Activities
AN AUDIENCE WITH MR PHIPPS
30—60min. Max no. 30 per session
Dr. Jenner’s gardener has recently walked out of the 18th Century and into the 21st. Let him tell the story of his famous son James, the first boy to be vaccinated by Edward Jenner. Help Mr Phipps to recall his life over two hundred years ago... and to come to terms with the modern world.
THE COW THAT SAVED THE WORLD
30—60min. Max no. 15 per session.
KS1 & KS2 Blossom is arguably the most important cow in history. Use drama, props and dressing up to re-enact her role in the eradication of smallpox, along with Sarah Nelmes, the fair-faced dairy maid, the eight year old James Phipps, Dr Jenner - and a host of supporting characters!
STOP PRESS: “COW SAVES THE WORLD”
21⁄2 hours Max no. 30.
KS3 & KS4 Collect evidence in the museum then use role-play to create a documentary-style presentation of the events surrounding the first vaccination, which took place on this very spot.
EXPLORE THE MUSEUM
Divide into groups of up to 10 to explore the museum, making use of our suggested trails and activities. Allow 30—40 min each for inside and outside.
Inside:
A recreation of Jenner’s study, as it was in 1823
• Jenner’s dining room • Portraits (including one of Blossom)
• Artefacts showing his wide range of interests from fossils to ballooning; from hedgehogs and cuckoos to poetry and music
• Evidence of his medical work
• The ghastly story of the speckled monster and its eventual eradication
Outside:
• Queen Anne-style house set in its own gardens
• The Temple of Vaccinia, where Jenner vaccinated the poor free of charge
• The hothouse, where vines that Edward Jenner himself planted are still producing lovely dessert grapes (August/September)
• Archaeology: Bristol University regularly digs in Berkeley in the Spring. New finds are made in and around the museum every year.
GHOSTS IN THE ATTIC: from Smallpox to MMR
40min. Max 10 per session
The previously unseen, atmospheric attic space contains many layers of history.
It also houses an art installation and video projection to fire your imagination and take you back to a time when smallpox was a fact of life and Edward Jenner himself was eight years old.
This activity is only suitable for KS2 and above. For older groups, materials from the campaigns both for and against vaccination provide an added ethical dimension that can lead to role play.
The attic can only be visited by guided groups of 10 or less at a time and is best booked as part of a circus of activities.
THE GRAVEYARD, THE TOWER AND THE CHURCH
Directly accessible from the museum’s garden are the historic graveyard, tower and church of St.Mary’s. The churchyard is full of tombs from the 1650s to 1850s. The unusual separate church tower has many intriguing examples of 18th and 19th Century graffiti and the church contains history from over a thousand years including damage from the Civil War.
BERKELEY TOWN TRAIL
1 hour approx. A chance to look at a variety of old buildings & sites which were important in the growth of this ancient town.
CREATIVE RESPONSES
Writing, poetry, music, film, photography and drawing
Use the evocative setting and its startling stories as a stimulus for poetry, prose, scripts, photography and filming. End the day by celebrating Jenner’s interest in poetry and music, using rhythm, rhyme and voices in creative harmony.
IMMUNOLOGY
The museum has displays and resources about the development of the science of immunology, suitable for A-level, nursing and medical students.
© 2009 Edward Jenner Museum
Registered Charity 284085
Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.
