VISITING A MUSEUM GALLERY AND SITE:
NEW MILLS HERITAGE & INFORMATION CENTRE

A Scheme of work for Key Stages 1 and 2
Art and Design

This programme has been designed to help children develop skills needed to get the most out of the experience of visiting a museum.

New Mills Heritage and Information Centre has recently achieved museum status. It is a small museum that tells the story of the development of New Mills as a cotton town. The small size and focused theme of the museum makes New Mills Centre an ideal first place to visit.

The visit to the museum will help children to gather information about the early textile industry in New Mills. They will find out why the mills were located in the Torrs, about the construction of the mills, about the process of spinning, weaving, dyeing and printing and about the working conditions of the mill workers.

The visit would link to art and design topics such as 'Talking Textiles' or 'Investigating patterns' or a history topic about the Victorians.

9.30 What is the museum like?
Welcome and Introduction.
Go through the itinerary and structure of the visit. Use maps and plans to gain a clear idea of the different parts of the museum. Explain the history of the museum and why certain types of objects are on display. Identify the information they can gain from the visit and how it will help their learning.

10.30 Break - a drink and a biscuit will be provided

11.00 What can we learn about the textile industry in New Mills?
Independent research and group work including using a handling collection of tools and investigating the objects, pictures and models on display.

12.00 Lunch - please bring your own packed lunch to eat in the centre.

12.30 Where are the cotton mills?
Site visit to the remains of the cotton mills in the Torrs. Investigation using old photographs, plans, maps and pictures to learn about the mills.

2.30 Leave