Blog: Learning

The new academic year is well underway. Professor Plant and his happy helpers have packed and distributed 175 resource packs to schools across the UK. 

These packs contain everything that schools need to participate in this year's investigation:

- A pot and bulbs for each participating child

- A rain gauge and a thermometer to record weather data

- A calendar to keep track of weather and flower data

- Vouchers to purchase peat free compost

- The Term Planner outlining key dates for the project

- A biodegradable pot to compare different materials

- Mystery bulbs to learn about different plants 

On 21 October (or the closest date possible) schools are tasked with planting their Tenby daffodils and whitewell crocus bulbs. This is the first action for nature that participating schools will take as part of the project.  Please follow this blog and @Professor_Plant on X/ Twitter to see the images that are shared as we celebrate this mass planting.  @Professor_Plant will also share regular updates  from schools over the academic year and will celebrate with them when their plants start flowering!

The first resources needed by participating schools are: 

- Spring Bulbs for Schools: Teacher's guide 

- Step 1: Preparing for planting day

- Step 2: Planting day

All schools can follow the project and can use worksheets that are available on the website. 

I look forward to sharing with you all the fantastic work that our Super Scientists undertake as part of this project.

Professor Plant

Theatr na n'Óg have had a passion for telling stories for 40 years and have collaborated with several of the Amgueddfa Cymru sites. Together they have collaborated on many projects that have brought the history and culture of Wales to life, inspiring young people and adults across many workshops and performances. 

In previous years National Museum Cardiff and the National Waterfront Museum have collaborated with them on a variety of projects. In 2009, Alfred Russel Wallace, who’s discoveries spurred Darwin to produce ‘On the Origin of Species’, was the focus. In 2022, the story of Elgan Jones, a 14-year-old boy who was arrested for poaching in 1898, became a court room drama which placed the audience as jurors. Now, in 2024, the National Waterfront Museum is working with them once more on a project exploring the story of the Merthyr Tydfil born boxer, Cuthbert Taylor, in a production called ‘The Fight.’

To get a deeper understanding of Theatr na n'Óg, ‘The Fight’, and the role Amgueddfa Cymru plays in the partnership, Leisa Williams, Senior Learning Officer at National Waterfront Museum and Geinor Styles, the Artistic Director at Theatr na n'Óg, sat down for a chat about projects past and present.

Use the media player to listen to the conversation in full. 

About ‘The Fight’ |

'The Fight' is a brand-new play telling the true story of a Welsh boxing legend.

In the deprived valleys of the 1930s, boxing was more than just a sport; it was a way out of poverty. Merthyr-born Cuthbert Taylor, now seen as one of the best boxers of his generation, should have had the opportunity to fight for a British title, but was denied this chance because of the colour of his skin.

Written by Geinor Styles, Directed by Kev McCurdy

Click here for information on school performances, workshops, learning resources and more. 

The Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation has died down until September, when we will be welcoming our new schools and introducing them to the project.

But there’s lots of fun that can be had over the summer! Explore our website to find activity sheets and games that you can play at home. The origami booklet and Kahoot quizzes are my favourites!

There’s more to explore on the Amgueddfa Cymru Learn pages and the Edina Trust website. 

Why not have a go at some of our Kahoot quizzes now? Just click the links below to explore!

Quiz 1: When will our daffodils flower 2024? 

Compare weather data for 2023-24 from across the UK and against previous years to predict when daffodils will flower. What do plants need to grow? Which country was the warmest / coldest? Which country had the least rain? 

Quiz 2: Bulb Project Quiz 2023-24 Level 1 

Study bar graphs to deduce which were the wettest and warmest countries. Answer questions about plants. Discover which countries had the most and least rainfall. Discover which countries had the highest and lowest temperatures. 

Quiz 3: Bulb Project Quiz 2023-24 Level 2 

Study bar graphs to deduce national trends in temperature and rainfall. Study units carefully to calculate average monthly rainfall records for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Work out the monthly temperatures for Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Answer general knowledge questions. 

Quiz 4: Compare weather records from different years 

Study line and bar chats to look for trends in the weather data. Order countries from warmest to coolest. See which years had the most and least rainfall. Deduce which years had the most hours of sunshine. 

Quiz 5: UK Flower Data 2024 

Study line and bar charts to look for trends in the flower data. Answer questions about average weather readings. Sort years from earliest to latest flowering dates. Study bar charts to see whether plants flowered earlier or later than expected. 

Quiz 6: Wales Weather Data 

Study line and bar charts to look for trends in the weather data. Study line graphs to pick out high and low monthly average temperatures. Study line graphs to answer true or false questions about monthly rainfall. Study Bar charts to order years from warmest to coolest.

Quiz 7: Wales Flower Data 

Study bar and line graphs to determine whether our data shows patterns for the flowering dates of spring bulbs. Use tables to deduce which years saw plants flower earliest. Study combination charts to deduce trends in the data. Compare findings from different charts to see if there are patterns that explain anomalies in the data. 

