Grand designs in Ancient Greece: using Classical archaeology in cross-curricular teaching in Primary and Secondary schools
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Archaeology Classics and Egyptology
Abstract
Grand Designs in Ancient Greece follows on from AHRC Research leave to write the book, Building, Dwelling, and Living in Ancient Greece, a detailed study of ancient Greek domestic architecture that articulates ideas on embodied learning and the role of bodily practices on identity formation. In this publication, I made three key arguments which are the starting point for this project; firstly, our comprehension of life in Ancient Greece is richer if we understand how individuals, households and communities organised themselves to construct the houses in which they lived rather than only seeing them as the places in which activities took place; secondly, digital technologies and quantitative analysis offer exciting opportunities to enhance how we see and make sense of the ancient world; and thirdly the tasks of daily life and experiences in the home caused bodily transformations that affected people's quality of life and altered perception of self and the economic productivity of the household.
A fourth major driver in the development of this project, which was an unplanned consequence of my research leave, is the success of teaching an undergraduate module on Classical houses and households. Students examine Classical houses, in both group work and independent guided learning to explore broad ranging themes including display and consumption, hygiene and sanitation, gendered spaces in the home and identity formation. Significantly, students develop their skills of digital technology (using social media to communicate within groups working on the same archaeological site and SketchUp Make to develop skills of 3D modelling, and Computer Aided Design) and quantitative data analysis using Excel to analyse household assemblages. The responses to these digital learning experiences and improvement of student performance stimulated the development of this project.
Whilst this project builds upon my previous AHRC funded research, it extends its impact beyond both academic research and university teaching. Over the course of twelve months, this project will use my research on the houses of Ancient Greece to engage and collaborate with schoolteachers and children, and third sector organisations. There are two key aims of the project. The first aim is to reach out to teachers to disseminate my research and collaborate with a selected group of teachers to create resources and enhance teaching of Ancient Greece at Key Stage (KS) 2, 3 and 4 and as a consequence promote interest in the study of the Greek and Roman worlds, and to enhance the provision of Classical Civilisation at GCSE and A level. The second aim is to provide successful evidence of the benefits of integrated cross-curricular teaching for student engagement and achievement to a large international audience through the dissemination of open access resources with teacher evaluations on professional websites (TES Connect, The Guardian Education and The Historical Association) that have international readership.
In order to achieve these aims, the project will implement targeted phases of activities that are structured over a twelve-month period. These include the creation of original curricula and lesson plans by the project partners; online training of teachers in 3D modelling software; Virtual classroom visits by PI to start activities. Online workshops will enable teaching materials and practice to be evaluated and best practice will be shared.
The project will also produce a special edition of the journal of The Classics Library including an article explaining the context of the research, lesson plans, reports by the teachers, observations on the success of the cross-curricula syllabi, and summary of the main findings of the project. The different outputs will ensure maximum impact as they are housed on open access websites that have global reach.
A fourth major driver in the development of this project, which was an unplanned consequence of my research leave, is the success of teaching an undergraduate module on Classical houses and households. Students examine Classical houses, in both group work and independent guided learning to explore broad ranging themes including display and consumption, hygiene and sanitation, gendered spaces in the home and identity formation. Significantly, students develop their skills of digital technology (using social media to communicate within groups working on the same archaeological site and SketchUp Make to develop skills of 3D modelling, and Computer Aided Design) and quantitative data analysis using Excel to analyse household assemblages. The responses to these digital learning experiences and improvement of student performance stimulated the development of this project.
Whilst this project builds upon my previous AHRC funded research, it extends its impact beyond both academic research and university teaching. Over the course of twelve months, this project will use my research on the houses of Ancient Greece to engage and collaborate with schoolteachers and children, and third sector organisations. There are two key aims of the project. The first aim is to reach out to teachers to disseminate my research and collaborate with a selected group of teachers to create resources and enhance teaching of Ancient Greece at Key Stage (KS) 2, 3 and 4 and as a consequence promote interest in the study of the Greek and Roman worlds, and to enhance the provision of Classical Civilisation at GCSE and A level. The second aim is to provide successful evidence of the benefits of integrated cross-curricular teaching for student engagement and achievement to a large international audience through the dissemination of open access resources with teacher evaluations on professional websites (TES Connect, The Guardian Education and The Historical Association) that have international readership.
In order to achieve these aims, the project will implement targeted phases of activities that are structured over a twelve-month period. These include the creation of original curricula and lesson plans by the project partners; online training of teachers in 3D modelling software; Virtual classroom visits by PI to start activities. Online workshops will enable teaching materials and practice to be evaluated and best practice will be shared.
The project will also produce a special edition of the journal of The Classics Library including an article explaining the context of the research, lesson plans, reports by the teachers, observations on the success of the cross-curricula syllabi, and summary of the main findings of the project. The different outputs will ensure maximum impact as they are housed on open access websites that have global reach.
