Explore & Learn


The National Museum of Ireland has long been a resource for primary, second and third level students and educators, and provides a broad range of services including: guided tours; demonstrations and workshops; an information and resource service; as well as professional development courses and activities for teachers.

At the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life you can:

  • Learn through observation of original artefacts
  • Investigate how historians work to understand life, work, culture and society in the past
  • Look for evidence using primary resources, through 'discovery' learning
  • Study history, local history, art, craft and design, art history, religious knowledge, drama, geography, mathematics and science
  • Make links across a range of subjects through an integrated and cross-curricular approach to learning

Schools Programme of Activities

Each school year the Education & Outreach department produces a comprehensive programme for Primary and Post-Primary schools detailing the scheduled activities for the school year. The programme is available through the Bookings Office or here:


Schools Programme 2009/2010 Primary and Post-Primary Schools Programme TP 09 10.pdf (3.18 MB, Adobe PDF) 

Schools Programme 2009/2010 Text Only TP Schools Programme 09 10 text only.pdf (0.15 MB, Adobe PDF) 

In addition to the schools programme the Museum offers the following services:

Guided Tours:

  • Introduce the exhibitions to groups in an informative and informal manner
  • Can accommodate the varying age and ability of any group
  • Cover a wide range of themes - but tours can be tailored to suit a particular group
  • Duration: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Workshops:

  • Aim to give students opportunities to learn about the collections through a range of approaches/ disciplines including object workshops, discussion, drama, storytelling and art and crafts
  • Encourage participants to see and interact with the collections in alternative ways while introducing specific skills and techniques
  • Duration: 1 hour

Craft Demonstrations:

  • Given by skilled craftspeople who introduce students to a range of traditional crafts
  • Crafts include basket making, straw work, spinning, weaving and butter making
  • Duration: 1 hour

Advance booking is essential for guided tours, workshops, and demonstrations.

You can also download a leaflet with details of guided tours, workshops and demonstrations for groups at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life:

Guide for groups Country Life TP Tours Activities brochure for groups.pdf (0.87 MB, Adobe PDF)


Handling Collection

  • Workshops using the Education & Outreach handling collection are available at each site. This collection is being developed to offer further opportunities for interactive exploration of the exhibitions

Audio-Visual Presentation

  • Duration: 20 minutes

Self-Guided Visits

  • Are welcome. A resource pack is available to help teachers to prepare for the Museum visit
  • We recommend that teachers give advance notice of all visits via the Bookings Office

Traditional Games Box

  • A box of traditional yard and street games with rules and instructions is available to borrow during your visit
  • Please ask at Reception if you want to borrow the games box or pre-book by contacting the Bookings Office
  • Alternatively, a one-hour workshop can be arranged for groups of eight or more

Worksheets

  • Worksheets are available in English and Irish languages and are available from the reception desk in the Museum galleries
  • Worksheets for students of English can be provided at three different levels of language ability: elementary, pre-intermediate and intermediate

Education Resource Rooms

  • These are resource spaces on Level –2 for the public to further explore and respond to the Museum and the collections 
  • As well as providing activity and research spaces the Activity & Resource Rooms have books, handling artefacts, computers with interactive multimedia Museum programmes and limited Internet access

Courses for Teachers

  • The Education & Outreach department organises in-service courses for teachers annually

Outreach

  • Activities can be offered by prior arrangement. This is a limited service, please see the Outreach page for more information

Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge - Services through Irish

  • Bíonn turais, ceárdlanna, seisiúin scéalaíochta agus comhrá ar siúl trí Ghaeilge ó am go ham. Tá bileoga oibre éagsúla trí Ghaeilge do pháistí 8-12 bhlian ar fáil san Ard-Mhúsaem. Tá fáilte faoi leith roimh Ghaelscoileanna agus roimh chainteoirí Gaeilge chuig an Ard-Mhúsaem. Glaoigh ar an Roinn Oideachais chun eolas breise a fháil

Language Institutes

  • The Museum welcomes group visits by Institutes that cater for students of English as a foreign language. Please contact the Bookings Office for a leaflet with guidelines for visits by Language Institutes and for samples of worksheets
 
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