Teachers' Newsletter
Stay up-to-date with our new resources, projects and learning offer by signing up to our teachers' newsletter here.
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Online Resources
Explore the Cambridge Museum of Zoology’s collection from your classroom through our online resource packs. These packs were made with teachers in mind. They contain high resolution images of the collections, specimen profiles accompanied by activity ideas, to make finding curriculum-specific examples for your teaching easy.
Each pack has a theme. Topics such as Evolution have a broader reach across the curriculum stages, whereas others, such as Genes and Genetics, will be more useful for higher key stages.
Search our database using the accession numbers provided in the packs.
tes_evolution_-_ideas_for_teachers.pdf (438.42 KB) 
Our online resources are always developing and growing. To help us shape and improve these resources, please complete the evaluation form via the link below and let us know about your experience in using them.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/W6B3LYM
Loans Boxes
Our Zoology loans boxes bring tactile learning experiences with real specimens to the classroom. All of our boxes are accompanied by a themed resource pack chosen by you. Please see our list of available loans boxes and resource packs below.
Our loans boxes are available for school teachers to borrow free of charge for up to two weeks at a time.
While accompanying resources and activity ideas have been designed with the KS1 and KS2 curriculum in mind, loans boxes are available to all teachers who wish to use them.
Please note that boxes must be collected and returned to the Museum of Zoology by hand.
To book a loans box, please get in touch on umzc@zoo.cam.ac.uk with the following information:
Name of School:
Year Group:
Number of students:
Topics you are hoping to cover:
Loans box required:
Other/special requirements (e.g. SEN):
Desired date of collection (during Museum opening hours only):
Under the Sea Box (KS1 & KS2)
This loans box resource uses a range of shells and invertebrate specimens to inspire learning in the classroom, with the potential to cover a range of cross-curricular topics such as habitats, adaptation, and grouping, literacy, maths and geometry.
Skeletons Box (KS1 & KS2)
This loans box resource uses a range of skeleton and skull specimens to inspire observational learning. The activities are made with teachers in mind, and can easily be woven into your lessons. The skeletons box can be used to demonstrate topics such as adaptation and movement, classification, maths and geometry.
Teeth Box (KS2)
Our new resource on teeth uses a variety of animal teeth types to help you teach about adaptation, feeding, and classification. Our accompanying teachers pack provides activity ideas to help you get the most out of your loans box, pointing to cross-curriculum links with geometry and art.
Skulls Box (KS1 & 2)
Our new loans box on skulls uses a range of animal skull specimens to encourage interactive learning in the classroom, with links to adaptation, feeding and classification. The accompanying teacher’s pack provides activity ideas to inspire your pupils, with cross-curriculum links between art, science and literacy.
Sensory Story Bag (KS1 & Special Educational Needs)
The bag contains a story following the life and experiences of a baby blackbird as it explores the world for the first time. Illustrated with bright, bold images, each page contains instructions and recommendations on which sensory item to use from within the bag and what to do with it. This resource is available to all schools, and has been designed with children or young people with special educational or access needs in mind.
