Teaching and Learning at the Lapworth Museum

Everything from dinosaurs to diamonds to spark the imagination!

Our Education Team are delighted to offer a fantastic range of targeted in-museum and virtual sessions, activities and loan boxes. We aim to offer visiting groups fun, engaging, and interactive learning experiences.

For Primary (Key Stage 1 and 2) or Family enquiries please contact Jake Atterby at j.atterby@bham.ac.uk.
For Secondary (Key Stage 3 and 4) enquiries please contact Anna Leppänen at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.
For KS5, Adult, and Further Education, or any other enquiries please contact lapworth@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Primary Learning

The Lapworth Museum of Geology offers a number of primary learning taught workshops, self-led trail sheets, and loan boxes. All workshops, school visits and loan boxes are free of charge and must be booked in advance.

For more information on (KS1/KS2) educational visits please contact Jake Atterby (Learning and Community Development Officer) at j.atterby@bham.ac.uk.

In-museum Primary Learning

Our Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 workshops are developed in line with the National Curriculum. These one hour sessions are hands-on, allowing pupils to explore and investigate the worlds of museums and geology. Our sessions can be tailored to your group's individual needs.

Please note: We can only run these educational sessions for groups of 8 or more pupils. If you have a smaller group but are interested in visiting the museum, please contact the museum at lapworth@contacts.bham.ac.uk for more information.

General Documents

Self-led Visits

Schools and educational groups can book a self-led visit where pupils will get a chance to explore the museum independently and answer questions about some of the incredible objects and displays in the galleries.

If you would like to schedule a self-led visit to the museum please email before visiting to confirm if there is availablity. We recommend a maximum of 45 pupils visiting the Museum at once, so if you are a multi-form entry we would suggest visiting as two or more groups, one visiting in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

Below are downloadable trails for self-led visits. We recommend allowing between 45 minutes and 1 hour to complete these.

Museum-led Workshops

Let's Investigate... Dinosaurs & the Jurassic! (KS1)

How big was an Allosaurus? Where did ichthyosaurs live? What did ammonites look like? Discover what fossils can tell us about ancient animals and have a go at making your own.
Duration: ~45 minutes
National Curriculum Links: Animals including humans; Fossils; Living things and their habitats; Working scientifically
Download the Session PDF (804KB)

Let's Investigate... Rocks (KS1/KS2)

Geology Rocks! Discover the wonderful world of rocks by examining specimens through a series of scientific experiments. Pupils will get the chance to use our microscopes, and will conduct experiments to determine porosity and hardness as they explore igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum Links: Rocks and soil; Materials and their properties; Working scientifically
Download the Session PDF (992KB)

Let's Investigate... Volcanoes and Earthquakes (KS2)

Become volcanologists and seismologists for the session! Discover how and where volcanoes and earthquakes form, handle volcanic objects, and have a go at creating a volcanic eruption! Finish the session by seeing if you can create an earthquake-proof building.
Duration: ~1.5 hours
National Curriculum Links: Volcanoes and Earthquakes; Materials and their Properties; Working scientifically
Download the Session PDF (324KB)

Let's Investigate... Fossils (KS2)

Get hands on with fossils, explore how fossils form, discover what fossils can tell us about animals from the past, and have a go at making a salt dough fossil to take home.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum Links: Living things and their habitats; Adaptation; Fossils; Working scientifically
Download the Session PDF (856KB)

Let's Investigate... Evolution (Upper KS2)

Explore evolution through the fossil record. Discover how animals adapted to their environment, how fossils are formed, and finish by creating your own creature!
Duration: ~1.5 hours
National Curriculum Links: Evolution and Adaptation; Living things and their habitats; Fossils; Working scientifically
Download the Session PDF (900KB)

Let's Discover... Mary Anning (Upper KS2)

Mary Anning needs your help to uncover fossil secrets! Explore fossils and how they’re formed, marine reptiles and how they lived, and the life of this famous historical figure.
Duration: ~1.5 hours
National Curriculum Links: Significant historical and scientific figure; Evolution and Adaptation; Living things and their habitats; Fossils; Working scientifically; Reading Comprehension
Download the Session PDF (1.46MB)

Primary Learning Loan Boxes

The Museum believes everyone should have the opportunity to connect with our collections. Loan boxes are a fantastic way to engage pupils with geology in the classroom when a trip to the Museum is not possible. These loan boxes contain both actual specimens as well as museum-grade replicas for teachers and educators to use.

We require a minimum of 4 weeks notice to prepare a loan box. Loan boxes cannot be posted and must be collected from and returned to the Museum.

