Key Stage 1-2
Find out more about the Museum galleries and IMAX films, and browse the events suitable for KS1-2 by selecting from the categories below.
Download our annual Learn brochure (PDF, 1Mb) covering KS2 – 16+ or email learning@nationalmediamuseum.org.uk to request a hard copy and to join our mailing list.
We've provided some useful information to help you plan and book your visit, or you can contact our Learning team on 0844 856 3799 and they will help plan the right visit for you.
Galleries
Our galleries offer a range of learning opportunities to meet a range of learning styles. Select one of the following galleries to find out more and view specific curriculum links.
Experience TV
Learn about the invention and development of television, see how programmes are made and funded and investigate the social and cultural impact of television.
More about Experience TV
Kodak Gallery
Find out about the birth of photography and the development of the camera. Discover what part the Victorians played in making photography so accessible today.
More about Kodak Gallery
Magic Factory
The Magic Factory is a hands-on opportunity to explore the science behind light, optics and image-making using over thirty interactive exhibits.
More about Magic Factory
Animation Gallery
Explore the history of animation and animated images, particularly British animation, and investigate optical illusions using hands-on exhibits.
More about Animation Gallery
TV Heaven
Explore the history of British television, and select from our archive of more than 1000 television programmes to watch in the group Viewing Room.
More about TV Heaven
IMAX
IMAX films have to be seen to be believed. Shown on a 16m x 20m screen, they're educational, entertaining, and often supported by free classroom resources.
Born to be Wild 3D (U)
Be transported into the lush rainforests of Borneo and the rugged Kenyan savannah in this inspirational story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals.
More about Born to be Wild 3D (U)
Hubble 3D (U)
Journey through distant galaxies, explore the mystery of our celestial surroundings and accompany spacewalking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA's history.
More about Hubble 3D (U)
Wild Ocean 3D (U)
Explore the ways in which the creatures that live off the coast of South Africa need our protection and discover how the food chain works in this underwater environment.
More about Wild Ocean 3D (U)
Mummies 3D (PG)
Learn about how pharaohs lived and about the Egyptian civilisation, their beliefs and customs, temples and tombs.
More about Mummies 3D (PG)
Dinosaurs Alive 3D (PG)
Journey to the Triassic and Cretaceous periods to see some of the greatest dinosaur finds in history.
More about Dinosaurs Alive 3D (PG)
Talks & Tours
Talks and tours are led by Museum Explainers and designed to further pupils' understanding of subjects and themes studied at Key Stages 1 & 2. All talks and tours are FREE (except CinemaMagic).
CinemaMagic for Schools
Subject to availability
Our new interactive learning show demonstrates some of the cinema effects and optical illusions that have been used in filmmaking for decades. Suitable for Year 7 only.
More about CinemaMagic for Schools
The Mystery of the Cottingley Fairies
Subject to availability
Learn about how two girls from Bradford baffled the world with their fairy photographs.
More about The Mystery of the Cottingley Fairies
TV Production
Subject to availability
Glance behind the scenes of a studio set, and follow the three-stage process of studio-based TV production.
More about TV Production
Victorian Photography Tour
Subject to availability
Pupils will step back in time to experience Victorian Photography first-hand.
More about Victorian Photography Tour
The Invention of TV
Subject to availability
Find out about the invention of John Logie Baird with a recreation of the very first time a human image was transmitted on ‘TV’.
More about The Invention of TV
Sessions
Sessions are led by Museum Explainers and designed to give pupils a basic introduction to a creative skill.
Cottingley Fairies Animation
Subject to availability
Study the Cottingley Fairies photographs, then create fairies and backgrounds before producing a drawn animation.
More about Cottingley Fairies Animation
Workshops
Workshops are led by industry professionals or trained teachers, enabling students to work with people who are experts in their field.
Animation
Subject to availability
Learn about different types of animation, make clay models and animate them using DV cameras and computer animation software.
More about Animation
Television Advertising
Subject to availability
Learn about the techniques and language used in advertising, then devise, present and film a 60-second television advert around the Museum.
More about Television Advertising
Digital Storytelling
Subject to availability
Use computer-based tools to tell a story, cameras to create a photo story montage, then find a creative way of presenting the two together.
More about Digital Storytelling