A to Z of places to learn: L to M

Our history, be it literary, natural or anthropological, is rich, vast and constantly evolving. Get out there and expose children to the very best of it, say Russell Grigg and Helen Lewis...

Ll IS FOR LIBRARIES

Why bother?

For generations, libraries have served as gateways to the world’s knowledge and culture. In ancient times, the library of Alexandria was said to contain up to 70 per cent of all human knowledge. Today if you were to see five items each day in the British Library, it would take you over 80,000 years to see everything. Thanks to the internet you can now ‘virtually’ turn the pages of precious books. But this is no substitute for visiting a library. People do so not just to borrow books. There are ‘career builders’ who write CVs and practise interviews, ‘friend finders’ who see libraries as social spaces and ‘research sleuths’ devoted to family and local history. There are also ‘little learners’, five- to 10-year-olds who love reading and for whom libraries offer a first step to literacy. In 2012, 79 million children’s books were borrowed, the most popular book being The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson.

Resource ideas

Find out what is on offer at your local, regional and national libraries. Aside from borrowing books, CDs and DVDs, see whether your class can meet children’s authors, take part in workshops and craft activities, and attend story times and reading groups. Many children’s libraries provide activities for the under fives such as play sessions and ‘messy mornings’. Check out online specialist libraries devoted to newspapers, films and photographs. Introduce children to books from all over the world through websites such as the International Children’s Digital Library (en.childrenslibrary.org). Newly-arrived children can experience the joy of reading books in their first language. A library can be a source of multiple versions of familiar stories, and these can promote an understanding of different viewpoints. Consider alternative endings and versions of familiar tales e.g. 50 ways to retell a story: Cinderella, by Peat and Storey. After a library visit, hold your own book award ceremony, not forgetting prizes for the illustrators and photographers.

Tips for success

1 Make use of the Schools’ Libraries Service to arrange a class visit to the local library or for
a librarian to visit the school.

2 Explore with your library how you might develop partnerships further, for example by involving dads as readers.

Mm IS FOR MUSEUMS

Why bother?

What do the following have in common: dog collars, prams, lawnmowers and mustard? Amazingly, each has its own dedicated museum in the UK. They are among the thousands of museums that present Britain and the wider world’s rich and diverse heritage. Many museums now offer interactive, challenging and engaging experiences. You can play music, dress up, prepare food, listen to people’s memories and watch computer animations. Museums are ideal places to develop children’s curiosity, imagination and reflection. They enable children to see that history is rarely black-andwhite. The Imperial War Museum, for example, includes the views of conscientious objectors as well as eyewitness accounts from the Front, during World War Two. The British Museum sets the lead in telling the stories of not only White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP) but those from all over the world, from the Aztecs to the Zhou dynasty (China). Museums provoke children to think about the fullness of life and are truly inspiring places to learn.

Resource ideas

Use household objects, toys and family albums as discussion points – why do we collect things? Are museums important? Why? Tell stories through objects along the lines of the British Museum and Radio 4’s series A History of the World in 100 Objects. The People’s History Museum (Manchester) is among many museums that use puppets, song and dance as part of interactive story sessions. Explorer Bags may be available for early years and KS1 group visits. These might include binoculars, torches and I-Spy cards to assist treasure hunts around the museum. In class, ask children to set up their own childhood museums, collecting resources from home and researching change over recent decades. They can make display labels, interview relatives, create timelines and audio-visual recordings. Arrange competitions to find the strangest, smallest, or oldest object and try to tell its story from different viewpoints. As teachers, convey the idea of ‘a living museum’ by drawing on your own personal memorabilia.

Tips for success

1 Liaise closely with museum staff. Consider factors such as objectives, curriculum links, timings, cost, lunch and toilet facilities and arrangements for pupils with special needs.

2 When visiting, don’t be over ambitious. Focus on a particular room, set of objects or theme.

Nn IS FOR NATIONAL PARKS

Why bother?

The 15 national parks, dubbed as ‘Britain’s breathing spaces’, offer breath-taking views across mountains, meadows, moorlands, woods and wetlands. The natural environment inspires creativity, expressed through painting, poetry and music. Children are wowed when they see animal and birdlife close-up, from the waders and wetland birds on the Broads, to merlin, grouse and curlew on upland moors. They can also marvel at the ‘big, fat and special’ ancient trees seen in many national parks. With reports that children are not spending enough time outdoors, visits to national parks provide ideal opportunities for children to play in wild spaces – to build dens, catch tadpoles, fly kites and climb trees. They can be enthused with a respect for their local environment and a genuine interest in ecology.

Resource ideas

Ask children to decorate journey or memory sticks, to help remember a favourite walk in a National Park. Attach leaves, wool, sticky labels etc to twigs or dowel. Each item represents something that the children have observed on their walk. This can act as an aide-memoire to discuss the walk back at school. When searching for ancient trees, children can use the hug method. An adult hug (arms outstretched as far as possible) is 1.5m on average. So children can count how many hugs it takes to surround the tree. The hug method of measurement usually includes four hugs for sweet chestnut, three hugs for oak, two for ash and one for birch. Following a visit, produce a photographic gallery with ‘value’ words associated with each picture e.g. ‘peace’, ‘beauty’ and ‘relaxation’. Visit the same spots during another season and compare descriptions. Give children a colour palette or paint strip chart from a DIY store and ask them to ‘find a rainbow’ or shades of green, red or brown. Take time to lie back on a blanket and observe the clouds – watch them move, describe them, imagine travelling on one, etc. Use mud! Create ‘green man’ faces on tree trunks using squishy mud or use mud and other natural resources to create puppets. Press different natural objects into mud (squashed into small plastic containers to keep safe) to create textured art. Pound, grind and mash plant and mineral materials to make natural paints.

Tips for success

1 Contact the UK Association of National Park Authorities (nationalparks.gov.uk), which offers step-by-step guidance for arranging visits. Its website provides film clips, photos, podcasts, downloadable activity sheets and background information.

2 Why not arrange for your class to gaze into the dark skies to see far-off stars and galaxies in the same way our ancestors did, without the orange glow of streetlights and neon signs.