Story of a Village

Subject: Personal and Social Education
Level: Secondary
Age Group: 11-14
Order Number: 3019

The Story of a Village is just that: it is a pack containing a range of photocopiable materials such as a map, letters and other fictional documents as well as numerous ideas for their use and literature tie-ins that builds up into a substantial piece of cross-curricular work around the theme of the village to be used as a whole term project at primary level. The package is mainly self-explanatory and when used imaginatively it is completely cross- curricular at all key stages for English, Drama, Maths, Science, History, Geography, PSHE, RE, Environmental Studies and Art. The pupils can make it as simple or as complicated as they wish, as can the teacher. Since the village is named by the pupil, the whole project immediately becomes personal and subsequent work can be tailor-made for the individual by the teacher. Difficult or Special Needs pupils become involved with 'their' village and the characters they have created, and any specials interests known to the teacher can be incorporated to motivate them further (e.g. football, wildlife, travelling, fishing). More able pupils are given the opportunity to work at a deeper level and there is also ample opportunity for communication between the pupils through the characters or the situations in their villages. Discussion can be encouraged. This pack has been trialled extensively and successfully in primary schools, recently garnering praise as 'a positive classroom resource' in a successful Ofsted report.