Museum Visit

Unfortunately I was not able to go to the Museum with the children as I was running an MoE workshop elsewhere. A colleague who is experienced in using MoE took my place and fed back on the fabulous morning the children spent in role as restorers. The museum staff took on their role admirably and looked at our company portfolio and information books about The Titanic - they were suitably impressed.

In the week building up to the visit we had started to discuss materials on the Titanic and had been looking at underwater video footage from expeditions down to the wreck to see how these materials had fared after 75 years at the bottom of the Atlantic. We had also been looking at photographs of restored objects from the Titanic and noting their condition. The children wanted to set up their own investigation looking at how different materials fare over time on salt water so we now have a tub ful of salt water and a range of artefacts which is eagerly examined each day.

The workshop at the museum fitted beautifully in with this as the restorers were presented with a range of genuine artefacts which might or might not have come from Edwardian times. they had to write salvage reports on each artefact, including predictions about how these would survive in sea water. The children were really enthusiastic about the visit and are now waiting to hear whether the museum are going to commission us to dive down to the Titanic. They think they were pretty impressed by our work, but, modestly, reckon we have a 50/50 chance of being chosen for the job. We'll see!!

The Navratil Brothers

The children have been eager to find out more about the story of the Navratil brothers, age 2 and 3 who survived the sinking of the Titanic after being kidnapped by their father, boarding the ship with the false name of Hoffman, Their father passed them into the last lifeboat and died in the sinking. I decided to spend two weeks exploring the whole story through drama conventions, with each child making their own ongoing information book about the story of the boys.

Here is the teaching sequence :

1. Mother and Father in France. Choose 3 children to be the mother and the children as they say goodbye to the father. Decide together how the group will look as they leave (frozen image). Father is looking out of a window, watching his children leaving. Rest of class position themselves as father (collective role). Thought track what the father is thinking. The three people leaving are activated to call back a parting message to father (rest can help by going to one of the trio and whispering what to say.)

2. The kidnap. Look at a poster advertising the Titanic’s voyage to a America – remind children that hundreds of people saw this as a start to a new life in a new country. Children in role as father come and stand looking at the poster, saying what they are thinking.

This worked particularly well. Some of the children are now beginning to use ambiguous language as if they are aware of the power of suggestion and uncertainty in the drama e.g. one boy looked at the poster thoughtfully, turned round to the rest of the class and said'It's time .....'

3. How is Michel going to explain to the boys what is going to happen?
Teacher in role as dad – class in role as boys – as Dad tries to explain that he is
going to take them away, the boys ask him questions.

4. Father tells the boys they need to pack just one suitcase, taking only the things they
need. Children go to draw what they pack in their suitcase (in special books). Also
stick in passenger information about the boys and father. (My class to design cover
for book in ICT.)

5. On board the Titanic. Shared drawing of 2nd class cabin (me drawing big picture as the class tell me all the details to include.) Children to draw their own cabins in their books.

I love this convention - it always works really well, with a huge outpouring of ideas - amazing detail.

6. In role as the children (work in threes). Decide together one of the things you were doing on board. Make into photograph with a caption – two as children, one as caption reader. Draw the photograph and add the caption in your book.

7. The sinking : create frame distance by observations concerning the boys and their father coming from different characters on board the ship:

The passenger who helped to dress and carry the boys on deck.
Captain Smith
Molly Brown
Margaret Hays
One of the children on board.

All these people saw something relating to the boys in the confusion. Sit in 5 groups - one for each role. Take it in turns to call out one thing you saw.

This was an exhausting session, but worth it as the children were very engaged and there was a charged atmosphere because we were dealing with the 'big' moment'. I didn't want the action to get panicky or silly, hence the frame distance by them observing what was happening to the boys rather than being the boys. This seemed to work well.I was given a 'gift' when one child said he had climbed up inot the crows nest and was looking down ontoi the deck, so we all took on that role and said what we could see.

