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Discovery Dome

National Museum of Scotland

Discovery Dome

Contents1. Introduction

2. How to use the Discovery Dome

3. Object information and activity ideas

3.1 Big Cats

3.2 Bowl

3.3 Butterflies

3.4 Car

3.5 Carpets

3.6 Child’s Cap

3.7 Dinosaurs

3.8 Dolls

3.9 Dragon and Chinese New Year kit

3.10 Drum

3.11 Elephant

3.12 Fossils

3.13 Hedgehog

3.14 Jewellery

3.15 Ladybird and other insects

3.16 Mask

3.17 Ocarina

3.18 Robe

3.19 Sea life

3.20 Shark

3.21 Shoes

3.22 Skeletons

3.23 Textiles

3.24 Tile

3.25 Tree

4. CfE Outcomes

5. Assembly instructions

6. Health and Safety

7. Feedback

8. Returning the Discovery Dome


Discovery Dome

1. IntroductionThe Discovery Dome is a resource for exploration, fun, play and learning for early years groups and settings. The Dome can be used in a variety of ways – group sessions, self-led learning and investigation, role play, storytelling and as a spring board for further investigations. Designed to be easy to assemble, diverse and flexible, it can be assembled indoors or out. It is a museum in miniature covering a cross curricular range of topics, experiences and outcomes, linked to the Curriculum for Excellence at the Early Level (pre-school to approximately P1).

Making the Discovery DomeThe Discovery Dome was created by pupils and staff from Woodlands Nursery Centre, Fife and Knightsridge Primary School, West Lothian together with the environmental artist and teacher Karin Chipulina, with support from National Museums Scotland. Inspired by a visit to the National Museum of Scotland, the participants wanted to create a dome structure which could become a travelling home for objects and activities linked to the collections, and cosy welcoming space for early years learning.

To find out more about how the dome was made, please visit:

www.nms.ac.uk/learning/communities/discovery_dome.aspx

All images © National Museums Scotland, unless otherwise stated.

This resource has been funded by the Robertson Trust. The Robertson Trust is an independent Scottish grant-making Trust which exists to provide financial support to charities across Scotland. To find out more about the Trust please see the Trust’s website: www. therobertsontrust.org.uk. The Robertson Trust part funded the development of the new Learning Centre at the National Museum of Scotland, Chambers St, Edinburgh.


Discovery Dome

2. How to use the Discovery DomeThe Discovery Dome contains a collection of over 30 real and replica objects from across the world, representing the diversity of the collections at the National Museum of Scotland which you are free to carefully handle with your class. The collection and these notes have been assembled with support from pupils and staff from Woodlands Nursery Centre in Methill, Fife and Knightsridge Primary school, West Lothian, working with staff from National Museums Scotland. The resource is designed to be used to support a range of outcomes and experiences across the Curriculum for Excellence at the early level, for example Expressive arts, Sciences, Social studies, Literacy and English, and Health and Well-being (see section 4 for CfE outcomes).

The first step is to assemble the dome, and you will find instructions for this in section 5 of this guide. Once the dome has been set up you can attach the felt pouches inside the dome. These will hold most of the objects, which you will then need to match to the correct felt panel. There are images on each object information sheet in the guide to help you do this, but please note this is not strictly necessary and objects could just as effectively be placed in any pouch. You can also put up as many felt panels as you wish. Each felt panel should have an object linked to it, but some objects are too large and will need to be placed on the floor. You may also want to spread out the large Indian printed fabric and carpets on the floor to make the space cosy.

Each object comes with its own object information and activity sheet, found in section 3. These notes have been provided to support your teaching by suggesting some cross-curricular activities for your group or class. The activity ideas are by no means prescriptive, so please feel free to adapt them to suit your own needs/themes/activity ideas. There are also photos of the real Museum objects which inspired the pouches and their objects. These are also discussed on the object information sheets, and can be photocopied from the guide to discuss alongside the dome’s objects

In section 8 there is a feedback form which we would be very grateful if you could photocopy, complete and post back to us at the address given below after your loan of the resource. This helps us to track its use and make repairs to the items as necessary.

The following is a list of ideas and tips on how to use the dome in general:


Discovery Dome

Why not…• Usetheobjectinformationandactivitysheetstoprepare

ideas for using the dome with your class

• Selectonlycertainobjectsandputthemintothemes–i.e.countries, dress and costume, food, animals, etc.

• Selectsomeobjectsandusetheminstorytellingactivities–i.e. make a story using only these three objects.

• Usethedomeasacreative,blankcanvas–askpupilstocurate their own exhibition either using the existing objects or find new ones (either from school/nursery or home). If able, they could write labels and make text or image panels about the objects.

• Usethedomefordramaandroleplay–i.e.imagineit’sa cave in the desert, a Bedouin tent, a secret camp in the woods.

• Usetheobjectsforcrosscurricularactivitieslikenumeracy,science, technology.

• Gettheclasstovotefortheirfavouriteobjectsandaskthem to explain why they have chosen them.

• Useaccesstothedomeaspartofanurturegroupandaway to build confidence.

• Usethedomeasastartingpointfordiscoveringmoreabout museums.

• Insmallergroups,spreadlargepaperoutinthedomeand make drawings of the objects. Write big labels for the drawings and attach them to the real objects as if writing labels for an exhibition.

• Iftherearemanyclassesusingthedome,setupatimetable so everyone has their own slot and can plan in advance how they are going to use it.

