a b e g i nne r’s g u i d e t o

MANTLE

o f t h e a b e g i nne r’s g u i d e t o

MANTLE

o f t h e

a t r an s f o r mat i v e ap p r oac h t o e d u cat i o n

t i m tay l o r For Claire, Lilly, Finn, and Ettie, for their love, kindness, and support Contents

Foreword 9 Introduction 11

part one: explaining mantle of the expert 1 The Principles of Mantle of the Expert 21 2 The Foundational Elements 37 3 The Core Elements 51 4 The Drama Elements 67

part two: using mantle of the expert

A Beginner’s Guide to Mantle of the Expert 5 Imaginary Contexts for Learning 91 A transformative approach to education 6 Planning 107 Singular Publishing 7 An Example 137 Norwich, UK 8 Teaching 157 Designed and typeset by Emily Benton www.emilybentonbookdesigner.co.uk Printed and bound by Page Bros, Norwich, UK appendices © Tim Taylor 2016 1 Animal Park 185 All photographs © Steve Beaumont 2016 2 Titanic 200 First published July 2016 3 Dorothy Heathcote’s Conventions List 218 Second printing December 2017 Third printing April 2019 4 Planning Booklet 221 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored 5 Planning Resources Booklet 229 in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the Notes 246 prior permission of the publisher and copyright owners Index 250 The right of Tim Taylor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Acknowledgements 255 Designs and Patents Act 1998 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser A cip record for this book is available from the British Library isbn 978-0-9935572-0-0 www.singularpublishing.com 6 Foreword

Tim Taylor is a supreme tracker. He has not only managed to capture and understand an elusive teaching approach – Mantle of the Expert – but he presents it in these pages in a form comprehensible to all. For anyone approaching Mantle of the Expert for the first time, or anyone simply wanting to reflect on their own developing practice, this excel- lent book will be a great friend and ally. On a wider stage it will also be – it is – a brave and very important book. For education in the twenty-first century and beyond, we have to construct a new form of interaction in the classrooms of the world, so that the next generations are equipped with the indomitable spirits that will guide the world to become a better and safer place. We have to be humble enough to admit that our public education systems are broken. We have to find the determination, alongside Giroux and Aronowitz, to trial new ways to teach. In this book lie the seeds of those new ways. Mantle of the Expert uses simple, fictive settings, created in the classroom by young people work- ing with a skilled professional. Tim is one such. As a trained historian, he has applied his instincts – and the skills acquired during many years of research and experience – to describe the essence of what Mantle of the Expert is and how it works. We follow his journey from apprentice- ship to mastery, we share his meaningful (and often very entertaining) examples, and we benefit from his clarity of vision and purpose. Some years ago, Gavin Bolton declared that although it was a fabu- lous invention, Mantle of the Expert would never take hold in teacher training or in schools. It was too difficult for professionals to learn, he thought, requiring a fundamental change in thinking and practice, beyond the scope of ordinary teachers. Bolton was one of the great pioneers of drama in schools, and a lifelong friend and colleague of Dorothy Heathcote, the creator of Mantle of the Expert, so he under- stood the territory well. But how wrong he was. For many years, Dorothy Heathcote was indeed the only person able to teach through the system, but slowly and in true, dogged British style, we have pieced together the jigsaw puzzle she left us. Now we have the concepts plainly defined. Now we have the planning and teaching steps laid out. Now we have the ability to exploit the huge potential of Mantle of the Expert. Luke Abbott President, National Association for the Teaching of Drama Introduction

Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact. —Robert McKee1

The teacher begins… “Imagine you are falling through the air. All around you are clouds rushing by, and the wind whistles in your ears. Suddenly, in a blaze of light, you break through into clear blue sky and see, far below, the out- line of an island. Sea laps at its shores, smoke puffs from a grumbling volcano, a forest covers everything in thick green foliage. This is your destination. “You pull hard at the handle gripped in your hand. There is a sharp tug and you slow down. Looking up, you see the wide silk canopy of a parachute opening above you. Higher still, invisible among the clouds, is an aircraft. You can hear its engines buzz as it banks and flies off into the distance. “You look down again. The island is growing closer now and you begin to scan the shore, looking for a tiny strip of sand that will act as a landing place. You spot one. Adjusting the cords that control your descent, you turn in a slow arc and fly towards your destination. Just before you land, as the beach rushes up to meet you, you pull hard again on the cords and the parachute contracts, allowing you to glide gently on to the beach. “You look up again, and all around you are the descending figures of your comrades, those other members of your team, who have also come here to explore the dark interior of this strange and unknown island.” She stops. Looking up at her are thirty young faces, their eyes wide in anticipation. “If you were one of those people,” she asks them, “what would you make sure you had with you?” A forest of hands shoots up. “A map,” says one. 10 11 “A knife,” says another. “A bottle to collect water,” says a third. them directly – “Today children you are going to be explorers landing on The teacher grabs her notebook and starts to write. a deserted island” – but is wrapping words around what’s happening, ask- After a minute, she stops. ing the students to struggle with it and make sense of it through dialogue “I can’t keep up,” she says, “why don’t you grab a whiteboard and and action. This is no easy option, but one that requires more from the make a list of everything you think you’re going to need? It will prob- students than just listening and comprehending, and one that asks more ably be a good idea to share your ideas with each other.” of the teacher than merely transmitting information. The class sets to work, writing and talking. As they work, the teacher This book is a guide to using this approach. It will introduce you to puts up a prepared list on the board. “You might find this list helpful,” the fundamental elements, guide you through the planning process, she says. and support you in learning the skills you need to make it work in your The students work separately and together, drawing on their own own classroom. resources and the extra materials the teacher has provided. After a short while their whiteboards are covered with long lists of items. They are ready for what happens next. what is mantle of the expert?

— Mantle of the Expert is an educational approach that uses drama and inquiry to create imaginary contexts for learning. Teachers work in col- This is the start of a Mantle of the Expert context. The teacher has laboration with their students to generate fictional settings that are used written the text in advance and rehearsed it at home; she wants it to to study the curriculum and to develop knowledge, skills, and under- sound fresh and immediate, like the stories told by oral storytellers. standing across wide subject areas. She wants it to grab the attention of the class and bring them into the The aim is to make curriculum study engaging and meaningful, and fictional world with her. She knows that once they are interested they to place the classroom community at the centre of the learning process. are more likely to give her their time and energy, more likely to make It is not child-led in the sense that the students make all the decisions; a commitment to the curriculum learning she has planned, and more rather it is a collaborative approach, where the teacher and the students likely to become personally invested and engaged with the content work together to build the context and to generate purposeful activities and purpose of the work. for learning. What she is doing is not a trick, but an act of open and explicit The teacher starts by selecting and planning the imaginary context story-making. The children understand exactly what is going on and based on three interlinking factors: the curriculum to be studied, the are invited to join in and contribute. This is a collaborative process, interests of the students, and the resources available. where the aim is to build a fictional world: an imaginary context where The students are then cast as a team of experts – people with specialist everyone is working and learning together. Some aspects are planned knowledge and responsibility – within the fiction who work for a client, and non-negotiable, while others emerge or are created by the chil- who commissions them to perform a range of tasks in pursuit of a specific dren. In these first, meticulously planned steps, the teacher progress- aim or project. These tasks are then used across the curriculum to create ively introduces her students to the fictional world she aims to develop meaningful and engaging activities for learning. with them. Everything she says is significant, each line providing them with another piece of the jigsaw, guiding them inch by inch into the Here is an example. Several years ago I worked with a class of Year 3 and imaginary context. In this way the students begin to find meaning in 4 students who had told me they would like to learn more about castles, the situation, they start to unravel the signs and the clues the teacher knights, and mythical tales. I told them I would do my best to plan some- has provided for them, and then, importantly, they are given oppor- thing that took account of these interests and included as much of the cur- tunities to get involved, suggest ideas, and make decisions. Throughout riculum as possible. I explained it wouldn’t be everything: some bits would this process the teacher is subtly and indirectly communicating: this is have to be taught separately, but I would try to fit in as much as I could. what is happening, this is where we are, this is who we are, and this is The imaginary context I planned cast the children as a restoration what is expected of us. team,2 commissioned by British Heritage to restore an old ruined castle It is an inductive process because the students are given information and open it to the public. The commission required the team to research gradually and indirectly. They have towork at understanding what’s the history of the castle, discover stories from its past, and educate peo- 12 going on and make meaning for themselves. The teacher is not telling 13 ple visiting the site. Each week, I taught sixty to eighty per cent of the curriculum in this the students know the results of what they do will matter to someone way, including most of English, history, geography, art, dt, re, and other than themselves”.7 ict, as well as bits of science and maths.3 The rest of the curriculum I She wanted to find ways of “opening doors for children, helping taught discretely in separate lessons. them make links with the community, and to take a degree of respons- The children’s interest and commitment to the work seemed to ibility for their own learning”.8 grow as their knowledge and understanding developed. They learned Her methods were never about creating classrooms where the chil- about the history of castles and the role they played in medieval soci- dren are in charge, nor simulations where, once participants enter the ety and culture. They read books: stories, myths, legends, and fairy context, they stay until the end. Still less, a big lie where the children tales. They created different kinds of text, including information are duped into believing that what is happening is real. Rather, like books, stories, leaflets, and historical artefacts (letters, decrees, and imaginary play, her way of working was to create dramatic contexts secret notes). They drew maps, plans, and diagrams. They painted pic- where those involved understood they were in a fiction and could stop tures and wove tapestries. and start the action whenever they chose. Finally, they made a twenty-minute film4 – involving animation and live-action scenes using a blue screen – which they scripted, designed, acted in, edited, and produced. The film was shown to a packed audi- luke abbott ence of students, parents, and carers in the hall at the end of term. While this was a long project that brought together many areas of My first experience of Mantle of the Expert came as a newly qualified curriculum study, not all Mantle of the Expert projects have to be so teacher in the early 1990s, when I saw Luke Abbott working with my wide-ranging. Some can last as long as a year, while others might be class of Year 2s. Luke was a former student of Dorothy Heathcote’s over in a couple of hours. Mantle of the Expert is a flexible approach and had studied with her at Newcastle University for his ma in that can be used in many different ways.5 1980–81. The one feature they all share, however, is the way curriculum learn- I’d never heard of Mantle of the Expert, but our head teacher, ing is contextualised within an imaginary setting, casting the students Sue Eagle, recognised that it had parallels with another pedagogi- as people with status and responsibility. This is what gives their learn- cal approach we were developing at the school, called Philosophy for ing purpose and meaning. Children. And so she invited him in. So, when my students studied castles and medieval history, they Within a few minutes of starting, Luke and my students were talk- knew the purpose was to apply that knowledge inside the fictional ing together as an emergency rescue team, discussing what equipment context as the Castle Restoration Team. And when they planned, draf- they were going to need to rescue people trapped in a giant sinkhole. ted, and wrote the guidebooks, they knew that it was to provide clear They were talking about ropes and winches, helicopters and ambu- and concise information to people visiting the site. lances, night-vision goggles and remote controlled cameras, all with- This authentic sense of purpose is fundamental to Mantle of the out a hint of irony or embarrassment. Expert. It’s what draws children in. It’s what makes it exciting and Luke soon had me involved as an accident victim, stuck in the hole, interesting. It’s what makes it worthwhile and worth committing their under a pile of rubble, unable to move and badly injured. The rescue time and energy to. They make this commitment not because they team could only talk to me through their remote-controlled robot, have to, but because they want to. which had discovered me using its infrared camera. “Can you move?” they asked. “No,” I replied, “there’s something heavy across my legs. I can’t see dorothy heathcote what it is in the dark. Can you help me? I’m scared.” “Don’t worry,” they replied, “we’ll be with you soon. Hold on. We’re Mantle of the Expert was invented by drama teacher and academic going to send you some water and a torch. Are you bleeding?” Dorothy Heathcote, while working at Newcastle University in the I remember sitting in the corner of my classroom, talking to my 1970s. Her aim was to create a pedagogical approach that made drama hard-to-engage class, everyone one of whom was crouching with Luke techniques accessible for teachers of all kinds, whatever their back- in rapt concentration: totally focused on this gripping scenario, totally ground and experience.6 immersed in their roles as the rescue team. It gripped me, too. For the 14 She described her way of working as a laboratory method, “where 15 first time I was enjoying drama. I wasn’t being asked to pretend to be injured, screaming in agony The work we did in this initial project further developed over the and writhing on the carpet, nor was I embarrassed by trying to act my next five years into a series of other projects and training modules. The part. All Luke asked me to do was represent someone who was trapped, weekends – held at Ringsfield Hall, a Victorian house in Suffolk – were injured, and unable to move: someone who needed rescuing. Any act- opened up to other teachers and have subsequently been used to train ing on my part would have distracted the children and taken away the hundreds of teachers from all over the world. mantle of expertise Luke was so carefully building with them. This book is in large part the result of the work done at Ringsfield This was an important moment for me. I realised that drama, if done Hall, both on the Innovation Unit project and over the intervening ten well, could be an incredibly effective way to teach. All my previous expe- years. Through teaching other teachers how to use the approach, the riences of drama had been dire, including an excruciatingly embarrassing use of experimental teaching sessions, and many hundreds of hours of session on my pgce course, where we were asked to run around the hall discussion and analysis, we have developed a far greater understanding pretending to be snowflakes, to the accompaniment of Aled Jones sing- of how Mantle of the Expert works and how the approach can be best ing ‘Walking in the Air’. I realise now that these other experiences wer- taught to others. en’t real drama, in the sense of authentic experiences, but silly, frivolous, Back in the early 1990s there was very little information on Mantle play-acting activities. No one, before this session with Luke, had ever of the Expert, and next to nothing in the way of resources and train- bothered to protect me into the drama. Previously, it had always been a ing materials. Much of how it worked was locked up inside the brilliant jarring experience, an awkward jump, from sitting on a chair to ‘warming mind of Dorothy Heathcote, who, as she admitted herself, never found up’ with a game, pretending to be a bereaved father, or some such thing. it easy to explain her ideas.10 Thus, during those early days, learning how Luke worked in a different way. He built a context first and theninducted to use Mantle of the Expert was largely a matter of trial and error, and of us into the experience, a little at a time, going at our own pace. I don’t watching expert practitioners, such as Dorothy and Luke, in the hope remember any feelings of embarrassment or any sense that we were pre- of picking it up through osmosis. For someone like me, a teacher with tending or acting, just a gentle, seamless series of small, coherent activities no background in drama, it was a slow and painful experience. that ended with me on the carpet, holding my leg, and the children at the So, although I’m the one putting the words on the page, this book other end of the room, talking to me through imaginary walkie-talkies. draws hugely on my long collaboration with Luke and his own, even This wasn’t daft pretence, it was authentic drama, and it changed my longer, collaboration with Dorothy, as well as to the many other teachers view of teaching forever. we have worked with at Ringsfield Hall, and elsewhere, over the years. I worked with Luke as often as I could over the next ten years. And, Mantle of the Expert is not an easy thing to explain in everyday lan- gradually, through a process of further demo lessons, joint planning guage. It is wrapped in a code, borrowed in large part from the theatre, sessions, and hours and hours of discussion and feedback, he patiently which can alienate the uninitiated, and give people the impression it is taught me how to use the approach. convoluted or arcane. My aim is to dispel this impression and open up In 2005, the school had a successful Ofsted inspection, where Mantle Mantle of the Expert to the ordinary teacher. I can’t make it easy, and of the Expert was lauded. This led to funding from the government’s I’m not interested in oversimplifying it, but I want to make Mantle of Innovation Unit, which we used for a project designed to teach Mantle the Expert accessible and possible to use. of the Expert to a group of classroom teachers with no background in In a sense I’m writing this for my nqt (newly qualified teacher) self, drama. Our aim was to see if the approach could be learned relatively who, after watching Luke work, went back to his classroom and thought, quickly and then used in everyday classroom situations. “How can I do that?” The project took two years and was structured around four week- This is the book I would like to have had on my desk, ready to help end training sessions, led by Luke, and a series of half-termly meetings me make a start. where the teachers got together with me to discuss their progress. In the intervening times they experimented with Mantle of the Expert in their classrooms. Although there was a high initial drop-out rate, those teachers who completed the project found that Mantle of the Expert profoundly affected their practice and have since gone on to become extremely successful teachers, working in some of the most innovative schools in 16 the country.9 17 part one Explaining Mantle of the Expert

18 19 1 The Principles of Mantle of the Expert

mantle (noun) 1. loose sleeveless cloak or shawl, worn especially by women: ‘she was wrapped tightly in her mantle’ 2. An important role or responsibility that passes from one person to another: ‘the second son has now assumed his father’s mantle’ [With allusion to the passing of Elijah’s cloak (mantle) to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13)] (Oxford English Dictionary)

This is a guide to help you get started with Mantle of the Expert. It’s designed to give you the key elements and main ideas behind the approach, but you don’t have to read it from cover to cover or under- stand every single aspect before you have a go. In fact, you should start working with Mantle of the Expert as soon as you feel confident to try, since, a bit like driving, you can only really understand it by doing it. As you go along, some aspects are likely to be familiar and already part of your practice, while others will be new and things you haven’t done before. But don’t worry: you’ll find they become clearer the more you do them and the more you reflect on them. Consider this book your companion along the way. Keep it close, use it when you need to, write on it, underline passages, throw it across the room in frustration if you have to, but keep practising and, eventually, one day you’ll find you no longer need it. It’s a good idea to keep a journal or notebook, and write down your thoughts and experiences. If you are anything like me, you’ll find some sessions go better than others and learning from your mistakes is a critical part of the journey. To begin with it might be a bit hit and miss, but that’s fine: learning new things, especially complex ideas, is a messy business. Like learning to drive, learning to use Mantle of the Expert involves three stages: the first isconscious incompetency, where everything you try is difficult and you are painfully aware of your lack of expertise. The second isconscious competency, where after much practice you find yourself able to use the elements well, even if it still takes a great deal of planning and effort. The third isunconscious competency, where things 20 21 really start to click and the elements become an integral part of your practice. By this point you’ll notice (like driving from one place to morality, responsibility, ethics and the spiritual basis of all action.”3 another and not remembering how you did it) that your Mantle of the Therefore, as the students’ commitment to the role of the expert team Expert sessions flow by without your struggling to make them happen develops, so does their mantle of expertise. Not as an award, bestowed or planning them in great detail. upon them by their teacher, but, rather, as a distinction, earned through This book has been divided up into two parts. Part One (chap- hard work and application. ters 1–4) is the ‘what’ of Mantle of the Expert: the principles behind the approach and the main elements. Part Two (chapters 5–8) is the Client ‘how’: using imaginary play, planning, starting, and teaching. Each The client is the person the team works for in the fiction, giving the chapter builds and expands on subjects introduced in earlier ones. The team’s activities purpose, meaning, and direction. The purpose of the idea is to look at, review, and extend each aspect of the approach as we role is to set demands, require high standards, evaluate the quality of go along, returning to them and looking at them again by way of vari- their work, and provide feedback. ous examples of classroom practice. In order to satisfy the demands of the client, the team members The examples are ones that have been used in various settings and have to work together, solving problems, creating products, and per- have been chosen to illustrate how Mantle of the Expert works and forming designated tasks. These are designed by the teacher to match can be applied across the curriculum. They are written in such a way the requirements of the curriculum and the needs of the students. that you can use them yourself whenever you feel ready to begin. In this way, the teacher can use the role of the client to steer, chal- You’ll find detailed planning for each of the contexts in the appen- lenge, and support her students as they explore the curriculum dices at the end of this book and on the Mantle of the Expert website. through the fictional context. The purpose of this first chapter is to give you an overview of Mantle of the Expert and to introduce you to some of the main concepts and Commission ideas that underpin the approach. Later on, as we work through the The commission requires the team to perform a range of tasks and book, you will find many of these areas are revisited and looked at activities that create opportunities for the students to study the cur- again in more detail. riculum and develop their knowledge, skills, and understanding. The commission sets the curriculumlandscape , establishing the purpose and direction of the work, and giving it urgency and import- ance. For this reason, it is vital to match the right commission to the defining features needs of the curriculum. The wrong commission will send the work in the wrong direction, resulting in learning that fails to match the cur- There are three defining features to Mantle of the Expert:1 riculum and, over time, becomes superficial and meaningless, while 1. The students operate within a fiction as an expert team with the right commission will keep the work on the right path, generating power and responsibilities. productive and meaningful learning. 2. The expert team works for a client, who sets standards and Careful planning is, therefore, critical to the success of Mantle of the requires information. Expert. It’s a mistake to think the children make all the decisions and 3. The client commissions the team to perform tasks and activities the teacher follows on behind. Mantle of the Expert is a collaborat- towards an end product or project. These tasks and activities ive approach, where the requirements of the curriculum, the interests create opportunities for the students to study the curriculum of the children, and the expertise of the teacher are brought together across wide subject areas. for the purposes of learning. Each element is added to the mix and the teacher works to keep them all functioning well and in balance. Expert team When the students agree to step into the imaginary world, they take on the role of people with power and responsibility. This represents their animal park mantle of expertise. That is, the burden of duties their role carries within the fiction. In Heathcote’s words, “The Mantle means I declare my call- We can see how the features come together in this example called ing and live up to what is expected of me in the community.”2 Further, Animal Park. 22 “I use it as a quality of leadership, carrying standards of behaviour, 23 imaginary worlds animal park Expert team The students work as a team of park rangers. They Mantle of the Expert works by creating two worlds for the students to have the power to run the park in the best interests of the animals explore and study the curriculum. One world is the real world of the and the responsibility to ensure that the animals are properly classroom, the other is the imaginary world of the fictional context.5 protected and cared for.