Loan Boxes Frequently Asked Questions (PDF - 184KB)

Fossils Loan Box

Contains a selection of replica and real fossils; including teeth, claws, ammonites, trace fossils, and a Smilodon skull.
This loan box comes with a printed information pack for teachers as well as possible activities and worksheets to be used in the classroom.
Throughout the information pack there are links to 3D models of fossils from the museum collection which can be shared on a large screen. These links require access to the internet and are hosted on the website Sketchfab.

Rocks Loan Box

Contains a selection of rocks from each phase of the rock cycle; including sandstone, limestone, granite, basalt, gneiss, and schist.
Also focuses on volcanoes; containing volcanic ash, tuff, and a volcanic bomb.
This loan box comes with a printed information pack for teachers as well as possible activities and worksheets to be used in the classroom.

Virtual Fossils Loan Box

Explore the geological past from your own educational setting and discover more about the ancient inhabitants of our modern world!
We recognise that loan boxes are fantastic for handling specimens but sometimes accessing these can be difficult, so we have compiled a Virtual Fossils Loan Box.
This package contains information about fossils in the Museum; and provides an introduction to fossils, how fossils are formed, and the different types of fossil. Throughout the file there will be links to 3D models created by the Museum and hosted on our Sketchfab page.
There are also some suggested activities and worksheets at the end of the document.
Download the Virtual Fossils Loan Box (PDF - 2.02MB)

Primary Teacher's Forum

The Primary School Teachers’ Forum is a place for primary educators to share their thoughts and ideas about the Museum's primary school offer. There will be opportunities to explore resources before they’re released, to be part of upcoming projects, and to help shape the future of the Museum's primary programme.

Why join?

See, trial, and feedback on new resources and workshops including loan boxes and in-school visits.
Reserved spaces within our booking calendar for primary schools within the forum.
Opportunities to be involved in local and national projects, such as creating temporary exhibitions.
Network with other local educators to share best practice.
Counts towards the Primary Science Quality Mark assessment.

Where will we meet?

Initially, meetings will be scheduled on Zoom.
Ultimately, we will schedule one meeting online and one meeting in the Museum each year.

Who is involved?

All primary school teaching staff and teaching assistants are welcome.
We hope to have representation of primary schools from across Birmingham and the West Midlands, including SEND school representatives.

When will it be?

The next forum will be held at a date and time confirmed through a participant poll.
Forums will then be scheduled once every six months.

Contact information

If you are interested in being a part of the next Primary Forum meeting, please contact Jake Atterby (Learning and Community Development Officer) at j.atterby@bham.ac.uk.

Explore the galleries with our staff.
Attend Museum-led workshops.
Examine our displays.
Understand all aspects of geology.
Complete self-led trails.

Secondary Learning

The Lapworth Museum of Geology offers a number of secondary learning taught workshops and self-led trails. All workshops, school visits, and virtual opportunities are free of charge and must be booked in advance.

For more information on (KS3/KS4) educational visits please contact Anna Leppänen (Learning, Communications and Engagement Officer) at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.

For more information on (KS5) educational visits please contact lapworth@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

In-museum Secondary Learning

Our Secondary School Learning Programme has been developed in line with the National Curriculum and Exam Board Specifications. The Museum offers a number of workshops and opportunities for Secondary Schools at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. It aims to offer visiting educational groups engaging, interactive, and fun learning experiences.

General Documents

School Group Information - Arriving by Coach or Minibus (PDF - 1.42MB)

Self-led Visits

Schools and educational groups can book a self-led visit where students will get a chance to explore the Museum independently and answer questions about some of the incredible objects and displays in the galleries.

If you would like to schedule a self-led visit, please email before visiting to confirm if there is availability. We recommend a maximum of 25 students visiting at once, so if you are bringing a larger group we would suggest visiting as two or more groups, one visiting in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Please get in touch to arrange this with Anna Leppänen (Learning, Communications and Engagement Officer) at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.

Below are downloadable trails for self-led visits. Questions on these trails are tailored to suit various ages and abilities. We recommend allowing between 45 minutes and 1 hour to complete these.

