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+27 51 447 9609
36 Aliwal Street
Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Education

Introduction

The Education Department aims to:

  • Inform the general public about the cultural and natural heritage of our country and so to enrich their minds.
  • Serve as an educational resource for schools and adult educational institutions in a supportive and enriching way.
  • Attain the above goals by means of guided tours of the Museum displays and discussion-style lessons and demonstrations, using objects and PowerPoint presentations. These educational activities are founded on the knowledge and research of Museum scientists and objects in the Museum collections.
    Furthermore, appropriate resource material is made
    available to aid teachers and learners.

Special Lessons for the 3rd Term 2024!!!

Invitation Honey Bee | 3rd Term 2024

PDF  English and Afrikaans

Invitation Gr 12 Human Evolution | 3rd Term 2024

PDF English

Visit us at the National Museum

National Museum Education year brochure 2024 PDF downloads English and Afrikaans

National Museum Fun 2024 PDF downloads English and Afrikaans

Activity Worksheets & Downloads

Educational Activities and Programmes

Educational Activities for Primary and Secondary Schools

Lessons on offer to school groups in 2024

The curriculum-based lessons listed below, are presented to groups of 10 or more school learners by prior arrangement.

Please book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Entrance fees for groups more than 10

R2.00 per learner; R5.00 per educator.

Duration of Lessons
Each lesson lasts about 1 hour. Please do not book more than 2 lessons per group per day.

Visits to schools
Education staff will visit schools within a radius of 100 km of Bloemfontein/Mangaung free of charge to present lessons. 

Mobile Museum
The Mobile Museum visits schools and contains material from the various departments of the National Museum. 

Bookings
Bookings to be made with Ancilia (ancilia@nationalmuseum.co.za), Andries (children@nationalmuseum.co.za) or Patrys (patrys@nationalmuseum.co.za) (tel. +27 51 447 9609).

Lessons

Most of our lessons can be adapted for different grades

The following lessons are presented on request, at any time during the year:

Social Sciences

Geography

  • Geomorphology (Gr 10)
  • Water in SA (Gr 4)
  • Sustainable development (Gr 11)

History

  • Old Bloemfontein (Gr 4)
  • The San (Gr 5)
  • An ancient African society – Egypt (Gr 5)
  • An African kingdom – Mapungubwe (Gr 6)
  • Kingdom of Mali & Timbuktu (Gr 7)
  • Nelson Mandela (Gr 4)
  • Multiculturalism (Gr 6 - 9)

Life Sciences

  • Human evolution (Gr 12)
  • Fossils (Gr 10 - 12)

Natural Sciences

  • The Solar System (Gr 4, 6, 7, 8 ,9)
  • Life cycles (plants & animals) (Gr 5)
  • Natural Disasters (Gr 4 - 7)
  • Energy & Electricity for Juniors (Gr 4, 5, 6)
  • Energy & Electricity for Seniors (Gr 7, 8, 9)
  • Animal habitats & shelters (Gr 4)
  • The Periodic Table of Elements (Gr 8 - 9)

Educational Activities for Pre-Primary and Foundation Phase

Take part in a variety of activities at the Museum and experience a boundless world of wonder, where every pre-schooler gets an opportunity to examine and touch ‘real’ animals and where the learners can live out their imaginary worlds.

We are also happy to visit schools and pre-schools in the Bloemfontein/Mangaung area free of charge to present lessons.

Bookings and enquiries: Ancilia van Staden  (Tel: +27 51 447 9609, ancilia@nationalmuseum.co.za)

Entrance fees: All groups more than 10, including pre-primary: Learners R2.00 / Adults R5.00

Special lessons for Pre-Primary and Foundation Phase

Animal lessons on:

  • Animal camouflage
  • Wild + Farm animals & Pets
  • Wonderworld in the sea
  • Mammals
  • Insects
  • Reptiles
  • Birds
  • Honey-bees
  • Dinosaurs
  • Animal senses
  • Animal homes
  • Weird and wacky animals

Nature lessons on:

  • Seasons
  • Weather
  • Plants


Science lessons on:

  • A journey through Space
  • Our polluted Earth
  • Water fun
  • Story of milk

History lesson on:

  • My country, South Africa

Lessons about humans

  • My body
  • Senses
  • Tooth fun
  • Healthy eating habits

Special Events and occasions

Special events during the year relating to special days, weeks or months will be advertised in the media and/or by circulars to the schools.

Guided Tours

Guided tours of the National Museum are available. A tour lasts about 1 hour and must be booked in advance.

Entrance fee (special price for groups more than 10):
R2,00 per learner
R5,00 per adult

For guided tours of Oliewenhuis Art Museum, contact  Tel. +27 51 447 9609 and ask for Oliewenhuis, or  oliewen@nationalmuseum.co.za

Other places to visit

Freshford House Museum (1897)
(History and different ways of living)

An Edwardian-style home built in 1897.

Visiting hours:

Weekdays: 8:00 – 16:00
Saturdays: 10:00 15:00
Tel. +27 51 447 9609; ask for Freshford, or freshford@nationalmuseum.co.za

First Raadsaal Museum (1849)
(History of the Free State)

The oldest building in Bloemfontein. Served as school, council chamber for government and as a church.

Visiting hours:

Weekdays: 8:00 – 16:00
Saturdays: 10:00 15:00
Tel. +27 51 447 9609; ask for the Raadsaal Museum.

Wagon Museum
(History of transport)

Wagons and carriages, etc. from the 19th & early 20th century. Situated behind the First Raadsaal Museum.

