Inquiry Curriculum context planning form Titanic - imaginative

Inquiry Curriculum context planning
form
Title: (With a short paragraph on the context)
Titanic
A team of marine archaeologists are commissioned by the British Museum to re-visit the
wreck of the Titanic with the task of discovering the hidden stories of those who lost
their lives, with the aim of creating an exhibition to commemorate the disaster which
happened on April 15th, 1912.
Context: (Include the scenario, the expert team (their responsibilities and values),
the client(s), and the commission)
A team of marine archaeologists, with a long history of exploring and
studying shipwrecks, are far out at sea, onboard their specially equipped
research ship, two miles above the wreck of the RMS Titanic.
After an initial exploratory dive, using unmanned submersibles, the team
make a final check of their equipment and discuss the operational
parameters of their mission.
Under commission from the British Museum, the team’s objective is to
explore the wreck, as sensitively as possible, and to find personal objects
that can be used in an exhibition to tell the forgotten stories of those who
were involved in the disaster.
Overview:
Author: Tim Taylor
Theme: Titanic
Age Range: KS1 (possibly KS1)
Main Curriculum Focus: History and English
Inquiry Question: “What might the Titanic disaster tell us about changes in attitudes
towards life and people’s place in society and how these have changed since 1912?”
Expert Team: A team of marine archaeologists
Client(s): The British Museum
Commission: to explore the wreck, as sensitively as possible, and to find personal
objects that can be used in an exhibition to tell the forgotten stories of those who
were involved in the disaster.
Main Curriculum areas:
History
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
a. about characteristic features of the periods and societies studied, including the ideas, beliefs, attitudes
and experiences of men, women and children in the past
b. about the social, cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of the societies studied, in Britain and the
wider world
c. to identify and describe reasons for, and results of, historical events, situations, and changes in the
periods studied
d. to describe and make links between the main events, situations and changes within and across the
different periods and societies studied.
Historical interpretation
Recognise that the past is represented and interpreted in different ways, and to give reasons for this.
Historical enquiry
a. how to find out about the events, people and changes studied from an appropriate range of sources
of information, including ICT-based sources [for example, documents, printed sources, CD-ROMS,
databases, pictures and photographs, music, artefacts, historic buildings and visits to museums,
galleries and sites]
b. to ask and answer questions, and to select and record information relevant to the focus of the
enquiry.
Organisation and communication
a. recall, select and organise historical information
b. use dates and historical vocabulary to describe the periods studied
c. communicate their knowledge and understanding of history in a variety of ways
English – Writing
a) to imagine and explore feelings and ideas, focusing on creative uses of language and how to interest
the reader
b) to inform and explain, focusing on the subject matter and how to convey it in sufficient detail for the
reader
c) to persuade, focusing on how arguments and evidence are built up and language used to convince the
reader
d) to review and comment on what has been read, seen or heard, focusing on both the topic and the
writer's view of it.
10. to use writing to help their thinking, investigating, organising and learning.
11. A range of readers for writing
12. A range of forms of writing including narratives, poems, playscripts, reports, explanations, opinions,
instructions, reviews, commentaries.
Inquiry Questions: (There can be a range of inquiry questions, please indicate the main or
core ones. The following headings may help, don’t feel obliged to create a question for every category.)
Social: How was life onboard the Titanic and the disaster affected by class and social attitudes?
Political: What effect did wealth, influence and social attitudes have the consequences of the disaster
and the subsequent inquest?
Historical: How can we learn about the sinking of the Titanic and life in 1912 by studying historical
artefacts from the wreck?
Environmental: What effects did the especially cold weather and the unusual ice-flow have of the
disaster?
Critical: Could the disaster have been avoided? Was anyone to blame? Or was it a series of unexpected
events?
Ethical: To what extent do archaeologists have obligations to the past? Is it ethical to take artefacts
from the wreck of the Titanic? Should these objects be considered the property of the victim’s families?
Philosophical: To what extent was the Titanic disaster the result of human beings hubris?
Spiritual: Should the wreck of the Titanic be considered a gravesite? And if so what are the team’s
responsibilities to the dead? Do their religious beliefs (while alive) affect these responsibilities?