Planned Impact
Whilst this project builds upon my previous AHRC funded research, its impact will extend beyond both academic research and university teaching and due to the nature of the dissemination plans it will reach beyond the participants in the project and beyond UK users.
In 12 months, the project will collaborate with at least 40 teachers and 500 school students in the 10 partner schools, as well as, a cohort of PGCE trainee teachers. Anticipated benefits for the teachers are: opportunities to collaborate on the development of cross curricula teaching; to learn about digital humanities research; to acquire skills in the use of 3D modelling and quantitative analysis for the humanities; to learn and share best practice of the cross curricula activities; and to utilise experiences and skills developed after the length of the project to enhance humanities teaching in their schools. Wider benefits for some of the teachers involved in the project includes enhancing continuing professional development and the opportunity to participate in outputs. Anticipated benefits for the students in these schools include: learning that is more social and student centred; cross curricula links that enhance learning and achievement at more than just subject knowledge (about Ancient Greece) including communication, numeracy, problem solving, 3D modelling and information-technology. Four regions of the UK and different types of schools have been chosen to expand the possible impact of the research. Further to this, the mix of independent, Academy and Local Education Authority schools increases the potential for impact within different types of education systems.
The year-long events have been structured such that the outcomes and outputs are disseminated as widely as possible, and cover a combination of online open access websites which will ensure long-term impact of the activities that far exceeds the timeframe of the project itself:
1. Lesson plans and partner evaluations will be published on TES connect and Guardian Teacher Network and will provide free downloadable resources that will be attractive and of significant value for an international audience of teachers of Classical civilisation, History, Design and Technology, Mathematics and cross-curricular teaching (for example, KS 2 & 3 resources are relevant for 4 and 5 grade and A-level resources will be relevant for 11 & 12 grades in the U.S.A., Years 3-5 and 11-12 in Australia).
2. Lesson plan and evaluations of the Ancient Greek Storytelling activity using LEGO Education StoryStarter will be uploaded to the LEGO Education Community webpages. The use of LEGO in education is relatively new but it is an international brand and the materials and website have an international audience. Partner teachers have already expressed a desire to use the websites of LEGO and The Historical Association to showcase their school and the activities of their students after the project, ensuring a lasting legacy of the project.
3. An open access article and teaching resources to be researched and written by the PI, based on context for research, interviews held between the PI and the teachers during the project, lesson plans, teacher evaluations of the development process and classroom activities and PI evaluation of the project, will be published on The Classics Library.
The beneficiary third sector organisations are The Classics Library and Classics for all. Anticipated benefits for this group include an edition of The Classics Library journal; a broader range of schools and teachers actively involved in Classics teacher networks; increased geographical spread of involved schools; the opportunity to showcase innovative methods for promoting the study of Classical Civilisation; opportunities for longer term collaboration with the schools and teachers; increased publicity for both organisations through the events.
In 12 months, the project will collaborate with at least 40 teachers and 500 school students in the 10 partner schools, as well as, a cohort of PGCE trainee teachers. Anticipated benefits for the teachers are: opportunities to collaborate on the development of cross curricula teaching; to learn about digital humanities research; to acquire skills in the use of 3D modelling and quantitative analysis for the humanities; to learn and share best practice of the cross curricula activities; and to utilise experiences and skills developed after the length of the project to enhance humanities teaching in their schools. Wider benefits for some of the teachers involved in the project includes enhancing continuing professional development and the opportunity to participate in outputs. Anticipated benefits for the students in these schools include: learning that is more social and student centred; cross curricula links that enhance learning and achievement at more than just subject knowledge (about Ancient Greece) including communication, numeracy, problem solving, 3D modelling and information-technology. Four regions of the UK and different types of schools have been chosen to expand the possible impact of the research. Further to this, the mix of independent, Academy and Local Education Authority schools increases the potential for impact within different types of education systems.
The year-long events have been structured such that the outcomes and outputs are disseminated as widely as possible, and cover a combination of online open access websites which will ensure long-term impact of the activities that far exceeds the timeframe of the project itself:
1. Lesson plans and partner evaluations will be published on TES connect and Guardian Teacher Network and will provide free downloadable resources that will be attractive and of significant value for an international audience of teachers of Classical civilisation, History, Design and Technology, Mathematics and cross-curricular teaching (for example, KS 2 & 3 resources are relevant for 4 and 5 grade and A-level resources will be relevant for 11 & 12 grades in the U.S.A., Years 3-5 and 11-12 in Australia).
2. Lesson plan and evaluations of the Ancient Greek Storytelling activity using LEGO Education StoryStarter will be uploaded to the LEGO Education Community webpages. The use of LEGO in education is relatively new but it is an international brand and the materials and website have an international audience. Partner teachers have already expressed a desire to use the websites of LEGO and The Historical Association to showcase their school and the activities of their students after the project, ensuring a lasting legacy of the project.