Client The team works for the owner of the park, who sets high real world standards of care and asks for regular reports. Commission The client commissions the park rangers to visit a bad- ly run zoo which is about to close. The aim of the visit is to assess imaginary whether the animals in the zoo can be rehomed safely in the team’s world animal park or are too unhealthy to move. The animals are of all sorts, including lizards, big cats, and other large mammals.

See appendix 1: Animal Park

In Animal Park the teacher brings the children into the fiction by asking The teacher introduces the context to the class by reading Anthony them to imagine themselves as people who have responsibility in the story. Browne’s Zoo.4 In the book a family of four – two young boys, a domi- She starts in the real world by reading them the book, which gives neering father, and an unhappy mother – visit a zoo where the animals them background and context, and then invites them into the imaginary seem badly looked after. During the visit, only the mother seems to world by asking them what kinds of animals they would like to look after notice how unhappy the animals are, but later on one of the boys (the if they were people who worked in an animal park. It is this contingent book’s narrator) is disturbed by bad dreams. if that makes all the difference. It is only a small word, and easily over- After finishing the story the teacher asks her students, “If you looked, but everything hangs on it. By saying, “If you worked in an ani- worked in an animal park – not a horrible place like the one in the mal park…”, the teacher is signalling clearly and unequivocally that this book, but a well-run place, where the park rangers care for the animals is a fiction, a game of imaginary play, which the children know how to do – what kinds of animals would you like to look after?” without being told, and which they can join in with if they are interested. This is an invitation to the children to step into the imaginary Of course she hopes they will join in and has spent a good deal of time world and take on the role of park rangers. It’s a gentle offer, an “If you thinking about how to attract them to the idea, but she is not foisting it were…” invitation. There are no demands, no pressure, no possibil- upon them or pretending that they really are going to be park rangers. ity of being right or wrong, just an offer to imagine things differently. Once the students agree to come into the fiction, the teacher works The mantle of the expert is not imposed on the children, but offered to on using their ideas and knowledge to develop and build the fictional them as something they might like to try. context together. Throughout the project, however long it lasts, the This process is similar to the way children start a game of imagin- teacher continues to bring in their ideas and knowledge, as well as guid- ary play: they decide on a theme, assign roles, and begin. There is little ing them through the curriculum and developing their knowledge, or no need for them to understand how it works: it just does. One skills, and understanding along the way. moment they are entirely in the real world, talking as themselves; the It is important to stress that this is not a simulation where, once next, they are in a fiction, talking and acting as other people. On the they enter the fiction, participants are encouraged to ignore the real surface there doesn’t seem to be anything complicated happening, world. Instead, it is duality of places, which they can move in and out but underneath there is a complex array of different factors at work, of whenever they choose. This is a critical dimension of Mantle of the including a specialised use of language, that makes the process flow Expert, which we will discuss in detail in chapter 5. and feels natural to the children. By creating a fictional context, the teacher can generate a wide range These factors represent the ideas, principles, and methods that of activities for learning, inside both the imaginary world of the fiction underpin the approach. 24 25 and, by extension, the real world of the classroom. Thus commissions, events, challenges, mishaps, and demands that arise in the imaginary This is a serious objection, and if you are intending to use Mantle world can be shaped and organised by the teacher to create purpose- of the Expert, you need to be clear in your own mind what the term ful activities – such as writing, calculating, drawing, researching, and ‘expert’ means in the context of the approach. Children really aren’t debating – in the real world of curriculum study. experts, and we can’t just pretend they are and hope the learning looks If we look at the context of Animal Park, we can see how this works. after itself. By taking on the role of park rangers, the students agree to take on a The answer to this paradox depends on understanding the role host of responsibilities within the fiction, such as helping sick and of the fictional context and its interaction with the real world of the injured animals, communicating with the owner, educating visitors, classroom. Mantle of the Expert, as we discussed earlier, involves the and maintaining the park. Each of these can then be used by the use of a duality of settings, where inside the fiction the children take teacher to create opportunities for curriculum learning.6 on the mantle of people with expertise, in much the same way as when they take on the role of a character in a game of imaginary play. This is a form of make-believe, where they imagine they are someone other activity curriculum learning than themselves and are endowed with abilities and powers beyond Assess and treat the sick and Investigation into what different animals eat. Classifying those they really possess. injured animals from the zoo herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores. Naming parts of the body, While they operate within the fiction, the real world is still all in the book common injuries, illnesses, and possible causes. Investigation into around them: it never actually goes away and, importantly, children the proper treatment of animal illnesses and injuries are fully aware of this. Thus, if they imagine they are Superman in Inform the owner of the park about Report writing: using a formal register; using headings, their game, they understand this doesn’t mean they can really fly or the condition of the animals at the sub-headings, and bullet points; making an opening and catch speeding bullets. They run around as if they can – making noises, zoo, the treatment given, and the concluding paragraph rescuing victims, fighting enemies – but they know none of it is real. team’s recommendations Children understand this intuitively. There is no need for adults to explain it them: they just know and are willing to suspend their disbe- Educate visitors to the park about Researching information about animals lief for as long as it lasts. the animals: their names, natural Creating information texts, posters, and leaflets habitats, diets, and species This is how Mantle of the Expert works. The children know they are not real experts, they know they are not really in charge of a park full Ensure the park is clean, tidy, Protecting and maintaining the local environment of dangerous animals, and they understand their knowledge and skills and well-maintained Researching animals’ needs: water, food, shelter, are limited by what they really know and can actually do in the real Ensure the animals are happy stimulation, and safety world. Thus, when they imagine themselves as experts in the imagin- and well looked after ary world, they understand that this is make-believe, a fiction that is Learning how to make the environment healthy and safe; Ensure visitors are safe and well creating accurate and well-presented information; investigating contained within the limits of what they can really do. informed, and enjoy their visit people’s needs and interests Let me illustrate by using a sequence of activities from Animal Park: 1. Inside the fiction the students imagine they are park rangers, responsible for keeping the animals safe, healthy, and secure. It is this link, between activities generated in the imaginary world and 2. Outside the fiction (in the real world of the classroom) they work curriculum learning outcomes mandated in the real world, that gives as students, finding out about animals, their varieties, habitats, authentic purpose and meaning to the children’s work. and diets. 3. Back inside the fiction they use this knowledge to run the park as park rangers. They are commissioned by the owner to find ways the paradox of mantle of the expert of educating visitors about the animals. 4. Outside the fiction the students apply their developing knowledge On the face of it, Mantle of the Expert seems to involve a paradox: how and create leaflets, booklets, and illustrations to provide informa- can we expect children to be experts when they know so little? Doesn’t tion to visitors in accessible and meaningful ways. being an expert require long years of dedicated study, experience, and reflective practice? Won’t asking children to think and act like experts 26 be a silly pretence and a waste of valuable teaching time? 27 5. Inside the fiction they meet the owner to report back on their work collaboration and share the resources they have made. The owner gives them feedback and asks for various improvements. At heart, Mantle of the Expert requires a genuine commitment on the 6. Outside the fiction the students go back to work, revising their part of the teacher to work collaboratively with the students. It is not materials based on the conversation with the owner. enough just to pretend we are working together: the collaboration needs to be honest and real. We need to sincerely believe that children In this way, the students and the teacher move in and out of the fiction have something significant to offer – their ideas, knowledge, and skills at various times, creating a sequence of different episodes and oppor- – and we need to treat them respectfully, as resourceful people with a tunities for learning. At no point does the teacher leave them alone or successful past and a commitment to a hopeful future, not only in the expect them to know things they don’t know or do things they can’t imaginary world of the context, but also in the real world of the class- do. She continues to provide them with the resources, support, and room. These beliefs are integral to the approach and should permeate feedback they need to meet the challenges of the fictional context and every part of a Mantle of the Expert teacher’s practice. the demands of the owner.

The teacher and the children are, in effect, the authors of the fictional 8 world, creating it together, collaboratively. By stopping the story as and the three beliefs when needed, the teacher gives her students the chance to step back and Students are resourceful people discuss the challenges they face, offering them encouragement and sup- With a successful past port as they need it. In this way, the students can see what they need to And a hopeful future know and what they need to do. By moving from one world to the other, the teacher creates a reflective space for the students to think about the You might find, as I did, that the process of integrating them is far from purpose of their work and what they need to do to improve. smooth and you have to let go of some long-cherished teaching tech- The children are, therefore, both experts and not experts. Inside the niques you have come to rely on: in particular, certain methods for fiction they take on therole of experts, people who know a lot, can do controlling a class and the use of extrinsic rewards. things skilfully, and have a great deal of responsibility. Outside the fic- Some teachers find this a disconcerting, even painful, experience. tion they are still themselves, students at school, studying and devel- I remember feeling disempowered for a while, uncertain what to do oping as learners. or say next for fear of getting it wrong. This is not a happy feeling for a The children are never real experts in the real world (in the sense teacher in charge of a class full of young people and hardly conducive of having the skills and knowledge required of professionals). They to a stress-free life. But don’t worry: it didn’t last long and, if you’re are instead imagined experts, a cast of characters in a story who invent anything like me, it will be a necessary phase in understanding how the themselves and the narrative of their lives and experiences. approach works. Be assured that, although Mantle of the Expert might By creating this duality, Mantle of the Expert gives students the mean you have to tweak the way you speak to, question, and interact chance to experiment with possibilities and different points of view, with your students, it doesn’t mean disempowering yourself or losing to try on the mantle of responsibility and the burden of power, and your authority as a teacher. Instead, what’s needed is a reframing of the to make decisions and guide events. This is what Dorothy Heathcote way we see childhood and our working relationships with children. meant when she said the classroom should be a laboratory, a place Our current system requires schools to focus intently on how where children can experiment with and reflect on different ideas, dif- quickly their students develop as learners and on monitoring this pro- ferent ways of being, and different ways of acting: “For real learning gress by way of regular tests and complicated data systems. This has to take place, the students need to be conscious of their new skills and resulted in a tendency to view childhood as a phase, rather than as of new concepts as they acquire them. That is, they have to recognise something complete and worthwhile in itself. You can see this in the what they are learning, and they have to take responsibility at some language we use, such as ‘learning journeys’, ‘progress’, and ‘maturity’. stage for their own learning: the spectator in them must be awakened For Heathcote, this view of childhood comes at a high price: “[We so that they perceive and enjoy the world of action and responsibility, have created] an education system that requires children over many even as they function in it.”7 years to be content with an absence of status, to feel useless, to exist in a limbo of learning which relies solely on the de-functioning maxim 28 29 that ‘one day, you’ll be good enough to really do it’ but never today.”9 This, she said, has turned classrooms into waiting rooms where activities can seem like nothing more than practising for a far distant Exhibiting authority Taking charge when necessary; acting future. For many students this makes little sense (until they approach even-handedly, decisively, and honestly. the age when they start sitting exams) and strips much of what they do Openness Being prepared to discuss and explain decision- in school of meaning and purpose. making, limits on freedoms, and mistakes. Mantle of the Expert turns this de-functioning maxim around by making the children’s learning meaningful and purposeful in the Being critical Being prepared to discuss and evaluate ideas immediate present of the imaginary context. In the collaborative honestly, reasonably, and fairly; and accepting critical feedback process of building the context and in the creation of the resources, and contributions. materials, and texts demanded by the commission, the teacher draws Having a vision Setting goals and being forward-thinking: on and incorporates the children’s contributions, making their ideas, creating a shared vision within the community. knowledge, and skills immediately useful and important. Of course, not every contribution the children make will be useful and relevant, and it is the teacher’s job to steer and shape the work as it progresses, keeping in mind the needs of the students and the require- language ments of the curriculum. Like all teaching, Mantle of the Expert requires leadership, organi- As teachers, the most important tool we have to convey meaning is lan- sation, and forward thinking; without these qualities the work could guage. The words we use, the terms, the phrases, the intonation, the vol- quickly lose focus and momentum. ume, all communicate how we view learning and our attitude to our It’s all a matter of balance, and while the classroom community students. Humans are meaning-makers in the sense that they continu- needs to understand that it is a place of learning that operates under ally strive to make sense of the world around them. In the classroom this certain restrictions – set by the state, the school, and the curriculum – means our words become magnified, taking on increased significance. this doesn’t mean the teacher has to make all the decisions. We have thirty young minds under our guidance, for six hours a day. Collaborative leadership requires the teacher to share the deci- How we use that time – what values we promote, how we interact with sion-making process as much as possible, while remembering her pro- them, how we speak – matters enormously. With such a responsibility, fessional duty to support, guide, and, if necessary, provide control we have to be careful about the words we use and how we use them. for her students, as and when they need it. This involves discussion, Language that communicates that the adult is the one making all debate, sharing ideas, and encouraging active and constructive partici- the decisions is what Heathcote termed ‘teacher-talk’. This is the lan- pation from everyone within the community. guage of the waiting room: the language of practising for a time when stuff will be useful, but not today. collaborative leadership involves Compare these two examples: Honesty Displaying sincerity, integrity, candour, and reciprocity. “This morning, when you write your reports I want you to remem- ber to use your full stops and capital letters. Who can tell me where Reasonableness Basing actions on reason, justice, and a full stop goes?” moral principles. And: Open-mindedness Being prepared to listen and consider other points of view, including ones you may disagree with. “This report won’t write itself! We need to make a start this morning as the owner of the zoo has asked for it by the end of the week. Please Respectfulness Having regard for the feelings, wishes, remember the points we went through yesterday, especially the im- and rights of others. portance of full stops and capital letters – she’ll have trouble under- Being a role model Displaying fairness, even-mindedness, standing us without them. If anyone needs help, please let me know.” resilience, and other qualities. In the first example it’s clear the teacher is the one making all the demands. Notice the use of “I want…”: this is explicit teacher-talk. 30 31 The teacher is communicating thatyou’re doing this for me, this is what I expect, you’re here to do as you’re told, perform, and answer my questions. individuals being told what to do by one person in charge. It’s a shift I’ll tell you what to do, how to do it, and how well you’ve done. that takes them inside the fiction, where the report is being written not All the power is with the teacher. for the teacher, but for the owner of the zoo. For some this won’t be a problem. The teacher, after all, is paid to This might seem like an insignificant change, but if the students are be in charge. That is her job, and the students are in school to do as deeply engaged in the context, it will make all the difference. The use they are told. of the client provides them with a reason for writing the reports and a This approach, however, has a downside. Classrooms where all the reason for making them accurate, properly spelled, and well punctuated. power stays with the teacher, all the time, are not places that encour- The teacher highlights this further by reminding them that the owner age students to take responsibility and evaluate their own learning. will have trouble understanding them if they’re not properly written. Instead, they are places that put high value on conformity and the Her language is precise and well chosen. Her opening remark – students’ performing to criteria set by the teacher. Education, in such “This report won’t write itself!” – introduces a note of authenticity and circumstances, is something that is done to children, rather than a slight sense of urgency. The tension is accentuated by her reminder something they do for themselves. that they are working under a deadline: “the owner of the zoo has We see this in the metaphor of delivery, which frames education as asked for it by the end of the week.” a series of packages, transported by teachers into the minds of young These first comments are made inside the fiction, but the teach- people, who are then weighed and measured to see how much of the er’s next remark takes them outside into the world of the classroom. content they have managed to retain. “Please remember the points we went through yesterday, especially the Children, in this system, are always in deficit: they always know less importance of full stops and capital letters…”. than the teacher and they are always in need. The language of teach- This shift is subtle, but significant, and it’s what makes Mantle of the er-talk maintains and reinforces this status quo. It never allows power Expert such a powerful method for teaching. By carefully changing her to shift or to be used in different ways, and it never gives students the language – “Please remember the points we went through yesterday” opportunity to make decisions and take responsibility. – the teacher is highlighting her twin roles as both colleague (inside If we want to develop motivation that comes from within, then we the fiction) and teacher (outside the fiction), giving her a foot in both need to give students the chance to be part of the decision-and-evalua- camps. The children understand this implicitly and she doesn’t need tion process: to decide what needs to be done, in what ways, and when to explain it to them or use an artificial device, like a badge or a hat, to it is finished. This, as we discussed earlier, is a collaborative process: make it clearer. The language is enough on its own. the teacher doesn’t just hand over all the power to the children, rather Her twin roles are clarified further when she ends the sentence by she looks for appropriate opportunities to involve them. going back into the fictional world – “she’ll have trouble understanding This is not to say that all lessons have to be dialogic mantle-type us without them” – and then immediately shifts back to the real world, lessons, but that we need to be aware of the methods we’re using with her offer, “If anyone needs help, please let me know.” and their effects on our students. Sometimes, transmission teaching This might sound very complicated at the moment, but don’t worry: will be absolutely the right strategy – quick, efficient, and effective we return frequently to this topic and the others covered in this chap- – while at other times discovery learning will be the right approach. ter. For the time being, concentrate on the principle that Mantle of the The decision about which to use, and when, is a matter of professional Expert is about working together on a shared project. If you keep that judgement, based on the learning needs of the students and the curric- in mind, then the implications for leadership, language, and authority ulum they are studying. What’s important is to remember that every will become more evident as we go along. approach has its pros and cons, and there is no single right way to teach everything. The language of collaboration is quite different to the language of teacher-talk and requires a distinct shift in how we think about teach- the next three chapters ing and how we communicate with the classroom community. We can see this shift in the second of the two examples. As we discussed earlier, the first part of this book has been divided into Notice how the teacher changes her use of personal pronouns: from four chapters. This chapter is an introduction to the main ideas and ‘I’ and ‘you’ to ‘we’ and ‘us’. This communicates that they are all in it principles that underpin Mantle of the Expert. The next three will pro- 32 together as a collective, with a shared objective, rather than a group of 33 vide an in-depth analysis of the main elements of the approach. There are nine elements in all (see panel). The foundation elements consist of the development of the fictional context, the creation of a narrative, and the application of inquiry questions (which we will dis- cuss in chapter 2). The core elements establish the expert team, the ­client, and the commission (chapter 3). And the drama elements enhance and deepen the work, using point of view, tension, and drama strategies and conventions (chapter 4).

the nine elements

Foundation elements Core elements Drama elements Fictional context Expert team Tension Narrative Client Different points of view Inquiry Commission Drama strategies and conventions

The nine elements of the Mantle of the Expert approach are interlock- ing components that fit together like gears. They interact with each other and you’ll find, as your skill and understanding develops, that you’ll be able to shift and move through the nine elements to adjust your emphasis within the work and create changes of pace and focus. They are not hierarchical or sequential, like steps in a recipe. Rather, they are connected and complementary, and can be employed in any order to best suit the learning you want to develop. We will explore each element in detail as we go along, and we will examine how they fit together to make a coherent whole. Some aspects of the discussion will be subjects you are already familiar with, while others might be entirely new. Dorothy Heathcote’s own understanding of Mantle of the Expert evolved over the time she used it, changing and expanding as she con- tinued to practise, right up until the year she died. She never claimed ownership, and described the approach not as something she invented, but rather as something she found herself doing.10 This is worth remembering: Mantle of the Expert is not a pre- scribed system, fixed and immutable, but rather an evolving pedagogy that is changing and developing over time. In the next three chapters we will return regularly to the context of Animal Park to illustrate how the nine elements fit together and are used and applied within the work. If you want to study the com- plete planning unit before we start, you’ll find everything you need in appendix 1.

