Maths in the Museum

Maths in the Museum

Maths in the Museum shares the excitement of maths in everyday life with children and young people through the Museum’s extraordinary collection of mathematical instruments which stretches back over at least a thousand years of history.

This project will:

Develop a range of facilitated workshops linked to the maths curriculum in schools from Early Years to Key Stage 4

Support maths learning in the classroom, particularly for those who find maths more challenging, with links to practical problem-solving such as in measurement, calculation, time telling and surveying

Enhance maths learning for young people through kinaesthetic experiences such as object handling linked with history and storytelling, drama and music

Create opportunities for all audiences to enjoy learning about maths through public events that engage with history and the Museum’s mathematical collections

Become a shape explorer

Shape and Number (Early Years)

We worked with 30 children aged 4-5 from Cutteslowe Primary School to develop a workshop for learning in ‘mathematics’ and ‘understanding of the world’ (EYFS). The children:

sing songs about museum objects (like our wonderful puffer fish and grandfather clock) to practise counting skills
become ‘shape explorers’ hunting for 2D and 3D shapes in the galleries
practise mathematical vocabulary to make simple shape hats with Lewis, the puppet.

‘Pitched perfectly for the children’s age range and linked beautifully to the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.’

Get measuring!

The Measurers: maths in the real world (KS1)

As inspiration for this session, we use a Dutch painting called The Measurers which shows a range of measuring activities taking place in 16th-century Holland.

To encourage the children to think about how things were different in the past — including standard and non-standard units — they explore the mathematical themes by dressing up as characters in the painting and re-enacting the activities they see.

The children take part in a gallery hunt, various measuring tasks, and make their own balances.

‘It really brought home to the children the many different aspects of measurement.'

Calculation (KS2)

Children discover the historical and cultural origins of a range of inventions and discoveries related to calculation.

They explore the galleries, handle a range of calculating instruments and try their hand at different number systems.

We introduce the children to historical figures such as Ada Lovelace and explore the concept of binary numbers through a simple craft activity.

‘Helen engaged the children ... from the outset and the time flew by. The pitch was at a perfect level for the children to understand: challenging, engaging and fun.’

Calculate with confidence

Babbage and Lovelace: calculation (KS3)

Supporting Year 7 to consolidate number and calculation concepts, this workshop develops numeracy using mechanical calculating devices.

Students follow a trail to explore objects, taking part in hands-on problem-solving activities using the abacus, the Lightning Calculator and Napier’s bones. We uncover the story of Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace and the first mechanical computer, experimenting with models to explore how Babbage’s counting ‘engine’ worked.

‘Great opportunity to find out how calculation was done in the past; they especially enjoyed the Lightning Calculator.'

Navigate measurement

Ingenious Geometers (KS3)

Students explore navigational instruments, learning measurement and problem-solving through object-handling.

They discover how sailors used mathematics for navigation, making distant voyages across the oceans.

The students play a navigational board-game to explore objects on display. They also hear about Christopher Wren — designer of the Sheldonian Theatre — and use quadrants to measure and calculate its height using simple geometry.

‘They enjoyed the variety of activities and were all really engaged. It challenged them to think about measurement and solving real problems.'

Galileo’s Sector: ratio and proportion (KS4)

Students discover the story of Galileo and his invention of a remarkably simple but powerful calculating instrument: the sector.

After an introductory trail and object-handling activity, students use models to find out how the sector can be used to solve problems based on ratio, fractions and percentages.

Students discover how the instrument was used in diverse fields from gunnery to architecture.

This session was still in development in March 2020 but interrupted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Iffley Academy

Supporting students with mild to moderate special educational needs (SEN), we worked with teachers at Oxford’s Iffley Academy to develop the Oceans and Explorers project.

Students visited the museum to:

discover sundials
make models of working diptych dials
investigate a variety of measuring instruments, including quadrants for measuring angles.

In between museum visits, our learning team spent time supporting students at the school. The project ended with a classroom exhibition seen by staff and pupils across Iffley Academy.

Cheney School: The Rumble Museum Project

15 students from Cheney School’s Rumble Museum Council took part in curating an experimental display of calculating instruments in the History of Science Museum’s two new community display cases.

After an initial ‘behind-the-scenes’ visit to meet staff at the Museum, the students worked on design and installation of their own displays with themes exploring number and calculation.

We were proud to put the final exhibits on display in our Basement Gallery in January 2020.

‘They were doing something real and not exam-related – it was genuinely educational’

Public Engagement

Lovelace's Labyrinth

Over three events, more than 2,500 visitors have engaged with our mathematical themes, activities and collections.

At the first IF Oxfordshire Festival of Science and Ideas event, over 800 people enjoyed an exciting range of activities from testing their skills as navigators and discovering unusual calculators to exploring early measuring devices and devising algorithms.

We later added activities exploring the work of 19th-century mathematicians Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace including a working model difference engine from the Computing Department at Royal Holloway University London.

Oxford Maths Festival

Building on its relationship with the University’s Mathematical Institute, our Learning team took part in the 2019 Oxford Maths Festival with an event in Templar’s Square shopping centre in East Oxford, reaching new audiences from under-privileged areas of Oxford who may not have visited us at the Museum before.

One year on in February 2020, over 1,000 people took part, many of them returners from the previous year’s event.

Iris Centre Community Festival

In March 2018 and 2019, our Learning team took part in the Iris Centre Community Festival. Based at Cheney School, we engaged with local primary schools and families in a range of mathematical activities as part of wider programme involving other museums and heritage organisations.

Partnership and collaborations

Mathematical Institute, Oxford University and Royal Holloway University, London

Maths in the Museum was about building relationships with the University’s Mathematical Institute.

Following Museum tours for the Institute’s STEM student ambassadors, we were delighted when they got involved in the Lovelace’s Labyrinth and Oxford Maths Festival events.

Through Professor Ursula Martin’s research on Babbage’s manuscripts and correspondence with Ada Lovelace, we built a new partnership with the Computing Department, Royal Holloway University London: they contributed to events on Babbage and the first mechanical computing engine, and we’re co-developing schools activities.

Work in progress

We’re currently developing further schools’ workshops for Key Stages 2 and 4; we’ll post updates on these as they are finalised.

If you want to know more about our learning workshops and events, we’d love to hear from you. Just email use at learning@hsm.ox.ac.uk with ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ in the subject line as appropriate and we’ll get back to you.

You can also get involved in our public talks and events at https://hsm.ox.ac.uk/whats-on.

Acknowledgements

The Museum would like to thank the University’s Van Houten Fund and all those individuals who have made this project possible through their generous donations in response to the Museum’s online appeal.

Maths in the Museum