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Introduction
- Quote
- Type of visit
- Information
- Language
- See also...
Study resources:
1. Natural History Museum, Oxford University
2. Vocabulary: Plants and animals
- Names of plants and animals
- Names of baby animals
- Names of groups of animals (e.g. a herd of deer)
- Classifications of living things (e.g. plant, animal, reptile, mammal)
- Animal sounds
- Animal Idioms
3. Understanding planet Earth's geological time
4. Understanding evolution
- Evolution vs. creationism
5. Extinct and endangered species (e.g. dinosaurs, giant pandas)
Choose a different study visit
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Text by Geoff Taylor, St Clare's, Oxford, OnLine (SCOOL) Co-ordinator, August, 2005
Natural History Museum, Oxford University
Parks Road, Oxford
 Introduction
The Natural History Museum is a great place to visit to find out about the natural world of the past and present.
You can learn about:
Quote
"The Museum houses Oxford University's extensive world-wide collections of zoology, entomology, geology, and mineralogy, including the local dinosaur finds, a 40ft Tyrannosaurus rex, the observation beehive and Alice's Dodo."
Source: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/universitymuseum/
Type of visit
Information
- Opening times
- The Museum is open every day from 12.00 noon to 5.00 p.m. throughout the year, except for short breaks over Easter and Christmas
- Admission
- Nothing - it's free! (But donations welcome)
Language
- Vocabulary: names of animals/plants, classes of animals/plants, parts of animals/plants, extinct animals, fossils, dinosaurs
- Language relating to Darwin's theory of evolution (and the opposing theory of creationism)
See also...
- Pitt Rivers Museum (Ethnology), Oxford University
http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/
The Natural History Museum's twin, a museum of anthropology and world archeology, in other words, about the culture of people, not animals. (Hot tip: Don't miss the dead shrunken heads! My children, who enjoy scary things, always run to see them.)
Opening hours: Every Day: 12.00 - 4.30 pm. Admission: free.
There are two types of study resources. Suggested use:
- Information/reference resources - information sources before a visit
- Active study/interactive resources - practice activities after a visit
1. Natural History Museum, Oxford University
A. Information/reference
- Natural History Museum, Oxford University - Home Page
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/
- Visitor Information
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/visitinf.htm
Opening times, maps of how to get there, etc.
- The Hobbit
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/hobbit.htm
A replica of the skull of the latest human species discovered, the tiny Homo floresiensis, dubbed "the hobbit" by the media, is currently on display
- Alice in Wonderland
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/alice.htm
Learn about Alice's (the fictional girl in the story books) link to the Natural History Museum, Oxford University
B. Active study/Interactive
- Virtual Tour of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oxfordtour/universitymuseum/
View 360° panoramas of the interior of the museum. This is a brilliant facility! You can pan left/right and up/down, and zoom in/out as you wish, to see the parts of the exhibition. Note: Requires Apple's QuickTime (available for Mac OS and MS Windows)
- The Learning Zone (Kid's Learning Zone at Natural History Museum, Oxford University)
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/children.htm
Educational area (primarily for children, but also useful for adults) at the Natural History Museum, Oxford University, with lots of fun things to do and learn
2. Vocabulary: Plants and animals
A. Information/reference
B. Active study/Interactive
Names of animals and plants:
- Plants1 Hangman
http://www.eslcafe.com/hangman/plants1.cgi
Spelling game: guess plant-related vocabulary, including parts of plants, and the names of plants. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animals in the Zoo - Flash Hangman (Easy)
http://www.manythings.org/hmf/8995.html
Spelling game: guess the names of the animals (43 words in the quiz). (Requires Macromedia Flash.)
- Animals and Plants - Flash Hangman
http://www.manythings.org/hmf/hm-animal-plant.html
This hangman game uses a limited vocabulary (23 words) aimed at students studying English as a second language. (Requires Macromedia Flash.)
- Animals - Jumbled names of animals (Easy)
http://www.manythings.org/jumble/animals.html
This is a 'scrambled word' game. (Requires Java)
- Animals - WordMeister Game (Medium)
http://www.manythings.org/wm/animals-d.html
A hangman-type spelling word game. (Requires Java.)
- Animals Crossword Puzzle (Easy)
http://iteslj.org/cw/1/af-animals.html
10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animals Quiz (Easy)
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=135351
Read the descriptions of different animals and guess which animal they are. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animals - McGrath Hangman
http://www.manythings.org/hmjs/mm-animals.html
Spelling game: names of animals. Not so easy. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Mammals - Flash Hangman
http://www.manythings.org/hmf/8981.html
This hangman game uses a limited vocabulary (47 words) aimed at students studying English as a second language. (Requires Macromedia Flash.)
- Wild Animals - Scrambled Spelling Quiz
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/sw-wildanimals.html
Spelling game: names of wild animals. 11 questions.