34 35 2 The Foundational Elements

In this chapter we will discuss the three foundational elements of Mantle of the Expert. These are thefictional context created in collab- oration with the students, the narrative that runs through the work, and the inquiry questions devised to investigate the content. They are designed to provide focus and direction to the students’ studies (keep- ing them on track and aligned to the curriculum), as well as aiming to grab their interest and commitment by creating exciting and challeng- ing contexts for learning. The elements require striking a balance between the demands of the prescribed curriculum and the ideas and contributions of the students. Lean too far one way, by trying to make every lesson fun and exciting, and the work will become vapid and superficial; lean too far the other, by delivering the curriculum in tidy little packages, and it will become dull, repetitive, and boring. Many child-centred topics have sadly foundered on the rocks of good intentions, focusing too narrowly on activities that engage chil- dren but don’t challenge them. No one wants this to happen, but the design of topic plans can sometimes lack precision and a close enough focus on learning, with the unintended outcome of keeping students busy, but learning little. On the other hand, by turning learning into something stiff and mech- anistic, as we’ve seen in recent years with the domination of learning objectives, it can become a joyless and uninteresting experience, some- thing children do if they are made to, but not because they want to. The aim of Mantle of the Expert is to avoid making these twin mis- takes by designing structured, balanced, learning experiences that make curriculum learning both exciting and meaningful, as well as purpose- ful, demanding, and coherent.

element 1: the fictional context

the three main functions of the fictional context – to create wider opportunities for curriculum learning – to make curriculum learning meaningful and purposeful – to engage the students in curriculum study 36 37 The fictional context is constructed over time by the teacher and the a powerful medium for learning, because fictional time, unlike real students working together, using activities generated both inside and time, can be paused, rewound, and replayed, giving those involved the outside the imaginary world. chance to reflect and discuss what’s happened, and the opportunity to The teacher starts the process by planning the background, bearing change and relive events. in mind three overlapping factors: Looked at this way, the imaginary world represents a ‘safe zone’, where children can explore scenarios, experiment with different out- 1. the aims of the curriculum comes, and make mistakes, all without the consequences that come 2. the interests, needs, and knowledge of the students with getting things wrong in the real world. 3. the resources available In the real world children would never go near an injured lion, or be As in this example from Animal Park: responsible for transporting sick animals, or write reports giving their opinions on whether these creatures can be moved safely. But in an animal park: background planning imaginary context all these things, and many others, are possible, with no danger of anyone getting hurt. 1. Curriculum aims A Year 2 science-based project, involving the By careful design, the teacher creates events within the fiction that study of different types of animals, their habits, life cycles, and generate activities for studying the curriculum. These are not random diets, and incorporating a range of other curriculum objectives, or chance events that pop out of nothing, rather they are planned and including report writing, mathematical knowledge, design, art, organised activities that the teacher selects with curriculum learning and map-making. outcomes in mind. 2. Interests, needs, and background knowledge of the students At the beginning of a new scenario most of these activities will be The teacher is concerned that some of the students are not working ones invented by the teacher, but as the work develops and the stu- well together, so she aims to focus their attention on the welfare of dents become more involved, she will take every opportunity to use the animals (which she knows they are interested in, after talking their ideas and contributions. to them earlier in the year) and away from their own personal and As a rule of thumb, in Mantle of the Expert it is always better to use interpersonal difficulties; many of the children have pets at home an idea generated by the children than to use one of your own, so long and enjoy taking responsibility for looking after them. as it achieves the same ends. Furthermore, this function of stopping time gives the teacher the 3. Resources The teacher rents a box of topic books from the opportunity to teach the children things they need to know. Once an library, collates information from the internet, and purchases activity is created inside the fiction, the teacher can pause the story a collection of animal fact sheets from Amazon. at any time to give the children the information they need to know, instruct them in the skills they are required to learn, and support them in ways that help them develop. In Animal Park, the students operate as an expert team with the power In this way, Mantle of the Expert operates both inside and out- and responsibility to protect the animals and ensure their well-being. side the fiction. Inside, it creates purpose and meaning for curriculum If the context grabs their interest, encouraging them to invest their activities, while outside, it gives us (in the eyes of the children) a legit- time and energy, then the teacher can use it as a medium for study- imate reason for teaching them and a good reason for them to listen. ing the curriculum, generating activities that have urgency and impor- Thus the teacher can choose from the full range of teaching tance inside the fiction, and making the things they do significant and strategies – instruction, group work, whole-class, discovery, quiet valuable to themselves and others. reading, research, even lecturing – to find the best method for the In this way, when they write reports to the owner of the park about learning she wants to develop. Mantle of the Expert rules nothing the animals coming from the zoo, their reports have a purpose that out; rather, it engages children’s interests and makes curriculum study goes beyond the teacher’s learning objectives and has meaning and meaningful and exciting, so the students want to learn more. value inside the fiction. The quality of their work matters. See chapter 5 (Imaginary Contexts for Learning) and chapters 6 Because the imaginary world is explicitly a fictional setting, the (Planning) and 7 (An Example) for more on the subject of fictional teacher or the students can stop it at any moment, in just the same way contexts. 38 that fictional time can be stopped during imaginary play. This makes 39 Examples of other fictional contexts Here are two examples: History context Child labour in Victorian coal mines Mountain rescue team Age Key Stages 2 and 3 Narrative Above the snow line, a lone climber is in serious trouble after Team Pit investigators falling from a steep peak and injuring her leg. The wound is bleeding Client Earl of Shaftesbury badly but she hasn’t quite lost consciousness. With frozen fingers she Commission To carry out a full inspection of the mines and gropes for her mobile phone and speed-dials the number of the only children’s working conditions people who can save her: the mountain rescue team. Way in The team answer the phone and talk to the climber. Science context Dinosaur Island The young hoplite: ancient Greece Age Key Stages 1 and 2 Narrative The remains of a young soldier from Ancient Greece are Team Scientists found in a cave. It appears from the evidence that the soldier was trapped Client World Wide League for Nature when the roof fell in. Along with the remains of his body, archaeologists Commission To preserve, protect and study the dinosaurs, pro- discover his weapons, armour, and a bag of personal possessions. tect the island and keep it secret Way in A design team receives a letter from the British Museum, inviting it to visit the site of the cave and to create an exhibition telling Literacy context Fairy tales the story of the young soldier. Age Early Years and Key Stage 1 Team Problem-solvers In these examples, and in the ones we looked at earlier, the teacher pro- Client Mrs Pig vides the students with only the basic outline of a narrative and no more. Commission To build nice safe houses for her sons Her plan is to offer them just enough detail that they grasp everything in one go and then give them the opportunity to get involved. She doesn’t Note: planning for the contexts can be found on the Mantle of the Expert website. want to spend too long telling them a story or making all the decisions, but instead wants to lay out the initial steps and let the students make the next move.

element 2: the narrative Of course, there is danger in this if the teacher fails to predict, or adapt to, the direction the class heads off in. Many Mantle of the Expert con- texts, including some of my own, have faltered due to poor planning and the three functions performed by an preparation. effective narrative I remember one that went spectacularly off the rails. I had planned – to set up the context for the children in the way an opening a context for studying Victorian Britain that involved a team of tour scene of a film or a play might do guides organising visits to the London sewers. The idea was to explore – to offer the children a way into the fiction: an activity, or a nineteenth-century urban life through the labyrinths built to dispose of sequence of activities, that provides opportunities for them the city’s waste. I thought the context would grab the students’ interest to enter the context from the point of view of someone in the and engage them in the curriculum. It had everything to interest a class story, in the same way imaginative play does of ten-year-olds – filth, stench, disease, death, and tunnels – but I failed – to make curriculum activities memorable, understandable, to properly plan what the first task would be to bring them into the fic- and coherent tion. Consequently things went badly wrong. Instead of asking the children (as the team) to focus on the purpose of the tours and what the tourists would learn from their visit, which would The creation of the narrative involves deciding what events are happening have been the right move, I started by asking them what kinds of offices in the imaginary context, and then using them to attract the interest of the they wanted to work in. It was a terrible idea and for the next hour they got children and bring them into the fiction. It is not so much a baited hook completely distracted designing their perfect workspaces, which included to catch them and keep them there, as an opening door that gives them a computer games consoles, tvs, ice-cream machines, and all kinds of other 40 glimpse into an imaginary world and then invites them in. 41 fun things that had nothing to do with the curriculum or the context. By the time I managed to haul them back, they had lost all interest Each of these moments has merits, but which would be the most inter- in the Victorian sewage system and couldn’t care less about organising esting for the students and would give them the best opportunity to tours. There was nothing left to do but ditch the whole project and start understand the topic? again. I remember feeling devastated at the time and wondered why These are the choices we have to make at the start of every Mantle things had gone so badly wrong. of the Expert context. Think of the team parachuting onto the tropi- From then on, to avoid making the same mistakes, I started writing cal island or the park rangers in Animal Park. In each case, the teacher out exactly what I intended to say for the first ten minutes or so, antic- plans a moment in the narrative where the children enter the fiction. ipating how the students might respond, including both the possible In the island context, it’s the moment when they land on the island opportunities and likely pitfalls. To some extent this was a process of and decide what equipment they’ve brought with them. In Animal trial and error, but over time my scripts improved, my judgement devel- Park, it’s the moment when the owner reads that her zoo is going to oped, and I got better at anticipating what might happen next. close and the team come in to help. Both moments are selected to give Eventually, as I reflected on the sessions that went well, and those the students a complete picture of the context and the opportunity to that didn’t, I became more flexible and more responsive to the chil- step into the story. dren’s suggestions. I learned to do without the scripts and to work much The moment I chose in my context for Florence was the day she more in the moment, taking on the children’s suggestions and adapting first visited the hospital in Scutari. I tried to imagine the sights, the the narrative to include their ideas. sounds, and the smells she experienced. It must have been awful: sol- One of the contexts I worked on at that time was Florence Nightingale. diers moaning in pain, rats scurrying around under beds, buckets full Expert team Historical research of blood and dirty bandages. Client St Thomas’ Hospital, London I next tried to imagine what it was like for the people who worked Commission To design a display case for in the waiting room there, struggling to keep the wounded from dying; doing their best, of the hospital, telling visitors about Florence but unable to make much of a difference. Nightingale and her role in the development I then thought about those who witnessed her first visit, and what of modern nursing. they might have said. Florence herself, the doctors and nurses, the Tasks To research Nightingale’s life (particularly her injured soldiers, and the newspaper reporters would each have had a time in the Crimean War hospital in Scutari); different perspective. create the display case to attract visitors and tell Lastly, I tried to anticipate how the students would depict the scene. them about Nightingale’s role; create artefacts I visualised tables turned into beds, drawings of bloody bandages and from her life, including letters, maps, diary en- other horrible things around the room, children taking on the roles of tries, and newspaper reports. doctors, nurses, and soldiers, and then scenes of patients having their legs and arms cut off as they writhed around in pretend agony. As a topic, it was a gift. It had everything to grab the children’s interest: This gave me pause for thought. war, blood, disease, soldiers, nurses, rats, and more. All I had to do was Pretending is not good in these situations and can quickly dissolve think of a way in that would sum up the whole thing in one go and get into farce, something I definitely wanted to avoid. the students immediately involved. The solution was to slow everything down and divide the sequence It’s worth thinking about this yourself. Where would you start? up into small, discrete steps. This would give me control over the situa- tion and the opportunity to discuss how things were going to be done. past present future This kind of planning is about imagining where you want to be and Before Nightingale Nightingale After Nightingale then working backwards through the steps needed to get there. arrives in Scutari in Scutari leaves Scutari These are the steps I created for Florence: Step 1 The class looks at an engraving of Scutari hospital and hears Nightingale’s first visit to hospital 100 years after Nightingale’s death an account written by a newspaper reporter. The teacher guides a discussion and provides extra information.1

43 Step 2 The students witness an adult-in-role representing Florence element 3: inquiry2 writing a letter home, explaining she has arrived safely and will be visiting the hospital for the first time in the morning. They are given the opportunity to ask her questions and to find out more. the three main functions of the inquiry element Step 3 The teacher asks, “What do you think Florence will find – for students to explore, study, and analyse the curriculum when she walks into the hospital?” A discussion follows. – for students and teachers to work together in a community of learning, where students ask questions and contribute ideas, Step 4 The teacher works with the students to create a scene that and teachers guide and support their work can be used as an example. They use the convention of an engraving, – for the teacher to create opportunities for students to assess, to ‘hold time’ and give the teacher the opportunity to explain rethink, and shape the direction of the work as it develops to the students how drama works and that it is not about pretending or play-acting. Step 5 The children prepare the classroom as if it were the hospital. Developing the inquiry element involves the generation and investiga- They consider what Florence is likely to see when she arrives and tion of questions that create opportunities for the students to explore what she is likely to ask. The teacher runs through several scenarios and examine the curriculum as framed by the imaginary context. with the class, using examples of their work and stressing the need In Mantle of the Expert, everything is open to inquiry: the events for authenticity: “We’re looking for ideas that make us think. What of the story happening in the fictional world, the motivations of those was it like, I wonder? What did she see? What couldn’t she bear to involved, their choices, their values, their reasons, the content of the look at? She was still young, remember, and had probably never curriculum, and how best to study it. These aspects, and many others, been to a place like this.” are all legitimate topics of discussion. My own method for creating inquiry questions is to start by making Step 6 Florence is shown around the hospital by members of the a list of the major themes and concepts I want the students to explore team, she talks to the doctors, nurses, and patients, asking them while studying the subject. questions about conditions and routines. Here’s a sample from Florence Nightingale: Step 7 Later, as a follow-up activity, the students write extracts from – the ways medical practices changed in the nineteenth century Florence’s letter home to her sister, describing what she saw and what – the role of a woman at the centre of that change she intends to do. The historical research team later uses the extracts – a bloody war fought on foreign soil as artefacts for the display case in the hospital waiting room. – people’s reactions to the war as reported in the British newspapers In this way the students are first introduced to the context and then I then turn the themes into questions: brought step by step into the fiction. My aim was to pick a moment in the narrative that would engage them and provide a solid introduction – how did medical practices change in the nineteenth century? to the historical subject matter. I could have chosen any point along – was it important that Nightingale was a woman at the centre the timeline, but I felt this moment, the day Florence walked into the of that change? hospital and saw the task she had before her, was the one that would – in what ways was the Crimean War a bloody war fought on best grab them and develop their commitment to the work. foreign soil? Planning the narrative and setting the tasks that bring the students – what were people’s reactions to the war, as reported in the into the fiction is one of the most interesting and creative challenges of British newspapers? using Mantle of the Expert. It’s more like the work of a storyteller than The questions become the building blocks of my planning, giving it the usual business of a teacher, and when it works, when the students structure and support, and underpinning every session. Moreover, step into the fiction and take on the role of people in the story, it can be they are always at the back of my mind whenever I ask a question or set one of the most rewarding and exciting reasons for using the approach. the students a task. They’re my framework for planning and teaching, keeping the project on track and heading in the right direction. 44 45 As I work with the students on events in the imaginary world, I look opportunity to explore the subject of Florence Nightingale and the Crimean out for opportunities to reflect on the inquiry questions and to draw out War, but also to look at what makes a successful learning experience. the major themes. For example, “I wonder what difference it made that Here’s another example, this time from step 7, where the students Florence was a woman. Could a man have made the same changes?” or reflect on Florence’s visit to the hospital and begin the process of co-writ- “Do you think it will be important for people to know about the war when ing her next letter home. they look in the display case?” This process of creation and reflection, with Again, the teacher’s purpose is to make the learning explicit by open- the inquiry questions at the centre, is what gives the students’ work depth ing up the process to inquiry: and quality, and ensures it explores the curriculum I have planned. “What do you think Florence would include in her letter?” “Is there anything she might leave out, considering the audience?” The questions in the list above are about big themes – war, culture, history, “How can we make our version of the letter more like the ones written and society – involving wide-ranging areas of philosophy and ethics. at the time?” But Mantle of the Expert is about more. It’s also about paying attention This method of asking questions starts a dialogue between the teacher to the little questions, those things that involve the day-to-day running of and the students, giving her the opportunity to ask them for ideas, and a classroom community: how should we organise the tables and chairs, giving them the chance to evaluate the success of their strategies. It how can we make sure everyone has a voice, and, most importantly, how doesn’t deny her the opportunity to share knowledge or the option of can we get better at learning? teaching them the skills and knowledge they need to know; instead, it It is the teacher’s role to plan for them all, big and small, and to create makes the purpose of the activity clear and understandable. opportunities for students to investigate them in different ways. This dialogic3 interaction between the teacher and the students is For example, think back to step 2 in the Florence sequence, where the fundamental to the collaborative principle we discussed in Chapter 1. students listen to Florence as she writes a letter home: “Dear Mother, Learning in an inquiry classroom is a social co-construction where the sub- I have arrived safely and the hotel seems clean and tidy. The owner is ject of the investigation is explored, examined, and evaluated by everyone an elderly woman with a kindly smile. She has terrible arthritis, poor in the community. In this sense, teaching is mediation between the content woman, which has twisted and deformed her hands, making it almost of a lesson and the people doing the learning. The teacher’s role is not only impossible for her to hold a pen. Tomorrow I will visit the hospital. I to communicate the information the students need to acquire, but also to have been told the conditions are awful and I dread to think what I will open up lines of communication so the message doesn’t get lost. find…”. And so on. Inquiry questions in Mantle of the Expert are open questions, whose At this point in the sequence the children are still on the outside of answers the teacher has not decided on in advance. Her aim is to encourage the fiction, looking in. They don’t have the facility to interact with the her students to think for themselves, not to try and guess what’s inside her adult representing Florence, but the teacher can stop the drama when- head. The questions often involve complex problems that don’t have clear ever she wants to highlight an important point or give the students a or obvious answers, and that require a great deal of thought and specula- chance to reflect. tion. In this process the teacher will probe and draw out what the students Like so: are trying to say, looking for connections and ideas that will take their “I’m just going to pause the story for a moment.” thinking forwards. Her purpose is to generate the process of investigation, The adult representing Florence stops talking and sits perfectly still. not to drive them towards a final and definitive solution. “Did you hear what she said?” In this way, the teacher has full control over the situation and can use it in any way she chooses as an opportunity for learning. For example, she some examples of inquiry questions for animal park4 might want to draw attention to the tone of Florence’s letter: “It’s interest- Key inquiry questions (concerning ethics, morality, society, etc.) ing Florence told her mother about the lady’s arthritis. I wonder why she did that?” Or she might want to work on the listening skills of the class: – What responsibilities do human beings have for the preservation “How can we make sure we hear everything Florence says?”; or on their of animals and their protection from injury, sickness, and possible note-taking skills: “How can we make sure we understand everything and extinction? don’t forget?” – How can the environment be managed sustainably, and why In each of these examples the teacher works on making the process is this important now and in the future? 46 of learning explicit to her students. She uses the drama not only as an 47 – What should we sacrifice to protect other animals and the planet? – Can animals from zoos be returned safely to their natural environment? – What do human beings and other living creatures need to survive and flourish? – How can we identify, classify and group various living things to best preserve and protect them? – Should animal welfare ever be placed above the welfare of human beings? – To what extent do animals have rights to privacy and dignity?

Supplementary inquiry questions (concerning the running of the park) Activities – What information do we need to communicate to the client? – How is it best organised? Context – What kinds of animals are we dealing with? – What injuries do they have? – Are they malnourished or infected? – Do they have young? – Are some too sick to travel? – Have we got space and resources to care for them? Actions, motivations, and values – Why did things go wrong at the zoo? – Did they care about the animals? – What should we do with the animals who are too sick to travel? – Are the animals from the zoo our responsibility? – What if caring for the new animals has an impact on the existing animals in our park?

