There's no doubt about it, I'm lucky, I’m a born storyteller. It's a talent that’s helped me develop a business and career as a Historical Interpreter, which has lasted over twenty-five years and taken me to schools and historical sites around the world.
Teachers know that telling a great story is a fantastic way to engage youngsters, and not just in social studies. But imagine how much more engaged students will be if an actual character from the story is there in the classroom speaking to them, and better still has actual objects from history for students to touch and feel.
From Robin Hood to a soldier in the Trenches of World War One I’ve appeared in classrooms backed up with a trunk full of simple artefacts telling fascinating stories and tales from the past. My Roman legionary character has a kit bag full of personal objects; a simple sponge on a stick always causes a stir but added together with a picture of Roman soldiers in the latrines and a story, stimulates lively dialogue. Then as we discuss how and why the sponge works and compare our modern habits to those from history, students can relate their own lives to those of the Romans and understand the past better.
I use replica artefacts so they can be handed out and handled by the students. The artefacts promote conversation and open up topics for further investigation later.
It’s delightful to watch students hold different objects, puzzle over them and ask questions. I’ve had many wonderful experiences of being with students and discussing objects as they handle them. I once handed a sword (blunt obviously) to a young boy who was blind and watched his face light up as he examined it. However, my favourite era for artefacts has to be the Roman. I especially love the sponge on a stick. I have two of them, cheaply made, and hand them out to the students to examine, before explaining that they were used instead of toilet paper. This sparks great discussion as to who was the cleanest, us or the Romans, we even talk about sustainability and recycling concerning the use of resources for toilet paper.
Whilst artefacts on their own promote engagement, it’s not enough to simply hand an object out in class and discuss what it is. Engagement is so much more powerful if you can regale a story behind it. Making comparisons to today’s objects works too, as it enables students to make a connection and relate the past to the present.
Replica artefacts need not be expensive. Try your local museums to find out if they have a lend and learn policy whereby they will send you an artefacts box on loan. Making your own artefacts is another cost-effective way to engage students, such as a Roman sponge on a stick, it’s easy to make as it is just a small piece of sponge fastened to a stick. Search on Google or Pinterest for pictures. There are manufacturers of replica artefacts all over the world who make everyday objects from history as well as the more expensive, look out for secondhand items too, as there’s often a bargain to be found.
At schools, with my WWI presentation, I use hats to show the countries involved in the conflict. I call up a group of willing volunteers and form them in a line. Each is given a different soft, army surplus cap representing Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, and France with Belgium standing on the end next to Serbia. As I run through the events that led up to the outbreak of war mentioning the different countries, each student steps forward as I call their country’s name. It’s a really fun activity that engages the students and gets them thinking about who was involved and how. Before I used hats, I used paper flags which students held up and waved when it was their turn. Flags can be made quickly and cheaply by sourcing and printing images of the flags from the internet and attaching to a stick or ruler.
Another way I use replicas is with a Roman shield. A great project is to have children make and paint their own Roman shield in advance, after which, I drill them as a class in Latin using Roman commands. This is an awesome activity and we often find that students who don’t know their left from right learn it very quickly, but in Latin!
Even simply presenting an object and asking what it is, or what does, creates dialogue and can open up a lesson.
There’s no doubt this kind of experiential learning has huge benefits and without replica artefacts and costume I would not have achieved half the success I have in schools.
Just remember, artefacts don’t have to be expensive or complicated, the simpler the better………… just make sure you have a great story to back it up.
Kevin’s mission is to teach history dynamically and memorably. He has delivered thousands of presentations and workshops around the world for over 25 years. Now living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Kevin tours schools and venues throughout North America with his special brand of history.
If you would like more information about History Squad’s workshops or a quote, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to call or use the contact form on the website historysquad.ca
History | Social Studies | Teacher | Artefacts | Schools