‘Open Door, Explore’

Self-Programmed Wednesdays at The Manchester Museum

Prehistoric Gallery – KS4 (Booking Essential)

This resource allows your students to use the displays and information in the prehistoric

gallery to explore key areas of the Key Stage 4 curriculum such as evolution, mass extinctions and dinosaurs.

The fossils gallery on the ground floor offers a unique opportunity for your students to

explore how life on earth has changed since the multi-cellular organisms appeared 1 billion years ago. Using our fantastic collection of fossils, this gallery enables students to

investigate what life was like during different time periods.

Print out the worksheet provided and use it with your students on the gallery.

Below are the guidelines for using this resource in a 30 minute activity on the Prehistoric gallery:

1. Allow your students to explore the gallery independently for approx 8 minutes. To observe how life developed on earth in chronological order, suggest they start from

the left hand side bays, walking up towards the back then back down the right hand side.

2. Hand out the worksheet attached (1 sheet each) and split them into three separate groups.

3. Instruct each group to start at a different section (case indicated on the sheet) and work their way through the questions individually. Support your students, ensuring

they stay focussed on the task. Allow 5 minutes per section of the sheet. 4. Allow students to share their findings at the end of the session in a group

5. If you have time, gather students round under Stan, the T-rex and discuss what features of his skeleton shows us that she was such a deadly predator?

Equipment required:

Worksheet attached (Print out as required)

Pencil Clipboard

Post-visit suggestion:

You might like to check on The Museum of Mystery (www.museumofmystery.org.uk). An interactive online learning resource aimed at KS3/4 which uses the Manchester Museum’s

collections to complete tasks and complete mysteries.

Have you remembered to book your ‘Open Door, Explore’ Self Programmed activities with our Bookings Officer on 0161 275 2630? You can also request to use our lunch room for your group. Risk Assessments are available on the website. Also, please check for any suggested materials that you may need to bring with you on the day.

Evolution, Mass Extinctions

and Dinosaurs!

Evolution of the horse (case 7)

1. What are the main changes you can see from the first horse, hyracotherium to the current horse, Equus?

2. Why do you think these changes have taken place over time?

Mass Extinctions (Case 6) 3. What is the K/T boundary?

4. What do you think is the most plausible reasons for the end of the dinosaurs?

Dinosaurs (Cases 4 and 5) 5. What is archaeopteryx and why is it so significant?

6. Why are dinosaur footprints so important and what information do they tell us about dinosaurs?