Solving crimes, exploring trees and using your mobile phone - what does this have to do with numeracy? Ciara Hand, 16 October 2012 Teachers descended on the National Museum Cardiff last weekend to take part in workshops and talks aimed at engaging pupils with numeracy in a fun and creative way.Prof Chris Budd, BathUniversity, and Rob Eastaway, Maths Inspiration, gave extremely interesting and lively talks covering maths in the modern world, including how google works, and ways of being creative with maths.The workshops featured teachers programming their own computer games (Technocamps), becoming maths detectives to solve a crime (Techniquest), finding out how technology works (CardiffMetropolitanUniversity), exploring maths in nature (Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales), and discovering ideas for fun and stimulating games (TES Science).This year’s conference is a partnership between The Association for Science Education Cymru and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. It has been running for the past 4 years and draws in teachers from Wales and England (and even Australia this year!).Keep your eyes peeled for next year’s conference – we hope to see you then!Thank you to everyone who made this year’s a success!
Twelve thousand bulbs prepare to land in schools across the UK! Danielle Cowell, 11 October 2012 This week, six and a half thousand young scientists across the UK are getting ready for the big bulb planting day.Twelve thousand bulbs will be planted and monitored as part of this long term climate investigation being co-ordinated at Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales. If there was a world record for the most people planting bulbs simultaneously, (in several locations) we could smash it! I may suggest a new category to the Guiness book of records...All the bulbs have been counted up and are steadily being delivered to the 120 schools across the country. I'd like to welcome each an every pupil and teacher who will be working on this project! If you haven't already recieved my letter please follow this link Before each bulb is planted, each pupil must also adopt their bulb and promise to care for it. If you want to know how see this link The children of St. Joseph's School in Penarth were very excited to read my letter and are very keen to help. They have written me some replies on leaf paper and have promised to plant the bulbs and look after them. Thanks so much St.Joseph's I love these, great idea!Before you adopt your bulb you may also wish to know where it's come from. My friend Baby Bulb is going to explain:'My bulb buddies and I come from a nursery plantation in Manorbier, near Tenby in Wales, it's called 'Springfields'. We didn't spring from the fields, but we were picked and loaded onto a van ready to go to our new homes. At first I was a little afraid, but then when I met Professor Plant at the Museum I understood that I would be cared for by a nice young person and that I have an important job to do. We have all been selected to help us understand how the weather can affect when my friends and I make flowers. My parents before me grew here too, Springfields have been growing us 'Tenby Daffodils' for about 25 years, we are one of the two daffodils that are native to the British Isles".Just one week until planting now! I can't wait!Professor Plant
Sir Thomas Mansel of Margam and his wife, Jane 5 October 2012 British School (17th century)Sir Thomas Mansel (1556–1631) and his wife, Jane, Lady ManselOil on canvas, 121 × 125 cmNational Museum Cardiff This is a double portrait that shows a three-quarter-length view of Sir Thomas Mansel of Margam, a member of one of the wealthiest families in south Wales at the time.The Mansel family of Oxwich became wealthy by investing in monastic lands following Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Sir Thomas was the MP for Glamorgan. He inherited the family house in 1595, which had been built on the site of Margam Abbey, near Neath.During the first two decades of the 17th century, this generation of the family commissioned several portraits in the formal heraldic style, such as this. The purpose of this type of portrait was not to show the personality of the sitter but to publicly display the social status and wealth of the family. Thomas Mansel - explore the painting Use the links below to navigate around the painting to discover more Hands Thomas Mansel Clothes Beard Jane Jane's dress Marigold Hands Double portraits were common during this time, but they were usually made to commemorate the expansion of a family’s wealth, status and power through marriage – not as a celebration of love. It is unusual to see an affectionate gesture such as holding hands portrayed. Thomas Mansel Sir Thomas Mansel is portrayed as confident and distinguished. By this time he was one of the richest and most influential people in south Wales. Not only had he acted