Steps in:
Resources:
1. Drawing of the corner of the Titanic lifebelt, with the words Titanic on a separate piece
of paper – see below
2. Post-it notes
3. Data sheet – “Survivors, victims and statistics” – see below
4. A5 paper; Large sheets of sugar paper (or similar); scissors, pens etc
5. Topic books on the Titanic – esp. “Inside the Titanic”, which is excellent, see below for
other recommended books and resources.
6. Access to the Internet, see below for some recommended websites.
Note: It is to be expected that many of your students will have heard of the sinking of
the Titanic, some might know a great deal, others might have seen the film or watched a
documentary. However, we recommend you spend a short time before starting up the
imaginary dimensions of the inquiry by doing some straightforward research work with
your students. How much time you spend on this is your own choice, depending on how
much they know already, but two or three hours would probably be the minimum.
1. Introducing the inquiry
- “I’d like to show you something… It’s in a story…” Stick up the picture of the lifebelt
(without the name) onto the board. “I’d just like to ask you what this makes you think
of…”
Give the students chance to think and talk. They might immediately think of the Titanic,
that’s fine, but try to extend their thinking in other directions as well. At this point there is
no right answer.
- When you feel the time is ready add the name. “Have you heard anything about the
Titanic? Talk to the person next to you, share what you’ve heard, if you don’t know
anything you might be able to find someone who does.”
2. Researching
- “I’ve brought along these books and pictures, you might like to take a look at them. If
you find something you think is interesting could you write it down on one of these post-it
notes and stick it on the board. If you have a question you’d like to know the answer to,
could you please do the same.”
The students might want to extend their research to the Internet.
Encourage them to read each other’s notes and questions, but don’t go through each one
with the whole class, that would be tedious!
You might want to start classifying or sorting the notes with the students as they write
them.
If you think it appropriate you could show clips from one of the films or documentaries, if
you do, encourage the students to carry on making notes and asking questions.
Steps in continued:
3. Data-Handling
This next step is entirely voluntary, but it would be a shame to pass up the opportunity
for some real life and exciting data-handling.
You need the “Survivors, victims and statistics” paper (see below).
Be careful to keep the inquiry ‘open’ by asking the students to interpret the data. Don’t
ask closed questions you already know the answer too, such as: “Who can tell me how
many children survived in Third Class?” Inquire with them. Give them enough time to
take a good look and talk their friends, then try something like… “You know what shocks
me is the percentage of men from second class who lost their lives…”
Help extend their thinking by asking for more explanation, but be careful not to
interrogate. “Ah, its interesting you say that, could you say a bit more about what you’re
thinking?” or “Um. I see what you mean. I suppose it would have been harder for the
children in Third Class to get to the lifeboats. But even so, I don’t understand why twice
as many men from First Class survived, when it was supposed to women and children
first!”
4. Introducing the imaginary context
- Place the section of the lifebelt picture in the centre on the floor where all the students
can see it. “You remember I said this lifebelt was in a story… well it is, but the story starts
not on the night of the disaster but nearly a hundred years later. It’s on the deck of
another ship. This one is a research ship, run by a team of marine archaeologists, who
are here to take a look at the wreck of the Titanic. They’re working for a museum, the
biggest in the country, and they’ve just lifted this out of the water.”
- Teacher in Role: At this point you will need to talk inside the fiction to answer the
student’s questions. This is an important role because the students will have the chance
to learn the details of the context and ask questions before they themselves take on the
point of view of experts.
- Start by explaining that you are going to talk as someone who works on the ship and
might be able to answer any questions they might have. Give them time to think, if they
are quiet to start with then make an offer: “I suppose I could start by telling you about
this vessel…”
- The important information is:
1. You work as part of a team of marine archaeologists. You might want to do some
research on this subject before you start, see the links below for more information.
2. You work on a research ship – see pictures below.
3. The ship is currently out in the Atlantic Ocean two miles above the wreck of the
Titanic.
4. The team are working for the British Museum; their commission is to explore the
wreck, as sensitively as possible, and to find personal objects that can be used in
an exhibition to tell the forgotten stories of those who were involved in the
disaster.
5. Yesterday was the first day the team had explored the wreck. They sent down
unmanned submersibles and took pictures of artefacts they found interesting.
