How exciting, a whole day devoted to the importance of History and how the study of History can be used to inform the present. Right up my street (being CWC’s History teacher).

It was our intention (as with all the Enrichment Days) to provide students with enriching experiences: to provide opportunities for further personal development, to develop knowledge, behaviours, and skills for adulthood, and to have enjoyable educational experiences… Challenge accepted!

I started all my sessions with a discussion on Why Study History? We talked about all the skills you can use in order to interpret the past and, more importantly, learn from it. We also looked at the careers that are possible after studying History. Then, of course, it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty… Historical Simulations (Using the superb interactive resources from Russel Tarr’s website – Active History).

We started the day with some Crime and Punishment in the Nineteenth Century. Learners were given the details of the crimes and then asked to be the judges and decide upon the appropriate punishment. We had to communicate our feelings about the severity of the crime and then come to an agreed judgement. We completed the session by comparing our considered judgements to those given by the actual judges in the 1800s - it was enlightening how things have changed over time and how human rights have developed along the way.

In the next session, we changed tack and decided to go undercover in Ancient Rome… We were trying to infiltrate a plot to assassinate the Emperor. Along the way we visited the Appian Way and discovered more about the building of Roman Roads and then we visited Aqua Appia and saw how the Romans developed the carrying of water through aqueducts. Last but by no means least, we observed chariot racing at Circus Maximus. All of this was done without even leaving the classroom by the superb visuals and clips from documentaries that were part of the simulation experience.

For the last session we felt like being even more adventurous and went in search of fame and fortune in the American West. We had to restart a few times as Manifest Destiny and the dangers of the Oregon Trail got the better of us. Luckily, we survived the Gold Rush and made our fortunes selling equipment to those who were desperate to strike gold. Thank goodness this was all a simulation!

So, we learnt from our mistakes and had the opportunity to adjust our approaches to become more successful (if only life was like that!). 

Hopefully students left with a little more understanding and empathy for some past events and saw how the decisions made in the past can severely impact the future.

There is certainly the potential for some budding historians at CWC to take this further…  History is our Future after all!

Gayle Martin

'Too Right It's My Right' was a workshop about disability rights throughout history. Students were each given key events that offer insight into how disability has been viewed throughout history, including; the witch trials, Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, World War I and the 1948 London Olympic Games. Students familiarised themselves with two key events and shared their findings with others.

Together, the groups created a timeline of the events and identified patterns. Students reflected on why it is important to learn about our history, including more sinister and challenging parts of history.

To finish the workshop, we looked at disability activism today and reflected on how we can learn from our history in order to create positive change and impact our future. Student's shared insightful thoughts and talked passionately about this topic, leaving with an overall positive outlook on disability rights throughout history. 

 Sam Wilsden