• Discusstheobjectsasagrouptoencouragetalking,thinking and listening skills.

• Askchildrentomaketheirownversionsofthefeltpocketsbased on other objects as an art/craft activity in another medium. This could be based on their own favourite objects or from a trip to a museum.


Discovery Dome

Practical Issues• Beforelookingattheobjects,setupsomegroundrulesfor

handling them. This involves:

- Demonstrating yourself how to handle the objects carefully (it can help to get them to imagine they are holding a tiny kitten)

- Ensuring that once they have looked at them they pass them onto the next person carefully.

- Encouraging them to put the objects back into the correct pockets at the end of the session.

- Explaining that many of these objects are real museum artefacts i.e. they are old and cannot be replaced if they get broken.

• Itispossibletofitupto15childreninthedome,butfor best use of the space and more focussed work approximately 5 children per session is preferable.

Contact Details:

Museum2Go: Discovery DomeLearning and ProgrammesNational Museums ScotlandChambers StreetEdinburghEH1 1JF

0131 247 4435

[email protected]


Discovery Dome

3. Object information and activity ideas

3.1 Big CatsTouch the leopard, cheetah and ocelot skins. How do they feel? Usedifferentwordstodescribetheirtexture.Lookatthepatternson them. Why do you think it is like this? What is different about the three skins? (the cheetah has small, mostly complete black spots, the leopard has spots with central holes or rosettes and the ocelot has rosettes which sometimes form into curved stripes or bands)

Leopards and cheetahs live mainly in Africa and some parts of Asia and the Middle East, and eat other animals in their environment. Leopards hunt their prey using stealth and stalking techniques. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammal and can run up to 75mph/120kph.

Ocelots live mainly in the rain forests of the Americas (Central and South). They use the forest to stalk and ambush their prey. Like the leopard and cheetah, their spots give them some camouflage in forests and bushes, as they look at bit like dappled sunlight through trees. Ocelots are smaller than both leopards and cheetahs.

Activity Suggestions • Discovermoreaboutotherbigcats.Wheredotheylive

across the world? What do they eat? How do they hunt?

• Findoutmoreaboutotherpredatorsatthetopofthefoodchain and how animals depend on each other for survival.

• Imagineyouarealeopardprowlingquietlythroughtheplains. Walk on all fours and try to move as silently as you can. Pounce on your prey! Find a small tree to climb and see how high you can go (with adult supervision).

• Findoutabouthowotheranimalscamouflagethemselves.Make your own camouflage masks/outfits for different environments.

ThemesPredators and food chains

Hunting and stalking

Camouflage

ObjectsLeopard, cheetah and ocelot skin samples

Cheetah

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.2 BowlTouch the bowls and spoons in the pouch. What are they made from? How have these been made? What could they have been used for? What is different about the kinds of bowls we use?

Activity Suggestions• Findoutaboutdifferentcookingbowlsandmethodsfrom

around the world, for example Chinese woks, Moroccan tagines etc.

• Smellthespicesandtrytoworkoutwhateachoneis.Think of some words to describe how they smell, look or make you feel. Which countries’ cuisines might use these spices?

• Makeyourownbowltostorefoodusingquickdryingclay.What is the best design for holding things in?

• Findoutaboutdifferenttypesoffoodfromaroundtheworld. What is the most popular dish of these countries? Try making some simple versions of the food using the spices – for example an Indian curry with turmeric and paprika, Mexican fajitas with (mild) chilli, Chinese stir fry with ginger.

ThemesCooking and food from around the world

ObjectsWicker bowl and wooden utensils

Spices

Clay bowl from Nigeria, West Africa, decorated by drawing into the wet clay before firing. It was used to store water and beer.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.3 Butterflies (two pouches)

Look at the photos of and real butterflies in acrylic. What different colours and patterns can you see? Why do you think some butterflies have such bright colours?

Activity Suggestions • Findoutaboutthelifecycleofabutterfly.

• Inspringorsummertime:gointoagardenorparkandseehow many insects you can see. Can you find out what they are called? What do the insects use the flowers and plants in the garden for? How do the flowers use the insects?

• Inautumn:gointothegardenandseewhathashappened to the flowers and leaves on the trees. What colours can you see now? Are there any different insects?

• Inwinter:gooutintothegardenandseeifthereareanyplants or flowers growing. Which plants and trees have lost their leaves and which still have them? What insects can you see now?

• Makepaintingsofbutterflies,ormakethemoutofothermaterials like fabric, card or coloured paper.

• Plantsomeflowerseedsinyourgardenorpotandwatchthem grow. How long did they take?

ThemesInsect life cycles

Nature outside your door

Simple biodiversity

Colour and pattern

Seasons

ObjectsReal butterflies in acrylic

Monarch Butterfly found mainly in North America. One of the largest butterflies and easily distinguishable by its black and orange markings, which act as a detterant to predators like birds.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.4 Car Look at this photo of a real car from 1910. It is over 100 years old. What is different about this car compared to cars today? What do you think it would have been like to drive around in? Would it have been fast or slower than cars today?

Touch the model car and see how it has been made. What are all the different parts of the car for?

Activity Suggestions • Makeyourownmodelcarusingfoundobjects(cardboard

boxes, bobbins). Decorate it in bright colours and patterns.