8. Group of children to form the circle of crew around Collapsible Lifeboat D. Child in role as Margaret Hays in lifeboat. Teacher in role as 2nd officer Charles Lightoller (also controlling / slowing down action.) Father and friend with children approach the lifeboat, step by step – CL will keep calling stop to check the rules are being kept ‘women and children only!’ etc. + asking questions to the two men. Children are handed through to Margaret Hays.

The role of Margaret Hays was taken on by a bright girl who has found it quite hard to engage in the drama and is generally reluctant to speak in a whole class context, though has been happy doing all the other tasks so far. It has taken her this long, but today she was there, speaking her thoughts and totally engaged in this role. The crew, with arms linked created a real tension and, again, the 2nd officer 'controlling' the speed of the action semed to stop it descending into something more chaotic or superficial. Someone suggested at this point that we read out the actual words that the father said to his eldest son as he passed him into the lifeboat, so I found the quote and asked one of the children to read it - it was a hushed and poignant moment.

9. In the lifeboat, looking at the Titanic sinking. Thought tracking.

10. Back in France. The mother reads the newspaper with the report about 'The orphans of the Titanic. Create a mock up of the newspaper with some headlines, a brief report and a photo of the children. Children to take turns to sit in the chair and read out the headlines and report out loud. Then continue to come to chair, look at the paper and say one thought out loud.

This was very efective. The children said afterwards that they really enjoyed this becasue they wanted to see what was inside the newspaper, especially the photograph. As in the episode of the Dad looking at the poster, their words were carefully chosen and suggestive rather than obvious.

12. The family re-united. 3 children in role (or teacher + 2 children) as mother and sons, posing for photograph for the newspapers. Rest of class in role as journalists asking them questions.

13. Look at the list and pictures of Michel Navratil’s effects, found with his body when it was pulled out of the sea (reveal these one by one). Put each piece into context e.g. coat – bought by his wife for his birthday.

Last of all, reveal the revolver (a loaded revolver was found in his pocket.)

Draw some of the items and write down beside each one the context that you have decided.

This session was incredible! They were fascinated by the very ordinary things that were found on his body - a pocket book, a pipe in a case, a bill for the hotel where he had stayed with his sons in London etc. When the gun was revealed there was a collective gasp! It was interesting that many of the children suddenly decided he was an evil man, even though they had been pretty forgiving about the kidnapping. We got into three groups at this point: those who thought he was bad; those who thought he was good and those who thought he was a mixture of bad and good. Each group took it in turns to present one reason for their case - people were allowed to change groups at any point their mind was changed. This was a huge debate that went on for nearly 20 minutes - why did he have a gun? In what circumstances would he use it? Where did he get it? Who might he fire it at?

At the end of this session several people had changed their minds more than once, but still wanted to know more. One child suggested that we should hot seat Michel and ask him some questions - others wnated to hot seat other people. Great - the children are suggesting their own drama conventions nbow to fit the situation!! We did just that and hot seated Mochel, the passenger who had helped him save the boys and his wife. Powerful stuff - the questions were so focussed beacause they really wanted to find out the truth! What was the truth? Well, even after all their questions there were still many doubts and ambiguities .....

14. Titanic Reunion. Show photograph of the 85 year old Michel Jr at a Titanic Reunion. In role as survivors from the Titanic, move round the reunion room introducing yourself and asking questions to others.

We actually built on this with a quick technique I thought up to focus the questioning more: the survivors got into groups of three to form a 'question circle' in which a) asks b) a question, b ) answers a) and then asks c) a question and so on in a loop. This worked so well - the groups carried it on for quite a time and the questions were realy focussed and supported - they said afterwards that if anyone got stuck then the other two helped them think of a new question. There wasn't one person in the class who couldn't manage to interact in this way. Some of the 3's said they thought they could have gone on for hours!!