Wider inquiry questions (concerning the classroom community and the wider curriculum) – How should we organise the classroom for different activities? – How can we improve the time we have together (ensuring people listen, share ideas, work well together, etc)? – What’s the best way to write a report that the owner will understand? – How can we calculate the amount of food the different animals will consume, and when to order more?

48 49 3 The Core Elements

The second set of elements is at the core of the approach: they rep- resent the expert frame through which the students view and interact with the fictional context. The elements are theexpert team, the client, and the commission. These elements create an expert point of view for the students, which gives them power and responsibility within the imaginary world, and develops a relationship with a fictional client that can be used to generate purposeful and meaningful activities for learning. Curriculum learning, therefore, does not happen by lucky chance, but is carefully and systematically planned for through the careful selection of the elements and the design of the fictional context. This is not an easy option and it requires us to think differently about how we organise and teach the curriculum. Currently, the dom- inant metaphor is ‘coverage’, but coverage is the wrong way to describe how learning happens, and it fails to grasp the long (and sometimes arduous) process of studying, assimilating, and meaning-making that is required by students to develop a genuine understanding of cur- riculum content. Covering is easy, but learning is hard. It takes time and effort and requires purposeful application on the part of the learner. Simply doing something is not enough: purposeful learning requires effort and dedication. This doesn’t mean it has to be boring (plenty of things worth doing are hard and enjoyable), it just means it will be difficult, challenging, and worth the effort. If we want our students to study the curriculum (both the formal and the informal) in significant depth, then we have to stop talking about coverage. We need a new metaphor for describing this process, one that grasps the depth and complexity that real learning involves. The one used in Mantle of the Expert isexploration . Exploring the curriculum is a process of investigation, discovery, and meaning-making. It involves the teacher as a guide, assisting and supporting the students along the way, but it doesn’t mean the chil- dren are either left to find out everything for themselves or told what to do every step of the way. Exploration is about setting off with a purpose and working together to achieve as much as we can. Not everything we do will work and not everything we find will be useful, but in the process of exploration the students will acquire new skills, 50 51 learn new information, and develop new understanding. Exploring the curriculum doesn’t mean taking the students along a In the real world (especially in adult-organised environments such as well-trodden path, from one familiar place to another, it means setting schools), children don’t have much power or responsibility. Their time off at the start of the year with a map that includes all the major sights is organised, their movements restricted, and their actions controlled but gets a bit blurry around the edges, encouraging us to find out new and monitored. If they are given choices, then they are limited and kept ways and new things for ourselves. It means having a crew that wants within tight boundaries. to know where it’s going, has ideas about the best way to get there, and I generalise, but you get the picture. is interested in stopping and looking at things along the way. Taking on the role of an expert, on the other hand, shifts the tables and If we extend this metaphor further, then the core elements repres- gives students the opportunity to try out what it’s like to be in charge, to be ent the stance – that is, the attitudes, dispositions, and values – the the ones making the decisions. It’s not a responsibility to take on lightly, students develop as they explore the curriculum. They are not mere and if they do agree to adopt the mantle, then they need to understand passengers, given a tour of familiar sights, but are positioned as a com- that it’s a commitment to act thoughtfully and conscientiously. Heathcote petent and knowledgeable crew, with ideas of their own, who can learn was not interested in letting kids do whatever they want; instead, her aim to read maps and navigate for themselves, and have a say over how the was to add to the amount of responsibility we ask them to bear and, at ship is run. Such a crew has agency, vital to the process of learning. the same time, to respect their contributions to the learning process, their They appreciate that the journey involves hard work and application, ideas, their interests, and their capacity to think for themselves. it won’t all be plain sailing, and at times they will have to sacrifice their In this sense, a mantle is something that has to be earned, not some- own comfort for the success of the voyage, but – and this is the vital thing that is simply given to the children. Rather, it is a distinction they ingredient – they learn that the journey will be enjoyable, exciting, and acquire for themselves through action and their responsibility to the worthwhile, and they will discover many new things along the away, work. This is why the emphasis is on the responsible team, rather than making all their hard work worthwhile in the end. pretending to be a real-world adult company. Mantle of the Expert is not As we discussed in the last chapter, the core elements are the defin- about children being ‘good little workers’1 or participants in a simulation ing features of the approach, representing those aspects that set Mantle of adult life; instead it’s about being a responsible human being, working of the Expert apart as a pedagogy. Over the next few pages we will look with other human beings in situations that challenge and strengthen the at each one in some detail. bonds that bind us together. Community is at the centre of the Mantle of the Expert approach. Being together, collaborating, learning from each other, taking responsibility: these are the principles and values that element 4: the expert team are forged through shared experiences. Mantle of the Expert, then, creates opportunities for students to exper- iment with what it’s like to be people with power and responsibility. the expert team Inside the fiction they can try out different scenarios, deal with difficult – a team with authority, power, and status people, and explore other ways of being, all without having to face the – people with responsibilities and duties to others consequences that come with getting things wrong in the real world. This – a community with agreed values and a defined purpose might be called a ‘safe zone’, because it protects the students and allows – colleagues with a shared history of challenges, mistakes, them to make mistakes. As in a laboratory, they can encounter a situation, and success discuss possible alternatives, experiment with different solutions, get – experts with training and experience things wrong, learn from their mistakes, and try again, all from the stand- point of people who wield the power to make decisions and, as a conse- quence, have to take responsibility for their actions. The expert team represents the principal point of view of the students while they are inside the fictional world. It is not the only point of view We can see how this works by looking at a scenario that came up one they explore, but it is the key perspective in terms of their relationship morning while I was exploring Animal Park with a class of reception to the context. It is the one that empowers them within the fiction, children. In their version of the story, a zoo had contacted them, offer- generating opportunities for them to explore authority and respon- ing to sell a baby gorilla. The zoo owners said they had had a number sibility, as well as opportunities to develop curriculum knowledge, of different offers from private collectors, but would prefer to sell the 52 skills, and understanding. 53 infant to their park because they knew it would be well looked after. What should the team do? In hospitals, people’s relative power and responsibility are starkly The choices were not easy. Was it ethical to separate the baby from different, depending on their roles. People admitted as patients don’t its mother? Why did the zoo want to sell it? Why wouldn’t the zoo sell have the same status, influence, or privileges as the doctors and nurses them the mother as well? Was it right to buy and sell animals? What who work there. They are denied access to certain parts of the build- would happen if the baby ended up in private hands? ing and won’t get far if they start diagnosing or suggesting treatments These issues really bothered the children, and they wanted to speak for other patients. Doctors and nurses are the experts in this context: to everyone involved. First they spoke to the owner of the zoo (repre- their training, experience, and reputation give them authority and the sented by a teaching assistant), then to a potential buyer who wanted power to make decisions. They have been inducted into the way the the baby for his personal collection (represented by me), and finally institution works and they carry the symbols of office (identity cards to the owner of another zoo, who wanted to put the baby in a cage to and uniforms) that set them apart from visitors and patients. attract visitors. With these powers and privileges come responsibilities. Patients They offered to buy the mother as well, but the zoo declined, are not expected to administer medicines, sew up wounds, or conduct explaining that the mother was a major visitor attraction. Finally, they operations. Their responsibilities – such as observing hospital rules, travelled to the zoo to take a look at them in their current enclosure washing their hands frequently, and taking medicine when instructed and found the baby cuddling up to its mother. – are kept to a minimum. It seemed whatever they did would have unhappy consequences. The doctors and nurses, on the other hand, have enormous respons- We talked. Each time they tried to get out of the situation, they found ibilities – accuracy in diagnosis and medication, meticulous cleanli- their efforts thwarted. I tried to help them without giving them a solu- ness at all times, and the ethical treatment of patients in accordance tion. They struggled and talked some more. In the end they couldn’t with moral codes – which constitute their professional duties and decide. There was no way out. This was a story with no happy ending. mark them out as experts in their field. Tough stuff for reception! But remember, they understood it was The powers and responsibilities of experts, then, are context-specific. an imaginary context and that what was happening was not real. They It doesn’t matter whether a person has expertise in some specialist field could see the baby with her mother the whole time (represented by (education, coal-mining, or politics, say): when they are admitted to two toy animals they had in the classroom) and could see the adults hospital, they are treated as a patient and not as one of the staff. going in and out of the fiction as they represented different roles. The Keep this in mind when you plan a context. What kind of team are language we used was the language of story, which meant we could the students going to be? What powers do they have? What signs do stop and start whenever we liked. They were in the ‘safe zone’, which they carry of their authority? What training have they done? What are protected them from real harm, while still allowing them the chance to their duties? Who are they answerable to? What other kinds of people get close to the action and be the ones taking responsibility. do they come in contact with? What are the ethical codes they follow? Going into these types of situations with children is all about judge- The answers to these questions will guide you and help you make the ment. Mantle of the Expert is not about playing at being adults, or pre- context feel more authentic and the work more meaningful. tending to run a company; it’s about exploring the world in some of its complexity and coming face to face with difficult situations. Heathcote A word of caution didn’t want to protect children from experience; she wanted to protect This doesn’t mean, however, that you should run your teams like real- them into it. By using fictional contexts, where no one really gets hurt, world companies, which was a mistake I made in the early days. I we are able to challenge children and give them the chance to deal with organised meetings with a chair and minutes, and had specific roles for complex problems and tricky situations. For me, this is one of the great students who worked in small teams. I was their manager, of course, advantages of using the approach. Of course, we have to step carefully which meant I could organise them and tell them what to do. and be mindful of the age of the children, but we shouldn’t cosset them To be honest, it was a bit dull. They soon got bored with being and keep them away from anything they might find difficult. Schools bossed about, and meetings are no more interesting in a fictional that do that are dull places, devoid of excitement. world than they are in real life. As I began to understand what Heathcote really had in mind, I got How expert teams work in the real world rid of the trappings of adult companies and concentrated instead on To get a better idea of how expert teams work, it’s worth considering making the work exciting and purposeful. 54 how they operate in a real-world context such as a hospital. 55 Nowadays, I only use the features of an adult company if there is good reason. We might have a meeting to discuss something important (like The client provides a focal point for the expert team’s work and com- preparations for a bear being airlifted from a Russian zoo), but we won’t missions them into performing a range of tasks and activities that have a chair, an agenda, or minutes, which are all boring and unnecessary. generate purposeful opportunities for curriculum study and develop- I take a similar stance with the company name. Back in the early days ment. It is critical that the teacher gets this relationship right. If she I would agonise over choosing the name and logo of the company. Once, creates a client who is too demanding, then the students won’t want I got in a proper muddle when I decided the most ‘democratic’ solution the responsibility. If she creates one who doesn’t grab their interest, was to hand it over to the children. The context was an emergency res- then they won’t feel the necessary commitment. cue team (think Thunderbirds). We had a meeting and I asked them what An effective client, then, generates urgency, purpose, and a commit- they wanted to call the company; there was much discussion, but no ment to high standards, which create a pressing need to get the work agreement. I asked them how they wanted to decide, they said by voting, done and to do it well. This is what makes the team’s duties interesting I agreed and made a list from their suggestions. But the suggestions were to the students and encourages them to invest their time, energy, and all terrible, some of them really terrible. I knew I’d made a mistake. The attention in the work. worst was The Sonic The Hedgehog Rescue Team, which of course was Once they make a commitment to the context, the students start to the one they chose. see the purpose, quality, and effectiveness of their work through the I learned an important lesson: no more pointless voting. And ever since, eyes of the client. This is a process of becoming critical evaluators and I’ve used generic names, such as animal park rangers, castle restorers, prob- seeing their work as others see it, of asking themselves: is it fit for pur- lem-solvers. It saves time and, even more importantly, it saves grief. pose? Is it finished? How can it be improved? All this is not to say you can’t have meetings, or design company logos, They are unlikely, however, to begin this process unaided, and so it or organise the team into work-groups for specific purposes. But if you is the role of the teacher (both inside and outside the fiction) to sup- do, have a good reason. Ask yourself: what’s the purpose for the meet- port and challenge them as they go along. In conventional classrooms ing? Is it useful? Does it move the narrative on? Are the students learning the teacher is always the one in charge, the one who makes all the something new? If not, dump it. demands and sets the tasks. She is the one who knows, and the stu- dents are the ones who don’t. Mantle of the Expert provides an oppor- tunity to build a different kind of relationship: one where they are on the same side, working on the same challenges. element 5: the client If we look at Animal Park, we can see how this works. The client is the owner of the park: someone with authority, respon- the purpose of the client sibilities, and concerns that are aligned with those of the expert team, but are on a different level. She owns the park, so she is ultimately – to generate purposeful activities for the team responsible for its proper running and maintenance, as well as the wel- – to create a focus for the team, so they think carefully about the fare and well-being of the animals. Thus the client is someone with wants, needs, and instructions of someone they are answerable to considerable power over the team. They work for her, are answerable to – to be a centre-point or anchor for the team’s work, preventing her, and need to follow her instructions. She is their boss. Note: not all it from drifting off course clients have high status; some have much less authority. See the exam- – to reflect back to the team how they are performing and what ple of Mrs Pig below. they need to do to improve and develop Operating as part of the team provides the teacher with an oppor- – to assess and evaluate the work of the team, requiring high tunity to work alongside the students as someone sharing the same standards and a focus on the commission duties and responsibilities.2 It’s a shift that requires a significant change – to inspire new thinking and new ways of looking at problems in the way she uses power and language. She has to push her role as – to provide information, specialist knowledge, and experiences teacher into the background and begin to talk to the students as a col- – to make demands of the team: test their ideas, ways of thinking, val- league inside the fiction. For example: “I’m worried we’re not going to ues and integrity (sometimes clients can be difficult to deal with) have everything ready for this meeting on Wednesday.” – to offer an alternative point of view or way of looking at the world Of course, this process only works if the students buy into the fic- tion and care about the client and her needs. If the relationship is not 56 57 properly developed, then the context will fall flat and the children won’t be bothered about the work. This is why teachers who use Mantle The teacher talks to the class as a colleague: “What do you think? of the Expert are so careful about how they bring their students into We’re very busy at the moment, but she does seem upset. Perhaps we the fiction, about ensuring the time and opportunity for the students to could spend a bit of time helping her.” become properly engaged in the context. Adult-in-role: “Oh, thank you. I wonder, do you know anything In a sense, the client is the teacher’s agent inside the imaginary world, about designing houses? Perhaps you could design a nice house for one who forms a bond with the students and then works with them to my boys, one where they could be both comfortable and safe?” generate activities that create learning opportunities in the real world of The team set to work creating the perfect homes for Mrs Pig’s boys. the classroom. She is not, however, a front for the teacher (one she can use When they’ve finished, she walks round looking at the pictures: “Oh, to boss the kids around behind a mask), but rather an authentic other who they are perfect. Thank you so much, just what I wanted, I’m sure the needs to feel real to the children and whose opinion they care about. boys will love them.” While there are no hard and fast rules about how to use or introduce Exit Mrs Pig. clients, who come in many different forms, what really matters is the Teacher in role as a member of the team: “Well, that went well. Of bond the students form with them and how they come to work together course, there’s still the problem of the wolf! How are we going to solve in a genuinely collaborative way. that one, I wonder?” Let’s look at two examples that illustrate how clients are introduced to And so on. the students and then used to create meaningful activities for learning. In this way, the adult-in-role (operating as the client) and the teacher The first is from Key Stage 1, the second from Key Stage 2. (operating as a member of the team) work together to bring the children Example one: Mrs Pig into the fiction and to provide them with their first commission as the Curriculum Fairy tales and traditional stories problem-solvers. The commission gives them an opportunity to work as Expert team Problem-solvers a team and to apply their developing skills and knowledge for a practical Client Mrs Pig and useful purpose. Commission To build secure homes for her sons Example two: The Earl of Shaftesbury In this context the students are cast as a team of problem-solvers who Curriculum Child labour in Victorian coal mines help characters from fairy tales and traditional stories, such as Hansel Expert team Pit inspectors and Gretel (captured by a witch), Rapunzel (trapped in a tower), and Client The Earl of Shaftesbury the Three Billy Goats Gruff (threatened by a hungry troll). Commission To carry out a full inspection of the mines The context begins with the children meeting an adult-in-role: and the working conditions of the children a mother worried about her three boys. She is crying. working there Children (with the help of the teacher): “What’s the matter?” Unlike Mrs Pig, the Earl of Shaftesbury distances himself from direct Adult-in-role: “It’s my boys, I’m so worried about them. They’re contact with the team by using an intermediary, so the students don’t all leaving home and I don’t think they know how to look after them- get to meet the client until near the end, at the point where their final selves. I’ve come to see the problem-solvers – I understand they are reports are presented to the parliamentary committee. This com- very good.” municates to the students that he is a powerful man, with influence Outside the fiction, the teacher talks to the children: “If we made and the authority to make things happen, thus creating tension and a the carpet into an office, then we could be the problem-solvers and feeling that their work matters. perhaps we could help her?” The first steps provide the students with some background knowl- They move the furniture around, then write a sign together:The edge – using engravings from the original reports, statistics of mining Problem-solvers. accidents, and an interview with an adult-in-role as an owner – and the The adult-in-role comes in. opportunity to make an emotional connection with the children who Adult-in-role: “Oh, thank you. I hope you can help. I’m so worried. worked there, through the use of drama conventions. Would you like to see a picture of my boys? I think I have one in my Once this is done (a morning’s work) they are ready, as the pit handbag.” She rummages around in her bag and brings out a picture of inspectors team, to meet the client’s representative: “Thank you all for the Three Little Pigs. “Here they are. I think the oldest one can probably coming this afternoon. The working conditions for children in our 58 look after himself, but the other two are still so young. Can you help?” 59 country’s mines has become a topic of much conversation. element 6: the commission I am sure you are all well aware of the terrible loss of life in the recent Husker pit tragedy. As a result of these terrible events and pressure from my master, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Her Majesty’s the role of the commission Government has commissioned a full inspection of all our coun- – give purpose to the work of the team and, by extension, try’s coal mines and a report on the conditions found there. Your to the students’ curriculum studies team comes highly recommended and you have been invited here – focus the work and keep it on course today with that purpose in mind. The work will involve your visiting – provide a goal3 for the work, something to strive for the pits, gaining immediate access, descending underground, and – create a sense of responsibility4 discovering all you can. You are bound to meet with opposition – build community from the mine owners, but with this letter of assent [he holds up – generate self-worth and a sense of achievement a letter signed by the prime minister] no one can deny you access. Have you any questions?” In both examples, if the teacher has judged it right, the students will The commission involves a series of tasks and activities given to the team be eager to take on the commission and get to work. The process by the client in the imaginary context. They are planned by the teacher requires careful planning, using a sequence of steps that provides them to be coherent and purposeful for the students in the fiction, as well as to with the necessary background knowledge, as well as the opportunity be challenging and meaningful for them in the world of the classroom. to develop an emotional attachment to the topic. With Mrs Pig, it is The idea is to generate real-world learning outcomes from events about giving them a mum worried about her children. With the Earl of and activities in the fictional world. Planned thoughtfully and used Shaftesbury, it is about providing them with the necessary knowledge dynamically, these can create authentic tasks that have urgency and and understanding they need to take the work seriously. It is a delicate importance in the imaginary context, as well as relevance and signifi- balancing act. Go too fast before they’ve engaged with the topic, and cance for curriculum learning. the students are likely to decline the offer. Go too slow, and they’ll get Let’s look at an example from Animal Park. bored and lose interest. The table gives some examples of clients in context. In this context the client (the park’s owner) has commissioned the team (the park rangers) to assess whether the animals from the zoo are fit and well enough to be moved and rehomed. theme expert team client commission While planning, the teacher asks herself several questions: Fairy tale character: Fairy tales Problem-solvers To build safe homes for her sons – what is the curriculum the students are studying? Mrs Pig – what kinds of tasks and activities will the commission involve? To restore and open Castles Restoration History Society – how will the commission challenge the students? a ruined castle – what kinds of resources and other support will she need to provide? Worldwide League To explore an island Dinosaur Island Explorers – what kinds of knowledge will the students need to acquire? for Nature and report findings – what kinds of skills will they need to use and develop? To preserve and protect – how will the work be evaluated and improved? Animal Park Park rangers Park owner the animals in the park These questions guide her planning and keep the commission rel- History To conduct background Anglo-Saxons BBC evant and purposeful, both for the team’s work and the children’s researchers research for a new tv series learning. Her aim is to create a commission that generates meaningful To design an exhibition Museum exhibi- and challenging opportunities for curriculum study, as well as excit- Ancient Egypt British Museum using artefacts from a tion designers recently discovered tomb ing and engaging tasks that hold the children’s interest and make their learning worthwhile. The two ‘sides’ – the fictional world and the real Child labour To carry out a full inspection world – are mutually supportive, each generating activities and con- in Victorian Pit investigators Earl of Shaftesbury of the mines and the working tent for the other. coal mines conditions of the children 61 She starts the process by asking herself a series of questions about Purpose the team and the commission: It’s important, therefore, for the teacher to spend time at the beginning thinking carefully through how the commission will operate in practice. – what do they need to know? It is not a device to trick the kids into working harder, rather it’s a way of – what resources do they need? framing the curriculum in such a way that they understand their learn- – what jobs will they need to do? ing has purpose and meaning beyond the classroom. For this reason, they She then thinks about the student’s learning: need to use what they produce for its intended purpose. It’s not enough for them just to make it, they need to see how it affects and changes things – how will the students acquire the knowledge they need? inside the fiction. Otherwise their work will soon become just like any – what resources and support will they need? other classroom work: an exercise in practising for another day. – what activities will the students be engaged in? Think of some of the different kinds of writing that might need to be For example: produced for Animal Park: reports, stories, accounts, information, cor- respondence, instructions, etc. For each of these, the teacher needs to fictional world: the team real world: the students invent a commission from the client and a purpose for the activity:

What do they need to know? How will the students acquire the – the names of animals knowledge they need? activity commission purpose – their classifications (including – information sheets herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores) – a short film Report-writing To report on the condition To decide on whether the animals – parts of the body – topic books of the animals in the zoo are fit to move and rehome – common injuries and illnesses – a teacher and an adult-in-role Story-writing To create stories about some To sell in the gift shop to young readers What resources do they need? What resources and support will they need? of the animals in the park – notebooks – laminated information sheets – safety equipment – a relevant and age-appropriate short film Accounts To write accounts of how the animals To be displayed in locations around – protective clothing – a box of topic books were first brought to the park the park for visitors to read about – cameras – writing frames to support the writing the work of the team – identification of the reports Information text To research and communicate informa- To be displayed in the animal enclosures What jobs will they need to do? What activities will the students be engaged in? tion about the animals in the park to provide information for visitors. – visit the animals in the zoo – researching and collecting information and observe them – reading, writing, and talking about their findings Correspondence To send emails to a team working To evaluate the progress of the family – record their findings – drafting, redrafting, and writing reports in the Arctic of polar bears relocated to the Arctic – write a report for the client – drawing pictures of the animals and their ailments – make recommendations – using drama conventions to step into the fiction Instructions To create a list of instructions on For new team members being inducted how to feed and care for the animals into the work of the park

In this way, the work of the commission generates real-world learning In this way, every activity has a defined purpose and an audience within opportunities for the students, and requires the teacher to consider how the fiction. It is clear to the students why they are working on the task she will support and resource their learning. It is the quality of the cor- and why it needs to be done with care and quality. respondence between the two sides that decides how effective a Mantle It is the teacher’s job to plan the activities so they match the require- of the Expert context will be in generating curriculum outcomes. If the ments of the curriculum as well as grab the student’s interest. connection is tenuous or incoherent, the work will be superficial and She starts by introducing them (as the expert team) to the com- uninteresting, failing both to engage the students and to provide them mission through the client. Once they have accepted the commission, with sufficient learning opportunities. she discusses with them how they think the work should be done and how it should be organised. Her aim is to incorporate as many of their ideas as possible, without losing sight of the curriculum or making the 62 63 work incoherent. Next, she supports them as they progress, providing the necessary It is the purpose of the activity that holds it in the fiction and makes the resources, knowledge, and guidance they need, as well as giving feed- work meaningful for the students. If they care about the commission, back, offering revisions, and making evaluations. and have sufficiently bought into the context, then the quality of their Once the work is ready (and judged fit for purpose by the team), it is work will be important. They will want to spend time doing a good job shared with the client, and finally used inside the fiction as a resource. and will understand why making the product clear and easy to read (well written, properly spelled, neatly laid out, and instructive) matters. For example, imagine that the park’s owner has commissioned the team In a sense, the commission is the engine room of the Mantle of to produce a number of information sheets about the animals in the park. the Expert approach, the mechanism by which the teacher generates She wants them framed and hung up near the entrance to the enclosures, meaningful and relevant learning experiences that have urgency and so that visitors can read about the animals as they move around the park. importance in the fictional world of the context. Carefully crafted, Inside the fiction, the teacher (operating as a colleague) discusses deftly introduced, and thoughtfully managed, an effective commission with the rest of the team how they think the commission should be can create learning activities across wide areas of the curriculum. done. She makes a note of their suggestions and makes recommenda- tions of her own. Once the discussion is over, she stops the story. Now, outside the fiction, the teacher shares with the students the resources she produced earlier to support them with their work: infor- mation booklets, writing frames, and word banks. The students set to work. They read the booklets, extract the informa- tion they need, and create draft copies of their own information sheets about the animals. The teacher gives them feedback on their draft cop- ies, and the information sheets are shared with the client (who also shares her opinion with the team). Once they are finished, the students produce final copies, which are printed and laminated. The students then put them up around the classroom, as if they were the team, put- ting them up in the park. Finally, after all this is done, they watch a visitor to the park (as rep- resented by an adult-in-role) as she walks round the enclosures, reading the information sheets and talking to herself about all the new things she is learning about. This final step completes the circle, from commission to publication and audience:

The commission From the client

Publication Planning, research, and Seen by an audience preparation

Final copy Drafting

Review and Revision evaluation 64 With the client 65 4 The Drama Elements

The creation of a fictional context in Mantle of the Expert requires the use of drama. Not the kind of drama where the children pretend or act out a story, but the kind that is created in collaboration with others, using methods found in the theatre. The idea is to create an arena for learning, where the students can explore beneath the surface of things, look closely and in-depth at events, and examine, experiment, explore, and uncover purpose and meaning1 in people’s actions. Drama should be exciting. It should bother the children, make demands of them, even upset them occasionally – it’s about life, after all, and if it’s boring, then something is wrong – but it should never overwhelm the true purpose of the classroom. Remember, although children often describe drama as fun, it should always be at the service of learning and never its master. In this sense drama is a medium for learning, a form of theatre that can be used and adapted to create exciting and meaningful experi- ences for curriculum study. Dorothy Heathcote’s drive was to encour- age teachers to use the conventions of theatre and art as tools for generating interesting and meaningful scenarios for students, which they could then exploit for the purposes of curriculum study and development. She wanted to see drama used in all kinds of lessons – literacy, mathematics, history, geography, and science, as well as the arts – and maintained it could achieve things that cannot be done as well in any other way. Drama, she argued, is a powerful method for teaching and learning, but is underused in schools. Her purpose for Mantle of the Expert was to create a framework for teachers, which they could use to support and guide them as they learned how to apply drama to their everyday teaching.2 Without drama, Mantle of the Expert would be a dull affair, a sort of workshop approach, where the students are ‘good little workers’, 3 busy doing as they are told. This was anathema for Heathcote. She wanted teachers to learn how to use drama authentically: that is, to use the conventions of the theatre4 as tools for creating experiences, full of action and suspense that would capture the students’ interest and make learning irresistible. By using drama, she argued, a teacher can create an environment for thinking, talking, and reflecting in the classroom. She can stop time, 66 67 rewind it, and restart it, giving her students the chance to look at an event from different angles and in more detail. She can introduce them with situations as if they are happening now. It allows us to explore pos- to new and diverse points of view, opening up multiple ways of look- sible reasons, causes, and motivations, to try out different choices, and ing at the same situations. She can shift and change locations and lift possible outcomes, to ask questions and consider alternative answers. her students into different environments and places. She can bring In short, drama allows us to stop time and play with possibilities. them up close to dangerous people and events, giving them the chance For example, at the beginning of the Animal Park context it wouldn’t to stare, ask questions, and experiment with different ways of handling be a great surprise if the students thought the owner of the zoo was a them. Drama has the power to make learning exciting, make it come bad person. The evidence of the book seems to suggest someone who alive, lift it up and off the page. Through drama, teachers and children doesn’t like animals: the cages are too small and badly maintained, the can interact with people and events from times long ago and places far animals look miserable and poorly looked after, and most of the time away. Drama is the most powerful medium we have for making learn- they seem depressed or aggressive. From this perspective (the one given ing an exciting experience. Learning how to use it well will develop to us by the author) the zoo is more like a prison than a wildlife park. you as a teacher and provide you with a whole palette of new colours What we don’t get, of course, is any of the background to the situ- to paint with in the classroom. ation: how it happened, what went wrong, the motivations of the Don’t worry if you feel nervous about using drama or think you owner. We are left to guess for ourselves what he or she thinks and don’t have the necessary skills to do it well. (That’s certainly how I feels about the condition of the animals. With so little to go on, it’s felt when I first started!) Drama is something you can begin to use easy to jump to conclusions. in a small way right from the start and then, as you practise, you can But things in life are rarely so simple, and when people act they rarely enhance and improve it along the way. It is a multilayered and complex act from intentions they believe to be bad. Even in extreme cases. way of working, but you don’t need a degree in drama to use it. You’ll Think of the Nazi leaders on trial at Nuremberg. Even when con- find it might take you a lifetime to explore all its layers and potential fronted with the atrocities of the Holocaust, many of them maintained applications. Yes, that sounds scary, but once you get the hang of it, it’s that the reasons for their actions were just, even noble, and were done also immensely exciting. for the greater good of Germany.5 This is difficult to understand. How could they possibly continue to believe, despite all the evidence, that they were good people with good element 7: different points of view intentions? Surely the films of the death camps would make them see they were evil? Yet they didn’t. Through the ideological frame the Nazis used to look at history and culture, their leaders continued to the purpose of different points of view believe that their actions were harsh, but justified.6 – to look at events from multiple perspectives The atrocities of the Second World War are obviously a topic for – to provide alternative attitudes, values, and beliefs older children, but the same principle applies to the kinds of char- – to generate opportunities for exploring people’s motivations acters encountered by younger ones. Think of fairy tales and tradi- – to challenge the student’s views and orthodox thinking tional stories, which are packed with evildoers – giants, witches, trolls, – to create opportunities to explore people and events in depth wolves, and stepmothers – doing bad things for selfish reasons. and complexity These stories usually only give children the narrative from the point – to experiment with different ways of dealing with challenges of view of the protagonist; they rarely provide the villain’s perspect- and problems ive. This is because fairy tales and traditional stories frame the world as good-versus-evil, and position us, the readers, on the side of the hero. In terms of education, this is a problem. At least it is if we want children to think for themselves. How can we expect them to see the From a teaching perspective, the great advantage of using drama over whole picture, or to understand events in any depth, if we only give other strategies is the way it allows us to step back from a person or an them part of the story? event and look at them from different points of view. If we imagine the Drama creates an arena for exploring these kinds of inquiries. It classroom as a laboratory for exploring human affairs, then this capac- allows us to explore the inner thoughts, motivations, values, and beliefs ity, for stopping and holding time, has enormous potential for learning. of the people involved, and enables us to consider and reflect on why It gives us the chance to stare, ponder, evaluate, review, and experiment 68 69 they acted in the ways they did. This is not necessarily to empathise with them (certainly not the Nazis) or justify their actions, but to bet- expand their understanding. After the relatively easy commission of ter understand their intentions, their backgrounds, and their reasons. designing safe and comfortable homes for Mrs Pig’s boys, the team is Consider the wolf in Three Little Pigs. now faced with the much harder and more challenging commission In fairy tales and traditional stories, wolves are cast as evil, conniv- of moving a dangerous wolf, finding her lair, helping to feed her cubs, ing, untrustworthy creatures that prey on the innocent and unwary. and protecting and preserving her environment. The Three Little Pigs is no exception. Yet in the real world, wolves are By using the conventions of drama to hold the wolf in the moment neither good nor evil: they are just animals. And animals eat other and hear her inner thoughts, the teacher and her assistant are able animals when they’re hungry. to give their students a new perspective. This is the extra dimension So what kind of wolves do we want our students to learn about, the drama brings to classroom practice. ones in the stories or the ones in real life? I’d suggest both. We want them to understand that the wolves in fairy tales are not real, but per- Man in a mess sonifications of evil, and we want them to understand that the wolves Of course, not every character the children meet will be evil or dan- in the real world are animals, driven by instinct and other needs. gerous. Some, like the owner of the zoo, will just be ordinary people Drama can do this, because it allows us to hold time and see the world struggling with their problems. Heathcote called these encounters from different points of view. ‘man in a mess’, and much of her early work in the 1960s and 1970s To look at how this works in the classroom, let’s return to the involved students meeting people who had got into some kind of trou- Problem-solvers fairy tale context. Imagine the context has moved on ble and needed help getting out.7 and the wolf (represented by an adult-in-role) has been captured by More often than not, these encounters required the children to the team and is now sitting in a cage waiting to see what they are going overcome their initial assumptions about a character and see below the to do with her. The team look at her through a cctv camera. surface to their motivations. Heathcote wasn’t interested in drama that involved direct confrontation; instead, she wanted to undermine ste- The wolf looks around the walls of her cage and bites her lip. reotypes and uncover the complexity of human emotions and drives. “What do you see?” the teacher asks. As a consequence, whenever she planned a role, she would always “She’s sad,” says one of the children. “Worried,” says another. include a ‘grace element’.8 That is, some aspect of the person that would There is a short discussion. help to explain their actions. In life, it is not always easy to understand The teacher says, “It might help if we could hear what the wolf is why people behave in the ways they do, and their emotions can often thinking. Have you seen those clouds in comics that tell you what’s be hidden from sight. In the real world, we don’t have permission to going in someone’s mind? Let’s use one of those.” stare and we can’t hear what people are thinking. In drama, however, She draws a cloud with her finger in the air above the wolf’s head. we can give children access to the private lives of people, the lives they The wolf says, “I wonder how long they are going to keep me here? I keep hidden to protect themselves: the doubts, worries, and questions need to get back to my babies.” they conceal from others. And that’s it. In the blink of an eye, the situation has changed and the To see how this works, let’s go back to Animal Park, where, through team is now not dealing with a monster, but with a mother who des- the use of a series of drama conventions, the children are given permis- perately needs to get back to her little ones. This is a different view of sion to stare and to explore the inner life of the owner of the zoo. wolves and a different kind of challenge, one that asks the students to Step 1 The adult-in-role sits perfectly still. She is representing the hold two notions of ‘wolf’ in their heads at the same time: the wolf in owner in her office, reading a letter from the inspectors that tells her fairy tales and the wolf in real life. The idea is not to change the nature they are going to close her zoo. She is fixed in time, like a photograph, of the wolf in the story (where wolves are meant to be evil), but to give giving the students the opportunity to look closely at her and to dis- the children a different perspective, and to set them a different set of cuss what’s happening. Because they are ‘outside’, in the real world, problems and a different curriculum to explore (one involving caves, the adult-in-role can’t hear them and won’t respond unless activated habitats, cubs, wolves in the wild, and conservation). to do so. This is a powerful opportunity for learning: a chance for By giving them access to the inner thoughts of the wolf, the adults them to stare at a person who has made mistakes and got things have given the children new challenges and greater insight. The drama wrong, and is now in a lot of trouble. adds depth and significance to their work and takes the students in 70 new directions, creating opportunities to extend their learning and 71 Step 2 The teacher asks the children to look carefully at the owner Step 7 The children come into the story as the team. and describe what they see. She works with them to develop the lan- The teacher says: “Thank you for seeing us this morning, we know guage and then feeds it back like words in a book: “The owner of the you’ve got a lot on your mind at the moment, but we’re here to help, zoo sat in her office, her eyes unable to leave the words that brought if we can. We were wondering if we could ask you a few questions?” her the terrible news.” The owner nods tentatively. You’ll notice she doesn’t ask them how the owner feels. This is a question often used in drama, but it’s a dead end. What are the stu- dents going to say in response? “She feels sad”, “She feels miserable” and so on. It is much more productive to try and tease out the words that show how she looks. This is how art and literature work: artists don’t tell the reader what to think – they show a character and leave it to the reader to make up their own mind.

Step 3 As the adult-in-role continues to sit perfectly still, the teacher asks the children what they imagine her office looks like. Her aim is to further develop the context by creating more depth and significance in the scene. Everything in the room has this potential. “What kind of desk does she have?” the teacher asks. “Is it untidy? Is it covered in papers? What else is in the room? Are there any photo- graphs, certificates, awards, or newspaper cuttings on the walls? Does the owner have a portrait of herself? If so, how is she portrayed?” In this way, step by step, the teacher co-constructs the role with the Step 8 The team talk to the owner. children, not by telling them what to see, but by working with them As the conversation develops, the teacher supports the children and using their ideas; by developing a shared vision. The objects in as needed, offering suggestions and extending their thinking. Her the room are given significance by the story and the moment. They aim is to open up new lines of inquiry, new thinking, and new un- give the children clues about the owner’s past, her values, and the derstanding. trouble she is in. The objects don’t tell them how she got into trouble, The purpose of the interaction with the owner is to give the but they create some of the backstory, providing depth and meaning. students the chance to see the situation of the zoo from her point of view and for them to take on the role of a responsible team with the Step 4 The teacher asks the adult-in-role to voice the thoughts power and resources to help her. of the owner. Adult-in-role: “I never thought it would come to this.” The adult-in-role answers the students’ questions, but doesn’t do all the work for them. Her purpose is to give them someone who is Step 5 The teacher asks the students to reflect on what they’ve heard cautious, depressed about the situation, and worried. It is not her and to think about what it all means: the room, the things on the role to make excuses for the owner or to argue away her poor run- wall, the objects on her desk, her own private thoughts. This is not a ning of the zoo. She may care passionately and regret terribly what guessing game (the teacher has already told the children what’s in the has happened, but the owner is still responsible for the zoo’s decline letter); instead it’s a consideration of what it means for someone who and the poor welfare of the animals. has invested so much of her life, her money, and her reputation in a project that is now in ruins. As we discussed earlier, people nearly always act from what they believe are good intentions. The tasks of uncovering their motivations, Step 6 The teacher asks what the team should discuss with the owner the reasons for their actions, and the origins of their belief systems are when they come into her office. far more challenging than simply arguing with an evil character motiv- “What do we need to find out about? What do you think she wants ated by pure malevolence. And the use of the drama conventions that to hear? Of course, we can’t fix her zoo, but we might be able to put hold time and give insight to people’s private thoughts and concerns 72 her mind at rest about the animals.” 73 can create opportunities for students to investigate these matters by asking questions, exploring ideas, and reflecting on why people do the element 8: tension things they do. The use of role – and, in particular, how children can step into other people’s shoes – will be revisited in chapters 7 and 8. In the meantime, the purpose of tension take a look at the panel below, which shows some of the different – to create excitement and interest9 points of view that might be explored in Animal Park. – to create the binding circumstances which hold the group in the fictional world different points of view in animal park – to create productive energy, drawing on the students’ excitement and commitment to events The expert team of park rangers – to generate opportunities to examine people’s actions, People who care for the animals and maintain the park motivations, and values The client, the owner of Animal Park – to build resilience (things don’t always go to plan) The person who manages the park and ensures it is run properly