• Makeamodelplaneusingfoundobjects.Howfarcanitfly? Have a competition with another plane and see who the winner is. Measure and count the distance in paces.

• Findoutaboutdifferentkindsoftransportandhowtheywork.

• Keeparecordofhowmanytypesoftransportyouhavebeen on. How are they all powered?

ThemesTransport and technology

ObjectsModel car

Motor car from 1910 made in Scotland.


Discovery Dome

3.5 CarpetsLook at the carpets. What different colours and patterns can you see?

Feel their texture. What are they made from? How do you think it was made? What could it have been used for? Where do you think it has come from? (Persia – probably modern Iran or Turkey)

Rugs and carpets from the Middle East are used for all sorts of reasons. Some are used in homes to decorate and keep houses warm. Smaller ones might have been used as prayer mats. Sometimes people would use them to entertain guests and serve tea or coffee on them. Nomadic people, like the Bedouin who live in the deserts of the Middle East, carried many rugs around with them to keep their tents warm and cosy.

Activity Suggestions • FindtheMiddleEastareaonaworldmapanddiscover

more about the culture and people who live there.

• Drawthecoloursandpatternsyouseeontherugandmake your own designs using similar colours and patterns.

• Dosomesimpleweavingstripsofmulticolouredpaper.Attach some strips vertically to a sheet of paper at the ends only to secure. Then use the other strips to weave in and out of the attached strips. Start from the top and work your way down until you reach the bottom of the strips. Does the pattern remind you of anything? (It might look a bit like tartan)

• Haveateapartyusingrealmintteaetc.Invitefriendsover and sit on a carpet. Serve with Turkish delight or other sweet treats from the Middle East like baklava. Careful with the hot water!

• FindoutmoreaboutnomadicpeopleliketheBedouin.What do they live in? How and why do they move around?

ThemesColours and patterns

The Middle East

Different cultures around the work

ObjectsCarpet and Kilims (rug) from Persia (now Iran)

Carpet from Iran showing a flowering tree and blue, red and orange flowers.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

ThemesColours and patterns

The Middle East

Different cultures around the work

ObjectsCarpet and Kilims (rug) from Persia (now Iran)

3.6 Child’s Cap Look at the hat from China. How has it been made? What colours and patterns can you see? Who do you think it was made for? When do you think they might have worn it?

Embroidered hats like these were often worn in China by children. The bright colours and patterns were thought to scare off evil spirits and protect the child from harm. When they were older they would sometimes wear hats like these during exams for good luck.

Activity Suggestions • Findoutaboutdifferenttypesofdressandcostumes

worn around the world. Make a drawing of each of them using colour and pattern.

• Playagamebycuttingup3-4figuresindifferentcostumes and mixing them up. Ask a friend to see if they can match them up again and guess where they are from.

• Findacollectionofoldclothes,hatsandscarvesandput them in the Discovery Dome. Make up a new outfit using the dressing up costumes. What kind of person are you – old or young? Where do you live? Find a friend to play the game with you and make up a new story about yourselves.

Child’s cap of black cotton from China, decorated in silk applique on front with monster’s face and ears, and on sides with flower roundels.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.7 Dinosaurs Look at the photos of the two different types of dinosaurs: a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Stegosaurus. The T-Rex lived in what is now Western North America 67 to 65.5 million years ago. The Stegosaurus lived 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now Western North America and Europe. Can you work out which one was a plant eater and which one was a carnivore (meat eater)? Why do you think this is?

Touch the real dinosaur fossil. What part of a dinosaur do you think this comes from? (it’s a piece of vertebrae). What size was the dinosaur that this came from? (we don’t know for sure but perhaps a medium sized one like a stegosaurus).

Activity Suggestions • Findoutaboutdifferenttypesofdinosaursandprehistoric

creatures and how they lived. How do experts work out what they might have looked like? What creatures lived in the Scottish Jurassic seas?

• Findouthowexpertsbelievethedinosaursdiedout.

• Makeadinosaurcollageusingscrapsofoldfabricandshiny paper to make scales and skin. What kinds of landscape did they live in?

• Imagineyouareadinosaur.Howdoyouwalk?Whatnoises do you make? What do you eat?

ThemesDinosaurs

Fossils

Modern reptiles

ObjectsFossilized dinosaur vertebrae

CastoffossilTyrannosaurusrex,walking,fromtheUpperCretaceousperiod.

CastskeletonoffossilStegosaurusfromtheUpperJurassicperiod.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.8 Dolls Look at the dolls. What costumes are they wearing? Where do you think they are from? (The dolls are originally from Persia which is now modern day Iran and other areas of the Middle East such as Turkey). Do you think they were meant for children to play with?

Activity Suggestions• Drawadollshapeandcutitout.Makedifferentpaper

clothes for them to wear. Make a family of dolls and invent a story about them.

• Discovermoreabouttoysfromaroundtheworld. What is similar to our toys and what is different?

• Findoutaboutdifferentnationalcostumesand everyday clothes from around the world. What do Scottish people wear?

ThemesDolls and Toys

Costumes around the world

ObjectsDolls

Doll from Syria and Iran, c. 1919–1925.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

Look at the Chinese New Year Festival objects (dragon, red envelopes, Chinese lantern etc.)

Find out what each of these objects is used for during the Festival.

Try on the Chinese dress (girl) and suit (boy) outfits. What do they feel like? What patterns or designs are on them? When do you think these outfits might be worn?

