Sheringham Museum offers a unique opportunity for children to develop a variety of skills. Visiting the museum provides opportunities for children to engage in collaborative learning, to enhance their problem solving skills and to discuss what they see. Objects from the past have cross-curricular appeal and can support learning in STEM subjects as well as language and history.
Our collection of vintage fishing vessels, lifeboats, and fishing memorabilia helps to place Sheringham’s history in context. There’s Shannock Street where local shops from the past have been re-created and we have a display dedicated to local photographer Olive Edis. From fossils to our latest interactive War Memorial and gansey displays there is a lot to see and do. Each year there’s a Summer Exhibition. See the museum’s general website for latest details.
Parents and Teachers
In Key Stage 1, ‘Fun On the Beach’, children are invited to explore what may be found on the beach together with a variety of follow-up activities.
For Key Stage 2 children, the unit covers ‘Fisherfolk’ focussing on the skills to become a Museum Detective, Boatbuilding in the past, and an opportunity to investigate some of the sea life found off the North Norfolk Coast. There is an information-rich module on Norfolk’s Deep History Coast, one on Sheringham lifeboats and one on Renewable Energy..
Each of the learning units incorporates text and video which can be used in a variety of ways. The videos can play a part in either a warm up or the presentation part of a lesson. This can then lead to practical work – whether it be building a paper boat or investigating a text. The Make and Do sections of the KS1 material can form part of project work. The KS2 learning can form a foundation for more serious historical studies. For example, ‘Becoming a Museum Detective’ teaches children how to investigate an object/text. This unit has cross-curricular impact encouraging children to question sources.
The Future
Further online materials will be available later in the year and we hope to see you and your students in the museum for a truly ‘hands on’ experience.
We’d love to hear how you are using the learning materials and you can contact us by email: learning@sheringhammuseum.co.uk
KS1 – Museum Detectives
KS1 – Fun on the Beach. Become a museum detective and discover some of the interesting things that you might find on the beach.
When you’ve finished your investigation you can have a go at making a paper boat, writing a story, making special seaside finger painting or even designing a new seaside bucket.
KS2 – Museum Detectives
Become a museum detective and learn how to dig into history. You can find out how wooden boats were built in Sheringham in the past, learn about current fishing and discover facts about some of the sea life around the North Norfolk Coast.
Listen to a geologist explaining the secrets of the Deep History Coast, learn about difficult and dangerous lifeboat rescues and more…
Additional videos
There are a number of additional videos available for classroom use also hosted on YouTube.
They include:
- Extended videos on boatbuilding in Sheringham with more detailed information on the Emery family
- The Ballad of John Craske tells his story and this can provide a starting point for investigating the lives of fishermen
- Olive Edis was a famous Sheringham photographer. A replica of her studio can be found in the museum as well further information about her life and the people that she captured on film
- Ralph Vaughan Williams was a frequent visitor to Sheringham and the video gives an opportunity for children to investigate music as well as history
- Sheringham – A Century of Change – provides information on Sheringham covering the development of the town from a small fishing village to a holiday resort with a railway and vibrant town centre.
- The Cannon – is a short film which teaches about the work that has sometimes to be undertaken when restoring an ancient artefact.