3. An open access article and teaching resources to be researched and written by the PI, based on context for research, interviews held between the PI and the teachers during the project, lesson plans, teacher evaluations of the development process and classroom activities and PI evaluation of the project, will be published on The Classics Library.
The beneficiary third sector organisations are The Classics Library and Classics for all. Anticipated benefits for this group include an edition of The Classics Library journal; a broader range of schools and teachers actively involved in Classics teacher networks; increased geographical spread of involved schools; the opportunity to showcase innovative methods for promoting the study of Classical Civilisation; opportunities for longer term collaboration with the schools and teachers; increased publicity for both organisations through the events.
Organisations
- University of Liverpool (Lead Research Organisation)
- Liverpool College (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Carfield Primary School (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Patcham Junior School (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Kempsey Primary School (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- King Henry VIII School, Coventry (Collaboration)
- High Storrs School (Project Partner)
- Priory School Lewes (Project Partner)
- Patcham High School (Project Partner)
- King Henry VIII School (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Matthew Fitzjohn (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Fitzjohn's research-based classroom resources (over 70 documents) have enhanced content, and supported teachers to deliver curriculum on Ancient Greece to thousands of children in England. The history of Ancient Greece is a topic in the National Curriculum (KS2) but there is no statuary guidance on how to teach the subject. Consultation indicated that few primary teachers had adequate knowledge or resources to teach Ancient Greece. Use of Grand Designs resources has significantly increased the content and teaching time devoted to daily life in Ancient Greece, and has transformed teaching and student experience in primary and secondary schools. A-level teachers at Blackpool Sixth have said "Fitzjohn's research has proved extremely beneficial for staff and students. The project supports the curriculum, further promotes engagement with the subject and is a valuable tool for the classroom". The Headteacher of Kempsey Primary School believes "The impact and implications of his research will be with us for many years to come". In 2016-2017, Fitzjohn began collaborating with 14 teachers and approximately 800 students in 8 partner schools (in Merseyside, Yorkshire, the Midlands and Sussex). Since then, c.800-1000 students each year have used Grand Designs resources, and an increasing number of teachers (average 8 per year) have used them. Since 2018-2019, the project has collaborated with 12 more schools (in Yorkshire and the northwest), and provided events and training workshops in Blackpool, Leeds, Cardiff and Belgrade, Serbia, enabling hundreds of additional teachers to enrich their curriculum and teaching practice, transforming the learning experience of thousands of students. |
| Exploitation Route | Materials produced during the project are now available online at Times Educational Supplement. These resources can be downloaded and used by teachers across the globe: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-archaeology-of-ancient-greece-primary-resources-11939965 https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-archaeology-of-ancient-greece-secondary-school-resources-11939988 and https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/storytelling-and-ancient-greece-12118052 |
| Sectors | Education |
| URL | https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/archaeology-classics-and-egyptology/research/impact/grand-designs/ |
| Description | The collaborative schools project, Grand Designs in Ancient Greece, combines Fitzjohn's research on ancient Greek houses and households with innovative multimedia activities that engage learners through play with LEGO. Grand Designs has transformed the practice of primary and secondary teachers and the experiences of thousands of students in schools across England. Grand Designs' classroom resources have enhanced teaching within the National Curriculum at Key Stage 2 - Key Stage 3 (KS2-KS3), giving teachers without specialist knowledge the tools to teach Ancient Greece (History), and facilitating innovative cross-curricula teaching of Arts and STEM subjects. Grand Designs has inspired teachers' creativity in developing their own resources in many subjects, and raised pupil participation and engagement, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). In particular, using LEGO for serious play has inspired teachers' creativity in developing their own resources and raised pupil participation, engagement and attainment. Since 2017, these activities have lead to further invitations (national and international) to support teachers to design lessons and schemes of work that support teaching of history, cross-curricula teaching and language learning. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Project partnership schools |
| Organisation | Carfield Primary School |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The partner schools with which we have worked comprise: 4 Primary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; Carfield School, Sheffield; Kempsey Primary School, Worcestershire; Patcham Junior School, Brighton), 4 secondary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; King Henry VIII, Coventry; Patcham High School Brighton and Priory School, Lewes). The selection of these partner schools was based on a mix of existing collaborations and new collaborations that have been established during the planning of the project. Schools and colleges were selected during the planning process to ensure that we collaborate with partner institutions that contain well-supported enthusiastic teachers, many of whom are leading actors in the teaching and promotion of Classical Civilisation in the UK, and on the vision and priorities of the senior management in the partner schools. The project team has developed a web platform (VOCAL) that enabled collaboration amongst project partners and the creation of teaching resources. Academic research typically reaches out to schools through the creation of static resources that are disseminated to schools either online, in the form of digital publications or websites, or though school visits. In contrast, we have actively engaged with our partners to explore and devise cross-curricular teaching resources including lesson plans and learning activities that seamlessly integrate learning about Ancient Greece with other subjects including English, Design and Technology, Science, Mathematics and Computing. The