Chinese New Year is celebrated between January and February each year with the festivities running for up to a week. People wear new clothes, give gifts and money, and decorate their homes with the colour red to symbolise good luck for the New Year. Dragon and Lion dances are also common and are thought to help to scare off evil spirits and bad luck.

Do we celebrate any festival like this? What do we do that’s similar? What other festivals are there around the world? For e.g. Diwali, Hanukah, Eid, Christmas?

Activity Suggestions • Makeyourownmovabledragonpuppet.Youwillneed:

1. Paper clips

2. Dragon puppet template

3. Coloured paper, pens, decorating materials (sparkles, sequins etc.)

4. Wooden lolly sticks

• Makeupyourownfestivalandhaveaparty!Whatareyoucelebrating? What costumes will you wear? What food will you eat? What colours will you choose to decorate with? Hold your festival in the Discovery Dome and invite some friends to join you.

• FindChinaonaworldmaporglobe.Discovermoreaboutthe country and its culture. What do people wear and eat?

3.9 Dragon and Chinese New Year kit

ThemesChina and the Chinese New Year Festival

Festivals around the world

ObjectsNew Year celebration kit including dragon girl’s and boy’s outfits

Dragon costume for Chinese dragon dance made by Kim Bergsagel with Chinese community groups and families from Edinburgh.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.10 Drum Look at this photo of a Scottish military drum. What kind of noise do you think it would make? How would you play it?

Touch the African drums from the dome. What are they made from? Practise beating a rhythm on the drum. Where is the best place to hit it? Can you make a slow rhythm and then a fast one? Can you make it make different notes? What different kinds of instruments can you name? How are they played?

Activity Suggestions • ListentosomeAfricandrummusicandtrytoplayalong.

How does the music make you feel? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq7IqE9vnuE

• Discovermoreaboutmusicfromotherpartsoftheworld–for e.g. South America, China, Spain, with different rhythms and tempos. What instruments can you hear being used in each? Which ones would be good to dance to? Do any of them sound happy or sad? How do they make you feel?

ThemesMusical instruments (percussion)

Music and dance from around the world

ObjectsAfrican drums

NB: there are lots of clips on youtube showing different types of music/dance from around the world, but here are some quick links;

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLVXojpHf0 (South America)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EtbIWF_ynU (China)

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X2HN8hsdfY (Spain)

• Trydancingtothemusicusingthewayitmakesyoufeelasa guide.

Drum,paintedwoodwithskin,ropeandleather,usedbytheOldTownGuardinEdinburgh.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.11 Elephant Look and touch the elephant skin. How does it feel? Hard or soft?Smoothorbumpy?Whatcanyouseeonthesurface?Uselots of words to describe it.

Why do you think it is so thick? (The elephant needs a thick skin to help it stay cool in the heat). How does it use its trunk to stay cool? (Sprays itself with water)

Where do elephants live? (In Africa and Asia) What other large animals live in these countries?

Activity Suggestions • ImagineyouareanelephantintheAfricanplains.Stomp

round the room and swing your trunk around. Find a nice cool pool of water to drink from and spray yourself down. Make a loud trumping noise to show you’re happy!

• FindoutmoreaboutotheranimalsthatliveinAfrica,for example lions, leopards, giraffes, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and crocodiles. What do they all eat? What environment do they live in?

• Makeanelephantmaskorheaddress: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/lets-celebrate/makes/lets-celebrate-wesakmasks/printout/0

ThemesLarge animals

Africa (and Asia)

ObjectsElephant skin

Baby African elephant, believed to be the earliest surviving taxidermy specimen in Europe (1818).

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.12 FossilsLook at the photo of the ammonite fossil. This creature lived in the warm Scottish seas over 65 million years ago, and looked a bit like a modern day nautilus. The only remaining parts of the ammonite are the hard shell, as the soft parts have rotted away.

Touch the real fossils. Do you recognise one of them (ammonite)? Where do you think the creatures might have once lived? (In the sea) Do they remind you of any animals living today?

Activity Suggestions • Findoutmoreaboutwhatafossilisandthedifferentkinds

of fossils there are. Match pictures of modern creatures to pictures of fossils to see how they might have once looked.

• Makearubbingofthefossilsusingpaperandcrayons.

• Makeyourownfossilsoutofmodellingclay.

• Createyourownfossildig!Buryyourmodelfossilsinplaysand. Ask a friend to uncover them and work out what each one is.

ThemesFossils

Modern sea creatures

ObjectsFossils: Ammonite, gryphea and coral

Ammonite fossil

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.13 Hedgehog Touch the baby hedgehog. Run your fingers carefully over its spines in the direction of the spines. What do they feel like? Why do you think it has these spines? What does a hedgehog do when it is frightened? (Rolls into a tight ball!)

A hedgehog is mainly nocturnal which means it sleeps during the day and is awake at night, when it searches for insects and other small creatures to eat.

Hedgehogs hibernate during the winter months. They find somewhere warm and dry, like a pile of leaves, and settle down there for the winter.

Activity Suggestions • Makeahedgehoghouse:www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces/

hedgehog_home/

• Findoutmoreabouthibernation.WhatotheranimalsinScotland hibernate and why?

• Makeahedgehoghandprintpicture:Youwillneed:

Two shades of brown paintBlack paintPaper

Instructions:

1. Keeping your fingers together, make a pale brown handprint horizontally at the bottom of your paper. This is your head.

