SNAB teachers at the Natural History Museum
SNAB project officer Anne Scott talking to a SNAB teacher About 130 SNAB teachers met together with SNAB team members Angela Hall, Nicola Wilberforce, and Anne Scott at the Natural History Museum to hear from those who run student courses and some of the Museum scientists.
Teachers meet each other
SNAB teachers Teachers had plenty of opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest with each other.
Making the most of a student visit
Sally Collins of the Natural History Museum Education department said that she's noticed that the most successful visits seem to be those where students arrive with a series of questions addressing the 'Visit Report' criteria in the Edexcel Salters-Nuffield Biology specification, and with headings to write notes under. This would apply whether the visit is to the Natural History Museum or elsewhere.
Find out more about what the Natural History Museum offers Natural History Museum Education
Here is where you can download the Edexcel Salters-Nuffield Biology specification Edexcel SNAB
Wasps ants and bees: bio-control
Natural History Museum scientist Andrew Polaszek gave us the talk he gives to students about his work for the Museum around the world, helping people to develop biological pest control. If a crop is devastated by an imported pest you go back to where it came from to look for a predator, trying to ensure specificity - that it will not turn to something else when its initial food supply runs out. There is more about Andrew's work here www.Exploratorium
Forensic entomology
How long will it take for a dead Indian buffalo to turn into a pile of bones? Just seven days if blowflies get to work! Martin Hall told us about his work for the police on estimating time since death using insect life cycles. He said that taxonomy is very important: if you don't identify the insect correctly then everything you say afterwards is wrong - it's as bad as getting the wrong car number. You can read more about Martin's work here Forensic entomology at the Natural History Museum
130 teachers meet giant squid
Jon Ablett discussing his squid with a group of teachers A live link to the Darwin Centre allowed us all to visit the giant squid, in the company of Stephen Roberts (in the lecture theatre) and Jonathan Ablett (with the squid in the Darwin Centre).
Jon told us that the squid was caught by fishermen off the Falklands. What did the squid die of? - being caught by fishermen. Jon said that squid like this seem to feed on fish about half a metre long. The sucker marks found on sperm whales are likely to be the result of an encounter between whale and squid. Which eats which? probably the marks are a result of the squid objection to being eaten.
Giant squid are widespread in all areas of the world except where it is very hot or very cold, tending to live at the edge of continental shelves at a wide range of depths - but not near the surface. Are giant squid very clever? there are varying views - some scientists think they are fast active predators, others think they just hang around in the sea waiting for something to turn up.
Here is more information about the squid and visiting arrangements.
Natural History Museum giant squid photos and information
Biodiversity on your doorstep
Melissa Glackin of the Field Studies Council told a group of teachers how to use what they've got in a restricted urban environment, using the wildlife garden at the Natural History Museum. Here's more about professional development from the Field Studies Council Field Studies Council
Visit the herbarium
Teachers saw some of the 5 million specimens and heard about the current work of the botany department in collecting, conserving and preserving plants specimens.
See Natural History Museum Herbarium
Natural History Museum library
Teachers saw Alfred Russel Wallace's manuscripts and specimen collection, donated to the Museum by his family in 2002. Here's more about the forthcoming website Natural History Museum Library
Taxonomy
Taxonomy workshop: John Wrighton and others sort sea-shells
Adrian Rundle gave us the talk and activities he gives students, using the classification of sea shells as an example. At first we thought this would be easy, but it wasn't!
Taxonomy at the Natural History Museum
Student visits
Here is more about what the Natural History Museum offers to students Student visits
Taxonomy workshop: teachers on task, overseen by workshop leader Adrian Rundle
Organised by the Nuffield Curriculum Centre with the Science Learning Centre London and the Natural History Museum.
Thank you to all who contributed to organising this, especially Nicola Wilberforce of SNAB and Esher College, and Emma Newall of the Natural History Museum and the Science Learning Centre London.