6. Later today they will be returning to the wreck to take a closer look at the objects,
and deciding what to do with them.
- The last function of the role is to bring the students into the fiction. You’ll need a stack
of A5 paper prepared in a folder. “These are the photographs we took yesterday.” At this
point the role is suspended, but you keep talking… (see Step 5)
Steps in continued:
5. Activity – Creating the artefacts
-“If I hand these out would you mind taking them as members of the archaeology team?
You’ll notice currently there is nothing on them; I was thinking we might create the
photographs by drawing pictures of the things we found while exploring the wreck.
Artefacts that we’d like to take a closer look at when we return to the wreck later today.”
Notice the further shifts in language. The paragraph starts ‘outside’ the fiction with an
offer to come into the story – ‘would you mind taking them as members of the
archaeology team?’ Then there is a suggestion that we might create the photos ‘as if’ they
are real - I was thinking we might create the photographs by drawing pictures. And then
finally, there is a passage which talks ‘inside the fiction’ invoking the idea that we are
already a team – ‘things we found while exploring the wreck. Artefacts that we’d like to
take a closer look at when we return later today.’
- There are three parts to this activity (for an example see below)
1. First the students draw pictures of artefacts from the wreck, they can use books
and other resources to help them. As they work, try to talk to them inside the
fiction. “That’s interesting, I can see why you want to go back for a closer look.”
But if there are some that need some extra help, don’t worry about helping them.
“Um. Yes I sometimes have difficulty coming up with ideas. Perhaps if we look in
one of these books we’ll see something that will help you get started.”
2. Once they are started ask them to make some notes. You might want to gather
them altogether, it depends on how much help they need in structuring their work.
“Could I ask you to make a few notes under the photo just outlining what it is you
have photographed… for example: I have photographed a compass. My notes will
probably say something like: ‘Small navigation compass, made of brass, with a
broken lid. May have inscription inside.’ Write as you speak.
3. Once this is done introduce the third part. “We know these objects all have one
thing in common… but what happened to them before the sinking? Could you
imagine you know what the marine archaeology team don’t know, you know all
about the object in your photograph, who owned it, how it got on the ship and why
it went down with the wreck. Could you please make a quick note of one part of
the history of your object that later might be of interest to the archaeology team
once they discover it. For example, this compass does have an inscription inside. It
says: ‘To my beloved son, may God always look over you and protect you. With
love, mother.’ And it was given to the boy who owned it by his mother when she
kissed him goodbye on the eve of his (and ships) maiden voyage.’
These artefacts (and the stories attached) constitute the main ‘bridging’ device into the
context. Depending on the age and confidence of the students they may need help and
support inventing the stories. Tell them they don’t need to be completely finished or
perfect. Just an idea, a moment will be enough. The stories can be worked on and
developed later.
They have two further purposes the first is to ‘populate’ the model of the wreck the
students will create in step 6. The second is to represent the artefacts (or at least some of
them) that will go in the exhibition for the British Museum, at the end of the project.
Steps in continued:
6. Creating the Wreck
Resources:
• Large sheets of sugar paper (or similar); scissors, pens, sellotape, etc
• Topic books on the Titanic – esp. “Inside the Titanic”, which is excellent, see below for
other recommended books and resources.
• Ideally, access to the Internet, see below for some recommended websites.
Note:
In this next step the students will create the wreck of the Titanic on the seabed using
sheets of sugar paper. They can use the books, photographs and websites’ pages as
research media to give them extra information as they work. You will need to decide on
the amount of support they need and how independent they are able to work. You might
decide to make a reference sheet (like the one I made for the Boudicca tomb – Ref. make
a link) to make it easier for the students to access the information they need. Remember
this is their ‘representation’ of the wreck, not a reproduction.
Step:
Prepare the resources so they are available to the students when they need them. You’ll
need quite a lot of space and time for this activity, so you might want to use the hall and
book it out for the afternoon.
Ask the students to sit in a large rectangle, you might want to use PE mats. “Has anyone
discovered anything, during their studies, about the wreck?”