2. Make lots of dark brown handprints with your fingers spread out and up. These are your prickles.

3. Finish off by finger printing a brown eye!

ThemesLocal wildlife

Hibernation and winter

Natural defences

ObjectsBaby hedgehog

Hedgehog?

© Soil-Net.com


Discovery Dome

3.14 Jewellery (two pouches)

Look at this photo of a necklace from South Africa made from colourful beads. How many different colours and patterns can you see?

In Africa beads are used for adornment and decoration, and in the past they were sometimes used instead of money. They often show a person’s wealth, tribe and marital status. What do people in our country wear to show these things?

Touch the necklace and purse from the pouch. How do you think these were made? What colours and patterns can you see on them?

Activity Suggestions • Findoutaboutotherkindsofjewelleryfromaroundthe

world. Which one is your favourite? Is it only women who wear jewellery?

• Makeyourownbeadnecklaceusinglargebeadsmadefrom different coloured modelling clay.

• FindAfricaonaworldmaporglobeanddiscovermoreabout this continent. What is the climate like? What animals live there? What types of clothes do people wear? What is the same and what is different? Learn to say some simple words in an African language, for e.g. Swahili

ThemesAdornment from around the world

Africa

ObjectsAfrican bracelet and purse

Necklace made from five oblongs of beadwork strung on thread, from South Africa

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.15 Ladybird and other insectsLook at all the different insects. What do they all have in common? How many legs does each one have? Which one has the most legs?

Why does the ladybird have a bright red and black spotted body? (The bright colours deter other insects and animals from eating them as they think they might be poisonous). What other insects have bright colours and patterns to do this?

Activity Suggestions • Gooutintothegardenandlookunderlogsforladybirds

andotherminibeasts.Usemagnifyingglassestolookmore closely at them. Count how many legs they have.

• Makeladybirdhouseswithbamboo/twigsandstring:www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3b4D5-oOGs

• Paint10smooth,roundstonestolooklikeladybirdsandpaint1to10spotsonthem.Usethemforcounting.Tryusing them for simple adding and subtracting.

ThemesInsects

Counting

Animal defenses

ObjectsPlastic insects

Ladybird


Discovery Dome

3.16 MaskLook at this photo of a mask and touch the real miniature one.

Both are called diabolo (devil) masks and are used during a religious dance at the Oruro Festival in Bolivia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrdqBNJTeec). They are made of papier maché and are painted in bright colours. What kind of person does it show? What makes it scary? How do you think you would feel wearing a mask like this? How might it make you dance?

Activity Suggestions • Findoutaboutotherfestivalsaroundtheworldwherethey

wear masks and costumes. What do they celebrate? How are the costumes used during the festivals?

• Makeanddecorateyourownmaskusingpaperorpapiermaché.

• Makeupaspecialdancewhilewearingyourmask.Areyouscary or friendly? Happy or sad? What is the dance about?

ThemesFestivals and celebrations around the world

Masks and disguises

ObjectsMiniature Bolivian diabolo mask

Dance mask made of papier-mache, painted red, green, yellow and silver, from Bolivia.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.17 OcarinaLook at this photo of an ocarina or flute. What animal does it look like? How would you play it?

Touch the real ocarina. Can you make a noise? What does it sound like? How is the noise being made? What animal does it look like?

Activity Suggestions • Makeyourownfluteusingacardboardtube.Punchone

hole at the top for the mouth piece, and further down up to six holes for the finger holes. Cover the end nearest the mouth hole completely so there is no air leaking. Blow down the mouth piece and cover different holes with your fingers. Can you make different notes?

• Findoutaboutdifferentkindsofmusicalinstruments,for example wind instruments like the flute, percussion instruments like drums, and string instruments like a guitar. Which ones are you favourite? See if you can make your own versions of these instruments using found objects.

• Learnhowtomakedifferentanimalsounds.Canyouhootlike an owl? Roar like a lion? Make the sound a monkey makes? Coo like a dove? Think of as many different animal noises as you can.

ThemesMusical instruments (wind)

Animal sounds

ObjectsOcarina (frog flute) and mini pan pipes

Child’s ocarina made from red earthenware in the shape of small bird with two finger holes on the back, a blowing hole in the beak and exit hole in the breast, from Kyrgyzstan.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.18 Robe Look at this photo of a robe from Japan. What patterns can you see on it? When do you think this might have been worn? (This was worn during important ceremonies and dances).

Try on the Japanese child’s kimono. What different patterns can you see? How does this feel to wear?

Activity Suggestions • FindJapanonaworldmaporglobe.Learnmoreabout

Japanese dress and culture.

• MakeasimpleJapanesefanorlantern:www.iyingmai.com/make-paper-lanterns.html

• MakesomeJapaneseinspiredfood–rice,fish,vegetablesfried in a wok with sesame seed oil. What spices and flavourings does Japanese food often use? Try eating with chop sticks from a small bowl.

ThemesJapan

Different costumes and cultures around the world

ObjectsJapanese child’s kimono

Japanese robe of dark blue cotton cloth with red and white abstract applique decoration, worn for ceremonies in the 19th to early 20th century.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.19 Sea lifeTouch the different types of shells. Can you work out what each is? What different patterns and shapes can you see? What do you think is missing? (The animal inside has died and rotted away, or been eaten)

Smell the crab claw. Does it still smell like the sea? Which part of the crab does this come from? What would it have used this for? (For catching food, digging, and attracting a mate by waving or banging)

Activity Suggestions • Drawapictureofeachshellandcopythepatternsand

shapes on them.

