (40 – 60+ months)

• Maintains attention, concentrates and sits quietly during appropriate activity.
• Responds to instructions involving a two-part sequence.
• Understands humour.

Key Stage 1:

English (Year 1)

• Becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics.
• Recognising and joining in with predictable phrases.

English (Year 2)

• Becoming increasingly familiar with and retelling a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales.

Design and Technology

• Build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable.

History

• Changes within living memory. Where appropriate these should be used to reveal aspects of change in national life.
• A local history study.

Overview
Pupils explore existing products with wheels and axels to develop their ideas and evaluate their success. They then use this knowledge to develop their own ideas and assemble their own toy based on these observations and design criteria. Throughout the workshop, the pupils develop their technical knowledge and understanding including the use of appropriate vocabulary.

• Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Age group: Key Stage 1

Objectives

• To apply the knowledge and understanding gained from the investigation activities to the designing and making process.
• To generate ideas and simple design criteria for a free-wheeling toy.
• To select and assemble components to make a working model.
• To develop technical knowledge through learning how a vehicle moves using wheels and axles using relevant technical vocabulary.

Links to the National Curriculum:

Key Stage 1:

Art and Design

• Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products.

Design and Technology

• Design: design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria.
• Evaluate: explore and evaluate a range of existing products.
• Explore and use mechanisms in their products.

Overview
Students use a pre-made die and various metals (copper shim and aluminium) to create petals for a flower. The students then use the cut out the petals of various sizes which they can choose to emboss or pattern as they see fit. They then use a ‘pop’ rivet to join the petals together in addition to adding embellishments to the completed flower. Throughout the workshop, the students receive explanations of the various metalworking techniques they are using.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Age group: Key Stage 2 & 3

Objectives

• To create a decorative flow using various metals and metalworking processes.
• To understand the process of ‘pop’ riveting pieces of metal together.
• To develop knowledge about various metalworking processes.

Links to the National Curriculum:

Key Stage 2:

Arts and Design

• Improve the mastery of art and design techniques with a range of materials.

Key Stage 3:

Art and Design

• Use a range of techniques and media, increase proficiency in the handling of different materials.

Design and Technology

• Select from and use specialist tools, techniques, processes, equipment and machinery, including computer-aided manufacture.

Overview

This workshop explores how we can find out about the past from various sources of information. The students explore a wide range of primary sources including census documents, newspaper articles, maps, illustrations and artefacts to find out about what life was life in the past. The workshop also explores the process and the importance of using multiple sources of information to find out about the past. The workshop is tailored to your specific enquiry theme to help to enhance your visit to the Museum.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Age group: Key Stage 2 & 3

Objectives

• To think about how we learn about the past.
• To consider what types of historical sources are available to a historian. 
• To make inferences based on information from a primary source.
• To encourage critical thinking to determine the reliability of sources.
• To understand the importance of referencing multiple sources.

Overview
Through this workshop, students get an introduction to the traditional art of Rag Rugging. Students observe the traditional techniques of ‘hooking’ and ‘podging’ strips of fabric through hessian. Once the students are confident, they plan out their design and begin to craft their own miniature rag rug using a variety of colours. By the end of the workshop, they will have their mini rag rug to take back with them to school.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Age group: Key Stage 2 & 3

Objectives

• To experience and use the traditional techniques to create a rag rug.
  To design a mini rag rug using the heritage of the Museum as inspiration for their designs.

Links to National Curriculum:

Key Stage 2:

History

• A local history study.

Art and Design

• To improve their mastery of art and design techniques.

Key Stage 3

Art and Design

• To use a range of techniques and media, including painting.
• To increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials.
• About the history of art, craft, design and architecture, including periods, styles and major movements from ancient times to the present day.

History

Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain (1745-1901).

Overview

Within the session, students will see some examples of canal art from our historical collection to help inspire their designs. Students will learn how to mix paint and with the help of stencils and sample shapes, they will make a beautiful design. At the end of the workshop, the students will have a completed canal art inspired tile to take home with them.

• Duration: 1 hour
• Age group: Key Stage 2 & 3

Objectives

• To gain an appreciation and understanding of traditional Black Country art, craft and design.
• To know how art and design reflect and shape our history and contributes to our culture.
• To have the opportunity to develop new skills and improve their mastery of art and design techniques.
• To develop confidence, competence, imagination and creativity.

Links to the National Curriculum:

Key Stage 2:

Art and Design

• To improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials.

History

• A local history study.

Key Stage 3:

Art and Design

• To use a range of techniques and media including painting.
• To increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials.

Overview

In this workshop, children explore the forces that act on bridges and the various styles of bridges used around the world. They gain an understanding of what makes a bridge strong as well as what can happen if the forces are unbalanced. Most of the time is spent on a design challenge where they work in small groups to build a bridge that spans a set distance. They are provided with a set number of materials and the bridge is then tested to destruction to see how much weight it can support.

• Duration: 1hr 30 minutes
• Age group: Key Stage 2

Objectives

• To apply understanding gains from investigating activities to designing and making.
• To learn about different types and uses of bridges.
• To assemble components to build a model bridge.
• To learn how structures can be reinforced and strengthened.
• To learn how structures can fail when loaded.
• To test and evaluate the finished bridge
• To work together as part of a team.

Links to the National Curriculum:

Key Stage 2:

Design and Technology

Technical Knowledge

• Apply their understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.

Maths: Year 3

• Draw and recognise 3D shapes using modelling materials, recognise 3D shapes in different orientations and describe them.

Science: Year 5

Explain that unsupported objects fall towards Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling object.