The owner of the zoo 10 An owner who cares, but can no longer run a safe and healthy Tension plays an essential role in Mantle of the Expert. It is, in a sense, environment for the animals the fuel that powers the engine of the approach, making the work feel important, exciting, and challenging. It grabs the attention of those A poacher who kills animals in the wild involved and pulls them into the fiction. As Norah Morgan and Juliana Someone who kills animals to make a living Saxton observed, “Tension is mental excitement, fundamental to intel- lectual and emotional engagement, not only as a stimulus but as the Visitors to the park 11 People who visit the park for entertainment and education, and bonding agent that sustains involvement in the dramatic task.” who have different attitudes to the animals From a child’s point of view, tension adds excitement and purpose; it means having to deal with stressful situations, difficult people, and An inspector dangerous circumstances. In short, it provides just the sorts of things A person with oversight, ensuring the animals are properly cared they love to imagine doing: jumping from aeroplanes on to strange for and visitors are protected unexplored islands, helping injured and sick animals, reporting on the Newspaper reporters working conditions of children in Victorian mines. These are the sorts People reporting events of interest about the park and the animals of adventures that bring the curriculum alive and make learning enjoy- able and exciting. Animal activists There are many ways to introduce tension into Mantle of the Expert. People who oppose keeping animals in captivity Dorothy Heathcote identified twelve ‘levels’, which she used to add depth and dramatic interest to her work.12 You’ll find the full list on page 115, but here is a summary: Everyday dramas Involving lack of resources: people not doing their jobs well, time constraints, or illness. Large scale dramas Involving massive jobs: clean-ups, transportation, lifting, and mining. Disaster dramas Involving events beyond the control of the participants: storms, floods, and volcanic eruptions, as well as human disasters such as wars, fires, and accidents. Espionage dramas Involving guile and deceit: spying, plots, and subterfuge. Disloyalty dramas Involving breakdowns in human 74 75 relationships and loss of faith: jealousy, betrayal, and deception. Each of these categories can be used to plan and generate tension the signs of shame and humiliation all around her. This tension is not inside a context. There is no obligation to use every one, and they one of blunt, direct conflict, but rather one that engenders concern and are certainly not a prescriptive list. The idea, instead, is to provide a disrupts their initial assumptions about her actions and motivations. starting point or a prompt to stimulate your thinking. Once a context The strategy of casting the owner as someone who meant well but is up and running, you will probably find yourself coming up with all has made mistakes, is about realigning the students and bringing them sorts of your own, not to mention those invented by the children. into the fiction as people with the expertise, power, and resources to The most important principle to remember is that although tension help. In this way, the obligation for solving her problems passes to the introduces excitement and interest (which can be used to engage the students (operating as the team), giving them influence and responsi- children in the business of classroom learning) to a context, it won’t bility within the fiction. do the teaching for you. Keep this in mind when you plan, and contin- Thus Mantle of the Expert is not about creating melodrama in the ually ask yourself these three questions: what are the students learn- classroom, involving caricature villains and heroes. Rather, it’s about ing, how is the context supporting their learning, and how does the creating realistic situations, with realistic people, facing realistic dilem- use of tension help them to stay focused and engaged? These ques- mas: the stuff of human life, in all its messy complexity. tions will guide you and make sure the work you plan is purposeful, That’s not to say you can’t have the odd disaster – the zoo catching interesting, and constructive. fire, a tiger attacking a ranger, the capture of a poacher who has killed In addition, it is not enough just to introduce a ‘big bang’ at the an elephant – but these high-octane adventures should be used spar- start of the context and then expect the children to stay interested ingly and with the intention of finding out more about the context. long-term. Many teachers have had the experience of watching their It took me a while to grasp this concept, and in my early experi- ‘mantles’ go flat after the first few sessions, and it is almost always ments I often made the mistake of bringing the students face to face because they stop focusing on the tension that grabbed the students with a villain and letting them thrash it out, as I did once with the in the first place.13 This happened to me quite regularly in the early Problem-solvers fairy tale context. days when I spent more time planning team meetings and work schedules than I did creating exciting encounters. It took me a while I was working with a class of reception children, who had just caught the to learn the importance of keeping an eye on the current tension and wolf in their traps and had him tied to a post. I was in role as the wolf. looking out for where the next one would emerge. They had me surrounded and were all shouting, pointing, and Mind you, tension in Mantle of the Expert is rarely about the chil- pushing. Several expressed a desire to kill the wolf on the spot and dren having to deal with the most dramatic thing you can imagine. had their ‘guns’ pointed at my head in preparation, while others There is only so much mileage in putting out fires, defusing bombs, were beginning to look unhappy about the rising levels of noise and and catching burglars. After a while, even thrill-a-minute dramas can excitement. I knew I’d made a mistake. It was true many of them become a bit boring. The really interesting and sustainable tensions were deeply engaged, and there was certainly lots of ‘drama’, but any are located in dramas that involve people having to make difficult opportunity for listening, reasoned discussion, and quiet reflection decisions or face uncomfortable truths. was entirely gone. They are rarely about direct open conflict or opposition to author- I had only two options. The first was to roar, break my shackles, ity. As Heathcote emphasised, “Productive tension is quite different and chase them, screaming, around the classroom. Which seemed a from conflict. It is the key to deepening the exploration of motive bad idea. The second was to break down and plead for mercy. I chose influencing action and therefore the journey. Conflict is the shal- the second. lower concept, for it tends to lock people into negative repetitive “Please don’t kill me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” response during the interactive process and prevent more subtle “Yes, you have. You want to eat the pigs.” exploration.”14 “I’m hungry,” I said, “and I like eating pigs.” For this reason, the owner of the zoo in Animal Park is represented “You shouldn’t. You should eat other things.” as someone who meant well but has lost control of the situation. As “What other things?” I asked. And sealed my fate. we saw earlier, the teacher is careful not to portray her as an evil villain, “Bananas,” said one. “Carrots,” said another, and so on. Soon I was one the children can feel superior to or in opposition with, but rather inundated with different things to eat as the children rushed off to the as someone vulnerable and out of her depth. The idea is for the stu- play corner and came back with different kinds of plastic toy food, 76 dents to feel her loss of power, the end of her dreams, and to recognise 77 including, ironically, a slice of bacon. As I stood there, pretending to eat plastic food, I watched the chil- dren wandering away to do other things, no longer interested in a wolf list of tensions and examples for animal park that turned out to be a wimp. A person not doing their job well The tension was all gone and there was nothing left to hold them. The owner of the zoo (through lack of competence, not intent) has let the zoo run down and the animals suffer. After the lesson I tried to work out where I’d gone wrong and what I could do differently next time. My mistake was to think the drama lay Herculean tasks – extremely difficult or dangerous activities, in the confrontation between the wolf and the problem-solvers. This is requiring enormous effort certainly where the children wanted to go once they’d caught me, but Moving the animals from the zoo to the Animal Park, requiring it was the wrong move. The learning was in the watching and the hear- careful handling, transportation, and the animals’ integration into ing and the quiet reflection, not in the row between the two sides. a new setting. The wolf had been nothing more than a vehicle to grab the children’s Threats from stupidity interest. There was no depth to his character, no motivation except vil- Customers who visit the park and mistreat the animals by lainy, and no learning beyond the superficial. throwing sweets or rubbish into their enclosures, by making It wasn’t enough to rely on a blunt instrument like direct conflict: loud noises or taunting the animals, and by putting themselves I had to be more subtle and controlled in my methods, giving the stu- and others in danger. dents opportunities to build up the character and to learn something about their concerns and motivations before they came into contact Pressures of time with them. Conflict, it seemed, was great at generating heat and excite- A lion arrives at the zoo with a serious infection, caused by a bite in ment, but little good at shedding light and developing understanding. a fight with another lion. The rangers prepare the operating theatre In order for questioning, reflection, and thoughtful actions to happen, for its arrival. Later they operate to save its life. the students needed time and space to think. The right move was to Pressures from sickness take all the heat out of the situation and give them something new and Many of the animals at the zoo are ill, malnourished, and suffer- unexpected to struggle with. ing from minor injuries. The rangers assess whether they are well I started planning encounters that used the drama conventions to enough to be transported and whether they represent a risk to the hold time and give students the opportunity to talk and think about existing animals in the park. events. The tension was still there, bubbling along under the surface, but it was subtler and more refined. Insufficient resources It was this new line of thinking that resulted in my replanning of the The owner of the park asks the rangers to prepare a report on the children’s first encounter with the wolf in the Problem-solvers fairy amount of room available in the enclosures for the animals in the tale context. By using the conventions of the cctv cameras and the zoo. Is there enough space? Will they be too cramped? Can we find thought bubble, I could hold time and give the students an insight into homes for all the animals? If not, what will happen to the animals the wolf’s worries and inner thoughts, shifting the situation from one left behind? of mindless violence and ignorance into a one of revelation, thought- A danger known but not entirely controllable ful reflection, and a new sense of purpose. The inspectors make it clear that they expect the rangers to operate This was the correct use of tension in Mantle of the Expert. in accordance with regulations. If there is not enough room in the The topic of tension is revisited in chapters 6, 7 and 8. On the page park then they cannot take the animals from the zoo and will need opposite is a list of possible tensions from Animal Park. to make alternative arrangements.

78 79 element 9: drama conventions 15 It is the shift between being on the outside, talking about the subject, and being on the inside, talking as someone involved. We came across this shift when we discussed language in Chapter 1: the purpose of drama Outside “This morning when you write your reports, I want you to – to play with time: hold it, rewind it, jump forward remember to use your full stops and capital letters.” – to create opportunities for exploration, examination, Inside “This report won’t write itself! We need to make a start this discussion, and reflection morning, as the owner of the zoo has asked for it by the end of the – to investigate people’s actions, motivations, and values week .” – to give students the power to influence events – to create a ‘safe zone’ that gives students the opportunity to It is this shift in language that creates the tension of ‘now time’ and experiment and explore different possibilities and choices gives the students’ work a sense of urgency, importance, and purpose. [The conventions] exploit the use of signing and significance in a very special way, because most of them shift the way in which contact with The conventions of drama might be described as a palette of methods role and ‘immediate time’ works. Most drama that moves forward at and techniques that give teachers the process and structures they need to seeming-life-rate is too swift for classes to become absorbed in and com- create dramatic moments in the classroom.16 They are, in effect, the tools mitted to. The conventions all slow down time and enable classes to get of the trade which enable us to hold a moment in time and, by working a grip on decisions and their own thinking about matters.19 with our students, to unpack that moment and investigate it for meaning. —Dorothy Heathcote Every human action carries with it the potential to make meaning, but in the real world events go by so quickly and inexorably we don’t All forms of art use conventions. In music, if a composer wants to rep- have the chance to stop and examine them. Time won’t pause for us, it resent an emotion or an event, he will use the elements of sound (mel- just rushes remorselessly on, as in this quote by Marcus Aurelius: ody, harmony, rhythm, tone, form, tempo and dynamics), whereas a painter will use the elements of visual art (colour, form, line, shape, Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no space, texture, and value). These are the conventions of their art forms: sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another takes the methods and techniques by which they represent and communi- its place, and this too will be swept away. cate their ideas. —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 17 For example, when Mussorgsky composed Night on Bald Mountain, The conventions of drama make it possible for us to play with time: to he represented the arrival of the witches by using the sounds of violins hold fast the rushing river, step off the boat and explore the landscape. played col legno, a method where the strings are played with the stick In this way we can get inside events, examine them from different of the bow, creating a strange and evil sound. Goya, meanwhile, repre- points of view, experiment with other choices and different outcomes; sented the witches in his painting The Spell as dressed all in black, with look more closely at the people involved and examine their actions, owls and bats flying round their ears. One carries a basket full of dead their motivations, and their values. babies, another reads a book by candlelight, and a third sticks pins into For Heathcote, this facility to slow down time opens up all kinds of a straw doll. In these examples, the composer and the artist were aim- new ways of working with children in the classroom: ing to portray a sense of malicious evil. In order to do this, they selected the appropriate methods and techniques from their own art form. “The factor which distinguishes a dramatic exploration of ideas seems The same applies to film. Think about a movie you know well. How to be the way in which time becomes different from usual classroom did the director tell the story? What methods did she use? What cam- time… I am constantly amazed by the miracle of how thinking about era and editing techniques? What modes of storytelling? These are the a dramatic idea can in an instant become that of carrying it into action. conventions. Generally they don’t need to be explained, spelled out, There is a world of difference between someone in a class saying, or decoded – they just work, and when used skilfully by the director, ‘Well, they would take all their belongings with them,’ and saying, their meaning is self-evident and instinctively understood. ‘Let’s pack up and leave.’ That is the switch I work for, to enable a dra- In drama for learning, the conventions operate in a similar way, but matic exploration of ideas to take place… I talk like I’m there.”18 with one important difference: everyone is involved. There is no audi- 80 This idea of talking in the moment is what Heathcote called ‘now time’. 81 ence, no single guiding vision, and no artist making all the decisions. The participants are the ones creating the work, as a shared experience and in the moment, with the aim not of entertaining others, but of cre- Conventions 25–30 Spoken words concerning a person or event ating exciting and engaging activities for learning. Such as listening to a person’s thoughts, overheard conversation, Just like a skilled artist who uses their palette to create works of art, spying, eavesdropping, and reported conversations. the skilled teacher uses the conventions to create events of importance Conventions 31–33 Signs, codes, special marks representing and significance in the classroom. They are subtle, artistic devices that a person or event both blend and contrast, using tension, character, and sign, to make Such as signatures, cryptic codes, wax seals, graffiti, a master things happen. They are not easy to learn and they take time and craftsman’s mark, and the ‘mark of Zorro’. patience to master, but the conventions can make skilled teachers into great teachers, and transform humdrum curriculum exercises into Convention 1: events happening now exciting and memorable experiences The people involved in the drama are acting in real time. For example, when Florence Nightingale walked into the hospital The conventions list in Scutari, the doctors, nurses, and patients (as represented by the stu- Heathcote collated her list of conventions in 1980 in her essay ‘Signs dents) all interacted with her as if events were happening in real time. and Portents’.20 They cover a wide range of methods and techniques, There was no stopping, starting, rewinding, or replaying, just ten min- ranging from fully improvised ‘real time’ drama to the use of abstract utes of improvised theatre, where the adult-in-role, the teacher, and signs to convey messages. Each of them is about creating opportunities the students maintained the drama for as long as it worked. Once the for students to study events and make meaning from people’s actions. action was complete, the teacher brought the convention to a close There are thirty-three on the full list, which you can find in appendix and everyone came out of role and returned to the carpet to discuss 3. For the purposes of explanation, I have simplified them into seven and review how the session had gone. broad categories. Another example was when the problem-solvers were watching the We will look at each one in turn, using examples from Mantle of the wolf on their cctv and discussing what to do with her. In this use of Expert. the convention, the adult-in-role representing the wolf behaved as if

events were happening in real time and she was unaware of the team in the next room discussing her fate. categories of drama conventions Conventions 2–11: holding time Convention 1 Events happening now People are locked in time, either permanently or temporarily, as if in a The people involved in the drama are acting in real time. photograph, paused film, statue, painting, engraving, or drawing. Conventions 2–11 Holding time These conventions create opportunities for the students to look People are locked in time, either permanently or temporarily, closely, discuss, analyse, ask questions, and form opinions. For exam- as if in a photograph, paused film, statue, painting, engraving, ple, while operating as the pit inspectors the students were shown or drawing. an engraving of a child working in a mine. One of the students vol- unteered to take on the role of the child, who was sitting in the dark, Conventions 12–14 Clothing of a person pulling open a heavy wooden door. As she sat perfectly still, the rest A person (or people) is represented by their clothing, which of the students spoke to the artist (represented by an adult-in-role), could be hanging in a wardrobe, worn by a mannequin, worn who talked to them about the child, her responsibilities, and the con- by an actor, or lying on the floor. ditions she worked in. This gave the students watching an opportunity Convention 15 Significant objects representing a person or events to look closely, talk, and reflect on what was happening and to discuss Such as jewellery, toys, a watch, a gun, a sword, a crown, or a lamp. how they were going to report their findings to the Earl of Shaftesbury. Another example was when the team first encountered the owner of Conventions 16–24 Written words concerning a person or event the zoo in Animal Park. In this use of the convention, the owner was Either written by the person involved (a letter, diary, account) or by held in time as if she were in a paused film. The students were outside another person (a report, newspaper article, story, or testimony). the fiction, looking closely at what she was doing. When the teacher 82 83 wanted the students to hear what the owner was thinking, she restarted Conventions 16–24: written words concerning a person or event the film briefly – allowing the adult-in-role the opportunity to provide Either written by the person involved, as a letter, diary, or account, or the students with a small amount of additional information (“I never by another person, in the form of a report, newspaper article, story, thought it would come to this”) – before pausing the film again, and giv- or testimony. ing the students the chance to discuss the implications of what they had These conventions can be used to generate purposeful reasons for just heard. writing. For example, an account written by the pit inspectors after watching a child dragging a coal-truck during a recent visit to a mine; Conventions 12–14: clothing a newspaper report, describing conditions in the Scutari hospital and In these conventions a person, or people, is represented by their cloth- the arrival of Florence Nightingale; a report written by the park rang- ing, which might be hanging in a wardrobe, worn by a mannequin, ers, detailing how the animals from the zoo should be transported and worn by an actor, or lying on the floor. rehomed; instructions written by the explorers on the island, detail- These conventions are about how clothing can be used as a sign of a ing how traps should be set to capture the dinosaurs without injur- person and how these signs can be used to investigate a person’s life, val- ing them; a formal account of events, read out at the inquest into the ues, and actions. For example, a team of nurses are on their way to see death of a member of the mountain rescue team, killed in a fall. Florence Nightingale to discuss their progress in cleaning up the hos- pital. Before they arrive, the teacher holds time and works with the stu- Conventions 25–30: spoken words concerning a person or event dents to create Florence’s office. She then introduces them to a black Such as listening to a person’s thoughts, overheard conversation, spy- woollen shawl, which she says belongs to Florence in the story. She asks ing, eavesdropping, and reported conversations. them, “Why do you think Florence has brought this with her? It doesn’t These conventions give access to people’s private thoughts and con- look like part of her uniform. I wonder where it came from. Has any- versations. For example, the use of the thought bubble to hear the one seen Florence putting it on?” In this way the students’ investigation wolf’s thoughts in the Problem-solvers fairy tale context; an overheard centres on the importance of the shawl and what it means to Florence, conversation between two nurses at the hospital in Scutari, discuss- while the role remains effectively ‘off stage’. These conventions provide ing how bad conditions have become; a surveillance device, planted an opportunity to explore how art, theatre, and writing work by using by a team of secret agents, in the offices of a company suspected of signs to represent people, ideas, and relationships. human trafficking; a reported conversation between the captain and Another example is the protective clothing worn by the Animal Park the first officer of the Titanic (read out at the inquest), where the cap- rangers. By properly cleaning, maintaining, and storing their coats, tain ignores the first officer’s advice that the ship is travelling too fast. gloves, trousers, and boots, the team are saying something important about what they stand for and their responsibility to their work: the care Conventions 31–33: signs, codes, and special marks representing they take of themselves, their equipment, and the animals. a person or event Such as signatures, cryptic codes, wax seals, graffiti, a master crafts- Convention 15: significant objects representing a person or events man’s mark, and the ‘mark of Zorro’. Such as jewellery, toys, a watch, a sword, a crown, or a lamp. Similarly to convention 15, these conventions represent the signs Florence’s lamp is an obvious example. Others include the king’s of people and their concerns. They are often cryptic or difficult to crown in the Castle Restoration context (found at the bottom of the read, either intentionally, as in a secret message, or because the sign well); a handmade rag doll given to a child by her mother on her first is personal to the maker, as in a signature or craftsman’s mark. For day working in the mine; a signed copy of a pocket bible carried by example, the marks made on wooden beams in a mine by children a soldier wounded and killed in the trenches of the First World War. working in the dark; the king’s seal found on the death warrant of a Each of these objects has personal significance to the person who friend and trusted adviser (think Thomas Cromwell); a coded mes- owned it, and can give insight and depth to the study of the subject. sage, intercepted by the secret agents, containing important informa- For a detailed example of this convention, look at steps five to tion about the location of people being smuggled into the country; nine in chapter 7, where it is used as one of a sequence of steps in the the footprints of the wolf, found near the pigs’ new home; blood Titanic context. stains found at the bottom of a cliff; bones found outside a cave.

