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Cocoon experience

This activity has curriculum links appropriate for KS3, KS4 and post-16 students.

Pre-visit information and curriculum links PDF (89.6 KB)

Immerse yourself in the Cocoon experience, a brand new journey through the Darwin Centre. This interactive and visually stunning experience will inspire your students to look at the variety of life in a different way.

Find out how we store, care for and use our 20 million entomology and botany specimens and discover some of the stories behind the scenes.

  • Who were the first collectors and how did their methods differ from modern day scientists?
  • How do scientists organise, classify and name specimens?
  • Why is our collection so valuable for research and how do we share it with the world?
  • What do molecular techniques tell us about our specimens and how is this helping in the fight against malaria?

Discover the answers to these questions and more through a series of interactive exhibits, which allow you to collect information to look at later online. 

Duration: 45 minutes

Capacity: 30 students at a time

Dates: 6 times daily

Booking: book in advance by calling the Museum booking team on +44 (0)20 7942 5555, or on the day of your visit.

A Day in the Life of a Scientist activities

Secondary school students can try our A Day in the Life online activities, based on the Cocoon experience. You can start them before your visit.

Go to A Day in the Life of a Scientist

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