as MP and Sheriff of Glamorgan on several occasions, he had been knighted, and in 1611 became one of the first ever to be given the title Baronet Clothes Sir Thomas wears a white doublet with delicate lace collars and cuff, and a dark tunic intricately embroidered with gold. These were not his everyday clothes, but would have been chosen especially for the portrait, to demonstrate his wealth and taste Beard Beards were considered a sign of virility, and were important fashion statements for men. Thomas Mansel wears his long and squared. Jane When Jane Pole married Sir Thomas Mansel, she became connected to one of the most powerful families in south Wales. This, however, wasn’t her first time – she had married twice before! Multiple marriages were not unusual in the 17th century. Life expectancy was low, and many unions were short-lived. Jane's dress Lady Jane wears a dark dress embroidered with gold and an elaborate lace collar and headdress, offset by a lavish triple-string of pearls. This was an age when new fashions and luxury materials like lace were being imported from abroad. Her costume was not of the latest fashion, and suggests the taste of an older generation. Marigold Lady Jane holds a marigold, also called Mary’s Gold. This may be a reference to their daughter Mary, who appears with her parents in another, almost identical portrait. Marigolds were often used to symbolise grief and comfort, so it may also refer to the death of Jane’s second husband.
Old Bones for a New Exhibition Julian Carter, 3 October 2012 More than 20 years ago the Museum was donated a large research collection of animal bones. This had been put together by a veterinary scientist, Dr Barbara Noddle. The collection mainly consists of sheep, goat and cattle bones from many different breeds.When it was donated the collection was in a poor state and required extensive conservation and curation. Today it is now housed in over 600 boxes at our offsite Collection Centre at Nantgarw, and a database is available on the website.Over the years the Noddle Collection has mainly been used in zoo-archaeological research – this is the study of animal remains found at archaeological sites. However parts of the collection will soon find their way into the exhibition limelight!From the 13th October ‘The Wolf Inside’ exhibition opens. This will be looking at animal domestication, focusing on dogs but also exploring other animals such as sheep and chickens. And this is where Barbara’s collection of old bones finds a new use. We are using a range of skulls from the collection to show some of the diversity found in the different breeds of sheep. A range of these skulls have been checked over and polished up ready for public display.Along with the skulls there will also be a whole range of animal specimens on display from the museums collections, many of which we haven’t had the opportunity to bring out for many years.The exhibition runs until February next year.
Summer art activities Sian Lile-Pastore, 2 October 2012 How was your summer? it was pretty busy for me!As usual we ran the art cart in Oriel 1 everyday throughout August and our focus this year was weaving. We mainly did paper plate weaving (or circular weaving) which proved to be really popular with all ages and looks really effective too - I am thinking of doing more of it for Halloween...but in black and orange of course.Quite a few of the museum attendants helped run the art cart this year too and they also brought different ideas and skills along with them so that there was quite a variety of activities. Elen did some drop spinning with visitors and even showed them how to make their own drop spindle, and Elle showed everyone how to make amazing woven friendship bracelets using a circular piece of card. In July Ian and I got together to plan and run a two day art activity in the Celtic Village. We decided to make Iron Age shields out of cardboard and to get the visiting children to decorate them with typical iron age patterns using stencils or their own designs. The activity went really well and we were lucky that it fell on two beautiful sunny days (we were outside). It's definitely an activity we'll be running againCome September and it was back to running sessions for visiting schools, I've written about my art session called 'Looking at Buildings' so won't go on about it again... just show you some pictures of wonderful drawings instead.Then I took two weeks off work and went on holiday to San Francisco! and now I'm back and all inspired for more arts and crafts and workshops and everything! There are a few things coming up - the big draw this saturday and next (6+13 oct 2012), a couple of craftivist things (one this sunday 7th in gwdi hw which isn't directly linked with St Fagans, and one on the 20th of October as part of the Made in Roath festival whic is), and then it will be half term and time for Halloween!phew, happy making!