Have fun Bulb Buddies,

Professor Plant

Super Scientists: A Fantastic Visit from St Mary's Church in Wales Primary!

On 2 July, the National Museum Cardiff had the pleasure of hosting the amazing students from St Mary's Church in Wales Primary School in Brynmawr. Their visit was a well-deserved prize for their exceptional contribution to the Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation 2023-2024.

Spring Bulbs for Schools Investigation

As part of this exciting project, the diligent students recorded daily weather data from 1 November to 31 March and consistently uploaded this information to our museum website. They also planted and nurtured bulbs, meticulously recording the heights and flowering dates of their plants. This valuable data is a crucial part of our long-term study into how climate change affects the flowering dates of spring bulbs.

Celebrating Super Scientists

The Learning team at National Museum Cardiff was thrilled to celebrate the hard work of these Super Scientists. To show our appreciation, we organized a series of engaging activities that we knew they would love. This included piloting our new Endangered Species workshop and exploring the diverse wildlife in our Urban Meadow.

Endangered Species Workshop

We were excited to introduce our new Endangered Species workshop, where we delved into the fascinating world of extinct animals, like the dodo, and the important lessons their stories teach us. We also explored the galleries in search of other species currently facing extinction, and discussed the various threats they encounter. Through mind mapping, we identified issues and brainstormed solutions, empowering the students with knowledge about individual actions they can take to help. One key takeaway? Sharing what they've learned with others!

Urban Meadow Workshop

Armed with sketchbooks and pencils, the students ventured outside to the Museum's Urban Meadow. They were delighted to observe a variety of fascinating creatures, including green woodpeckers, stripy bumblebees, hoverflies, bright red ladybirds, busy black ants, and fluorescent soldier bugs. The meadow was alive with daisies, clover, poppies, tall grasses, and a stunning array of colourful wildflowers. Back in the Clore Discovery Centre, the students enhanced their scientific sketches and botanical illustrations, taking a closer look at the collections and adding intricate details to their artwork.

A Day to Remember

What a lovely and productive day it was! We extend our heartfelt thanks to St Mary's Church in Wales Primary for their dedication and enthusiasm.

Keep exploring and discovering, Super Scientists!

Professor Plant

We were recently visited by a group of students from Collège Galilée de La Salvetat Saint Gilles in the south of France. They visited The Art of the Selfie exhibition and then explored the rest of the museum. Upon returning home to France, several of the students wrote about their trip and were kind enough to send us their work. Read on for the thoughts of Théo, Lilou, Elisha and Ambre in their own words.

Théo

The National Museum of Cardiff is situated in the city centre. If you want an immersive experience which mix all types of art you must visit the National Museum! 

We are French students from Collège Galilée in La Salvetat St Gilles in the South of the France. We are a group of 21 pupils and we take part of the LCE class (Langue et Culture Européenne) in the final year of our secondary school. We had the chance to travel to Swansea, Cardiff and Bristol for one week and visit this museum during this school trip.

The ephemeral exhibition The Art Of The Selfie, is a great experience. We experienced an emotionally-charged universe. When you arrived in the room you’re plunged in obscurity where only the pieces of art are illuminated. You can see many self-portraits  such as Van Gogh, the atypical work of Anya Painstil.

The visit on Wednesday 15th May 2024 to the National Museum of Cardiff was incredible, it was interesting and wonderful. There were a lot of different exhibitions with all types of art it’s perfect for had a good moment in family or friends. I think my favourite piece of art is The Bard because its feeling about liberty.

Lilou

I loved the visit of National Museum, the pieces of art are so beautiful. I really enjoyed the part on the first floor and the part about the sea animals.

On the first floor the pieces of art were so well organized, I really enjoyed this part of the museum. My favourite piece of art is Running Away with the Hairdresser by Kevin Sinnott. This piece of art is so powerful, it’s recounting a love story, sad where one of the people in the relationship is escaping. This piece of art is so  charged with emotion and it’s showing the need to escape routine.

Elisha

Personally, I found that visit really interesting and the works of art were wonderful and their signification were very touching. I particularly liked The Art of the Selfie exhibition. The artists who made their self-portraits have an incredible creative mind. The self-portrait I liked the most was the one of Van Gogh.

Ambre

I really appreciate the National Museum of Cardiff it was varied in the types of art. This was a unbelievable experience, the museum was so big.

I loved the exhibitions, the museum was a little avant garde and very rewarding. If you are curious about Welsh culture, go to the museum.

The museum takes us on a journey through time, with works dating from prehistoric times to the modern era.

In summary, The National Museum of Cardiff is more than just a museum, it is a fascinating journey through art, history and science.

Remember, if you would like to book a trip to the museum, visit the booking page for more information. We offer a range of interactive workshops for all ages that can be adapted for groups who are learning English. Find more information here.