[sue deniz]

Help! I have just been asked to put together a history week for my school for sometime in the next academic year.

We are a small special school for KS3 EBD pupils with limited funds. Following a successful arts fortnight subsidised by the Gulbenkian Foundation I have been asked to put together a similar highly interactive package of activities including, hopefully, reenactors and at least 1 trip out. My big problem is as I don't have the luxury of a large pot of money to pay for outside specialists to come in daily I will need to develop a range of in house activities that are relatively cheap or some ideas for where to get additional funding.

I am not the most creative person on the planet and I am tearing my hair out trying to think of all singing all dancing activities so please help!!!

[Lesley Ann]

We enjoy Medieval Dancing

[Rachel Thornhill]

How about a Medieval banquet - adapt medieval recipes, get kids to bring in ingredients (if possible, to save money)and then spend some time making the food!

[sue deniz]

Thanks Rachel and Lesley Ann. I will add these to my list of ideas.

[Ed Waller]

You could also seek out a local Beacon school, who would therefore have some money, and they could visit you and 'put on a show'.

Ed

[Sheridan]

A firm favourite this term was the re-enactment of a medieval scene. You can choose anything, church windows, paintings, froissart chronicles, etc and they present a tableau, making it as realistic as possible. Take photos, compare to original. Brings up lots of ideas about clothing, society etc and can involve a kindly art dept. Plus, it's fun, and involves lots of making things and borrowing of parental dressing gowns. It does raise good questions too. "Why is he standing higher than him? Why would the bees be shown so large? etc)

Good display material too.

Sheridan

[Lou Phillips]

We've just had a man in giving talks to Year 8 about the Civil War and Year 7 about Medieval warfare. All the classes really enjoyed it, he brings in helmets, armour, weapons etc and dresses volunteers up. He was from Dudley museum, I don't think he was too expensive either. Its definitely something worth looking into!

Also, my history club have been building castles which was good, messy, but fun! Also cheap as I got the kids to bring in the tubes for turrets and cereal boxes for the keeps!

[sue deniz]

Once again thanks for the ideas. It's amazing how once a few ideas are in the pot the creative juices start to flow. Have a great break everyone.