Workshops and activities for senior visitors
From mussels through squid and octopus to snails, molluscs are a big family. In this workshop, we take the time to get better acquainted with our coastal molluscs, more widely known as shellfish.
Gastropods and bivalves are two large classes of mollusc with shells that live mainly in saltwater environments but also in freshwater and on land. They both produce and wear their shells.
As soon as the animal dies, the shellfish turns shell, an object of wonder and delight. Since humans have walked the earth, it has become a collector’s item both for children combing the beach as well as fascinated scientists tirelessly identifying, classifying and studying them.
Do all shellfish have the same lifestyle? Is it possible to find seashell fossils? Why are some flat and others pointy? Some colourful, others not? What purpose do they serve? This last question is crucial for the crucial for the creature that grew inside it, but just as interesting for us if we think about the ways humans use shells (making jewellery, buttons and so forth).
During the workshop, participants will have the chance to hold, touch, weigh up and compare a variety of shells. They will also closely study ribs, stripes and spines and learn how they are formed. Large selections of shellfish presented towards the end of the session will provide a talking point for further play, learning and interaction.
Workshop aims:
- Form social bonds and boost cognitive skills
- Stimulate the memory and senses
- Understand how a shell is made
- Discover the diversity of size, shape and colour by studying museum specimens
- Reinforce the participative dimension by discussing personal items brought in by participants (mother-of-pearl buttons, costume jewellery, miscellaneous objects, etc.).
During the workshop, the facilitator will present a selection of shells from the Museum of Bordeaux collections. Take part in a memory game specially devised for the workshop.
To book a workshop of The Museum comes to you and on all administrative matters, the secretariat is listening to you.
By phone: 05 24 57 65 30
By e-mail: museum@mairie-bordeaux.fr
