Discovering the Past - Medieval Realms

This teacher's resource book offers flexible photocopiable worksheets which are designed for use with lower-attaining and special-needs pupils in their work on the National Curriculum core study unit "Medieval Realms".

It is a companion to a picture pack for pupils. The Schools History Project special needs support material has been developed to meet a specific demand from schools for material that has all the hallmarks of SHP's "real history" approach - in which pupils investigate issues and explore evidence for themselves, and reach their own conclusions - but which also recognizes the very real problems some pupils have with the language of written source material and the unstructured nature of some historical tasks.

These materials are based on the "real history" approach of the "Discovering the Past" series for Key Stage 3 pupils, but it can be used independently or alongside other courses.

Together, the Teacher's Resource Book and the Picture Pack provide various flexible schemes of work which should suit the majority of classroom situations.

There are three "Pathways" through this material. Pathway 1 is for pupils who have severe difficulties with reading. Using the Picture Pack, pupils can investigate a "minimum entitlement" Medieval Realms unit through the use of pictorial source material alone.

Pathway 2 is for lower-ability pupils who can, nonetheless, cope with a certain amount of carefully targeted reading and writing.

The Picture Pack and the differentiated worksheets, games and stories in the Teacher's Resource Book together aim to provide a flexible alternative to using a textbook.

A wide range of activities are provided that should allow pupils to do real history for themselves.

This pathway can operate independently of any textbook.

Pathway 3 is for use in classes where SHP's "Contrasts and Connections" or "Discovering Medieval Realms" are being used.

The Teacher's Resource Book provides a wide range of materials to support slower learners and reluctant readers, by simplifying written source material and providing structures for pupils' written responses to questions in the textbook.

SHP's "Medieval Realms" unit was awarded the "TES History Textbook Award" in 1993.