KS5 Science in the workplace - Kew's Millennium Seed Bank

This session explores the organisation of a scientific workplace and the work of seed conservationists. It provides a unique opportunity to study laboratory management, protocols and health and safety issues.

Learning outcomes

Educational visits at Wakehurst support and enhance the curriculum offered in schools and colleges. We aim to give pupils opportunities that are difficult or impossible to create in the school or college environment.

We design our sessions to match the learning outcomes in the National Curriculum and exam board specifications.

This session offers pupils the opportunity to:

• Understand the importance of ex situ conservation of plants and the work of the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership.
• Consider the international implications of conservation and the need for cooperation.
• Identify the processes involved in seed conservation and the underlying scientific principles.
• Learn about the organisation of the seed bank, its protocols, procedures, data management and methods of communication and health and safety issues.

Curriculum links

This KS5 visit supports and enhances the curriculum offered in schools and colleges.