online environment has allowed teachers to dedicate time to the evaluation, use and enhancement of materials. We have created four types of teaching resources that have provided teachers with information packs about Ancient Greece and original learning tasks that will stimulate learning and achievement. The information packs have been based on my research (including but not limited to Ancient Greek vernacular architecture, construction methods and building practices, the activities of children and women in the home). These packs are the primary source of subject-specific information upon which all other cross-curricular activities are based. Learning tasks have been created based upon my research methods and university teaching. These activities have included utilising LEGO® Education StoryStarter to create a range of cross-curricula activities to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, design and IT skills at KS2 and 3. The project also provided partner schools with LEGO and IT resources to enable students to participate in all activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners have evaluated, used in their own classrooms and reflected on our materials, and given feedback to us about the use and applicability of the resources and activities. They are also measuring and evaluating the impacts of the lessons around students' engagement, behavioural change and development, as well as the impacts for the teachers in how they view the use of cross-curricular teaching about Ancient Greece (within either the History or Classical Civilisation curricula) with English, Design and Technology, Mathematics and Computing. |
| Impact | Teaching and Learning material |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Project partnership schools |
| Organisation | Kempsey Primary School |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The partner schools with which we have worked comprise: 4 Primary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; Carfield School, Sheffield; Kempsey Primary School, Worcestershire; Patcham Junior School, Brighton), 4 secondary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; King Henry VIII, Coventry; Patcham High School Brighton and Priory School, Lewes). The selection of these partner schools was based on a mix of existing collaborations and new collaborations that have been established during the planning of the project. Schools and colleges were selected during the planning process to ensure that we collaborate with partner institutions that contain well-supported enthusiastic teachers, many of whom are leading actors in the teaching and promotion of Classical Civilisation in the UK, and on the vision and priorities of the senior management in the partner schools. The project team has developed a web platform (VOCAL) that enabled collaboration amongst project partners and the creation of teaching resources. Academic research typically reaches out to schools through the creation of static resources that are disseminated to schools either online, in the form of digital publications or websites, or though school visits. In contrast, we have actively engaged with our partners to explore and devise cross-curricular teaching resources including lesson plans and learning activities that seamlessly integrate learning about Ancient Greece with other subjects including English, Design and Technology, Science, Mathematics and Computing. The online environment has allowed teachers to dedicate time to the evaluation, use and enhancement of materials. We have created four types of teaching resources that have provided teachers with information packs about Ancient Greece and original learning tasks that will stimulate learning and achievement. The information packs have been based on my research (including but not limited to Ancient Greek vernacular architecture, construction methods and building practices, the activities of children and women in the home). These packs are the primary source of subject-specific information upon which all other cross-curricular activities are based. Learning tasks have been created based upon my research methods and university teaching. These activities have included utilising LEGO® Education StoryStarter to create a range of cross-curricula activities to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, design and IT skills at KS2 and 3. The project also provided partner schools with LEGO and IT resources to enable students to participate in all activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners have evaluated, used in their own classrooms and reflected on our materials, and given feedback to us about the use and applicability of the resources and activities. They are also measuring and evaluating the impacts of the lessons around students' engagement, behavioural change and development, as well as the impacts for the teachers in how they view the use of cross-curricular teaching about Ancient Greece (within either the History or Classical Civilisation curricula) with English, Design and Technology, Mathematics and Computing. |
| Impact | Teaching and Learning material |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Project partnership schools |
| Organisation | King Henry VIII School, Coventry |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The partner schools with which we have worked comprise: 4 Primary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; Carfield School, Sheffield; Kempsey Primary School, Worcestershire; Patcham Junior School, Brighton), 4 secondary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; King Henry VIII, Coventry; Patcham High School Brighton and Priory School, Lewes). The selection of these partner schools was based on a mix of existing collaborations and new collaborations that have been established during the planning of the project. Schools and colleges were selected during the planning process to ensure that we collaborate with partner institutions that contain well-supported enthusiastic teachers, many of whom are leading actors in the teaching and promotion of Classical Civilisation in the UK, and on the vision and priorities of the senior management in the partner schools. The project team has developed a web platform (VOCAL) that enabled collaboration amongst project partners and the creation of teaching resources. Academic research typically reaches out to schools through the creation of static resources that are disseminated to schools either online, in the form of digital publications or websites, or though school visits. In contrast, we have actively engaged with our partners to explore and devise cross-curricular teaching resources including lesson plans and learning activities that seamlessly integrate learning about Ancient Greece with other subjects including English, Design and Technology, Science, Mathematics and Computing. The online environment has allowed teachers to dedicate time to the evaluation, use and enhancement of materials. We