If not, then the following is important: “I don’t know very much… but I do know the ship
spilt in two before it sank and when it landed on the seabed the two halves where more
than two miles apart. Now, obviously this space is much less than two miles, so we’ll have
to build our model to scale. I also know, from the photographs of the wreck, that it is not
completely rotten away, but the sea has caused a lot of damage.”
“I’ve collected these materials and thought we could work together to create a model of
the wreck. I don’t know how it will work, I guess we’ll find that out as we go along. We
can also use the computers and these books and photograph to help us.”
Step 7. Putting the artefacts into the wreck
Once the model is complete clear away the resources and sit with the class around the
edge, ask them to bring their artefacts (from Step 5). You might want to discuss with the
students some of the things they have found out will working on the model.
“Now, each of the objects you have with you are still part of the wreck site. We need now
to put them into our model. If you have something with you that is something that was
owned by one of the crew could you please place it on the model, where you found it
yesterday, during the dive. We’ll have to do this one at a time. As you do it could you
please explain what the object is, using your notes, but not the hidden history, as yet
unknown to the archaeology team.”
After the crew, do the same for third class passengers, second class, third class, and then
any remaining objects. This might take a while; encourage the students to take it in turns,
to look out for their time. As far as possible, try not to direct them too much. However, if
they have trouble working independently then give some support. You and the students
can also ask questions, about the objects as they are added. Take a break if it takes too
long.
Step 8. Operational Parameters
Resource: A flip chart or whiteboard
Note: Once all the objects are in place, then start the next step. This step is designed to
challenge the assumption that the wreck is just a resource to be plundered. It is likely to
stimulate a lively debate over the ethical issues surrounding the exploration of the Titanic
wreck. In particular,
• Should we disturb the artefacts?
• Isn’t it a gravesite, what about dead bodies?
• Don’t the families of the victims own the artefacts?
• Will the British Museum be satisfied with photographs and facsimiles, or do they
want the authentic objects?
Step: “Before we start work on the wreck, we’ll need to agree a way of working, a sort of
set of rules, that stop us making mistakes or do the wrong thing. I wonder if we could
make a list of four of five things we must keep in mind as we work. Sort of operational
parameters.”
Give the students a short time to think and discuss the sort of things they consider should
be on the list. As they work write the title: Operational Parameters on the board.
It is difficult to give much guidance beyond here on how this will develop. It might be the
inquiry will catch fire and the students will see the various challenges and dilemmas faced
by the team right away. Or, it might take a while for things to develop. Support and add
different points of view as you see necessary. Be careful not to dominate or contradict the
students, while at the same time give them help if they need it.
Step 9. The stories behind the objects
Note: This next sequence will help the students to create in more depth the stories behind
the objects on the wreck and how these stories can be used as inquiries into the lives of
the passengers, the world they lived in and the values of their culture.
Often this kind of activity can take a great deal of time to do well, as a consequence, you
may want to spread the work over several sessions.
(i) Ask the students to get together in groups, to take with them their objects and discuss
the stories behind them. Ask them to choose one they would like to explore in more
detail. Reassure them you’ll be returning to the others.
(ii) Ask them to create a moment in the history of the object they have chosen: A scene
from a film about the disaster. It could be from any time in the history of the object. Give
them time to discuss and practice their scene. Depending on the age of the students and
their previous experience at using drama, they may need extra help and support,
including a demonstration.
(iii) Once they have had enough time to prepare, focus on one of the groups.
Note: This part of the sequence is using convention 2 from Dorothy Heathcote’s list. The
importance of this convention is the facility it gives for stopping, rewinding and fastforwarding the action, allowing time to focus on specific moments in the drama and
exploring their meanings.
You may find the following two models useful as ways of structuring the dramatic inquiry
as it develops.
The first comes from Luke Abbott and Brian Edmiston, and takes the form:
• Action, the action as seen
• Dramatic action, the action in context
• Invested action, the meaning of the action
An example,
• Action - A woman picks apples
• Dramatic action - The woman is chained to the tree
• Invested action – The woman is a slave and has tried to escape before
From
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the Titanic:
Action – A man hugs his baby daughter
Dramatic action – They are on the deck of the Titanic
Invested action – He has been told he can’t come onto the lifeboat and is saying
goodbye for the last time.
