School Visits
Hands-On History
Bringing the Past to Life
As you will hopefully be able to see, we are about more than just salt!
Our experienced education team offer a wide range of workshops to support the History curriculum, many of which have cross-curricular links to science, art, music and more.
The education service makes good use of original and high quality replica artefacts in their workshops to offer a hands-on approach to history. Pupils will meet characters and try out tasks and crafts to learn about the past in an exciting and memorable way. Our museum and activities are very accessible and we are pleased to support all pupils learning requirements and special needs. We are keen to ensure schools get the most from their visit and will endeavour to meet the particular learning objectives you may have for a visit.
“This brought learning to life for my pupils, the interactive approach really engaged them.”
“A superb day which the children continue to enthuse about.”
Workshops can last a full day or half-day, (often half-days are better for reception and year 1). Full day workshops cost £4 per child and a half-day costs £3 per child for Cheshire West & Chester schools. We are obliged to add VAT to the cost for non-CW&C schools but this can sometimes be reclaimed by your school. We can accommodate up to about 60 pupils at a time.
For more information or to book, call our Education Officer on 01606 271640 or email Tom Hughes Teachers are also welcome to a free preliminary visit at any time during the museum opening hours. Should you have a more detailed enquiry and wish to meet with the education staff or view the artefacts to be used in a session please contact us to arrange a convenient time.
We are also very pleased to create tailored living history workshops for your school's special projects. Recent examples have been Life in a Medieval Castle, the Civil War battle of Rowton Moor and even the re-creation of a London chocolate house of 1657! Do get in touch to discuss your ideas, some of our most popular workshops emerge in this way. We can't guarantee to help every time, but if we can't help, we probably know someone great who can.
Anglo-Saxon Settlers
Pupils will meet Ceolwulf, a Saxon living in the village of Nort Wic. They'll learn how his ancestors invaded and re-create a shield wall from this story. Ceolwulf will also show them how to make a living by boiling brine, farming and textile working. They will also explore the crafts of horn and bone workers before joining in with some riddles and stories around the hearth.
The day's visit also includes an archaeology workshop where a burial will be re-created with a range of grave goods, Sutton Hoo style! Then pupils will work as archaeologists to identify what may survive being buried in the soil for 1300 years. Pupils will also try making a decorated clay pot in the same way as a Saxon potter.
Viking Invaders
Pupils will meet Olaf, one of only a handful of Vikings that have managed to settle in the Saxon area of Cestrescire. Olaf will tell how his people have raided across the seas and pupils will be able to try the weight of the warriors' armour, helmets and shields. These days Olaf has given up his raiding and will show his visitors how to make a living by hunting, farming, and working with horn, bone, wood and metal. Pupils can try striking coins like the Viking moneyers working in Chester before settling down for some stories of gods and brave heroes.
The living history session is accompanied by an archaeology workshop re-creating the burial of a Viking warrior (volunteer required!) and his excavation after 1100 years. Pupils will then see some small Viking finds in the museum and then make their own Viking god or warrior gaming piece to take away.
It is also possible to combine the Viking and Anglo-Saxon workshops if you wish, please contact the Education Officer on 01606 271640 to discuss.
Discover the Tudors
Step back in time and meet some Tudor characters. A sailor from King Henry VIII's flagship Mary Rose will recruit pupils and show them what life is like on board, then put them through their paces with sword drill and preparing a cannon. Watch out though, if something goes wrong the ship's surgeon will have to be called and his treatments can be quite gruesome!
Later in the day a master of revels will also be looking for assistance in preparing some entertainments for a wealthy merchant's feast including games, acting, juggling, music and dance.
Also; 22 November - 7 December 2010 - Tudor Christmas - Lay the table for a banquet, make yuletide spice bags, take part in a mummers’ play, play period instruments and learn a bawdy dance. These are very elaborate workshops with several Tudor characters and packed full of artefacts and activities. As a result they are very popular so book early!
How Do We Know About the Great Fire of London?
In this living history workshop your pupils will have a chance to meet Samuel Pepys and learn about his life and his diaries. They will find out about his experiences in the Great Fire and help to act out the events of September 1666, minus the flames of course! The children will also meet one of Mr Pepys’ servants, hear their story of the fire and learn about everyday life in London in the 1660s as well as events like the Great Plague.
These activities take up half a day which most teachers tell us is just right for Key Stage 1 pupils. If, however, you do want to stay for the whole day we can add workshops playing with toys of the 1660s and making firemark insurance signs.
The Victorian Workhouse Experience
The Salt Museum is housed in an old Victorian workhouse building. We offer a chance to experience the hard life of the poor in Victorian times. Pupils will enter the Guardian's boardroom and present themselves as paupers seeking admission to the house. After discovering the dismal diet of gruel and the routines of the workhouse, pupils will enter the recreated schoolroom (in its original location) and take a lesson in the 3 'R's with the schoolmaster. They will then carry out a range of workhouse chores including laundry work and oakum picking. This full day experience is suitable for KS 2 pupils.
For Key Stage 1 pupils we take a less severe approach! We will look at the theme of "Homes A Long Time Ago" and try out domestic chores such as washing in the dolly tub, butter making and rag rug making. We also look at the workhouse building as a home for very poor people and pupils will find out what it was like to live there. We will also take a look at toys in the home, comparing parlour games, toys from the nursery and games from the street or back yard.
Also available; Christmas in the Workhouse 8 - 16 December 2010. A similar session to the experiences above, but we will also find out how the poor inmates celebrated their Victorian Christmas and pupils will help prepare for the meagre Christmas festivities.
Toys Through Time
A hands-on workshop for Key Stage One pupils where children really get a chance to learn through play. They will take part in various workshops to see how toys have changed through the ages. They will also learn about the materials the toys are made from, find out how they work and discover toys for rich and poor. All of these can be compared with toys of today.
The pupils will look at toys from Tudor times, the Victorian age and the mid-20th Century. They do not need to understand these terms, just have fun playing with the various games from 500 years ago, 150 years ago and grandma’s childhood. From hobby horses through cup-and-balls to tin toys.
The Salt Industry
A look at this ancient industry which was so important to the history of Cheshire. Pupils can take part in a guided tour of the museum’s galleries to discover how salt was made and handle original artefacts from the industry. They will also have a science workshop in our lab looking at “Changing Materials” and carry out experiments in dissolving, filtering and evaporation to refine brown rock salt into white salt.
A full day’s visit can also include a workshop creating a living timeline of a Cheshire salt town, which explores the history of the area as children dress up as characters from the Iron Age to the late 20th century.