have created four types of teaching resources that have provided teachers with information packs about Ancient Greece and original learning tasks that will stimulate learning and achievement. The information packs have been based on my research (including but not limited to Ancient Greek vernacular architecture, construction methods and building practices, the activities of children and women in the home). These packs are the primary source of subject-specific information upon which all other cross-curricular activities are based. Learning tasks have been created based upon my research methods and university teaching. These activities have included utilising LEGO® Education StoryStarter to create a range of cross-curricula activities to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, design and IT skills at KS2 and 3. The project also provided partner schools with LEGO and IT resources to enable students to participate in all activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners have evaluated, used in their own classrooms and reflected on our materials, and given feedback to us about the use and applicability of the resources and activities. They are also measuring and evaluating the impacts of the lessons around students' engagement, behavioural change and development, as well as the impacts for the teachers in how they view the use of cross-curricular teaching about Ancient Greece (within either the History or Classical Civilisation curricula) with English, Design and Technology, Mathematics and Computing. |
| Impact | Teaching and Learning material |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Project partnership schools |
| Organisation | Liverpool College |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The partner schools with which we have worked comprise: 4 Primary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; Carfield School, Sheffield; Kempsey Primary School, Worcestershire; Patcham Junior School, Brighton), 4 secondary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; King Henry VIII, Coventry; Patcham High School Brighton and Priory School, Lewes). The selection of these partner schools was based on a mix of existing collaborations and new collaborations that have been established during the planning of the project. Schools and colleges were selected during the planning process to ensure that we collaborate with partner institutions that contain well-supported enthusiastic teachers, many of whom are leading actors in the teaching and promotion of Classical Civilisation in the UK, and on the vision and priorities of the senior management in the partner schools. The project team has developed a web platform (VOCAL) that enabled collaboration amongst project partners and the creation of teaching resources. Academic research typically reaches out to schools through the creation of static resources that are disseminated to schools either online, in the form of digital publications or websites, or though school visits. In contrast, we have actively engaged with our partners to explore and devise cross-curricular teaching resources including lesson plans and learning activities that seamlessly integrate learning about Ancient Greece with other subjects including English, Design and Technology, Science, Mathematics and Computing. The online environment has allowed teachers to dedicate time to the evaluation, use and enhancement of materials. We have created four types of teaching resources that have provided teachers with information packs about Ancient Greece and original learning tasks that will stimulate learning and achievement. The information packs have been based on my research (including but not limited to Ancient Greek vernacular architecture, construction methods and building practices, the activities of children and women in the home). These packs are the primary source of subject-specific information upon which all other cross-curricular activities are based. Learning tasks have been created based upon my research methods and university teaching. These activities have included utilising LEGO® Education StoryStarter to create a range of cross-curricula activities to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, design and IT skills at KS2 and 3. The project also provided partner schools with LEGO and IT resources to enable students to participate in all activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners have evaluated, used in their own classrooms and reflected on our materials, and given feedback to us about the use and applicability of the resources and activities. They are also measuring and evaluating the impacts of the lessons around students' engagement, behavioural change and development, as well as the impacts for the teachers in how they view the use of cross-curricular teaching about Ancient Greece (within either the History or Classical Civilisation curricula) with English, Design and Technology, Mathematics and Computing. |
| Impact | Teaching and Learning material |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Project partnership schools |
| Organisation | Patcham Junior School |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The partner schools with which we have worked comprise: 4 Primary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; Carfield School, Sheffield; Kempsey Primary School, Worcestershire; Patcham Junior School, Brighton), 4 secondary schools (Liverpool College, Liverpool; King Henry VIII, Coventry; Patcham High School Brighton and Priory School, Lewes). The selection of these partner schools was based on a mix of existing collaborations and new collaborations that have been established during the planning of the project. Schools and colleges were selected during the planning process to ensure that we collaborate with partner institutions that contain well-supported enthusiastic teachers, many of whom are leading actors in the teaching and promotion of Classical Civilisation in the UK, and on the vision and priorities of the senior management in the partner schools. The project team has developed a web platform (VOCAL) that enabled collaboration amongst project partners and the creation of teaching resources. Academic research typically reaches out to schools through the creation of static resources that are disseminated to schools either online, in the form of digital publications or websites, or though school visits. In contrast, we have actively engaged with our partners to explore and devise cross-curricular teaching resources including lesson plans and learning activities that seamlessly integrate learning about Ancient Greece with other subjects including English, Design and Technology, Science, Mathematics and Computing. The online environment has allowed teachers to dedicate time to the evaluation, use and enhancement of materials. We have created four types of teaching resources that have provided teachers with information packs about Ancient Greece and original