Ground-breaking science study programme gets support with three-year grant for the Mary Rose Trust
From the world of Henry VIII to a world not normally seen under the sea - young scientists and engineers of the future could soon be discovering the excitement behind science, as The Mary Rose Trust announces support from the Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust in a ground-breaking education programme.
The three-year £600k grant will support an innovative range of science activities for children and young people aged 7-18 and take science and education way beyond the reach of other museums. Sessions for children with special needs will also be an important part of the project.
The project links science in the world of work to the National Curriculum. It allows students to use high-tech equipment both at the museum teaching laboratory and remotely in school, something rarely available even to undergraduates. The learning doesn’t stop there though as there will also be a range of web-based activities through the creation of a virtual science laboratory. This facility will be available to both a national and world-wide audience.
Furthermore they will be offered challenging opportunities to use the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and CyberMARINE seabed data loggers through an internet connection. This is an exciting development in the field of distance learning, taking museum education beyond the traditional walls and locating to a learning space on the web with the use of remote instruments.
The microscopy and underwater data-loggers are test cases and tools that will transport children and young people into a world that cannot be seen with the naked eye or without SCUBA equipment. Schools will be able to book sessions to use the SEM and CyberMARINE equipment but these sessions will be free of charge.
Michael Franklin, Director of the LRET, said:
"The LRET looks for outstanding organisations that work with young people to show them how exciting, worthwhile and rewarding science and engineering are. The Mary Rose and its many unique artefacts open up valuable scientific insights and that is why we have decided to fund the Mary Rose Trust''s science teaching programme for schoolchildren. With a focus on the hull itself and also by making innovative use of the internet, this programme will motivate youngsters in the UK and elsewhere to study science through school and university and, eventually, to make it their career."
The project seeks to extend the National Curriculum by promoting out-of-the-box science teaching to young learners. A key criterion of the curriculum is to help young people trace the development of science worldwide and recognise its cultural significance and this should not be restricted to activities taking place solely within the laboratory or classroom. The Mary Rose Trust will encourage the excitement of not just learning but experiencing science.
The Mary Rose collection (hull and artefacts) also lends itself extremely well to cross-curricular teaching from a science and engineering core. Maths, IT, design technology, history and geography are all closely linked to the project.
John Lippiett, Chief Executive of the Mary Rose Trust, said:
“Learning is at the very heart of this Trust’s activities and we have recently been putting more and more emphasis on the scientific aspects of our work. Providing support and encouragement for teachers is integral to the work of the Trust and we will be working with external partners to provide a service to schools and colleges which will reach pupils of all abilities. Thanks to the Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust, we can make a great leap forward in what we can offer.”
Photos courtesy of Sean Hounsell
