Prehistory in the History Curriculum
by Ian Coulson
Education and the teaching of history is never out of the news for long and this year has been no exception. In February the new history National Curriculum was announced and many people were pleased to see that there were few changes to an established curriculum that most people agree works well. The previous year had been very difficult, with Simon Schama describing the original proposals from Mr Gove as ‘1066 and all that, without the jokes’. The governments’ original proposals were hopelessly impractical and after a combined response from professional historians and teachers it was changed. Amongst the new aspects introduced in February is the inclusion of prehistory. Without written sources this topic appears challenging. However, what teachers do have are the artefacts from the past and evidence from a wide range of archaeological sites, including many from Kent.
Teaching such a long period of history to young children presents it challenges. There are two approaches that are commonly used. The first is teaching an overview of the period by picking a limited number of themes, such as housing, farming or tools. Another way of teaching the era is to provide the children with a framework of the different prehistoric periods and then concentrate on a short study in depth.
Teachers in Kent are lucky to have several very useful resources to help them plan a successful and interesting scheme of work for their pupils. The KAS Kent History Atlas is probably the best place for a teacher to find a review of the prehistory of the county. A basic background to prehistory can be found on the KCC website Exploring Kent’s Past, under Simple Timeline http://webapps.kent.gov.uk/KCC.ExploringKentsPast.Web.Sites.Public/SingleResult.aspx?uid=TKE1048 and on the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/british_prehistory/ but the Kent History Atlas brings it all closer to home. For much more detail The Archaeology of Kent to 800AD edited by John Williams is excellent.
My preference is to establish the chronology of prehistory in the minds of the children and then look in detail at the archaeology of one of our great county discoveries. There are a number that are ideal, the Ringlemere cup, Coldrum Stones, the Mill Hill ring from Deal, but my favourite is the Dover Bronze Age boat.
European Union funded the ‘Boat 1550BC’ project to develop an understanding and appreciation of the common cultural heritage shared by communities lying on either side of the English Channel. During the last three years there have been three major international exhibitions and a programme of educational activities including the construction of a replica of the Dover Bronze Age boat that brought together the prehistoric communities of the Transmanche area (see pages 24 and 25). Part of this project has been the creation of a Bronze Age Boat pack of educational materials by Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Christ Church University.
The kit is has been designed as a teaching aid for schools: to help teachers and children learn about archaeology and its value as a useful means of investigating the past; to develop the teaching of archaeology, prehistory and the Bronze Age; to encourage investigative approaches to teaching and learning; to encourage ‘hands-on’ approaches using objects and to help develop cross-border communication and understanding between pupils and teachers in schools in France, England and Belgium. The whole pack is based on original archaeological finds to aid the development of investigative skills. There are also items from the Boat 1550BC travelling exhibition, materials from the Boat 1550BC public lectures all collected on a CD or USB stick or DVD of digital materials.
The Teachers Guide suggests a variety of approaches. The material is written for teachers and aimed at non-specialists. The pupil’s text is aimed at broadly 10 to 13 year olds, but teachers can adapt to suit the needs of younger or older pupils, or those with special educational needs.
The Kits are available for loan from Canterbury Archaeological Trust. For more information see the website or contact Marion Green at marion.green@canterburytrust.co.uk
Maidstone Museum also has a prehistory resource box, available from January 2015, with objects which cover the broader spectrum of the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, teacher’s notes and suggestions for site visits. The Museum Learning Team there now also offer prehistory schools workshops, as do various other museums around the county, including the Beaney in Canterbury, where pupils can kill and prepare a mammoth for tea!