Sinnvoll: Unsere Wahrnehmung

The educational project for the “Brains” exhibition, sponsored by the non-profit Hertie Foundation

Im Herbst 2025 startete das Projekt „Sinnvoll: Unsere Wahrnehmung“, das die neue Dauerausstellung „Gehirne“ begleitet und sich gezielt an Intensivklassen ab der fünften Jahrgangsstufe sowie an Real- und Gesamtschulen der Klassen sechs bis zehn richtet. Aktuell werden interaktive Workshops und Führungen konzipiert, in denen Schüler*innen erleben, wie unsere Sinne funktionieren – und was in unserem Kopf passiert, wenn wir die Welt wahrnehmen. Ab Frühjahr 2026 heißt es dann: Entdecken, Ausprobieren und kreativ werden – interessierte Schulklassen können sich ab sofort für die Formate anmelden.

When language barriers exist, we often use multiple senses simultaneously to communicate: smell, taste, touch—all of these can help us understand. During the tour, these and other senses are not only engaged; they also become the focus of the tour itself: How do they actually work? And do animals perhaps see or hear things differently than we do? The students explore one of nature’s most complex structures—the brain—in an accessible way. A special feature of the tour is its interactivity. We don’t just talk about the senses and learn German terminology related to the brain and sensory perception—we also explore our own sensory abilities through small experiments. Images, animations, and hands-on activities further support sensory and holistic learning.

Understanding your own brain isn’t all that easy. To ensure students are still eager to explore this complex organ, the workshop’s motto is: Meaningful Practice! Through tinkering and making, students approach the topic via a creative design process. This method fosters communication within the group and uses creativity and craftsmanship to think through and visualize abstract neural processes.

The process is supported by a brief guided tour of the “Brains” exhibition. Here, the basics of the neurological stimulation and processing of human sensory functions are discussed and linked to existing school knowledge. In a short group activity, students explore their own senses and those of selected animals before getting creative.

A guide for teachers is also planned for late 2026, which will help them apply the methods tested in the project to their classrooms.

With the program “Sinnvoll: Unsere Wahrnehmung” (Meaningful: Our Perception) for educationally disadvantaged students, the Hertie Foundation is continuing its commitment to the permanent exhibition “Gehirne” (Brains) at the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt, which it helped design and supports. This support is part of the Foundation’s efforts to educate people about the brain, how it works, and brain disorders. Further information about the Foundation’s activities in the “Brain Research” program area can be found here.