Learning Resources

What to Expect at the Hunterian Museum

Download What to Expect at the Hunterian Museum 
This is a visual resource allowing anyone who may have concerns about visiting unfamiliar buildings or have sensory perception issues, to prepare for their visit.

Schools

The Hunterian welcomes school parties to the museum and art gallery. The collections and displays, covering many curricular areas (see Collection Summaries), are suitable for a wide range of ages. Early primary groups are welcome but teachers or group leaders may wish to assess suitability for the group in advance.

Resources for Home Learning

Before the Covid-19 pandemic these objects were used for schools engagement events. When we had to close our doors in March 2020, a team of students on placement at the time developed a set of downloadable Learning from Objects resources to encourage learning at a distance.  The objects were picked around the theme of Myths Mysteries and Legends.


Curling Stone; Pyrite; Wallace wooden Box; Print of The Mandrake: A charm; Ammonite; Print of Mary Queen of Scots; Carved stone balls; Roman Jug fragment; Kelvin checque book; Bruce skull, Bain Electric Pendulum clock

 

Learning from Objects - Activity 1

Curling StoneTry our question and answer activity sheet about this object. It contains an image of the object and related images and questions for a learner.

Learning from Objects - Activity 2

Fools GoldThis activity offers background information, guided discussion points and challenges for the learner.

Learning from Objects - Activity 3

Round wooden trinket boxThis activity offers background information, guided discussion points and challenges for the learner.

 

Learning from Objects - Activity 4

Etching of a witch crouched over a mandrake rootThis activity offers challenges and guided discussion points for the learner. 

Learning from Objects - Activity 5

A Jurassic fossilised ammoniteTry our question and answer activity sheet about this object. It contains images of the object and related images and questions for the learner. 

Learning from Objects - Activity 6

Portrait of Mary Queen of ScotsTry our question and answer sheet about this work of art. It contains an image of the work and related questions. 

 

 

Learning from Objects - Activity 7

Six carved stone ballsThis activity offers background information, guided discussion points and challenges for the learner.

 

Find out more on our collections page: Carved stone balls from Scotland

Learning from Objects - Activity 8

Fragment of Roman pottery vessel with handlesTry our question and answer activity sheet about this object. It contains images of the objects and related questions. 

Learning from Objects - Activity 9

A cast of the skull of Robert the Bruce, shown 4 times to reveal object from front, back and each side. 

Try our activity sheet about this object. As well as finding out more about the object you can try out some investigation tasks, view some 3D recreations and find out what it might tell us about feeling healthy and happy.

Download Learning from Objects Activity 9

Learning from Objects - Activity 10

the blue outer cover of Lord Kelvin's chequebook

One page of a historic chequebook, printed in red with Bank of scotland crest

Try our activity sheet about this object. As well as finding out about the object and the person who owned it you can try out some investigation tasks, create your own version and find out what it might tell us about feeling healthy and happy.

Download Learning from Objects Activity 10

chalk drawing of the head and shoulders of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin, An elderly man with a long white beard and thinning white/grey hair

 

Learning from Objects - Activity 11

A large wooden wall mounted clock with roman numerals on the face and a glass panel through which a pendulum mechanism is visible Watch a video of this clock in action and learn how it works

Find out about more about the story of how the clock was invented by downloading the "the facts" or go straight to the practical activity: "Make a pendulum".  You might also want to experiment and record what happens with different pendulum weights and lengths.

Download Alexander Bain Electric Pendulum Clock - the facts

Download Learning from Objects Activity 11 - Make a Pendulum

Antonine Wall Resources

A selection of resources related to the permanent display The Antonine Wall: Rome's Final Frontier in the Hunterian Museum.

Antonine Wall display: 5 carved sandstone altars are shown on a plain black background

Antonine Wall Explore and Play

Journey through time

Enjoy some games and video clips on this journey through time from 55BCE (Before Common Era) to 411 CE (Common Era), focussing on the Antonine Wall and where it fits in the history of Roman Britain.

Cartoon-like figures: two romans in the background and a slave's face close in the foreground. Title beneath reads: Antonine Wall Interactive Timeline

Includes video clips courtesy of BBC and STV

Come to Roman School!

Latin is the Language of the Romans.  Watch this Learn Latin video to learn some basics for meeting new friends at Roman school.

Its all about the numbers! Download Roman Numerals to find out about how the Romans used letters to make numbers.  Try out some sums Roman style.

Become a Roman Newswriter! Download Roman News Activity to learn about how the Romans shared their News and have a go at your own version.

Puzzle it out

You can enjoy putting these objects together and even recreate our whole Final Frontier display as seen in the museum. Complete the puzzles to answer the questions questions below. Set the level of difficulty to suit yourself by choosing the number of puzzle pieces. 

The Hunterian Museum Puzzle it out

Puzzle it out

Watch our online puzzle how-to here!


Puzzle 1: A distance slab (distance markers along the wall) 
Which legion's work does this slab celebrate?

Puzzle 2: A bust
This was a companion of Bacchus, God of wine. What is his name?

Puzzle 3: A sign of family life
Some of the things found along the wall were everyday objects. These objects come in different sizes but what are they made of?

Puzzle 4: Altars
The Romans in Britain made food offerings to the gods in these altars. What names can you see? These are names of the gods they were dedicated to.

Puzzle 5: The Final Frontier
We hope you can come to visit our display soon, but if that's not possible for you - complete the puzzle to see what it looks like. How many Roman columns stand at the entrance to our display?

Amazing to think that these were all found buried in disused wells where the Romans had put them when they retreated from Scotland.

 

These resources were created by student of MSc Museum Education, Sarah Tose on work placement, 2021.

Antonine Wall Resource Kit

Download the Hunterian Antonine Wall Resource kit

The resources in this kit are printed and available for use at the museum (two sets) - simply ask for it at the reception desk. It is provided here as a download for users advance preparation should they need it.

Resources compiled by Caitlin Conlan, MSc Material Culture and Artefact Studies, 2019.

Antonine Wall Teachers' Resource Pack (children aged 8-10)

Download Antonine Wall Teachers' Resource Pack (children aged 8-10) 
Additional reference materials including pre, during and post visit suggestions.

Pack compiled by Grace Hepworth, Msc Museum Studies, 2012

Comic Strip inspired by Roman Shoes

Comic strip story inspired by Roman Shoes at The Hunterian
Head and shoulder cartoon drawings of a man in Roman dress, a woman in celtic dress and a boy wearing a roman soldier's helmetIn support of dissertation research, Museum Studies student, Guillem Martí designed this cartoon strip label depicting a short story inspired by the Roman Shoes featured in the Antonine Wall display. This label was displayed briefly in the museum to allow visitors to comment on their reactions. It is hoped that school children might also enjoy this short story.

Designers: Guillem Martí (Text and Illustration), Msc student in Museum Studies. GCA, University of Glasgow and Diego Zamora (Computer Layout),  Ma Product Design and PhD Candidate. ECA, University of Edinburgh. 

Historic Environment Scotland’s Frontiers of the Roman Empire

Some of the items from The Hunterian’s Antonine Wall display can be seen in these web pages, along with a wide range of interactive resources and information about visiting the Antonine Wall Heritage sites.

Historic Environment Scotland’s Frontiers of the Roman Empire – key artefacts