Names of baby animals:
Names of groups of animals (e.g. a herd of deer):
- Animal Groups Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=3881
Animals are often found in groups. Many animals have their own collective name, although some group words like 'herd' can be applied to several different animal groups. Note: Herd is not the answer to any of these questions. Not so easy! (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animal Groups for Kids Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=92560
This is a fairly simple quiz on the names of animal groups. Choose the correct answer from the four choices given. Not so easy! (Requires JavaScript.)
Classifications of living things (e.g. plant, animal, reptile, mammal):
- Animal ID and Kingdom ID (Kid's Learning Zone, Oxford University Museum of Natural History)
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/children/animals/anisort1.htm and kingdom1.htm
Can you recognise different living things? Plants, animals, fungi, and other creatures can be sorted into different kingdoms or groups. Try to identify how organisms are grouped.
- What's the Animal? Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=30683
Guess if animals are: a mammal, a fish, a bird, a reptile, an insect or an amphibian. 10 questions. Not easy: some less common animal names (e.g. types of birds) (Requires JavaScript.)
- The Animal Kingdom
http://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz%20center/animal.htm
Multiple choice quiz about category of animal (bird, fish, reptile, mammal, insect). (Requires JavaScript.)
- Plant or Animal - Advanced Level
http://a4esl.org/q/j/ck/ch-plantanmial.html
Is it a plant or an animal? Not easy: some less common types of plants, animals. 172 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
Animal sounds:
Animal Idioms:
- Animal Similes Crossword Puzzle
http://iteslj.org/cw/1/ck-animalsimile.html
As... as... expressions, e.g. as fat as a pig. 15 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animal Aphorisms For Kids
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=194044
Common idioms including animals. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Animal Idioms Quiz
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9807/km-animalidioms.html
6 expressions in a short multiple-choice exercise
3. Understanding planet Earth's geological time
A. Information/reference
- Timescale of our planet, Earth, compressed into a calendar year
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/children/fossils/timescal.htm
Our planet Earth was created about 4,500,000,000 (4.5 billion) years ago. But people can't easily think in numbers so big. It is easier if we imagine the life of the Earth compressed into a 1-year calendar. Amazing fact: go and see how late in the "calendar year" people (human beings like us) appear on planet Earth. Page 2 names the geological periods. Page 3 shows where rocks from each period can be found in the UK.
- Understanding geological time
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/gtpage1.html
Multimedia slide-show introducing the idea of geological time. (Requires JavaScript.)
4. Understanding evolution
A. Information/reference
- Evolution 101 (an introduction to evolution)
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/index.shtml
Explore the basic ideas of evolution.
Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology
- History of Evolutionary Thought
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/history/index.shtml
"Explore the four disciplinary areas that have contributed to our current understanding of evolution: Earth’s history, life’s history, mechanisms of evolution, and genetics."
Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology
- Misconceptions about Evolution
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/misconceps/index.shtml
Explore some typical mistakes in thinking about evolution
Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology
- UCMP Glossary: Life history
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/glossary_6.html
From adult to zygote
Source: University of California
B. Active study/Interactive
- Evolution vs. creationism:
- Evolution Quizzes
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizlistgold.cfm?cat=10900
- Evolution and the Creationists Quiz (Tough)
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=58456
Evolution is a controversial issue. Should it be? Do the creationists, who deny the theory of evolution, have a valid argument? 20 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Evidence for Evolution- Refuting Arguments Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=209730
This is the third in a series of quizzes on the scientific evidence for evolution. Here are some arguments against evolution. See if you can debunk them. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Evidence for Evolution- Unintelligent Design Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=209350
This is the second in a series of quizzes designed to present the scientific case for evolution. Surprisingly, it's sometimes the imperfections in evolution that are the best evidence for it. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Evidence for Evolution- Transitional Fossils Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=208956
This is the first in a series of quizzes designed to present the scientific case for evolution. Many creationists claim that transitional fossils don't exist- here are some facts about transitional fossils. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
5. Extinct and endangered species (e.g. dinosaurs, giant pandas)
A. Information/reference
- Extinct and Endangered Animals
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/children/animals/exten1.htm
Information about extinct and endangered animals, including the Dodo, the Blue Whale and the Giant Panda at the Natural History Museum, Oxford University
- Dinosaurs
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/dinosaur.htm
Introductory information about dinosaurs (on display at the Natural History Museum, Oxford University), including dinosaurs that lived in Oxfordshire!
- Dinosaur jokes
http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/children/funstuff/dinojoke.htm
At the Natural History Museum, Oxford University
B. Active study/Interactive
- Dinosaurs Paleontology Quiz
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=2911
Use this quiz to test your knowledge or to learn more about these fascinating creatures. 15 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Dinosaur Quiz 1
http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/dino1.html
7 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Dinosaurs and Others Quiz (children)
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=17502
Do you know these dinosaurs? 5 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
- Dinos Mesozoic Age Quiz (kids)
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizdetails.cfm?quiz=49188
A quiz about dinosaurs. These questions are quite hard. 10 questions. (Requires JavaScript.)
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