Visiting hours:

Weekdays: 8:00 – 16:00
Saturdays: 10:00 15:00
Tel. +27 51 447 9609; ask for the Raadsaal Museum.

To book a guided tour of the First Raadsaal and/or Wagon Musem, contact Elmar du Plessis (Tel: +27 51 447 9609 elmar@nationalmuseum.co.za)

Educational Resources and Literature

Mobile Museum:  It is a panel van containing material from all the departments at the Museum.  To arrange a visit to your school, contact the Education Officers.  (Please note that the Mobile Museum does not go out on Fridays).

Educational activities brochure:  Distributed annually to all primary and secondary schools in the Free State.

Circulars about “Special Lessons”:  Distributed to all local schools quarterly.

Downloadable resources

Your guide to the Universe – an astronomy information resource for primary schools. Provided by SAASTA. PDF

Staff

Ancilia-van-Staden

Miss Ancilia van Staden (HOD)
Senior Education Officer and Head of Department
ancilia@nationalmuseum.co.za

Mr Andries Makoae (FDE, BA, B.ED Hons.)
Education Officer
children@nationalmuseum.co.za

Petrusia-Meyer

Mrs Petrusia (Patrys) Meyer (B.ED Hons.)
Education Officer
patrys@nationalmuseum.co.za

Information for Educators

Special entrance fees for groups (more than 10)

  • All groups, including pre-schools, crèches, playgroups and groups visiting the Museum for lessons, pay a minimal entrance fee of R2,00 per learner and R5,00 per adult (educators, other adults accompanying groups, tertiary learners).
  • No additional fee is charged for guided tours or lessons.

Guided tours and self tours

  • Groups are requested to book in advance (Tel. +27 51 4479609). The number of groups allowed in the Museum at any one time will be regulated, and groups that have booked will be given preference.
  • Guided tours are not offered to pre-school groups, crèches and playgroups, but these groups must also book a time slot and do a self tour.
  • If you can no longer visit the Museum, please cancel so that another group can be given your time slot.
  • If you are unavoidably delayed and will arrive late, please let us know.
  • A limited number of groups will be allowed to tour the Museum at a time. This will also depend on the number of learners in a group. Therefore, when booking, please be reasonably accurate about the number of learners in the group.
  • To relieve the pressure usually experienced on Thursdays and Fridays, we request those groups for whom it is possible, to schedule their visits for earlier in the week.
  • No guided tours or lessons are available on weekends or public holidays days, but groups may do their own tour through the Museum.

Museum lessons

  • If booking for lessons at the Museum, please book in advance and make individual arrangements with the Museum’s Education Department staff (Tel. +27 51 447 9609). Lessons will be scheduled to suit each individual group.
  • Please arrive on time, or let us know if you have problems that are likely to delay your arrival. We will still try to fit you in, if at all possible.
  • Lessons are offered from Mondays to Fridays.
  • Preferably, do not book for more than two lessons per visit, since each lesson takes at least 1 hour (and sometimes longer). If you also wish to walk through the Museum before or after your lesson, please inform us of this when you book and organise your time accordingly.
  • Please note that groups visiting for lessons pay the special entrance fee to the Museum.

The responsibilities of educators during a visit

  • The Museum is a place for both education and recreation. We expect learners to be excited and to discuss with their friends what they are seeing, but shouting, running and playing games in the Museum are not allowed. Learners should not do anything that could spoil the enjoyment of other visitors or endanger themselves, other visitors or the displays. Educators must ensure that learners behave appropriately.
  • Learners should be encouraged to be quiet and only to speak to each other very softly. Noise disrupts other tour groups and disturbs lessons which may be in progress in the lesson venues. Educators are also requested to try to speak quietly when directing the learners or explaining things to them, so as not to disturb other groups.
  • Educators are responsible for the behaviour of learners and are expected to supervise and control the learners at all times during a visit to the Museum. Educators are expected to attend the lessons or guided tours together with the learners and to assist the guide/presenters in controlling the group.
  • When learners use the Museum toilets, the educators are responsible to see that the learners leave the toilets clean and tidy.
  • Any educator (or learner) entering the Museum under the influence of alcohol will be asked to leave immediately and will risk being reported to the appropriate education authorities.
  • Groups that have to wait, for any reason whatsoever, are requested to wait on the lawns in front of the Museum and to take care not to block the pathway to the Museum’s entrance. If the weather is bad, groups may be allowed to wait in the foyer/entrance hall. It remains the educator’s responsibility to ensure that the group waits quietly and that learners do not get in the way of other people passing through the foyer/entrance hall.

How to get the most out of a museum visit

  • Prepare the learners beforehand, telling them why they are going to the Museum, what to look out for and how to behave.
  • Accompany the learners through the exhibits and, if doing your own tour, (quietly) point out and discuss objects of interest with the learners.
  • Encourage the learners through your own interest and enthusiasm.
  • Encourage the learners to treat their guide/presenter, as well as other museum visitors, with respect.
  • Take the opportunity to teach the learners polite and correct procedures by formally thanking the guide/presenter on behalf of the learners, or better still, getting a learner to tender formal thanks on behalf of his/her classmates – the guides/presenters will greatly appreciate this. A “thank you” to the staff at Reception would also be gratefully received.
  • Afterwards, back at school, do follow-up activities to ensure that the learners gain from the visit and remember what they learnt.

Please help us to make your museum visit an enjoyable and educational experience for everyone.

Contact us with any queries or suggestions:

Contact Us

Address

36 Aliwal Street
Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Hours

Monday-Friday: 9:00am – 16:30pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 15:00pm
__________________________________

Sunday and Public Holidays:
Closed until further notice

Contact Us

+27 51 447 9609
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