learning tasks that will stimulate learning and achievement. The information packs have been based on my research (including but not limited to Ancient Greek vernacular architecture, construction methods and building practices, the activities of children and women in the home). These packs are the primary source of subject-specific information upon which all other cross-curricular activities are based. Learning tasks have been created based upon my research methods and university teaching. These activities have included utilising LEGO® Education StoryStarter to create a range of cross-curricula activities to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, maths, design and IT skills at KS2 and 3. The project also provided partner schools with LEGO and IT resources to enable students to participate in all activities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project partners have evaluated, used in their own classrooms and reflected on our materials, and given feedback to us about the use and applicability of the resources and activities. They are also measuring and evaluating the impacts of the lessons around students' engagement, behavioural change and development, as well as the impacts for the teachers in how they view the use of cross-curricular teaching about Ancient Greece (within either the History or Classical Civilisation curricula) with English, Design and Technology, Mathematics and Computing. |
| Impact | Teaching and Learning material |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | A VIA Culture training event entitled "CULTURAL THREADS: An introduction to Cultural Heritage and its community and social aspects" took place in Cardiff, 18.01.19 - 20.01.19. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | As a result of his work with language teachers in Cardiff, Fitzjohn was invited to present a workshop on how Grand Designs resources can be used to teach languages, entitled "Archaeological storytelling and language acquisition with LEGO". The workshop comprised two activities: Teaching English through heritage and archaeology Teaching modern Greek with an ancient Greek house, to learn about room names, vocabulary and sentence construction Approximately 20 language teachers participated in the workshop. As a result of the workshop, one of the participants, Olja Milosevic, invited Fitzjohn to present a plenary speech and workshop at the 17th English Language Teachers Association (ELTA) Conference in Belgrade, which is described later in this document. 7 participants filled in the sign-up sheet afterwards, in order to receive more information about the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Amazing Archaeology, Carfield Junior School Sheffield |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Amazing Archaeology, Carfield Junior School Sheffield Amazing Archaeology was an afternoon intervention involving three Year 3 classes (over 90 children), and a period to work with three teachers to evaluate implementation of the project resources. The main aim of this afternoon was to introduce how archaeology addresses big questions about our past and how we also use archaeology to understand the present and think about the future. I gave a short presentation about archaeology and introduced the archaeological process (how archaeologists find sites, excavate and analyse them). The children were then asked to work in groups of five to create a story about an archaeological excavation, what was found and what happened after the excavation. Together they brainstormed ideas and then use the LEGO Story Starter kits to create a storyboard for a five scene drama about the excavation. The children had to consider: the scenario, time and place, characters, props, and the main events. This activity was designed • to encourage children to express and develop ideas through collaborative discussion, • to portray characters, settings, and events in detail, based on inference and facts drawn from the information about archaeological excavations • to explain how scenes fit together to provide a smooth transition, and how they form the fundamental structure of a story, drama or poem • construct a conclusion to the story, making use of transitional words and phrases, using sensory detail to convey character experiences and events • to use different forms of writing including narrating a story, writing a newspaper report, or adding captions to a photostory • to demonstrate the correct use of English grammar when writing and speaking The activities were also designed to enhance different areas of Key Stage 2 section of the National Curriculum including History Key Stage 2, as follows: • "They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources." Geography Key Stage 1 and 2: • "interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)" In-class reactions to the activities were very positive. The majority of students responded positively and enjoyed the tasks. After this event, which was the start of the special topic on archaeology and Ancient Greece, the teachers stated that the types of activities had a positive impact on the children's experience of the curriculum. An evaluation exercise has demonstrated the high level of appreciation of the activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Amazing Archaeology, Patcham Junior School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Amazing Archaeology were two days of activities involving three Year 6 classes (over 90 children), and a period to work with three teachers to evaluate implementation of the project resources. On the first day, the PI and PDRA introduced how archaeology addresses big questions about our past and how we also use archaeology to understand the present and think about the future. We gave a short presentation about archaeology and introduced the archaeological process (how archaeologists find sites, excavate and analyse them). The children were then asked to work in groups of five to create a story about an archaeological excavation, what was found and what happened after the excavation. Together they brainstormed ideas and then use the LEGO Story Starter kits to create a storyboard for a five scene drama about the excavation. The children had to consider: the scenario, time and place, characters, props, and the main events. On the second day we introduced and explained why archaeologists use a grid system to record finds during excavations. It builds on the concepts developed in activities that teachers had been doing on Latitude and longitude (based on materials created by the project), and the idea that a precise location must be recorded for archaeological finds and features that will later be moved, destroyed or built over. The activity also introduced the basics of Pythagoras' Theorem, which can be used to check the accuracy of an archaeological grid. Groups of students were required to work as archaeologists to lay out a grid on grass or a hard surface, using Pythagoras' Theorem