• Walkalongthebeachandseewhatdifferentcreaturesand shells you can find. Collect some shells to take home to investigate. How many different kinds have you found? Sort them into similar shapes, colours and sizes.

• Makeaseacollageusingshinypaper,netting,cellophane,and anything else you can find to show fish, shells, seaweed, birds, sand, sea and sky.

ThemesThe seashore

ObjectsCrab claw

Shells: Conch, Oyster, leopard conch, clam

Archer fish

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.20 Shark Look at the photo of a great white shark. Describe what you see. Where does a shark live? What does it eat?

Touch the fossilised sharks tooth. How big do you think the shark that once owned this tooth was? Sharks are very successful predators and have been around for millions of years. They are always at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators of their own (except man).

Activity Suggestions • Findoutmoreaboutsharks.Howdotheyhunttheirprey?

Are all sharks aggressive? What different kinds of sharks are there?

• Makeasharkmasktocoveryourwholeheadusingeitherstripsofpaperorwireandtissuepaper.Givethemaskafinon the top and sharp teeth.

• Findoutmoreaboutotherpredatorsatthetopofthefoodchain, for example lions, tigers, birds of prey. What features do they all have in common? How does each one hunt its prey?

ThemesSharks

Predators and food chains

ObjectsFossilised sharks tooth

Greatwhiteshark

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.21 Shoes Look at this photo of child’s shoes from China. What animal can you see on them?

Try on these shoes from India. Who do you think might have worn them? How have they been made? When might you wear these shoes?

Try on the bangles. What noise do they make when you move around? When do you think Indian people might wear this kind of jewellery? (Celebrations and parties)

Activity Suggestions • Designyourownshoesinpaperorfabric.Decoratewith

sparkles, sequins and bright colours to make them ready for a party.

• FindtheAsia/Indiaonamap.LearnmoreaboutIndiaandIndian dress and culture.

• ListentosomeIndianBhangramusicandlearnafewsteps: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnqxJ8I3pqk. Find out about the different instruments that are played.

ThemesDifferent costumes and cultures around the world

India

ObjectsIndian child’s shoes

Indian bangles

Pair of child’s shoes of embroidered silk in lavender, green and blue with applied swan figures from China.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.22 Skeleton dolls (two pouches)

Look at the photos of and touch the Mexican day of the dead figurines. These would have been hung up in houses for decoration during the celebration, which are on the 1st and 2nd November. Are they meant to be scary, funny or both? What is each one doing?

Activity Suggestions Find out more about Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. What do they do to celebrate this? Do we celebrate anything similar? (Halloween) How is their celebration different to ours?

• FindtheAmericas/Mexicoonamap.Whatcanyoufindout about the different countries there? What do people eat in Mexico? How do they dress and what is the climate like?

• MakeapaperorpapiermachéskeletonmaskandhaveaMexican Day of the Dead celebration.

• CookaMexicanmeal(tortillas,burritos,fajitas).Whatisdifferent about Mexican food compared to the food we often eat?

ThemesThe Americas

Festivals and celebrations around the world

ObjectsMexican day of the dead figurines

Small wooden box lined with golden glitter and containing miniature ceramic skeleton bride and groom figures, made for the Mexican Day of the Dead festival.

In the Museum


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3.23 Textiles (two pouches)

Look at this photo of a piece of 17th century fabric from Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. What patterns can you see? How do you think the patterns on this have been made? (Appliqué technique which is sewing cut out fabric designs on top of a base fabric to make different patterns) What do you think this might have been used for? (It was probably either a curtain or wall hanging)

Touch all the different types of fabric. Look at the different colours and patterns. Can you work out how each one has been made? What do you think they could have been used for? Which countries have they come from?

Activity Suggestions • Usethefabricstodressupasdifferentcharacters.Howcan

you wear each one? How do they make you feel?

• Makeyourownfabricsandtryoutdifferentsimpletechniques such as sewing, simple weaving, printing and drawing with fabric paint, felt making and cutting and sticking fabric using fabric glue.

• Dyeyourownnaturalwoolusingplant,spiceandvegetable dyes such as turmeric and paprika, onion skins, tea etc. You will need warm/hot water to heat up the dyes to steep the wool in for a few minutes. Decide which dyes work the best.

• Findoutmoreaboutdifferenttypesoffabricandwherethey come from i.e. silk, wool, cotton. How does each one feel? Silky, scratchy, smooth, soft?

ThemesTextiles from around the world

Colour and pattern

ObjectsFabrics: Indian printed large throw, Paisley-style shawl, African batik fabric, Indian embroidered panel, sample swatches of Indian sari fabric, Indian wooden print blocks.

Hanging or curtain of woollen cloth, decorated with lion passant (lying down) in black velvet applique work, from Linlithgow Palace, early 17th century.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.24 Tile Look at this photo of a tile from Kyrgyzstan in the Middle East. How is it decorated? What language is this? (Arabic)

Touch the real tile from the pouch. What decoration can you see on this?

Activity Suggestions • Copythepatternonthetileontopaperandcolouritin.Try

using different colours for different effects.

• Createyourowntilepatternusingtriangularanddiamondshapes of different colours. Look in a book of Islamic tiles for inspiration.

