Year 8 Trip To The Ashmolean Oxford

A group of 13 year 8 students visited the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology last year where they followed a trail which took them throughout the many galleries of the museum.

In the Prehistory gallery the students tested out how the people who built Stonehenge lifted the stone blocks. A fascinating discussion involving pivots, effort, load and fulcrums followed with students testing their strength. One student observed, ‘I have learned that if the bit that the lever is balanced on is closer to the rock, it’s easier to lift the rock with the lever’.

The students were later asked to consider what place a museum such as this has in our digital age and the following observations were made; 

‘There is a place for museums because you can actually experience the different cultures first hand. On your phone you can only see the artefacts from one view, you can’t see the relevance, what they have done in the world.’ 

‘You cannot experience the different artefacts properly if you cannot see them in real life.’ 

‘Museums are still important in today’s society as they allow you to experience and learn from seeing things in person. Museums also protect ancient artefacts that would otherwise be lost. One thing that I particularly learnt about today was how different cultures express their feelings in their own individual way.’

‘Museums like this allow us to reflect back on these things and keep learning.’

‘They are a slice of our history in real life and should not be destroyed.’

‘I believe that museums are used as doors to our past. We don’t only use them to learn but to show our respect to war heroes, founders, artists, explorers and many brilliant minds.’