to check that the angles are correct. Following this they measured the location of objects placed in the grid, and record their positions in plan and as written co-ordinates. These activities relates to Geography Key Stage 2 as follows: • "use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references" And to Maths Key Stage L2 as follows: • year 3: "measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm)" • year 4: "describe positions on a 2-D grid as coordinates in the first quadrant"; "plot specified points and draw sides to complete a given polygon" In-class reactions to the two days of activities were very positive. The majority of students responded positively and enjoyed the tasks. After this event, which was the start of the special topic on archaeology and Ancient Greece, the teachers stated that the types of activities had a positive impact on the children's experience of the curriculum. An evaluation exercise has demonstrated the high level of appreciation of the activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Building houses in Ancient Greece, Liverpool College, Liverpool |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Building houses in Ancient Greece, Liverpool College, Liverpool was a morning intervention involving two Year 8 classes (over 60 children), which provided an introduction to a new section of the Classical Civilisations syllabus. This workshop was designed to familiarise students with the architectural layout and function of rooms in ancient Greek houses. A further aim of the session was to demonstrate the relationship between 2D plans and 3D models, so that students understand how 3D buildings and objects can be represented in 2D. Students were required to work with archaeological plans to build models of Greek houses in LEGO, which provided an opportunity to discuss how buildings are constructed, and the differences between ancient and modern building materials. The sessions were connected to the Year 8 Classical Civilisation curriculum and they relate to Mathematics Key Stage 3 in several ways, including: • "analyse numbers, algebraic expressions, 2-D and 3-D shapes"; "extend and formalise their knowledge of ratio and proportion in working with measures and geometry"; "interpret when the structure of a numerical problem requires additive, multiplicative or proportional reasoning"; "solving problems and evaluating the outcomes, including multi-step problems"; "use standard units of mass, length, time"; "round numbers and measures to an appropriate degree of accuracy"; "change freely between related standard units"; |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Dobcroft Archaeologists' week of archaeology (School Visit, Sheffield) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Worked with teachers to devise a week of classroom cross-curricula activities that could be used to enhance engagement and learning of history, maths, art and english curricula for Year 5 pupils. Activities with pupils sparked conversations in school with other teachers and team leaders, including special educational needs, about my research and the outcomes of the research project. The school reported increased interest in history among the cohort as well as engagement in class. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019 |
| URL | http://www.dobcroft-jun.sheffield.sch.uk |
| Description | English Language Teachers Association Conference Belgrade Serbia 10.05.2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Fitzjohn was invited to take part in the 17th English Language Teachers Association's (ELTA) international conference in Belgrade, 10.05.19 - 11.05.19. Fitzjohn presented a plenary session entitled "Grand Designs in Ancient Greece", and a workshop entitled "Storytelling and language acquisition with Lego". The conference organisers were particularly interested in Fitzjohn's innovative, cross-curricular approach to teaching, and his use of storytelling to encourage language development. Over 300 teachers attended the event, and more than 30 individuals submitted their contact details in order to receive more information about the Grand Designs project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/eltaserbia/posts/2336999133031842 |
| Description | Heritage and Language teaching |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Workshop with English language teacher and co-taught English language sessions based on research. Teacher reported improved level of participation in class room, as well as reflections on experience in the following sessions, which included changing opinions about careers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Heritage workshop at CULTURAL THREADS An introduction to Cultural Heritage and its community and social aspects (Cardiff) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited participation in Erasmus+ funded workshop including giving a presentation and leading a workshop with group of international language teachers (UK, Greece, Italy, Serbia). Event developed out of invited collaboration with teacher at Cathay's High School, Cardiff, which was the result of conversation following a presentation about project at Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference in Southampton December 2016. Aim of the workshop was to support teachers who are project partners in CULTURAL THREADS An introduction to Cultural Heritage and its community and social aspects. This Erasmus+ funded project is developing a method of integrating language teaching and acquisition with enquiry based learning about European Cultural Heritage Assets. My involvement was to illustrate different methods for developing cross curricula teaching with heritage content. Discussion lead to invitations for further participation in the project, as well as invitations to participate in a language teaching workshop at the University of Padua (June 2019), and an invitation from for the Serbian Association of English Language teachers, to give a plenary presentation and run workshop at the annual English Language Teaching conference, in Belgrade May 2019. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Learning modern Greek and Classical archaeology, Cardiff |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Workshop with Year 7 and 8 children who are learning modern Greek. Used research to develop activities to teach both language and the archaeology of Classical Greece. Activities sparked questions and discussion with children. They were interested to discover more about the archaeology of Greece. Teacher reported increased participation and enjoyment during the session and enhanced engagement with language acquisition in subsequent classes. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Leeds: Celebrating Education Yorkshire Conference, 16.11. 