Session Plan: Creating Mini Museums
Please Note: This session plan is written to be run with families,
but can easily be adapted to be delivered in a school environment.
Time
Activity
5 min
Introduce yourself and the activities the families will
be participating in during the session.
Introduction
Resources to
support activity
Explain that during the session we will be looking at
our own families and items which are important to
us.
Museums
and their
collection.
10
mins
Ask participants if they have visited a museum.
-Which museum?
-What did you see?
Photographs of
different museum
artefacts.
Ask participants:
-What is a museum?
-Why are museums special?
Explain that all museums have a collection (they
collect artefacts)
Ask participants if they can think of some artefacts
that a museum might collect.
(objects from a period in history e.g. World War Two,
Paintings, Manuscripts, Bones)
Explain to participants that museums are treasure
troves and we can use them and their collections to
find out information about a certain topic.
Looking
closely at a
museum’s
collection:
The World of
James
Herriot
Additional Classroom Activity: you could get
children to research different museums and the
objects they collect using the internet and books
Introduce participants to the museum being explored
10-15
mins
Photographs of
the museum.
For example: The World of James Herriot
This museum celebrates the life and work of Alf
Wight, the vet and author of the James Herriot
stories. Explain that this museum collection consist
of artefacts relating to Veterinary Science, as well as
photographs and items relating to Alf Wight. We can
use these collection items to find out about his life
and family.
Items or
photographs from
the museum
collection
Exploring the collection activity;
 As a group, explore the museum’s artefacts
(or collection photographs).
 Ask participants if they know what the item is.
 Why do you think the museum has it in their
Resource provided by www.mylearning.org © The World of James Herriot
collection?
What can it tell us about James Herriot?
Can it tell us anything else, which may be
important?
 Ask participants to imagine that the object
could speak. What would it tell you?
Explain to participants that we are going to be
creating our own mini-museums (All about you story
box) based on our families and our lives.


Creating a
family
collection:
5
mins
What items
are
important to
you?
Ask participants to think about what items they would
include in their collection to tell people about their
families and their lives.
Your Personal Objects.
Introduce the objects that you have brought with you.
Personal objects
from your home.
Ask participants to think about why these objects are
important to you.
Mini Story
Boxes
5
mins
Explain why you have chosen these objects and
what they tell people about you.
Hands-on activity: Hand out mini story boxes. Ask
families to imagine that they are making a box to tell
other people about themselves.
Small card nets of
boxes.
Pencils
-What objects would you put in the box?
-Draw/write down 4-6 objects that are special to you,
that you would put into their family collection.
Creating
your all
about you
story box.
30
mins
Feedback: Ask each family to show their drawings
to the group and explain why the items (one of the
objects) are important to them.
Creation of your story boxes
Explain that families will now begin to create their
story boxes.
They might want to put objects in them, photos,
words.
Show participants and example of a story box that
has been created.
Colouring pencils.
Example story box
Shoe Boxes
A range of craft
materials (tissue
paper, sugar
paper, paint, felt)
Scissors and glue
Felt tips
Plenary
5
mins
Ask participants to show boxes that have been
created.
Recap that museum also have collections.
How can I use this resource in a school classroom environment?:
This session can be used as a:



Pre-visit session to a museum visit
Post visit session to a museum visit
As part of a creating writing topic, to act as a stimulus for story creation.
Resource provided by www.mylearning.org © The World of James Herriot