Museum-led Workshops

Evolution of Life (KS3/KS4)

Uncover our planet’s incredible evolutionary history!
Students will examine the different ways organisms can become fossils and attempt to identify different fossils to work out what this can tell us about how an organism lived and died.
Using our geological timeline, pupils will learn how the Earth’s atmosphere has changed and when different animal groups evolved.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum and Science Specification Links: Fossils and evolution; Animal adaption and extinction; The Earth and its atmosphere; Working scientifically

Composition of the Earth (KS3/KS4)

Find out what the Earth is made from and how it is structured.
Students will work through a series of experiments to identify how and where sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks form. They will examine the processes behind transforming one rock type into another in the rock cycle, and will discuss which rocks are useful resources and where these might be located.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum and Science Specification Links: Composition and structure of the Earth; The rock cycle; Earth’s resources; Working scientifically

Changing Coastlines (KS3/KS4)

This session is currently being piloted and we are open to any feedback from teachers and pupils!
Coasts are dynamic environments, the interface between the land and the sea. Many processes shape our coastal landscapes and geology plays an important role in these.
Pupils will work through a series of activities to help them understand how coastal landscapes develop and how coastal processes work.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum and Geography Specification Links: Coastal features, processes and landforms; Coastal management; Landscape change through time; Working scientifically

Active Earth (KS3 - Y7/Y8)

We live on a planet that is over 4.5 billion years old! Unearth our planet’s active history, examine Earth’s structure and ponder at plate tectonics.
Students will discover just how active the Earth beneath our feet is by re-creating plate tectonic movements and linking these to earthquakes and volcanoes. Students will step back in time and walk through the entire history of the Earth on our geological timeline.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum Links: Plate tectonics; Structure of the Earth; Geological timescales; Evolution; Working scientifically

Evidence for Plate Tectonics (KS3/KS4 - Y9/Y10/Y11)

Plate tectonics constantly shape the ground beneath our feet!
Students will complete a series of activities to explore the evidence for plate tectonics and their movement. They will model plate tectonic boundaries, plot the location of recent volcanic eruptions, and step back in time to see how the Earth has changed on our geological timeline.
Duration: ~1 hour
National Curriculum Links: Plate tectonics; Composition and structure of the Earth; Geological timescales

Volcanic and Seismic Hazards (KS4/KS5)

Some of the most destructive natural hazards are associated with earthquakes and volcanoes.
Students will examine and describe different volcanic rocks and deposits. They will link these to specific volcanic hazards and plate tectonic boundaries. Using this knowledge students will be able to explore the characteristics of shield and composite volcanoes. Students will explore what an earthquake is and how different seismic waves move.
Optional KS5 activity of plotting the epicentre of an earthquake.
Duration: ~1 hour to ~1 hour 30 mins
Geography Specification Links: Plate tectonics; The structure of the Earth; Volcanic hazards; Seismic hazards

Geology Workshops (KS5)

Our geology workshops can be tailored to suit your learning requirements.
Workshops can focus on a range of topics including: fossil identification, morphology and mode of life; diagnostic properties and characteristics of minerals and rocks; the geological history of the West Midlands.
Geology Specification Links: Fossils and time; Minerals and rocks; Petrology; Practical skills in geology

Academic Talks (KS4/KS5)

Academic talks require advanced notice and are subject to availability.
The Museum's unique position as part of the University of Birmingham allows us to offer talks to groups interested in learning about some of the exciting and current research taking place.
Talks are given by postgraduate students and academics from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and can cover the following topics: Palaeobiology; Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoceanography; Volcanism; Earthquakes and Seismics; Plate tectonics; Climate change.

Virtual Secondary Learning

The Museum offers a number of tailored virtual opportunities for Secondary Schools aimed at Key Stages 3 to 5.

Virtual Lapworth Museum Tour (KS3/KS4/KS5)

Engage your students with the wonders of geology and hear some fascinating stories from the Lapworth Museum.
A worksheet can be sent to each group beforehand to complete after or during the tour.
The virtual tour can be tailored to each group’s requirements and can focus on: Plate Tectonics and Hazards; Fossilisation and Evolution; The Midlands Journey through Geological Time; Rocks and Minerals.

Explore the Earth Sciences (Upper KS4/KS5)

This session includes a fantastic virtual tour of the Lapworth Museum of Geology followed by an interactive session with an academic from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences around one of the following topics: Plate Tectonics; Volcanic and Seismic Hazards; Climate Change; Evolution and Biodiversity; Fluvial Processes; Glaciation and Geomorphology.

Secondary Teachers' Forum

The Secondary School Teachers’ Forum is a place for secondary educators to share their thoughts and ideas about the Museum's secondary school learning programme. There will be opportunities to explore resources before they’re released, to be part of upcoming projects, and to help shape the future of the Museum's secondary programme.

Why join?

See, trial, and feedback on new resources and workshops.
Reserved spaces within our booking calendar for secondary schools within the forum.
Opportunities to be involved in local and national projects, such as creating temporary exhibitions.
Network with other local educators to share best practice.

