Class Trips In Cambridge

Sometimes getting out of the classroom and teaching in a different setting can be great for both students and teachers. Cambridge has a lot of places ideal for educational school trips. For a complete list see the See & Do page.

Here we concentrate on how to arrange school trips to Christ's College, the Sedgwick Museum and the Zoology Museum.

If you are planning a visit and would like some input from current undergraduates contact the Darwin Society at Christ's, which represents current Natural Sciences students at the college. They may be able to help by giving short talks on Darwin, evolution or studying at university. Note they are usually only around during term time and availability depends on their work load!

Christ’s College

Christ's was where Darwin studied for his degree. Visitors to the college can see Darwin's room, a garden full of plants he saw during the Beagle voyage and some of Darwin's letters and original papers. More information...

Fridays are reserved for pre-booked visits to Darwin exhibitions, ideal for school trips. Group visits may be organised through the Darwin Visits Manager, by email or by telephone on 01223 768960 between 10.30 and 12.30 Monday to Friday.

The Sedgwick Museum

The Sedgwick museum is located on Downing Street and houses geological collections. Displays of particular interest include:

The museum has an excellent education program and provides extensive downloadable educational materials and other resources. This includes a pack of teachers notes, images and activity sheets which help teach the ‘Ideas and Evidence’ content of Key Stage 3.

Group visits of up to 40 students can be arranged via the Education Officer and are free of charge. You will also find their Teacher's Guide very useful.

The Zoology Museum

The Zoology museum is just across the street from the Sedgwick museum so it is possible to visit both together.

Displays of particular interest when teaching evolution include:

  • Beetles, Finches and Barnacles: The Zoological Collections of Charles Darwin
  • Darwin's finches: an example of evolution in action
  • Transitional fossils - including Archaeopteryx and the reptile-bird tansition, Acanthostega and the fish-tetrapod transition, and several casts of early hominins.
  • Horse evolution - another excellent example of transitional fossils
  • Homology and the pentadactyl limb
  • Sexual selection - female choice and birds of paradise, male-male combat and animal weaponry

Group visits are freeand can be arranged by appointment by email or by telephone: 01223 336650.

The Education Services can provide more information. You can also download their guide for educational visits, their museum guides and other material.

For kids ages 6-12 the museum also runs a Young Zoologists Club which is free to join. Members get a welcome pack, free newsletters and admission to special, exclusive events.

» Download: 8 problems to solve using the Zoology Museum collections.

Written by Stephen Montgomery