There’s a buzz amongst the staff of the Natural History Museum at the moment, and it’s not coming from its collection of 28 million insects...

The museum’s staff are all busily preparing for the imminent opening of the new Darwin Centre, a £78 million landmark building project and state of the art scientific research and collections facility, to be used by over 200 scientists at a time.

Visitors may not realise that a visit to the museum brings them under the roof of a renowned research institution, a world leader in the scientific study of the natural world and the museum’s schools team have greatly developed the free of charge schools programme to capitalise on this and support teaching of How Science Works. Students will now be immersed in an environment of real scientific research in the memorable surroundings of this grand, awe-inspiring building.

As visitors enter the building’s entrance hall, it’s easy to feel dwarfed by the eight-story high cocoon, its vast expanse of curved wall soaring high above. The biggest sprayed concrete, curved structure in Europe, it houses the museum’s vast plant and insect collections. That 28-million strong insect collection is the most comprehensive in the world. Students visiting Cocoon can explore the public gallery inside, which winds through the collections and scientist workspaces. They will discover hundreds of real specimens from huge tarantulas to metre-high plants. The experience brings them into contact with particular research projects, such as how DNA barcoding of mosquitoes is being used in the fight against Malaria. Through viewing desks, video and intercom they can look in on laboratories and observe scientists at work and the state of the art equipment in use. Learning volunteers will be on hand to explain the molecular techniques on view, and show how scientists study specimens using scanning electron microscopes. The gallery has many hands-on interactive activities to support students’ understanding.

The Darwin Centre is also home to the Attenborough Studio, a hi-tech, multi-media show-space which is the perfect place for students to gain a deeper understanding of the natural world.

The studio will showcase three brand new science shows in the schools programme. Animal Vision (Yrs 5-8) brings students face to face with live snakes, and other animals. Who in your class will be brave enough to volunteer to handle one? They will find out about the eye adaptations these animals have, and how they allow escape from predators and to locate prey. 

Scenario Science: Disease Outbreak (KS4) places students in a scenario in which a mystery fatal disease has broken out and threatens to spread. A mixture of news clips, interviews with museum scientists and pathologists allows students to take on the role of experts who must find a way to contain the disease. Students will gain a greater understanding of how public health decisions are made and the wide-range of institutions that are involved.

The Variety Show (KS3) gives the audience the chance to grapple with a giant squid. Our life-sized, 8.63-metre long prop, based on our real museum specimen, is one of a range of audience participation strategies used to open students’ eyes to the diversity of life on earth. Students will gain an understanding of how life on earth is classified, and how our museum scientists’ taxonomic expertise is used world-wide. Students will be challenged to take on the role of our Enquiries Service in a game, and gain an understanding of how naming of species, their classification and understanding their inter-relationships is crucial for cataloguing and protecting the world’s biodiversity, and in agricultural, medical, and veterinary contexts.

To view the full programme, visit www.nhm.ac.uk/education/school-activities/index.html and to book, call the bookings line on 020 7942 5555.