Key Stage Two - British History

EXPLORER WORKSHOPS

DRAMA4ALL

SCHOOLS CLUBS

INSET WORKSHOPS

British history - key stage two

Mary Seacole

A look at the life of the pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean War who not only suffered from the restrictions placed on women at the time, but was also hindered in her nursing career by the colour of her skin.

Travel back in time to 1854
Explore the lands Mary Seacole travelled to
Learn about the power of plants for recovery and rehabilitation
Consider what life might have been like during the Crimean War

Learning objectives:

To understand the life of a significant person from the past
To consider and celebrate the achievements of Mary Seacole and how her work has impacted society

Please note, this workshop can be adapted to suit KS1 and can also be combined with our Florence Nightingale workshop, to celebrate the Nurses of the Crimean War.

Life in Tudor Times

Off with his head! This workshop reveals what life was really like in Tudor times by exploring how the kings, queens and common people lived.

Creating a timeline to understand the Tudor monarchy
Discussing crimes and punishments and why they drew the crowds
Exploring the different foods available to the rich and poor
Visiting a Tudor theatre and devising scenes on topics popular in that era

Learning objectives:

To understand an aspect of history beyond 1066
To recognise changes that have been made in Great Britain since the Tudor era
To develop an understanding of the Tudor monarchy

Vikings vs Anglo Saxons

Come back to the Dark Ages, a time when England looked very different. Farming, thick oak forests everywhere and many Kings ruling different parts of England. The time of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings is one of the most formative periods in British history, when the country experienced several waves of invasion.

Discover who the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings were and how they fit into our history today
Create Freeze Frames of daily life in that time and the effect of the invasions
Hot seat characters to learn about the differences between the Anglo Saxons and Vikings
Learn The Vikings vs. Saxons Rap

Learning objectives:

To explore Britain's settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Vikings
To understand why the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings came to Britain
To understand an aspect of history beyond 1066

Life for Victorian Children

A fascinating journey back to Victorian England comparing school life, home life and attitudes towards children with those of modern Britain.

Experiencing a Victorian schoolroom first-hand
Playing traditional Victorian playground games
Enjoying Victorian seaside activities such as Punch and Judy and donkey rides

Learning objectives:

To recognise changes beyond living memory
To understand an aspect of history beyond 1066
To compare the modern day to the Victorian era
To devise historically valid questions and construct informed responses

World War I

Travel back in time 100 years to the outbreak of WW1.

Learn when and why WW1 began and the major facts of the historical event
Create Freeze Frames of Franz Ferdinand being assassinated and a British family hearing the news that war had broken out
Learn and perform Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag
Through hot seating and role play discover how soldiers and Families on the home front felt about the war
Discuss how we commemorate WW1 today

World War II

Air raids, rationing, evacuees and life on the home front. We take your class back to a time of true British austerity and discover the impact of the Second World War on the average family.

Learn why and when WW2 started and who was involved
Create freeze frames of important key facts
Be evacuated through improvisation and role play
Sing and dance The Lambeth Walk song
Learn about rationing and what to do in an air raid

Learning objectives:

To understand some of the causes of World War One
To recognise what life was like for soldiers and children during the war
To understand an aspect of history beyond 1066

When in Rome

This workshop takes children back in time to learn about life in Celtic and Roman Britain, understanding why people invaded and settled here.

Learn who the Romans were, and how the Roman army invaded Britain
Improvise the story of the Boudicca revolt
Discuss the effects of the Roman settlement on Britain today
Use drama techniques to discover how the Romans lived, fought and planned their revolts
Learn the What the Romans Gave Us rap
Create adverts in groups to explore areas of Roman leisure such as food, drink, the baths and the gladiators

Learning objectives:

To explore the Roman Empire and it's impact on Britain
To explore the power of the Roman Empire's army

The Magna Carta

This workshop is a fantastic starter for the topic of democracy, particularly for classes learning about British law. Children will:

Build freeze frames of events, to understand why they happened and in what order
Learn the ?Not Fair? song, to show the outcry of the public as a result of the rise in taxes
Play improvisation and character exploration games to understand the impact of King John's reign
Understand the importance of the Magna Carta today

The Georgians

An explorative workshop that answers the question, Who were the Georgians?

Discover different jobs that were available in Georgian times
Create freeze frames to symbolise the development of people through the Georgian period
Create adverts to highlight key points of the Georgian era

Learning objectives:

To understand an aspect of history beyond 1066

To explore the timeline of Georgian Britain
To develop a good understanding of the Georgian Royal Family and how people lived during Georgian times
To consider changes that had to be made during the Georgian times