Where will we meet?

We will meet either online via Zoom/Teams or in-person at the Museum depending on participants' availability.

Who is involved?

All secondary school teaching staff and teaching assistants are welcome.
We hope to have representation of secondary schools from across Birmingham and the West Midlands, including SEND school representatives.

When will it be?

The next forum will be held in Autumn 2024.
Forums will then be scheduled once every six months.

Contact information

If you are interested in being a part of the next Secondary Forum meeting, please contact Anna Leppänen (Learning, Communications and Engagement Officer) at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.

Attend Museum-led workshops.
Examine our displays.
Understand all aspects of geology.
Find links between art and geology.
Explore the Museum.

Other Activities

The Lapworth Museum of Geology offers a number of additional activities and resources for further learning, including Teacher Training, activities to try at home, and Kids in Museums Takeovers.

For more information please contact lapworth@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Teacher Training and CPD

The Lapworth Museum is dedicated to supporting the teaching of geology at every level. We offer a range of tailored training opportunities and CPD events free of charge to help you refresh your knowledge and boost your confidence in teaching geology.

Primary Teacher Training

Tour behind-the-scenes of the Museum and talk about what we can offer schools and teachers, including details of our free schools programme.
Take part in a range of Primary Education Sessions to explore creative ways of confidently teaching the geological aspects of the Primary curriculum including rocks and soils, earthquakes and volcanoes, fossils, evolution and adaptation (see above).
For more information about Primary Teacher training please contact Jake Atterby (Learning and Community Development Officer) at j.atterby@bham.ac.uk.

Secondary Teacher Training

Tour behind-the-scenes of the Museum and talk about what we can offer schools and teachers, including details of our free schools programme.
Take part in a range of Secondary Education Sessions to refresh your skills, explore creative ways of teaching, and gain confidence in teaching the geological aspects of the geography/science curriculum (see above).
Attend an academic talk by researchers from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
For more information about Secondary Teacher and Further Education training please contact Anna Leppänen (Learning, Communications and Engagement Officer) at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.

CPD Events

Join experts from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Lapworth Museum for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) evening events.
Events can include talks and workshops and the chance to meet and chat with researchers and other teachers.
For more information about upcoming events please contact lapworth@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

Activities to Try at Home

Browse through our selection of activities to try at home and be inspired to create and investigate the geological world.

10 activities which can be done at home without many resources. The ideas cover a huge variety of topics; Geography, History, Engineering, English so there should be something in there for everyone! 10 Activities to Try at Home (PDF - 140 KB)
Create your very own peg pterosaur and the rule the Jurassic skies! Peg Pterosaur Instructions (PDF - 864KB)
Have a go at creating your very own exploding volcano using items found around your home! Exploding Volcano Instructions (PDF - 960KB)
We have a selection of colouring sheets which are unique to the Lapworth Museum of Geology, designed by palaeoartist Julian Kiely. These colouring sheets are often also available in the Education Room at the Museum:

Arthropleura Colouring Sheet (PDF - 524KB)
Dimorphodon Colouring Sheet (PDF - 992KB)
Fighting Pachycephalosaurus Colouring Sheet (PDF - 508KB)
Tyrannosaurus Colouring Sheet (PDF - 956KB)

We have a selection of word searches which are often also available in the Education Room at the Museum:

If you have any questions or ideas for future resources, please contact either Jake Atterby (Learning and Community Development Officer) at j.atterby@bham.ac.uk or Anna Leppänen (Learning, Communications and Engagement Officer) at a.z.a.leppanen@bham.ac.uk.

Kids In Museums Take Over Day 2022 Audio Guide

What is Kids in Museums Take Over Day?

Take Over Day is when museums, galleries, historic homes, archives and heritage sites invite young people in to take over jobs normally done by adults. To find out more, visit the Kids in Museums Take Over Day webpage.

What did the Lapworth Museum do in 2022?

We welcomed pupils from Pearl Hyde Primary School, Coventry. The pupils were introduced to the Museum and our dinosaur Roary before finding out what their job of the day was - creating the audio for a new audio guide! Pupils identified their favourite items on display in the collections, discovered interesting facts, and shared why they chose those specific objects.

The audio for each object along with transcripts can be found on the Museum's YouTube channel. Use the links below to find out more about each of the specimens and hear what the pupils had to say. The map also helps you find the objects if you visit the museum.

Thank you Pearl Hyde for your amazing audio tour!

Attend immersive events.
Complete our Family trails.
Find links between art and geology.
Explore the galleries with our staff.
Take part in arts and crafts.