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A one day conference took place in Leeds on 16.11.19. The event, entitled "Celebrating Education Yorkshire", was organised by the National Education Union and the Carnegie School of Education. The event was attended by approximately 40 primary and secondary school teachers form the UK. Fitzjohn presented a workshop on how Grand Designs resources can be used by teachers, entitled "Cross-curricular classroom activities for KS2". There were three other workshops running at the same time. Fitzjohn's workshop was attended by 11 participants, of whom, 9 filled in a form afterwards to say that they would like more information about the Grand Designs in Ancient Greece project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Public Engagement workshop, Institute of Classical Studies (Manchester) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 40 people attended the event. The participants ranged from postgraduate research students to teachers. Presentation sparked questions and discussion about research. Following the event, I have received expressions of interest for more information and further interest in research project and outputs from the research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | School visit (Ormskirk) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Supported teacher to develop and deliver 6 weeks of content to enhance primary curriculum for Years 3 and 4. Activities increased content in school curriculum and led to widening of activities and pedagogy within the school beyond the content of the sessions. Activities supported two teachers and 30 pupils over the course of 6 weeks. Teachers reported increased engagement across the cohort and enhanced participation in classroom activities after the interventions. School reported increased interest in the subject and more broadly in the classroom. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | School visit, Liverpool |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Session involved discussion of research projects including experiences in partner schools. We exchange ideas about teaching and student engagement and examined ways to use research to enhance delivery of different subjects (Classical Civilisation, Ancient History and Latin). Discussion lead to exchange of research related material and expression of interest of incorporating materials and working to utilised materials with colleagues to enhance provision. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Teacher training session (Blackpool) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Training session for 10 primary school teachers from across the North West region. Activity supported the enrichment of curriculum in schools who were participating in a project supported by Classics for all, a national charity promoting the teaching of ancient Languages, primarily Latin and Ancient Greek. Workshop led to use of project resources within these schools. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | The Master Mosaic Maker's apprentice at Kempsey Primary School June 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The Master Mosaic Maker's apprentice at Kempsey Primary School 2016 The Master Mosaic Maker's apprentice was a daylong activity involving two Year 3 classes (around 60 children), and working with two teachers to evaluate implementation of the project resources. The activities introduced the topic of Greek mosaics, including what they were made of, where they were likely to be found, and the type of decoration they featured. The main aim was to familiarise students with the idea that images can be made by combining lots of small pieces, whether they are the tiles of a mosaic, spots of paint, or the pixels you can see by standing too close to a television. The activities encouraged learners to reflect on what they had learnt about Greek myths and Athenian history, as well as daily life in Ancient Greece, to design an image that they could create in a mosaic. Learners designed their own mosaics and created them with LEGO. Once they had created their mosaic they had to use price lists that we had created to cost their mosaic. The activities were designed to enhance different areas of the curriculum including History Key Stage 2: "Ancient Greece - a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world" Art & Design Key Stage 2: "creativity, experimentation and an increasing awareness of different kinds of art, craft and design"; "improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials" Mathematics Key Stage L2, year 3: "solve problems, including missing number problems, involving multiplication and division, including positive integer scaling problems and correspondence problems in which n objects are connected to m objects"; "Pupils solve simple problems in contexts, deciding which of the four operations to use and why. These include measuring and scaling contexts, (for example, four times as high, eight times as long etc.) and correspondence problems in which m objects are connected to n objects (for example, 3 hats and 4 coats, how many different outfits?; 12 sweets shared equally between 4 children; 4 cakes shared equally between 8 children)." There is clear evidence, both from in-class reactions and from a survey, that this day and the other activities that the children had done during the term has made an impact on their experience of the curriculum. An evaluation exercise has demonstrated the high level of appreciation of the activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Workshop for mini scientists and inventors in Summer Science Club at Victoria Gallery and Museum |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Workshop for mini scientists and inventors in Summer Science Club at Victoria Gallery and Museum The workshop took place in the school summer holidays. It was a free event run in the Victoria Gallery and Museum at University of Liverpool in collaboration with the PDRA from the project. We introduced mini-scientists and inventors (aged 9-14 years) to the amazing archaeology of Classical Greece. The mini-scientists investigated the archaeological evidence of houses and daily life in the ancient city of Olynthos, and experimented with maths, measures and LEGO to build models of houses at different scales and learn about life in Ancient Greece. The aims of the session were to introduce mini-scientists to archaeology and the science involved in archaeological research. They children worked in groups to solve archaeological problems about documenting and interpreting sites. They also experimented with LEGO and archaeological tools (measuring tapes, tape and compass) to create scale models of archaeological sites. 14 mini-scientists participated in the event. They asked questions and engaged in discussion about archaeology. There is evidence from a survey at the end of the day that this workshop was not enjoyable but had encouraged the children to attend further workshops during the summer, and that they were keen to learn more about Ancient Greece. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |