School Workshops & Resources

Are you studying castles as a local history topic in your school? These resources from the Castles: Paintings from the National Gallery exhibition can help you find out more about castles and get creative with different art and craft projects. Try a virtual tour of the exhibition, explore local castle paintings, drawings and etchings and see videos made by artists to inspire you.

You could even use the pack to support pupils to gain an Arts Award. To find out more contact Jennie or Marie in the Museum Learning & Engagement Team on [email protected].

 About the exhibition

Castles: Paintings from the National Gallery, London, was exhibited here at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens from September – November 2020. The exhibition centred around the National Gallery’s tour of  Bernardo Bellotto’s The Fortress of Königstein from the North, one of the most original and impressive examples of 18th-century landscape painting.

Bellotto’s masterpiece was displayed alongside five other European Old Master paintings from the National Gallery’s collection featuring castles (both real and imagined).

The display was also enhanced by watercolours, drawings, prints and oils featuring castles in Sunderland Museum’s own collection including L S Lowry’s drawing, Bamburgh Castle and other North East castles such as  Brancepeth, Warkworth, Lambton, Barnard, Durham and Prudhoe castles.

The exhibition has now closed but you can still take a virtual tour of the exhibition here:

Get creative with our Castles activity pack!

Download our Castles activity pack full of fun activites and ideas to help you explore the theme of castles and get creative. The pack was inspired by the exhibition Castles: Paintings from the National Gallery, London which was recently on display here at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens.

We hope you enjoy creating, making and exploring! Download the pack here: Get creative with Castles pack

Activity: Create your very own coat of arms with Poppy Chancellor

Inspired by the Castles exhibition, why not have a go at creating your own coat of arms! Watch the video below from Poppy to find out how:

 

Explore the Museum’s art collections and try different art techniques in these hands-on learning sessions.

Lowry Landscapes
Keystages: KS1, KS2
Subject: History, Art & Design

Click here for all our available Art Workshops

Learn about the history of Sunderland in these learning sessions. Sessions can be adapted to suit a local study topic.

Anglo-Saxon Bede Bags
Keystages: KS1, KS2

Subject: History, Local Study

Click here for all our available History Workshops

Museum in a Box is Sunderland Museums’ loans box service which provides a huge variety of real and replica objects to support learning in the classroom.

Click here for all our available Museum in a Box services

Explore science topics including Growing Plants, Bones & Skeletons, Animal Quest (habitats), Wonderful Water (the water cycle) and Dinosaurs.

Growing Plants
Keystages: KS1, KS2
Subject: STEM

Click here for all our available Natural World Workshops

Explore the topic of tropical rainforests in our interactive rainforest sessions including Rainforest Explorers: The Basics, Animal Adventure Tour, Art Explosion and Persuasive Writing.

Click here for all our available Rainforest Explorers Workshops

Please see below all of our downloadable Learning Resources for Schools and Learning Groups. Teacher or Group led sessions only.

 

Ladybird Trail Shapes and Patterns Scavenger Hunt – Winter Gardens – EYFS & KS1 Ladybird Trail Questions for Group Leaders – Winter Gardens – EYFS & KS1 Rainforest Explorers Trail – Winter Gardens – KS1 Rainforest Animals Hunt – Worlds Alive Gallery – KS1 Mowbray Park Sculptures Colouring Sheet – KS1Coal Scavenger Hunt – General Museum KS1 & 2 Can You Find Trail – General Museum – KS1 & 2 Animal Scavenger Hunt – General Museum KS1 & 2 Mowbray Park Sculptures – Teacher’s Information – KS1 & 2Launched on Wearside Quizsheet – KS2 Coal Gallery Quizsheet – KS2 Anglo Saxon Trail – General Museum – KS2 Rainforest Explorers Trail – Winter Gardens – KS2 Victorians Trail – General Museum – KS2 Rainforest Animals Quizsheet – Worlds Alive Gallery – KS2 Mowbray Park Sculpture Trail – KS2 Museum in a Box list – 2018

British Science Week: Joseph Swan and the Wonder of Electricity
Wednesday 11 March – Friday 13 March 2020

In-school assemblies and workshops for Sunderland Schools
£200 per day (subsidised rate)

Experts from Green Shift Educational Services will visit your school to work with Year 4 and Year 6 pupils to explore electricity and circuits with a focus on Sunderland inventor Joseph Swan. Museum staff will also give a 30 minute assembly on Sunderland Inventors during the day.

To book a day for your school please contact Marie Harrison on 0191 5618608 or e-mail [email protected]