84 85 All these conventions are ones Heathcote said she discovered rather than invented. They are everywhere in art, theatre, film, and literature, and rarely need explaining when set inside a context people understand. They are a great asset to teaching, requiring a certain amount of creativ- ity to use well, and taking time and practice to master, but once learned they add significant new dimensions to learning, opening up new lines of inquiry and generating greater depth of understanding for students. Of all Dorothy Heathcote’s great insights, of which there are many, the conventions list is the most productive, the most challenging, and the most fulfilling to use as a teacher.

86 87 part two Using Mantle of the Expert

88 89 5 Imaginary Contexts for Learning

All play means something.1 —Johan Huizinga

In the first part of this book we discussed the question ‘what is Mantle of the Expert?’ and looked at the principles and values underpinning the approach, as well as its various elements, strategies, and conventions. In this second part we will tackle a new question, ‘how can I use Mantle of the Expert in my classroom?’ and in the process look at four new topics: imaginary contexts for learning, planning, starting, and teaching. This chapter is about how imaginary play, something children seem to do universally, can be adapted and applied to create engaging con- texts for learning. In particular, we will look at the way language oper- ates as the primary mechanism in this process, and how shifting in and out of the fiction can be used to generate both student interest in cur- riculum activities and to give a sense of purpose to their learning. When I first started using Mantle of the Expert, I struggled to under- stand how to move the children in and out of the imaginary world. I used all kinds of props and tricks, including clipboards, music, and activities, to make it easier, but nothing seemed right, and it was all very clunky, like a new driver grinding the gears. I remember one strategy which involved me wearing a badge with two names on. On one side was ‘Mr Taylor, teacher’, on the other ‘Mr Brown, security’. Whenever I wanted the children to be outside the fic- tion I would turn the badge to Mr Taylor. Whenever I wanted them on the inside, I would turn it to Mr Brown. This involved quite a lot of badge-turning on my part, which the children generally ignored. One day they were busy doing a piece of writing – instructions for feeding the dogs, I think – when one of them, Callum, raised his hand. “Yes, Callum?” I said. “How do you spell ‘kennel’?” He asked. “Who are you asking?” I replied, being clever and twisting the badge to give him a clue. “I don’t know,” he answered. “Who spells best?” That was it for my silly badge strategy, and the badge went in the bin, along with the clipboard, my collection of hats, and the team’s name on the classroom door. All were unnecessary as far as the chil- 90 91 dren were concerned; they were just props to help me in the process. What I needed was to work out how Luke, Dorothy, and the other story 1: imaginative play at home people I saw using the approach made it look so easy and uncompli- cated. My breakthrough came one day while playing at home with my A boy is watching his favourite film about dinosaurs. His arms and own children. They were quite young at the time. legs twitch in response to events on the screen, and his lips move as “This is for you, Daddy,” said Lilly, the oldest, putting a crown on he repeats the familiar words of the actors. He knows the film by heart my head. “You’re the prince and you’re going to marry the princess.” and all around him are the dinosaur toys he plays with from morn- “How’s that going to happen?” I asked. ing to night: constantly lining them up in rows, organising them into “Ettie is in the church. Finn and me are going to bring you in. I’m sets, and bringing them together for epic battles. These things repres- the Queen, he’s the King.” ent in their different forms (movies, toys, pictures, and stories) the “I see. How should we start?” landscape of his imagination, played out and repeated time and time “We’ll hold your arms.” Lilly took one arm, Finn the other, and they again. Together, they provide him with a meaningful and exciting con- led me into the church (our living room, all dressed up for the occasion). text to explore his ideas and to develop his personal understanding of To help out the mood, I hummed a tune: “Dum, dum, dee-dum... the world. They are the bridges that link the internal world of his mind dum, dum, deeee-dum.” with the external world of reality around him. Ettie stood there in her wedding dress. She looked at me and When the film finishes, he jumps down from the sofa and lies flat giggled. (I must have looked a right state in my plastic gold crown and on the ground, bringing his eyes to the level of the dinosaurs. He looks tiny pink cape.) at them intently for a while, exploring them from different angles, And then – BAM! – I got it. This is it! We’re doing it! Lilly is doing then starts to move them around, growling and roaring as they attack what I find so difficult and she’s doing it without even trying. She’s each other. Reaching into a box, he pulls out a human-shaped figure, guiding me into the fiction and she’s using the language of drama to dressed in khaki and carrying a rifle. He carefully places the figure make it happen. One second we’re on the ‘outside’ talking about it, behind a wooden building block and then edges him out so the fig- with her telling me who I am and what’s going to happen, and the next ure can watch the dinosaurs without being seen. The boy then shifts we’re on the ‘inside’, walking into the church as if in a story. his own position so he can lie behind the figure and see the dinosaurs There were no tricks, no gimmicks, no complicated strategies: Lilly fighting from a different point of view. In his mind, he has brought and the others just did it. And because I shut up and listened – rather together his toys and the events of the film into a new landscape: an than overcomplicating things with my adult view of the world – I did imaginary world, where he is in control. it too. Easy. Suddenly, his concentration is broken by his mother, calling him for This revelation changed my practice forever: I realised I had to stop lunch. Although he is reluctant to leave the world of his imagination, thinking like a teacher if I wanted to do this, and start thinking like a the boy notices his hunger and stops his game for food. The real world child. My rational view of the world was getting in the way of my prac- has intervened and for a while it takes precedence. tice and I had to stop treating Mantle of the Expert as something I did As he leaves his toys and walks into the dining-room, the boy’s to my class, and start thinking of it as something we did together. attention switches from the internal imaginary world of dinosaurs, to Imaginary play was the key, and it made me entirely rethink the way the external real world of home and family. I used language in the classroom. I started talking much more ‘in the moment’, as if events were really happening, and began explaining to my class when we were ‘in’ and when we were ‘out’, just as Lilly had real world done when guiding me into their story. It was literally child’s play, but I’d forgotten how to do it. To illustrate the process I’m going to tell two stories. The first involves a young boy at home with his mother, playing a game centred on his imaginary world own interests. The second involves a class of children in Year 1, working with their teacher to create an imaginary context, which they are using to explore the curriculum. Both stories involve the use of language and the way it moves the participants in and out of the fictional world. 92 93 The two worlds continue to exist simultaneously for the boy for as long the real world has entirely disappeared – the living-room furniture and as he chooses or until his mind moves on to something new.2 In a sense, the dining table are still there – it is just that the boy and his mother the dinosaur world of his imagination is nested within the real world of have chosen to put these things to the backs of their minds, concen- his home. During the time he is playing with his toys, the boy is fore- trating instead on the events, characters, and scenery of the fiction. grounding events in the imaginary world (dinosaurs fighting, explorers This is a conscious and negotiated suspension of reality, agreed by both hiding) and pushing into the background the real-world aspects of his parties, in order to create a shared fictional world where they can enjoy home: the carpet, the sofa, the walls of the house. When his mum calls being entirely different. The boy wants a safe and controlled way to him for lunch, the emphasis switches and the boy concentrates instead experience the excitement of his favourite film, and his mum is happy on the real-world events of sitting at the table and eating. to help him by taking on the role of a T. rex. Entering the fiction is easy As they share lunch, the boy is keen to tell his mum all about events for them: all they have to do is suspend their disbelief for a short time in his imaginary world. She listens carefully and asks him questions. and play as if the imaginary world were real. Of course, she has heard much of it before, but she recognises that it is As they run around the lounge and up the stairs, the T. rex snaps its important to her son and she is keen to encourage him. jaws and roars loudly. The explorer ducks and weaves, trying to escape. “Tell me about this explorer,” she asks. “Can the dinosaurs see him?” Suddenly, the T. rex grabs the explorer and pretend-bites his neck. “Not at the moment,” he replies. “AAAAAAHHHH!” it roars, chomping and biting. “Are they going to?” she asks. This is too much for the boy and he bursts into tears. Without “Yes,” he nods. meaning to, his mum has gone too far. She has scared him, and at that “Then what will happen?” moment (for the boy at least) the story stops. His tears are real-world “They are going to chase him.” tears, his fears are real-world fears. His mum, recognising this change, As they talk, the two of them are outside the fiction, in the real stops being the T. rex and turns her pretend bite into a cuddle. world, thinking about and discussing events in the dinosaur world of The two of them are back now in the real world. the boy’s imagination. Importantly, both treat this imaginary world as “I’m sorry,” she apologises. “I thought that’s what you wanted.” if it were real. The mother’s questions are serious and respectful (she “No,” the boy sniffs, “theT. rex doesn’t catch the explorer.” does not want to diminish his game), while the boy’s answers treat her “Oh,” says his mum, “I got that wrong. Please, tell me what hap- as someone he can trust. There is no sense of irony between them: she pens next.” is not laughing at his earnestness or making sly comments that under- The boy explains how theT. rex nearly catches the explorer, and how mine his enthusiasm. She understands that her son has invested a lot the explorer makes the dinosaur fall into a trap. of his time and emotional energy in this world, and for him it is a seri- His mum listens carefully. ous business. “I see,” she says. “I think I get it now.” After lunch the boy invites her to join in. The boy stops crying and wipes away his tears. “Would you like to play?” he asks. “Shall we try again?” she asks, making her hands into dinosaur claws. She checks the clock and agrees with a smile. The boy smiles and agrees. “You can be the T. rex,” he says. Turning away, he runs back into the jungle, dodging and weaving his “All right,” she replies, “show me how they look.” way through the trees. His mum roars and chases after him, now care- The boy bears his teeth, turns his fingers into claws, and goes into a ful not to actually catch him. crouch. “AAAAAAAHHHHH!” he roars. Both are back in the imaginary world. “I see,” says his mum. “So, how should we start?” This is how child-initiated play works. The child decides on the “You chase me,” he replies, “like in the film.” fiction – location, characters, narrative – and the adult plays along. “OK,” she says, letting out a roar of her own and chasing him into To enter into the imaginary world of the child, the adult needs to be the living room. invited in. She needs to ask questions to understand the context, and At that moment both mother and son have jumped into the imag- she needs to stop and start at the behest of the child. The child is in inary world and the game begins. He takes on the role of an adult charge, it is his world, and the adult is entering the world on his terms. explorer: a resourceful character, unafraid, knowledgable, and able. This is why, when she gets it wrong by grabbing him and making him His mum becomes a terrifying dinosaur with a mouth full of sharp cry, she has to come out of the fiction (stopping time in the fictional 94 teeth: hungry, intelligent, and intent on catching her prey. It is not that 95 world) to apologise and negotiate her way back in. This process of stopping and starting the story so the participants how to tie pieces of wood together using string and tells him about can step in and out of the imaginary world is a fundamental aspect of other animals, such as tigers and pythons, found in the jungle. imaginary play. It allows the participants to create and then reshape Imaginative play, then, is a medium for learning about the world, the imaginary world as they want it to be. There is no final version as including its fictional dimensions. It creates psychological landscapes such, just a temporary and contingent something, which those involved where those participating can connect new sources of information and can enjoy for as long as they will. experiences to existing banks of knowledge and understanding. This The following table illustrates the inside-outside-inside nature of process is about making meaning, joining together, and forging links. the boy’s game:3 It is also about exploring the use of power, taking risks in a safe envir- onment, and expressing thoughts, ideas, and values. These represent description fictional world events purpose the key aspects of imaginative play as a medium for learning and can all be found in the boy’s dinosaur game: Child Adult A boy watches A boy sits and For the boy to enjoy fictional – It is a world the boy controls, and which operates under his rules. outside outside his favourite film watches a film events in a film he knows well He decides what happens, when it happens, and who is involved. It is a place for him to explore what it is to have power and author- The boy plays An explorer hides For the boy to create and ex- inside outside with his toys from dinosaurs plore the story using his toys ity, and both opportunities and responsibilities. The boy eats lunch The boy and his mum To satisfy their hunger – It is a ‘safe zone’ the boy can use to generate exciting and risky outside outside with his mum eat lunch together scenarios which, in the real world, would be far too dangerous for The boy tells his The boy tells his mum For the boy to inform his him. He can create opportunities to explore risk and danger, as mum about the outside outside about events in the mum and share his ideas well as their implications and opportunities. film and his game film and his game – It is built from ‘stuff’ in the real world: that is, storylines, contexts, The boy and his A T. rex chases the For the boy to experience landscapes, creatures, and people. The boy can interact with these mum play his game inside inside explorer through the his story world features and shape them for his own purposes. jungle The boy cries The boy is scared by For the boy to signal fear – It creates a learning environment where the boy can make meaning outside inside an unexpected event and confusion of the world. That is, he can experiment and explore what it is to be a human being, including the fictional worlds of his imagination. The boy and His mum apologises; For his mum to allay the boy’s his mum talk the boy tells her how fears and renegotiate her way outside outside – It is a landscape where the boy can make connections in his mind he wants the game back into the game between what he knows and what he is finding out about. That is, to go the interactions between the two worlds can help the boy build Both return TheT. rex chases For the boy to experience cognitive bridges, connecting new and existing knowledge and to the game inside inside the explorer without the story as he wants it understanding. catching him – It generates opportunities for the boy to create ‘products’, using various forms of representation – pictures, writing, enactive It is important to emphasise the social and cultural dimensions of movement, and spoken words – for him to develop his skills this process. The boy, although he is playing alone to begin with, is of communication and human interaction. not inventing the world of his imagination from thin air. His game of As far as we can tell, imaginative play is something human beings do dinosaurs, jungles, and explorers is a variation on what he has learned innately and universally from a young age. There is no need for the boy from watching films, reading books, looking at pictures, and talk- and his mother to go on a ‘How to Play’ course or to read books with ing to others. When he involves his mother in this game, she brings titles like ‘Play for Beginners’. They just know how to do it. And as the her own social and cultural information about dinosaurs, jungles, boy plays, he learns, just like other children, from all over the world, and explorers, which she can share and add to their combined pool have learned for countless generations. of knowledge. For example, later, while they are building the trap 96 together for the dinosaur (outside the fiction), she teaches her son 97 story 2: imaginative play in the classroom team, working together to save the life of the triceratops, while their teacher (in the role of a colleague) supports and guides their work. In The first important difference between imaginative play at home and this way, inside and outside the fiction, she is able to give advice, pro- imaginative play at school is that no single person is in charge of the vide additional information, and direct activities. imaginary world in the classroom. While playing at home, the boy is in Occasionally, this involves her stopping the fiction entirely. She charge of his imaginary world: he’s the boss, he decides what happens does this twice during the session: once to teach the children informa- and when. In the classroom it is the community that decides, under the tion on dinosaur anatomy (using a prepared image on the whiteboard), guidance and support of the teacher. Co-operation and compromise play and once to deal with a member of the team who is administering his a much larger role in school, and the boy (along with his classmates) has medicine rather too enthusiastically to the leg of the triceratops. to learn how to adapt and accept the different pressures and responsibil- “We just need to stop the story for a moment.” She says, and then ities this involves. waits until everyone comes out of the fiction. Unlike at home, where the primary focus of the boy’s imaginative play “Thank you. I’ve stopped the story so we can ask Sarah a question. is his enjoyment, in the classroom the primary and overriding concern Sarah, are you all right having people poke your leg while you are in is with curriculum learning. It is the teacher’s job to plan and guide the the story?” activities of the imaginary world in the direction of purposeful and pro- Sarah shakes her head. ductive learning. It is no good creating an imaginary world full of fun and “I thought not. We need to be more careful. Let’s try to remember excitement, where the children can’t wait to get into the classroom, if that we’re working as if it were real, but Sarah doesn’t want people actu- nothing of any substance gets done and the activities are nothing more ally touching her. Shall we have another go?” than a series of disconnected games, without curriculum purpose or dir- ection. Such a place is not a classroom: it’s a playground. This exchange is very similar to the one between the mother and Let’s imagine we drop in on a Mantleof the Expert class about a week her son, where they needed to come out of the fiction to discuss the into their context called Dinosaur Island. If we look around the room, T. rex’s attack on the explorer. The process works in exactly the same we can see signs of activity from the imaginary world: health and safety way, even if the power dynamic is subtly different. In the home-based posters, a map of the island, pictures of dinosaurs, Lego models of scenario, the mother plays the boy’s game under his rules and instruc- vehicles and buildings. tions. In the classroom, the teacher is the one in charge and has the power to stop and start the fiction whenever she needs to provide Currently, the children are sitting in a circle on the carpet, discussing with more information or deal with misunderstandings. their teacher how to help an injured triceratops. Lying on the floor, in the The purpose of the classroom activity is not primarily about hav- middle of the circle, is a member of the class. She is curled up and still. ing a good time (although the children might well be enjoying them- “Is she still breathing?” the teacher asks. selves). It is about learning, so the teacher takes every opportunity she “Yes,” replies one of the children. Others nod in agreement. can to develop the children’s knowledge, skills, and understanding. “That wound looks nasty,” says the teacher. “Did we bring a first aid kit?” She understands that this involves regularly stopping and starting the This first exchange is inside the fiction. The child on the floor repres- fiction, but is not worried that this will wreck the imaginary scenario. ents the injured triceratops; the other children and the teacher are mem- As in imaginative play, she understands the children are quite capable bers of a team of explorers. of keeping both worlds – the imaginary and the real – in mind at the “Take a look in your rucksack,” says the teacher, opening an imaginary same time. bag in front of her and modelling this way of working for the children. They follow her lead. “I think we’ll need one of these,” she says, holding up an imaginary syringe and squeezing it. “What else do you think we will need?” The children make suggestions.The teacher supplements their know- ledge with suggestions of her own. She is working in the moment, giving the class opportunities to make contributions of their own, but always looking to extend their thinking. When they are ready, they set to work. 98 For the next fifteen minutes, the children (as explorers) operate as a 99 description fictional world events purpose description fictional world events purpose Sarah Class Adult Sarah Class Adult Sarah lies on the inside outside outside A triceratops An opportunity for the class Teacher pauses the outside outside outside Story paused Opportunity for teacher to carpet to represent lies injured to look and discuss (a) what fiction to ask Sarah discuss with the class: (a) the a triceratops, while is happening in the story, and if she is disturbed importance of being aware everyone else (b) what they can and should by people poking of other people’s discomfort watches do as the team of explorers her on the leg and personal space, and (b) how drama works as an ‘as Teacher searches her inside outside inside One of the team Teacher models the use if’ medium where things are (imaginary) rucksack searches for of dramatic action done as if they real, without for first aid equipment their first aid kit actually being real Children search their inside inside inside The whole team Children use dramatic Teacher restarts inside inside inside The team Opportunity for the teacher own rucksacks for search ruck- action to enter the fiction the story. Children continue to to teach the principles of first first aid equipment sacks for their The teacher draws on continue to represent work on saving aid and knowledge about first aid kits existing knowledge and explorers at work the triceratops: living creatures: breathing, supplements it with further they administer circulation, infections, etc information medicine, and clean, stitch and Taking it in turns, the inside inside inside The explorers Opportunity to use dramatic bandage the children represent work to save the action, under the guidance of wound, etc. explorers, providing triceratops, us- the teacher (in role as one of medical aid to the ing their med- the team); the teacher intro- The episode ends with outside outside outside Story paused Opportunity for the teacher triceratops ical equipment duces principles of first aid: the triceratops saved. to organise children and to and expertise check airways, wounds, etc. The teacher pauses the review the procedure they story to organise the used on the triceratops Teacher stops the outside outside outside Story paused Opportunity for teacher children into groups, story and teaches to teach children about in- for them to repeat the children about the ternal anatomy of dinosaurs process on other in- internal anatomy and to answer questions jured dinosaurs on the of the triceratops, island. She reminds using images on the children of the list the whiteboard of procedures they Class return to work inside inside inside The story Opportunity for the chil- have just used on the as explorers, giving continues dren to use and apply their triceratops medical aid to the recently acquired knowledge Children work in inside inside outside The explorers Opportunity for children to triceratops small groups. One -inside find other injured practise and apply the skills One child pokes outside inside inside/ Sarah disturbed To stop the story and deal takes the role of an dinosaurs on the and knowledge they have Sarah roughly on the outside by being poked with the unwanted action injured dinosaur, island and set learned during the whole- leg (while injecting in the leg the others a team of to work, giving class activity and for the the triceratops in the explorers supplying them medical aid teacher to review their learn- story); the teacher medical aid. The ing, offering further support notices Sarah is teacher helps and sup- and guidance where needed disturbed by this ports where needed

