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Promoting public understanding of science

The new Earth Galleries will be unique, benefiting from...

specimens drawn from our vast and spectacular collections
expert advice from our earth science research teams
innovative and informative exhibition design using our interpretative expertise
our educational services, providing support for pupils and teachers using the galleries as a resource for the new National Curriculum for the earth sciences

The Earth Galleries in a formal educational context

The chief educational goal for the new exhibition scheme is to encourage an interest among all our visitors in the earth sciences. To do this the exhibitions will emphasize the links between earth sciences and many important issues which relate to them; linking the subject to everyday experiences.

While the new scheme is being designed primarily for the enjoyment and education of informal visitors to the Museum, it will also be used by visiting educational groups. With this audience in mind, we have used the National Curriculum to identify appropriate levels of treatment and to focus on core areas of subject material. New Earth Galleries, in addition to exploring the earth sciences, will have a multi-disiplinary approach. They will support the teaching of a breadth of subjects...

Mathematics (and science)
- iIllustrating use of numbers and metric units in the measurements of mass, dimensions, time and space
- enable visitors to sort and classify objects according to size, geometric shape, mass etc
English and foreign languages
- roviding earth science material to support listening, reading, interpreting, speaking and writing skills
Art, drama, music and dance
- providing earth science material and resources
- creating environments which encourage the exploration of moods and feelings and the consideration of composition and form
- encouraging the exploration of properties of materials, of symmetry patterns, colour, texture and form
Design and information technology (IT)
- encouraging the exploration of the properties of materials and their application
- exploring the constituents of materials and how materials can be combined and processed to demonstrate different properties
- illustrating the organization and presentation of data for effective communication using a variety of media including simple text, graphics and sound
- selecting appropriate media to communicate particular messages
- providing opportunities to explore the use of models and simulations
- encouraging search methods to obtain information from a range of sources
- providing a context in which to experience IT as a means of investigation