• Makeyourowntileusingmodellingclay.Paintitinbright,geometric patterns once it is dried.

• FindtheMiddleEastareaonaworldmaporglobe.Discover more about the people who live there. What religion are many of them? What is the climate like? What kinds of clothes do they wear and food they eat?

ThemesColour and pattern

The Middle East

ObjectsIslamic tile

Star-shaped tile from Persia, 14th century.

In the Museum


Discovery Dome

3.25 Tree Look and touch the leaves and dried fruits. Can you work out what tree each one comes from?

Activity Suggestions• Collectdifferentleavesfromthegardenandtrytomatch

them to pictures of the trees they have come from.

• Findoutmoreaboutdifferenttypesoftrees.Whatisthedifference between evergreen or deciduous? How long do some trees live for? Do they produce any flowers or fruit?

• Makeabarkrubbingofatree.

• Findoutwhichanimalsandinsectsmaketreestheirhomes, or use them to survive.

• Findouthowtreeshelpprovideoxygentobreathe!

• Getthewholeclasstobecomeatree.Somechildrenstandtall in the centre to be the trunk and others surround them to be branches and leaves. What happens when the wind blows?

• Makeawishingtree!Writeordrawawishonasmallpieceof paper and tie it to a tree with different coloured ribbons.

• Lieunderatreeandlookupattheleavesandthesky.Listen carefully to the noises around you. What different sounds can you hear?

• Learnabout‘magic’treesandfamoustreesinliteratureand fairytales – i.e. fairy lore, witches, magic and ancient Britain.

ThemesTrees and plants

Birds

Life cycles

ObjectsBasket of leaves and dried fruits


Discovery Dome

4. CfE Early Level Outcomes

The activities above can be used to target a range of cross curricular outcomes, including:

Expressive ArtsInspired by a range of stimuli, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through activities within art and design. EXA 0-05a

I enjoy singing and playing along to music of different styles and cultures. EXA 0-16a

I have the freedom to use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to discover and enjoy playing with sound and rhythm. EXA 0-17a

Health and Well-beingI am enjoying daily opportunities to participate in different kinds of energetic play, both outdoors and indoors. HWB 0-28a

I explore and discover where foods come from as I choose, prepare and taste different foods. HWB 0-35a

Literacy and EnglishAs I listen and take part in conversations and discussions, I discover new words and phrases which I use to help me express my ideas, thoughts and feelings. LIT 0-10a

As I play and learn, I enjoy exploring interesting materials for writing and different ways of recording my experiences and feelings, ideas and information. LIT 0-21b

I enjoy exploring events and characters in stories and other texts, and I use what I learn to invent my own, sharing these with others in imaginative ways. LIT 0-09b/LIT 0-31a

Numeracy and MathematicsI can collect objects and ask questions to gather information, organising and displaying my findings in different ways. MNU 0-20a

Religious and Moral Education I am becoming aware of the importance of celebrations, festivals and customs in religious people’s lives. RME 0-06a

I am developing respect for others and my understanding of their beliefs and values. RME 0-07a

SciencesI have observed living things in the environment over time and am becoming aware of how they depend on each other. SCN 0-01a

Through play, I have explored a variety of ways of making sounds. SCN 0-11a


Discovery Dome

Social Studies I have explored how people lived in the past and have used imaginative play to show how their lives were different from my own and the people around me. SOC 0-04a

I explore and appreciate the wonder of nature within different environments and have played a part in caring for the environment. SOC 0-08a

I have experimented with imaginative ways such as modelling and drawing to represent the world around me, the journeys I make and the different ways I can travel. SOC 0-09a

TechnologiesI enjoy playing with and exploring technologies to discover what they can do and how they can help us. TCH 0-01a

Through discovery, natural curiosity and imagination, I explore ways to construct models or solve problems. TCH 0-14a


Discovery Dome

5. Assembly InstructionsYou should have:

• 36xLongpoles(red)

• 30xshortpoles(yellow)

• 10xsixholehubs

• 10xfourholehubs

• 6xfiveholehubs

• splitpins

• Agroundsheet

• Whitecanvascover

• 29xfeltedpockets

• Mallet

• Pliers

• Tray/bagofobjects(seeseparateinventory)

1. If using the ground sheet (not necessary unless assembling outdoors) place your ground sheet down first and all your poles and hubs in the middle of it.

2. Make a circle with 10 x long poles and 10 x four holed hubs. The poles go on either side of the hubs with the end with no holes resting on the ground. Never take the inner split pin out; it should just stay in place. Place the loose pin into the hole on the outer side once the pole is through the hub hole to keep pole in place. Try to get as many of these in as you can and use the mallet if necessary (not all may be possible). You can also rotate the poles to make it easier to see where the pin goes in. Try to keep the pins facing upwards and the hubs tilted into the middle of the circle. The last pole will be hard to slot in but the hubs are quite flexible, so should be possible with some pressure.


Discovery Dome

3. Find the area where you want the door to be. Keep the two holes of the hubs free on either side of the door area as these will not need poles.

4. From this point (the doorway) insert 1 x short (yellow) pole into the remaining hole and another yellow pole into the next hub hole along to make a small triangle.

5. Move from there onto the next hub. The next triangle will be made of two long (red) poles, and the next triangle short (yellow). Alternate yellow/red until you get back to the doorway. This one should be a small triangle of (yellow) poles.