The books they have made are great - they have been using ICT time to create documents such as the hotel bill and the menus on the boat the boys might have eaten. They have found photos from books and the internet which they have stuck in and captioned and have written newspaper headlines and reports. They also all wrote a dramatic account of the sinking from the point of view of one of the people in the story - some engaging and dramatic writing arose, I believe, from the fact they had 'been there' in the drama and explored different perspectives and viewpoints over time.

Parent Responses

Questionnaires were sent out to Year 2 parents after 1 ½ terms of their children working in role as a shipwreck salvage company.

Here are some quotes from the returned questionnaires - I was stunned by these responses and their understanding of the depth and range of learning in MoE:


‘ She has often talked about the company work she is involved in – she shows me the pictures and work relating to this during the morning before class begins.’

‘He will talk about what he has learned without prompting which isn’t normal. He is excited about the way you are teaching him which is brilliant!’

‘She seems very engrossed in the team effort this work involves and has told us all about the different roles. She’s the bones expert! ‘

‘She’s definitely motivated by this type of learning – there’s obviously a great deal of enthusiasm for this project, not to mention the excitement factor. She is always pleased to tell us she will be doing company work today. It’s almost role reversal and she’s become the adult!’

‘It extends and challenges her way beyond the classroom, e.g. when we were at the beach she will be beach combing for objects to include in her company work or asking us questions or looking in books we have at home.’

‘It‘s very important for her, as an only child, to learn to work in a team situation. It has stimulated her to ask various questions she might not have asked about before.’

‘It’s a great way of holding onto children’s attention and interest rather than the obvious teaching formats.’

‘She talks about it all vividly.’

‘He’s been consumed by it!’

‘She really enjoys working in the salvage company. She’s told us everyone has a role and is involved.’

‘He’s completely motivated – I believe it’s because it’s so different – personal and intriguing – he takes it to heart.

‘She is motivated - it’s the only thing she’s come home from school talking about. The role play helps her to get involved.’

‘I think it’s crucial as it covers all learning styles and needs.’

‘Carry on educating others about the importance of this exciting and much needed approach to teaching. I only wish that we could guarantee that Year 2 children will get more chances in the future to experience this imaginative work.’

‘He is coming to terms with life and death through this work together with with the archeological fascination of being involved with salvaging this historic monument.’

‘It’s a fantastic and exciting way of learning. I really like the way it has taken away some of the routine ways of learning and basics.’

‘Lots of chat about the unfolding story of the company – especially the passengers’ personal stories (i.e. The Titanic).

‘There are lots of exciting things to do – we’ve heard all about who is doing what in the company, about diving – looking at the real gear - and about the history of the Titanic . We’ve taped TV documentaries and looked up things in books to feed the interest developed.’

‘Working with the group and with partners is fun. It’s memorable and interesting. The children use their imagination to lose themselves in the drama – they’re really living these experiences rather than just learning about them in a more traditionally passive way.’

‘ He is definitely being extended. He is really keen to learn more. He’s been to the library to find books on this topic and searches on the internet.’

(An EAL parent): ‘ She said many things about the Salvage Company. She told about under the sea and the cylinder help the breath and they have special camera and clothes. The children learn lots of general education and they know real problems and solve problems.’

‘It seems to give school work a purpose.’

‘It encourages imagination and broadens their horizons – most 7 year olds would probably never give any thought to the considerations of running a company.’

‘The Titanic has completely captured his imagination. He gets very into the role play and scenarios. He was particularly interested in the lives of the people on board.’

‘I like the way that one subject can cover all sorts of curriculum areas. It makes learning more relevant and cohesive.’

‘He tells us all about it! Various jobs – he thinks he has an important job as a restorer. ‘

‘It teaches various topics in a practical sense, like entrepreneurship, research, team-work and other jobs and responsibilities.’

‘I like the way they work in a team with a focus, communicating with peers, bringing various talents and understanding.’

‘This is a creative way of teaching. They have goals and responsibilities – it is definitely a good way to learn.’