Miscellany – Prelude to the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities

Collecting and organising is a way of learning about the world. Even in the cabinets of curiosities, people tried to show the world through thousands of objects in one room. When organising the collected objects, the first thing to do is to look closely and compare them to find common features. As soon as the different objects in a collection are rearranged, new connections emerge.

Our teaching idea, including accompanying materials, offers the opportunity to integrate the topics of collecting and organising into lessons in a playful way, thus preparing for a visit to the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities. The »Sammelsurium – Auftakt zur Wunderkammer« (Miscellany – Prelude to the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities) can be incorporated into the mishmash puzzle gallery. The gallery invites school classes and individuals to participate, puzzle together and develop their own collections.

In our »Sammelsurium« puzzle gallery, you can see photos of several objects that we or school classes have collected and organised. At first glance, the collections may look chaotic, but all objects in a collection have something in common. Find out what it is!

Dear teachers,

Our »Sammelsurium« (Miscellany) is designed to give pupils enjoyment in collecting and organising things. It serves as preparation for a visit to the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities, as an engaging pastime, or if you and your class are unable to visit us in person!

Teaching idea »Miscellany – prelude to the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities« (in German)
Ages 6–12, maximum 30 children
Time required: at least 2 school hours
No prior knowledge required.

Background: The origins of the Cabinet of Artefacts and Natural Curiosities and who organised the 3,000 objects? (in German)