Inspiring, Innovative Digital Workshops to Support Learning about Money
Museum on the Mound offers free interactive digital workshops that bring financial education to life.
We’re in a unique position to be able to provide context and make learning hands-on.
Teachers have discovered that our workshops are a fantastic springboard for developing financial capability and a brilliant way to get children talking about money.
What makes our digital workshops impactful?
The workshops draw upon the strengths of our collections and staff expertise while meeting the educational needs of young people.
We provide handling materials that form the basis of a cross-curricular exploration of money that show us who we were, where we’ve come from and how we’ve got to where we are today.
We continue to consult with teachers, children, education professionals and disability charities to ensure the workshops are as accessible and engaging as possible.
Live and Interactive
Each digital workshop is delivered live by a member of museum staff. This enables us to adapt sessions to the needs and interests of each class. We aim to spark curiosity in young people and encourage questions and discussion.
Many classes stay on to ask questions about money. They’ve quizzed us on everything from our favourite objects in the collection, to advice on protecting yourself from scams.
Free Handling Materials
Participating schools are sent these handling materials to support pupil learning, stimulate conversations and inspire follow-up projects:
- Polymer samples (the material our banknotes are made from)
- We encourage children to consider why our banknotes are made from polymer.
Cowrie shells (the world’s oldest currency)
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- Children discover what gives money its value. Cowrie shells are also used to explore the characteristics of money.
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- 9-meter length of string
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- Children estimate the length of the world’s longest money.
- Mystery money
- Children use their investigative skills to explore four mystery objects that have been as used as money in different parts of the world.
Money Advice
In an optional 30-minute extension, older pupils analyse early bank adverts promoting saving and discuss advice on looking after money. These are excellent examples of persuasive text and an introduction to thinking critically about the adverts we see today.
Money Badges
All workshops end with a prompt to create a badge inspired by pupil learning.
Children make their designs on templates that are sent to the Museum to turn into badges. The badges are given to children to facilitate further conversations and inspire learning beyond the digital workshop.
Teacher Feedback
We’ve provided nearly 10,000 young people with meaningful financial education through our digital workshops.
98% of teachers rated the pupil experience as excellent and 100% would recommend the workshop.
We ask teachers how inspired pupils were about money as a topic before and after the workshop. The average score before the workshop is 5.4. This increases significantly to 9.3 afterwards.
“My class present a wide range of abilities and every child was able to participate and feel included. No mean feat! It is imperative that future generations are educated about money and enterprise if they are going to reach their full potential in later life. The museum is a highly valuable resource in facilitating this process.”
“The workshops have helped the children develop a better understanding of how money works. It was brilliant to see them grow in confidence as they asked questions which was possible through the friendly and relaxed atmosphere. To see their curiosity being stirred through the information being given, the questions being asked of them and the resources being used was brilliant.”
“The workshop gave pupils a great opportunity to contextualise and enrich their learning. Handling the actual items was a big hit. During and afterwards there was a real buzz in the classroom. There has been lots of ‘playground’ chat about it, which is always a good sign.”
How to Book a Workshop
If you’d like to arrange a free digital workshop, please get in touch with the Museum’s Education Officer, Hannah Nicolson, at info@museumonthemound.com or 0131 243 5411.