STEM Trail at Weston Park Museum

Name: …………………………………………….…………… The STEM Trail at Museum Sheffield Weston Park The STEM Trail at Museum Sheffield Weston Park by Lois Lindemann is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License. Photos of Inuit people on pages 4 and 5 (Life in the Freezer) used with the kind permission of the National Maritime Museum and Tom Olliver.

It’s a bug’s life for many of the Earth’s inhabitants. You can meet some of them in the Bug House. Why are insects, spiders and bugs so important to us? Find out: Who Who traps their prey communicates in a web? by chirping? Choose one of Who eats using the insects or bugs on Who is well a straw? display. Estimate its length. camouflaged? Imagine scaling this up to make a human size model. How many times bigger will it be? Who injects their prey Who takes with venom from their hiding place their fangs? with them? Insects, bugs and spiders are amazing; maybe that’s why some people find them a bit scary! Trail Guide: Go to the bug house, it’s near the main entrance

There have been lots of films made staring insects and bugs. Imagine that you have the chance to make a movie about bugs. Will the bugs in your film be big or small? Will they eat plants or animals? Will they be friendly or scary? How will they eat? Decide what the star bug in your movie will look like and sketch them here. You can include some labels to show the amazing things that your super-bug can do.

You’ve probably heard of the Arctic, but do you know where it is? Try to find out. During the last 50 years, things have changed for the people who live in the Arctic. Why do you think this is? Can you work out what has changed and what has stayed the same? You will have to use the information in the displays and your thinking skills to puzzle out the answers! What could I do to relax and have fun? How did I keep Where did I live? What warm? materials was my home made from? I lived in the Arctic 50 years ago What did I eat? How did I get my food? What did I wear? What materials were my clothes made from? Trail Guide: Find Snowy the polar bear, then you’ll be getting warm. Or is it cold?

Facing page: Detail from One of the Greenland Inuit, from the collection of the National Maritime Museum. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalmaritimemuseum/2842856517/ (No known copyright restrictions) What can I do to relax and have fun? Photo acknowledgements: This page: Detail from Meeting an Inuit by Tom Olliver http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigfez/524865311/ (Used under Creative Commons licence) How do I keep Where do I live? What warm? materials is my home made from? I live in the Arctic today What do I eat? How do I get my food? What do I wear? What materials are my clothes made from? We all know that the Arctic is cold, but how cold is it? Try and find out what the temperature is in winter and summer. How much colder than Sheffield would that be? The temperature inside your freezer is about –22o Celsius. Would that seem warm or cold in the Arctic?

Sheffield is a very green city, in fact it has more woodland than any other city in Britain. Lots of plant and animal species live in these woods. Some wildlife relies on people’s gardens: you might see insects collecting nectar from flowers, or even a hedgehog eating some slugs. Species found in woodland Some people try to make sure that their gardens are good places for wildlife to live. What kind of things can ordinary people do to make their gardens better places to support wildlife? Trail Guide: Are you underneath the old oak tree?

Look at the tree display. How many species can you find on it? Do you think that you would find these species in woodland, in a garden or in both of these? Fill in the Venn diagram to show the habitats used by some of these plants and animals. Species found in gardens HINT: Put any species that are found both in woodland and in gardens in this space.

Believe it or not, you will have done this already! First find out how the water cycle works. Then add labels, notes or drawings to this diagram to explain what is happening. What happens to the water that is drunk by people or animals? How does it get back into the water cycle? Trail Guide: To understand the water cycle, seek out the mural near the back of the museum.

Some insects can lift several times their own body weight. Of course, insects don’t weigh much, so lifting a single leaf might be enough to win the weight-lifting event at the insect Olympics. Who do you think can lift the Who do most weight? is the Who has the most powerful punch? Select the creatures that you think are the most powerful. Try to back up your opinion with some facts and figures. Trail Guide: Can you find a giant poo? It’s probably as big you!

you think Who do you think can jump fastest? furthest? Who can push hardest ? HINT: If you can’t find all the answers, think about where you could learn more about the ideas in this part of the exhibition. The answers are all here if you look hard enough!

Most people think that they know who lives in their house. You might be surprised to learn how many unwanted guests could be sharing your home! Find out who (or what) else might be living in your house. Add some pictures or labels to this drawing to show what you have discovered. What can you do to make sure that your kitchen isn’t full of unwanted visitors? Trail Guide: Can you stand the heat? Then head for the kitchen.

STEM Trail at Weston Park Museum

by Lois Lindemann on Nov 16, 2009

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