Coming to Doncaster: why then and why now? Narrative

In Autumn 2021 the LKS2 Phase Expedition was to investigate the reasons why the Vikings came to Britain around AD 750 and what their life was like at the time. This was then compared with modern day migration: where people come from, why they leave their homes and what makes them settle in Doncaster.

The Guiding Question was "Coming to Doncaster: why then and why now?"

Case Study 1

In Case Study 1 we explored why Vikings chose to migrate from their home in Scandinavia and settle in Doncaster. The Case Study had a history driver and the learning targets were :

• I can give a broad overview of life in Britain from ancient until medieval times.

• I can place events, artefacts and historical figures on a timeline using dates.

• I can understand the concept of change over time, representing this, along with evidence, on a timeline.

• I can use dates and terms to describe events.

• I can use appropriate historical vocabulary to communicate

• I can use more than one source of evidence for historical enquiry in order to gain a more accurate understanding of history.

Case Study 2

In Case Study 2, we looked into the causes for modern day migration, where people come from and the motivations for their move. Geography was a driver for this case study as the children developed the skills of map reading and locating places on a map. They also developed their understanding of physical and human geography. The Learning Targets were:

• I can investigate human geography, including: settlements and land use.

• I can use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features.

• I can ask and answer geographical questions about the physical and human characteristics of a location.

Case Study 3

Our final case study explored artwork from different cultures and how art can help create an identity. Through this case study, children developed their sketching skills

Learning targets:

I can develop ideas....

• I can develop ideas from starting points throughout the curriculum.

• I can collect information, sketches and resources.

• I can adapt and refine ideas as they progress.

• I can explore ideas in a variety of ways.

• I can comment on artworks using visual language.

I can master techniques:

• Use different hardnesses of pencils to show line, tone and texture.

• Annotate sketches to explain and elaborate ideas.

• Sketch lightly (no need to use a rubber to correct mistakes).

• Use shading to show light and shadow.

• Use hatching and cross hatching to show tone and texture.

The expedition began with Hook Week . Children were immersed from the start with staff being dressed in viking costume, taking them into the hall for a journey on a viking longboat, viking games and food tasting. The children entered the mythological world of the Vikings and shared stories of dragons, being inspired to create clay dragon eyes. Classrooms were immersed with the help of children creating Viking longboats and shields to decorate the classroom.

The guiding question 'Coming to Doncaster: why then and why now?' encouraged students to examine the Viking expansion from their homelands in c.750 across areas of Europe and into Britain with a specific focus on the settlements around Doncaster. From this students looked at key areas of Viking life, the Vikings as invaders and settlers and examined some common misconceptions of the Vikings. They developed their skills of placing events on a timeline and using different sources to compare and contrast historical events.

Children moved on to investigate modern day migration in the second case study. Questioning children in school they uncovered the heritage of families within our school community. Interviewing people within our community, children built up a picture of the different motivations people have for migrating to Doncaster and the challenges that are faced. It also gave children an understanding of the diversity of their local community. This was reflected in a lasting legacy for the school in the form of a world map display in the hall, highlighting where our families originate from. These interviews were drivers for the second English cycle as the children wrote autobiographies of the people they interviewed. For added impact, these autobiographies were turned into portraits of the individuals.

Students visited Murton Park to complete fieldwork that involved living like Vikings and studying Viking artefacts to get a greater understanding of the life of a Viking and the challenges they may have faced. This inspired the writing from the first English cycle, which was to write a diary entry from the perspective of a viking, using How to be a Pirate and the book Viking Longship as key texts.

In Geography, the children learnt how to use maps and atlases to locate countries around the world and discussed the reasons for modern migration.

The Expedition was underpinned throughout by the English Curriculum. With the choice of quality texts that engaged and broadened the children's understanding and the topics being discussed. Written tasks were designed to elicit imaginative and informative writing from the children, drawing on the experiences they had gained through their fieldwork and expedition research.

Final Product

The final product for the expedition was an art gallery where each child displayed their portrait sketches alongside their clay dragon eyes and their Viking diary entries and autobiographies of a migrant.