6. On top of the yellow poles you put a five holed hub (yellow) and on top of the red triangles you put a six holed hub (red). You then connect all the triangles horizontally with short poles (yellow) missing out the door area.


Discovery Dome7. Once they are all connected you put one short (yellow) pole on top of the small (yellow)

triangle which should stick up into the circle. Put 2 x long (red) poles out of the long (red) triangle.

8. Link each triangle together using the six holed hubs (red). Connect them all horizontally with the long (red) poles. Continue over the door area as well.

9. The last holes now take all the remaining short (yellow) poles towards the top of the middle and connect to a single 5 holed hub (yellow). As you go up the structure needs more pressure and it can get quite tight. Don’t worry if you can’t always push the pins in. Once the final hub is in the structure will be quite solid.


Discovery Dome10. Hang the canvas over the dome with the door opening at the door side of the dome. It can be

tied up on the inside to keep it open.

11. Tie the felt pockets to the wooden poles inside. To do this it is best to tie the two top ties to the two diagonal poles of the triangle, and the bottom two ties to the horizontal pole. Reverse this for inverted triangles. In order to reach some of the poles you will need to leave a long gap between felt panel and pole (i.e. use the whole length of the ties).

12. Insert the objects into their corresponding pouch (see the activities guide to help you identify what goes where).

NB: Most pouches should have a corresponding object. However the pouch showing a sun does not have one. If wanted this could be tied to cover the top central hub.

De-assemblyTo take the structure down, just reverse the process. It is quite straight forward. To take out the pins, especially if it has been outside and the wood has got damp, it is useful to have pliers (supplied).

Tips: One pole is usually easier to take down than others, so start with this. Once you take one pole down the rest should come out more easily.


Discovery Dome

6. Health and Safety

• Transporttheheaviestbagsusingeitheratrolleyorwithtwo people.

• Ensurethedomeisassembledaccordingtotheinstructions and is secure and safe before allowing children to enter. Assemble with at least two adults.

• Neverassemblethedomeinveryhighwinds.Inlightwindsuse ground pegs to attach cover provided.

• Don’tallowanysharporcombustibleobjectsinsideornearthe dome.

• Alwaysensuredoorwayiskeptopenandtiedbacksovisibly into the dome is possible.

• Whendomeisinusebychildrenalwaysensureitisfullysupervised.

• Beforedisassemblyandunpackingensuregroundsheet,cover and poles are dry to prevent mould occurring.

• Alwayspackdomeandcontentsintotheircorrectbags.

• Storeinasafe,dryplace.

Discovery Dome

7. Feedback Form (please photocopy and return)Please fill in this form to let us know how you got on using the box and send back to:Museum2Go:DiscoveryDomeLearning and ProgrammesNational Museums ScotlandChambers StreetEdinburghEH1 1JF

It is important that we receive a completed form from each group which uses this resource in order to track its condition and record user numbers. Thanks!

Contact Name

Ages and numbers of people who used it

AddressofGroup

Email

Telephone

What did your group enjoy most about this resource? Why?

What did you group enjoy least? Why?

Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Many thanks and we hope you enjoyed using the Discovery Dome.



Discovery Dome

8. Returning the Discovery DomeThe next person wishing to borrow the dome will pick this up from your location. However, if there is no one scheduled to borrow the dome next you must return it to National Museums Scotland. A member of the Community Engagement team will be in touch to help organise this with you.

We ask that you disassemble the dome and replace all the parts into the four bags provided (the two long, narrow bags are for the poles, the wider bags for the canvas cover and tarpaulin respectively). The objects and felt pouches can be placed back in the tray or bag provided.

We would be very grateful if you could contact the National Museums of Scotland if any of the objects, pouches or dome construction elements are missing or damaged. Please use the checklist below to ensure all the contents are present when you hand the dome on to the next person (please photocopy).

Discovery Dome

Checklist (please check before and after borrowing the dome)

No. Item Check at beginning

Check at end

Comment (lost/damaged etc)

1. Canvas cover with bag2. Tarpaulin with bag3. Wooden rods with bags x 2 4. Rubber hubs with bag5. Bag/tray of objects and felt panels x 296. African beadwork: purse, bracelet, belt,

necklaces ( x 2)7. African drums x 28. Basket (woven) with cinnamon sticks9. Basket with different herbs and scent

pouches10. Basket with dried leaves and seeds/fruit11. Bolivian diabolo mask12. Butterflies in acrylic x 313. Chinese girls outfit14. Chinese New Year Festival decorations

(Dragon puppet, red pouches etc.)15. Chinese outfit (boys) top and bottom16. Coconut shell17. Crab claw in plastic box18. Dinosaur vertebrae19. Elephant skin20. Fabrics: Indian print large fabric, Paisley-

style shawl, African batik fabric, Indian embroidered panel, sample swatches of Indian sari fabric

21. Fossilized sharks tooth22. Fossils: ammonite, coral, gryphea23. Hedgehog (baby) in plastic box24. Indian bangles25. Indian child’s shoes (pair) 26. Indian wooden print blocks x 327. Insects (plastic) x 728. Inuit woollen socks (pair)29. Japanese child’s kimono30. Leopard, cheetah and ocelot skin

samples (x 3)31. Mexican day of the dead figurines x 3 32. Persian/Iranian dolls x 2 33. Rugs/carpets (small) x 334. Shells: Oyster, leopard conch,

clam shell, conch

Signed Date

Print name


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