Once upon a time, in a land far, far away the Science Museum discovered the secret recipe for telling an awesome story.
The magical ingredients included:
• Pigs x 3
• Hedgehog (awake)
• An Enormous Turnip
• Rubber Chicken
Mixed together with a sprinkle of humour and a dash of razzle dazzle – whilst gently allowing the audience’s excitement to boil over.
Storytellings are charged events performed by Explainers aimed at a Key Stage 1 (aged 5-7) audience. Each session is full of audience participation and volunteer opportunites.
The 3 Pigs storytelling follows the traditional fairytale (but with a happy ending) and covers the topic of materials. It reinforces the idea that different materials possess differing properties e.g. strong, heavy, light, rough etc.
The Not So Sleepy Hedgehog is story about light. It features a hedgehog that is trying to get ready for hibernation but is scared of ‘monsters’ that are only seen in the dark. This story goes over what a light source is, introduces reflection and how we get a shadow.
The Enormous Turnip is an epic tale all about forces and recounts the efforts of an entire family in pulling an enormous turnip from the ground; using a variety of words to describe different actions such as pushing, pulling, turning, lifting and dropping.
Storytelling sessions are optional and there are plenty of free activities for schools to enjoy on their visit. They can of course explore the Museum’s galleries and see objects ranging from Stephenson’s Rocket to the Apollo 10 capsule.
Groups can also book a visit to the Garden, Pattern Pod and Launchpad interactive galleries (depending on their Key Stage).
Whatever school groups plan to do, we always try our best to make sure their visit has a happy ending and we hope they all live happily ever after…
…The End
Explainer Fact: Nearly 7000 pupils visited a storytelling last year!