FREE School Visits to Southburn Archaeological Museum (SAM)

At SAM, we have exhibits and events aimed at engaging children and young people of all ages and abilities, giving them an opportunity to have a good time and learn about history at the same time. We are keen to work with local schools as we have a display of local artefacts dating from 6,000 years ago to the twentieth century, lots of interpretive material, posters and many opportunities to get ‘hands on’ with real ancient material as well as creative and fun activities. The exhibits and activities can also be used for cross-curricular work in addition to history.

Thanks to an initiative involving SAM, JSR Farms and Natural England, we are in a position to offer a number of free visits to SAM by school groups of between 6 and 30 children. These visits will be scheduled on a ‘first come, first served’ basis so, if you are interested, we would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your staff to tailor a visit to the needs of your pupils.

Our sponsors’ only stipulation is that we ask you to complete a visit evaluation form* to confirm some details about the visit and how successful it was in meeting your pupils’ educational needs.

Making the most of your school visit to SAM

Planning

To make the most of your visit to SAM we recommend that you call us and arrange a planning visit to familiarise yourself with SAM and to plan what activities and resources will be needed for your pupils.

The planning visit is an opportunity to ask any questions about SAM’s collection and ‘hands on’ activities and see how they fit in with the aspects of the new National Curriculum. Several of our volunteer guides are current or retired teachers who are conversant with the National Curriculum and can discuss your needs with you. See also some of how SAM’s exhibits can help address various aspects of the current National Curriculum.

SAM’s displays are organised in a time line to help illustrate changes over the 6,000 years covered by our artefacts. Mannequins in period dress, reconstructed artefacts from pots to brooches to a replica Iron Age burial can be used to develop understanding of key events in history.

All of SAM’s exhibits are local in origin and relate to people, places and events in the history of East Yorkshire between the Neolithic and the twentieth century. SAM’s Quiz can be used as a way of engaging pupils with technology changes over time.

They can be used to illustrate, for example, how changes in prehistory, the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Viking periods affected how people lived here. We can interpret our material in any way that you feel is appropriate.

The size of SAM is such that we can accept a maximum of 30 pupils on one visit. The group can be split into two or three smaller groups for the purpose of rotating them through two or three different activities.

SAM welcomes pupils with learning difficulties. The planning visit is an opportunity to understand how best to adapt the visit to give everyone the best experience.

Access and Safety

SAM has a ‘Hazard Notification’ document which will help with your visit Risk Assessment (see downloads page).

SAM is all on one level and doors are wide enough to permit access by wheelchair or mobility scooter. SAM has two hearing loop devices for visitors with hearing difficulties.

If it is planned that pupils are to get involved in pottery production, SAM can provide disposable aprons etc.

All pupils must be under staff or responsible adult supervision at all times during the visit. Running inside or outside of the museum is not permitted for pupils’ safety. SAM volunteers will provide information and assistance but are not ‘in loco parentis’.

On the day of your visit

SAM volunteers will meet your bus/car(s).

JSR Southburn is a working farm so our guides will cooperate with your staff to ensure that groups stay together during movement on the farm.

There are toilet and washing facilities on the farm but no facilities for meals.

We hope that your group will enjoy their visit and look forward to welcoming you to SAM.

Please contact SAM at 01377 271180 if you have any questions or if you would like to discuss this further.