Online sessions
While the museum is closed, we are developing online sessions for remote delivery to schools and other community groups. Please contact Learning Coordinator Alison Giles on are26@cam.ac.uk to arrange an online session for your group. All sessions are free of charge, although we encourage donations to the museum if possible.
Science through experiments
Key themes: Light and Shadows, Measuring, scientific skills.
Age range: KS2-3, small groups
Duration: 20-30 minutes per session, up to six sessions per unit
Format: Working with a box of equipment provided by the museum and online facilitation via video link, students work on different aspects of the science curriculum. They are encouraged to learn by doing and to hone the key scientific skills of questioning, observation, prediction and experimentation.
Object focus sessions
Key themes: Science; history; interpreting objects.
Find out more about an object from our handling collection in detail. Carry out a simple experiment related to it, explore an open-ended discussion question, and complete an imaginative activity.
Objects covered so far include the microscope, the telescope, computers and calculators, and a sundial, but we can find objects in our handling collection to fit most topics!
Age range: KS2, but can be adapted for KS1 or KS3 with objects chosen to fit specific topics. Families or small groups welcome.
Duration: 30-45 minutes.
Format: Led by the Museum’s Learning Coordinator via your preferred video conferencing platform. An adult must be present throughout the session.
Adult group talks: Objects from the Whipple Museum
Key themes: The museum itself; the history of science; scientific equipment.
Learn more about objects from our handling collection in this exploration of the history of the Museum and its displays through a wide range of scientific objects. There are over 100 objects in the handling collection so every talk is slightly different; if you have particular scientific interests that you’d like to cover then let us know in advance and we’ll see what we can do.
Age range: We’re too polite to ask, everyone is welcome!
Duration: 40 minutes plus time for questions.
Format: Talk by the Museum’s Learning Coordinator via your preferred video conferencing platform.
Talks for young people: Scientific Women
Key themes: The historical role of female scientists.
Find out about the lives and achievements of six female scientists from 1750 to the present day by taking part in activities related to their discoveries.
Age range: Designed for Brownies or Guides (with different activities for different age groups; Cubs and Scouts or other groups of young people are also welcome).
Duration: 40 minutes plus time for questions
Format: Talk by the Museum’s Learning Coordinator via your preferred video conferencing platform.
Cubs Astronomy badge session
Key themes: work through the syllabus of the Cub Scout Astronomy badge using objects from the Whipple Museum collections
Age range: Cubs
Duration: 40 minutes plus time for questions
Format: Talk by the Museum's Learning Coordinator with activities via your preferred video conferencing platform.