The second is Dorothy Heathcote’s:
• Action – the action of the person
• Motivation – the reason for the action, short term, in the here and now, associated
with the action
• Investment – the hidden motivation associated with the context
• Model – where to act in this way was learnt (family, society, religion, peer group
etc.)
• Values – what kind of values does this action promote
For example,
• A mother reads to her young child (Action)
• To tell a story from a book. (Motivation)
• Because she wants her child to read and love books, this takes time and dedication
to do regularly (Investment)
• She does this because her mother read to her as a child (Model)
• Being a parent is a great responsibility and has to be taken seriously, and teaching
your children to read and love books is an important part of parenting (Values)
(Luke – paragraph on the soldier/cigarette example)
From
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the Titanic:
A father turns away from his wife and child (Action)
So they won’t see his tears (Motivation)
So my wife and child will never have to remember me in pain (Investment)
His father, his friends and his society demand a man with his background, be a
man – ‘stiff upper lip’ (Models)
• What I value is doing my duty by my family (Values)
(iv) Ask the group to stand as a still image, as if the film has been paused.
(v) The rest of the class look on, “Um, what do you notice? At the moment try not to
interpret much, just say what you see. For example, I can see these two people are
holding hands.”
For our purposes imagine there are three people in this scene, two are holding hands, the
third is standing close by, hands by their side. The image was a man’s top hat.
Give the students enough time to notice as much as they can.
(vi) “Could we ask, are you related?” Answer: “Yes, I’m the mother, this is my husband,
and this is my child.”
Ask the people in the group not to give away too much. Let the rest of the class do the
work. “Are you about to say goodbye?” Answer: “Yes.” Question: “Why are you saying
goodbye?” Answer: “Because they won’t let me on the lifeboat, they’re saying woman and
children first. I can see there are spaces, but they won’t let me on.”
Keep asking questions and encouraging the students to ask questions until the time feels
right to move on.
(vii) Ask the students to show the next few frames, only a few seconds of the film.
Immediately the father turns away as the mother and child step into the lifeboat. The
scene stops with the child looking at the back of her father as he disappears from view.
(viii) This is Invested Action. Your line of questioning will now be about helping the
students see the meaning, or meanings, of this action taken by the father.
“Oh, he’s gone. He didn’t wait to see the lifeboat lowed into the sea. [Action] Why would
he do that?” [Motivation]
“I see, yes, the tears. Why wouldn’t he want his wife and child to see his tears?
[Investment]
“For me that feels strange, where has he learnt that turning away and covering your pain
is the right thing to do?” [Model]
“Um, that makes sense, but what kind of world does he want where men can’t show their
emotions, even to their children, even when it might be the last time they ever see each
other?” [Values]
Note: Depending on how far you want to pursue these stories, each one could be
represented in the final exhibition, as an image (or model) and then as a piece of text,
written by the team explaining to the visitors, what the artefact is, what happened to the
artefact, what is the story behind the artefact and what this story tells us about the
culture and the people who lived at that time.
Possible further activities:
Resources & Links: (please attach any resources or links including photographs)
Other
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good books and resources:
Titanic Resource Pack - Memorabilia Pack
"Titanic" (Eyewitness Guides)
Titanic: The Disaster That Shocked the World!
Survivors: The Night the Titanic Sank
RMS Titanic Manual: 1909-1912 Olympic Class (Owner's Workshop Manual)
Useful films and Documentaries:
• Titanic [1998] [DVD] (rated 12)
• A Night To Remember (rated PG)
• TITANIC - The Entire Story (8 DVD BOX SET)
• Titanic - The Mission
• Channel 4 – The Unsinkable Titanic
Photos and images
• Available at Googledocs
Other resources
• Data sheet – “Survivors, victims and statistics”
Websites
• Titanic – wikipedia page
• RMS Titanic
• Titanic Universe
• Titanic Facts
• Encyclopedia Titanica
• Sky news about Titanic
• Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Revisiting the Titanic
• News on viewing the Titanic in 3-D
• Expedition Titanic
Marine archaeology
• Wikipedia – marine archaeology
• Wikipedia – underwater archaeology
• Archaeology expert – underwater archaeology
• Tools and equipment used in marine archaeology
The Compass document referred to in step 5.