Use a story and illustrations to introduce the period to be investigated. Discuss with the
children the people they are going to represent.

• When did our characters live? How were their lives different from ours?
  How were they the same?
• How can we find out more about them?
• What situation are we going to act out? An everyday event? Shopping?
  A celebration? A Royal visit? A moment of danger?

[It is important to explain the idea of historical enquiry to the children. To be educationally
valid, the role play needs to be based on accurate information about the events, people,
places and conditions being studied. Often it will be more vivid if the events happened
locally and can be identified with a particular place].

Use the Tabards to help children get into their roles. This will involve them in finding out about the clothes of the period.
However, the aim is not to do an historical reconstruction - it is to give a symbolic representation for each character.
A crusader knight can be represented by a red cross, a craftsperson by the tools of the trade.

Meeting curriculum requirements:

The curriculum for this age group lays emphasis on the way different groups of people live, particularly at different levels
of society. Major characters are selected for the importance of their views, actions and their effect on historical change.
Role play allows children to learn for themselves about life in the past which sometimes can be difficult for them to
grasp from textbooks. In essence, what the children are learning is the ability to understand historical events through
the eyes of a contemporary observer.

Tips for Painting:

The teacher must be prepared to provide the children with enough accurate information on which to base their role play
and costumes. The children can also carry out basic additional research of their own and this will be valuable experience.
The costume work should be planned on paper in sketch form before beginning on the Tabard.

Useful Reference:

A Teachers Guide to History through Role Play by John Fairclough, Published by English Heritage ISBN 1 85074 4785
from English Heritage Education Services, 429 Oxford St. London W1R 2HD.
Books on Costume together with visits to museums and historic houses are also useful

What you will need:

Tabards, paint , water jugs, rags paper towels and brushes.

Activity 0060 Putting on a Play NONE AT PRESENT
Activity 0049 Be the high street
Activity 0029 The Victorians