SPECIAL PLACES.

A cross-curricular learning project for Years 3 & 4. The project takes place inside and outside the classroom and is site specific but based on a common core. It is divided into four/five stages and can be fitted into your timetable. Resource packs and stories are developed for each project in conjunction with teaching staff.

STAGE ONE. In school. Students meet our wandering musician/storyteller Robin who shares stories/myths and legends with them. In the course of his storytelling he tells them about Arthur de Caldicot and how he is helping Arthur with his quest Quest to find out if there is anything he would recognise in the Teme Valley if he were to come back today.

Robin has a great idea! He enlists the help of the students and sets them their own Quest to find out what Arthur might recognise if he came to their village today. He tells them that they will have to be detectives and go out on the Quest Trail. He introduces the Timeline and shows them the 'tools' he has developed to help him with the Quest and gives them a box of Resources. He also gives them a list of the questions he thinks they will need to answer to complete the quest. He talks about the Trail, specifically about the old buildings they might see, especially churches. Finally he gives them a copy of the Report Form that he has to send to Arthur and asks them to complete it for him, with the promise that if they succeed with their Quest Arthur might make them 21st century Heritage Knights!

STAGE TWO. Out on the Quest Trail gathering evidence. Students focus on the community today. Students prepare to walk the quest trail, they assemble their tools, notebooks, pencils, binocculars etc.The trail will include a visit to the local Parish Church. On the trail the students will have specific tasks to perform, including finding the images on their Wonder Cards, and questions to answer. It is unlikely that they will find all the answers out on the trail so the remainder of the Detectives work will have to take place back at base.

STAGE THREE.COMPLETION
3.1 In school making sense of the evidence. Students focus on what it might have been like in their village in Arthur's time. Activities in this section can be allocated according to ability and interest (they include historical research, craft work and report writing) the details will depend on the themes agreed upon at the Planning Session and the topics that are locally appropriate. At the end of this session students should be in a position to make and send their report to Arthur.

3.2 . In school using the evidence. Students complete their report to Arthur telling him what they have discovered. The lessons learned should inform them about the place of heritage in their own lives. If students have been booked into one of our Heritage Knights Fun Days they will have to complete and submit a report form to Arthur. Then they will receive thier inviation to a Heritage Knights Fun Day. The activity days take place at the end of the summerterm and are likely to be held outside the village. Heritage Knights Days are colourful colstumed events with music, flag flying, historical characters and an element of time travel. Parents can be invited to watch their children being dubbed a Heritage Knight. Like the knights of old students need to prepare for this event, full detials come with Arthur's invitation.