100 101 Like the boy’s game, once the fiction begins it is not a simulated scen- Once they have finished, the teacher introduces the next task: “I ario that mimics reality and breaks down if it comes to a halt. Rather, guess we’ll all need a list of our own once we start going deeper into it operates in a start-stop-start fashion, allowing all those involved the the jungle and further away from base. I’ve made a template you might chance to come out of the fiction when they need to, and to return to it find helpful.” She holds up a copy of the prepared template. “There’s a when they are ready. space here for the heading, a box for a picture of a dinosaur, a place to Of course, none of this works if the children are not interested in the put your own list of instructions, and another box for your equipment.” world they are creating. It’s the same with play: you can’t make people The children set to work and the teacher makes her way around the enjoy it and you can’t force them to join in. They have to want to. This classroom, offering support and guidance where needed. is why the teacher works hard at making the scenarios interesting and It might be interesting to ask the children as they work whether they exciting for her class, and looks at every opportunity to include their think they are in the real world or the imaginary world. But they proba- ideas and suggestions. This is not a child-centred approach in the bly wouldn’t care. The question has little relevance to their understand- sense that the children make all the decisions and the teacher follows. ing of the context and would sound like the sort of thing adults worry Rather, it is a learning-centred approach that keeps the curriculum in about but children rarely bother with – like Callum and his dogs. mind, while always looking to include and involve the ideas, contri- For myself, I suspect the children are in a kind of shadow space butions, and interests of the children. It is a careful balancing act. Tip between the two, where both worlds are held in their minds at the too far one way, and the work loses focus and direction. Tip too far the same time, allowing their imagination to operate in the fictional space other, and the children lose interest and motivation. (with the dinosaurs and the explorers) and their concentration to operate in the classroom space (focusing on the technical aspects of Generating further curriculum learning activities writing, such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar). This is the great Of course, Mantle of the Expert does not always involve the direct use asset of Mantle of the Expert: it creates both content and reasons for of drama, and the imaginary context can be used to generate learning studying the curriculum, making learning enjoyable and purposeful. activities across the curriculum. To see how this happens, let’s return to the classroom after the break. The teacher is now standing in front of the whiteboard, with the stu- dents sitting together on the carpet. She’s talking about instruction writing. “I thought it would be helpful if we made a list of instructions for giving medical aid to the dinosaurs. It could go in our rucksacks, along with the first aid kits, and would be something we could give to new people when they join our team. What instructions do you think we should include?” There is a short discussion, where the children and the teacher share their ideas. “We are going to need to write these ideas down.” She says and writes on the whiteboard: Instructions for Giving Medical Aid to a Dinosaur. “What do you think?” There are some nods of agreement. She continues and writes the number ‘1’ on the board. “How shall we start?” For the next ten minutes or so, the children and teacher work together to create a list of ten instructions. The teacher structures the work and helps with difficult spellings. She wants to include the children’s ideas as much as possible, but is mindful of what they don’t know. The list is a co-construction, not something the children have done alone and not 102 something given to them by the teacher as a fait accompli. 103 104 105 6 Planning

Every teacher has their own way of planning. They have their own views on what order things should be done, and their own preferences, and this is how it should be. Planning is not something for other people – that’s record-keeping. Planning is instead something teachers cultivate and refine over time as they work on and develop their practice. The same is true for Mantle of the Expert. If you visit schools that use the approach, you will find a wide variety of methods. Each one will have evolved over time and will reflect the context of the school and the teachers’ own understanding. The planning model in this chapter is, therefore, a recommendation only. It is based on my own evolving understanding of the approach, and is in no way a prescribed format or a recipe to follow slavishly. All the elements from the first part of this book are included, along with some new resources and materials. I’ve illustrated how the model works by using a detailed example based on the sinking of the Titanic for a class of Year 5 students, as well as others in less detail, from both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. You’ll find a copy of the planning model on page 110 and in the planning booklet in appendix 4. Before we start discussing it in detail, however, we should go through the principles that lie at the heart of the process. Put the learning at the centre Although Mantle of the Expert is meant to be exciting and interest- ing, it is not a game. So keep the curriculum at the centre and keep asking yourself: what are the students learning? What is the context doing to challenge them? And what is it doing beyond a normal classroom activity? These are the questions that will keep your planning on track and heading in the right direction. Don’t overplan This is a common mistake for beginners and one I was guilty of myself many times. It is important to keep your planning to the es- sentials. This is not the same as saying you shouldn’t plan in detail or you shouldn’t have a clear idea of the curriculum. But don’t decide everything in advance. Leave some gaps, where the students can get involved and include their own ideas, and some space for specula- tion and doubt. The fictional context should be a co-construction, 106 107 not something built by the teacher alone. For example, if you’ve planned for the students to explore the In this way, the students can see the impact of their work and why it fictional context of a dinosaur island, then work out the non-nego- is important. tiables (the team, the client, the commission), but leave as much of A context should always ask questions the rest as you can for the class to decide for themselves (is there a Mantle of the Expert is an inquiry approach, designed to make the ex- volcano? Where should we build the headquarters? What should ploration of the curriculum an active process of investigation. So while we do with the injured triceratops?). These are the elements that planning – long-term, medium-term, and short-term – always keep in will draw them into the fiction, get them thinking, and give them mind what idea, concept, or assumption the context is putting under a sense of ownership. the microscope. Remember the tension Inquiry questions invite speculation: they delve into the detail and I’m embarrassed to remember just how dull some of my early exper- probe the evidence, turning over and examining the substance of a iments with Mantle of the Expert were. I was quite good at planning situation and looking at what it means. something exciting (an accident, a mystery, a rescue mission) as The key idea is always to have an inquiry question at the heart of your an opener, but most of my early mantles quickly slid into a familiar Mantle of the Expert sessions. Always have something under investiga- groove after a week or two and looked like nothing more than old- tion, something being examined and probed for understanding. Keep style topic work. your mind on these questions, include them in your planning, and The answer, as we discussed in chapter 4, is to plan for tension. evaluate their effectiveness at the end of every session. That is, regular events, happening in the fiction over time, to keep things interesting and to provide urgency and importance to the work. An event doesn’t have to be a massive disaster or a huge prob- the planning model lem, just something that adds a bit of excitement: a lost key, blood on a leaf, a ship on the horizon, a low rumble from the volcano. All Now we get to the nitty-gritty. of these, and many other ‘mini-tensions’, will help to keep the story Planning for Mantle of the Expert is a lengthy process, with a high alive and the children interested in the context. degree of complexity, but you don’t have to understand everything per- fectly before you have a go. Remember, Mantle of the Expert is some- Activities should always have purpose thing you learn by doing, so don’t be put off by all the steps. It is not enough for students to complete their work and have it To be honest, unless you want to start planning your own context marked and filed away: they need to see how it is being used and immediately, I wouldn’t go through this chapter trying to understand how it makes a difference. It is this application inside the fiction that everything right away. The model is intended as a step-by-step guide and gives the students an understanding that their curriculum studies there is a great deal of detail, so it’s not an easy read, and an overview have a role beyond the world of the classroom. Activities in Mantle might be all you need at this stage. of the Expert should always have a purpose. When you are ready to plan your own, I would suggest that you: For example, imagine a situation where the park rangers have written reports for the owner of the park, concerning the welfare – print off the planning booklet (appendix 4) and planning resources of the animals in the badly run zoo. The reports have been drafted, booklet (appendix 5), or use the Word version on the Mantle of the reviewed, redrafted, and sent to the owner, and now it is time for Expert website the team to meet the owner to discuss the implications. – print off the context planning for Titanic in appendix 2 “Thank you for coming in,” the owner says. “I’ve read your re- – work through this chapter again, paying close attention to the ports and I have a few questions. You say the orang-utan is showing different steps and examples signs of stress – rocking backwards and forwards and pulling her – use the planning booklet to plan your own context hair out. Are you sure it’s going to be safe to move her? And what Your first context doesn’t have to be long or complicated. In fact, you’re happens when she gets here? Have we got plans for introducing her probably better off planning a single session as an experiment, trying it into the enclosure?” out in the classroom, and then reviewing it, before planning your next. This is how I started and it’s safer than going ‘all in’ from the start. 108 109 The planning model below is divided into four stages and twelve steps. If, on the other hand, you work in a school that lets the teachers decide They are organised sequentially, but don’t represent a prescribed order. As on the theme, then choose one you’re interested in and want to spend you develop your own method of planning, you might want to use a differ- time teaching. There is nothing worse than teaching a topic that bores ent sequence. The choice is yours, so feel free to tamper as much as you you, where the days drag by and you never feel inspired. If you’re bored, like. There is a Word copy on the Mantle of the Expert website. your students will be too. Personally, I find specific themes – such as Florence Nightingale, planning model Animal Park, Dinosaur Island, and Titanic – are much more interesting than general ones like Light and Dark, Ourselves, and Mushrooms. You Stage 1: the foundations might feel differently. Step 1 Choose a theme Step 2 Create an overview of the students’ learning Create an overview of the students’ learning Step 3 Make a list of things that make the theme interesting This step involves creating an overview of the knowledge, skills, under- Step 4 Generate questions for inquiry standing and social aspects you want the students to work on during the course of the context. There is no need to plan everything in min- Stage 2: the context ute detail: a list of general areas of exploration and development will be Step 5 Invent a narrative. Include tension, location, and time enough at this stage. This is mine for Titanic: Step 6 Select the expert team and create a list of powers, responsibilities, and values Knowledge Step 7 Decide on the client and their role, purpose, and authority – a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends Step 8 Devise the commission pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066, representing Step 9 Consider other points of view a significant turning point in British history – the ship’s construction, voyage, crew, ownership, history Stage 3: activities and curriculum links – its cultural significance: iconic status, representation Step 10 Make a list of team tasks and classroom activities of Edwardian society, art, architecture, class, confidence in Step 11 Link the tasks and activities to the national curriculum engineering and science – the story of the disaster: events, causes, repercussions, effects Stage 4: the start Step 12 Plan a sequence of steps into the fiction Skills – ask perceptive questions – think critically – weigh evidence

– sift arguments stage 1: the foundations – develop perspective and judgement The first stage in the process involves planning the foundations. There are Understanding four steps: – Edwardian society was deeply stratified, which resulted in an unnecessarily high number of casualties among the Step 1 Choose a theme lower-class passengers Step 2 Create an overview of the students’ learning – the role hubris played in the disaster: overconfidence in the Step 3 Make a list of things that make the theme interesting design of the ship, the superiority of engineering over nature, Step 4 Generate questions for inquiry the urgency to break the record for crossing the Atlantic – the role human error and lack of planning played in the disaster: the Choose a theme shortage of lifeboats, the loss of the key to the locker holding the bin- Many schools have their own curriculum map, dividing up the different oculars, a mistake by the steersman, the use of low-grade iron rivets areas of study and allocating them to specific years. If you work in such – the effect the disaster had on Edwardian society and what 110 a school, then you will have little choice over the theme you choose. 111 it represented as a metaphor for the decline of Victorianism Social Generate questions for inquiry – work together effectively in small and large groups The best method for generating inquiry questions is to look at a theme – share ideas and listen to others of study through a range of perspectives and then use these perspectives – explore different points of view to develop different lines of inquiry. – evaluate own work and the work of others, give feedback and make For example, Animal Park might generate inquiry questions about suggestions for improvement ethics: is it right to keep animals locked up in cages? About the envi- – draft, redraft, and produce work of high quality for others ronment: is it possible to make an enclosure anything like an animal’s to learn about the context natural habitat? And about education: what should we tell the people visiting the Park about the animals? Note: ‘Social’ includes communication, questioning, reasoning, prob- These questions can be used as the foundation for developing investi- lem-solving, evaluation, reflection, and so on, as well as the social and gations and for creating events. emotional aspects of learning, including resilience, tolerance, imagina- Of course, not all the inquiry questions you end up investigating will tion, and understanding. be planned in advance. Many new ones are likely to crop up from some- thing you are working on in class. Be ready for them when they appear Make a list of things that make the theme interesting and grab them if you can. A question that emerges from a context, espe- It is always worth considering what is interesting about a theme before cially if it comes from the children, can be an exciting opportunity for you start planning it in detail. I suggest you make two lists: one for the learning. Here are the inquiry domains I used for Titanic:1 students and one for yourself. Later on, the items from these lists will help you generate activities to attract the students’ interest and make – social – critical the context exciting. – political – ethical – historical – philosophical Titanic: what’s interesting about this theme – environmental – spiritual For the students – the disaster: the events surrounding the sinking (the iceberg, the And these are the questions they generated: captain, the crew, the band, the SOS, the lack of lifeboats, ‘women and children first’, and passengers) Social What was life like on the Titanic for the passengers and crew? – events leading up to the disaster: the speed of the ship (trying Political What effect did wealth, influence and social attitudes have to break the record), the unusually low path of the iceberg, the lack on the consequences of the disaster and the subsequent inquest? of binoculars, and the passengers’ lack of awareness – events after the disaster: the time it took for other ships to Historical How can we learn about the sinking of the Titanic and arrive, people pulled from the sea, what happened to the people life in 1912 by studying historical artefacts from the wreck? who survived, how the disaster was reported, the inquiry, and Environmental What effects did the especially cold weather responsibility and the unusual ice-floe have on the disaster? – the ship: its construction, size, fixtures and fittings, design, statistics, and different decks for different classes of passenger Critical Could the disaster have been avoided? Was anyone to blame? For the teacher Ethical Is it ethical to take artefacts from the wreck of the Titanic? – all of the above, and… Should these objects be considered the property of the victim’s –the survival rates of people from different classes, the lessons families? learned from the disaster, the effect it had on those who Philosophical To what extent was the Titanic disaster the result designed, built, and commissioned the ship of hubris? – how ship design changed after the disaster, and how the disaster affected confidence in engineering Spiritual Should the wreck of the Titanic be considered a gravesite? – how the disaster became a metaphor for the decline of Victorian- What are the team’s responsibilities to the dead? ism, and part of a narrative that culminated in World War One 112 113 stage 2: the context Sometimes this will involve a big event such as a disaster, at other times it will be smaller events such as a personal betrayal or deception. The second stage involves planning a fiction that is designed to frame the Once the students are invested in a scenario, you can use the full range theme within an imaginary context. There are six components in this pro- of tensions to keep them interested and engaged in the work. cess: the elements of narrative (tension, location, and time) and the ele- As an example, let’s look at the different levels of tension, illustrated ments of Mantle of the Expert (expert team, client, and commission). using events from Titanic.2

level examples from the titanic Level 1: danger named but not controllable – possibly – The iceberg expert team sudden and unexpected. Sudden obstacles, threats and watchers. Such as: drops (cliff, chasm, etc.), fires, gods, witches, sentries, and other non-benign tension location presences. Level 2: dangers known in advance, expected and – Field of icebergs context planned for. A mission in the face of danger that – Storms at sea could involve the elements (cold, heat etc.), en- – The pressure of the deep sea client commission emies, and/or defences. This might involve being – The extreme cold in a place that is forbidden or difficult to reach. Level 3: duty in the face of distraction. Situations and – Captain Smith staying on deck as the ship sinks time territories that daunt, and might have unpredict- – The band playing on able challenges and properties, but must be faced – The crew, helping people on to the lifeboats nevertheless. Level 4: Herculean tasks. Extremely difficult or – Saving the passengers Each element is essential to the whole, but you don’t have to plan them in dangerous tasks, requiring enormous effort. – Raising the artefacts from the wreck any particular order. Devising a context is fundamentally a creative pro- – Third-class passengers, finding a way cess, a bit like inventing a story, so let your imagination roam and enjoy it. up to the lifeboats When I plan a context, I find imagining a scene from a film helps to – Working on the wreck without destroying it get my mind working. I visualise the setting and the people involved and Level 5: dangers from guile, untruths and – Newspaper reports claiming the Titanic was then move around the space, listening to the voices and watching what’s exaggerations. Being spied on, tricked, lied to, unsinkable gave the passengers and crew an happening. Usually the scene is from somewhere near the beginning of or confused – deliberately or as a result of unrealistic (and dangerous) confidence in ship’s exaggeration. invulnerability the film, but not always. As I visualise this, I start to make notes on the location, the moment Level 6: threats from stupidity and lack of thought. – Not providing lookouts with binoculars in time, and the key element of tension. I then map out the ‘mantle’ ele- Any thoughtless or foolish acts that result in an – Halving the number of lifeboats because the ments – the expert team, the client, and the commission – using the unintended outcome. Carelessness, wrong think- owner thought they cluttered the first-class deck planning tools you’ll find later in this chapter (see pages 118, 120, and 122). ing, losing or forgetting critical information, etc. – Only half-filling some of the lifeboats, because of the ‘women and children first’ rule Gradually the context begins to take shape, and I start to fill in the details. Once this is done, I run through the whole process again to Level 7: pressures from limitations in time. Anything – Rescuing people before the ship sinks make sure my planning is coherent and matches the curriculum I want that limits activity. Means an activity must be com- – Lifting the artefacts from the ocean before pleted within a certain time, or where someone must they decay the students to study. The whole process usually takes between thirty be with someone or somewhere by a certain time. – Preparing the exhibition ready for the opening day and forty minutes, depending on how quickly inspiration takes me. Over the next few pages we will look at each element in turn. Level 8: pressures from illness, weakness and vulner- – Passengers and crew injured or sick ability. Difficulties created by wounds, accidents, – Rescuing people from the freezing sea illness, old age or young age. Tension As we discussed in chapter 4, tension can come in all shapes and sizes and doesn’t have to come from melodrama. The idea is to use tension 114 to draw the students into the context and to maintain their interest. 115 level examples from the titanic Location All stories need a location. Some, in contexts such as Florence Level 9: breaks in communication. Failure of mes- – The Marconi operators’ failure to pass on the Nightingale and Titanic, have obvious locations, while others, involv- sages to reach their destination; technical problems. iceberg warnings, because they were too busy ing animals, fairy tales, and dinosaurs, less so. I’ve used many, including Lights failing, batteries running low, poor reception, sending and receiving personal messages from burnt letters, messenger being killed or injured. the passengers castles, hospitals, shipwrecks, office buildings, towers, islands, animal parks, fantasy worlds, archaeological digs, caves, spaceships, mountains, fairy worlds, jungles, woodland areas, temples, beaches, ancient cities, Level 10: missing, lost or misreading signs. – Lack of urgency during the evacuation among Misunderstood signs, messages or signals, the passengers, who misread the tilt of the ship and battlegrounds. The choices are endless. and missing signs. as a sign that it would take many hours to sink When you plan a location, ask three questions: – Rumours that a ship close by, the Californian, misread the distress flares as fireworks and failed – does the location fit the theme? to respond to the disaster – will the location capture the students’ imagination? – is the location something the students can help create? Level 11: breakdowns in relations and differences. – Some members of the crew failed to follow As we discussed earlier, Mantle of the Expert involves the students People falling out with one another, especially the orders of the officers working together with the teacher to co-construct the fictional setting, friends, family and work colleagues. – Tension between the families and the representa- so always remember to keep your decisions to a minimum and leave as tives of the White Star Line during the inquest many of the details as you can for the class to decide. Level 12: loss of faith in companions and beliefs. – The loss of faith felt by society in the infallibility Here are some more examples from contexts we’ve already discussed: People who were once trusted, but betrayed of science and technology, after the sinking of a person’s faith (for example, the husband caught the Titanic having an affair). Can include ideas and beliefs theme location aspects to be decided (for example, the priest who no longer believes). Animals Animal Park, a park where the Types of animal enclosures; how the park is laid out; animals roam free in large the pathways; visitor amenities; etc. enclosures Level 1 is the most distant, representing what might be called an ‘act of Dinosaurs A long-lost island, recently The natural features of the island and where they are god’. The iceberg falls into this category: it doesn’t have an agenda and it discovered, with signs that it may located; the dinosaur species and the other animals doesn’t care about the people on the ship – it is just big, hard, and travel- be populated with previously on the island ling south. Each subsequent level moves closer and is more personal to extinct animals those involved. Castles An ancient, ruined castle in need The design of the castle (based on real historical You can use the list as a tool for planning. My own method is to slot of restoration information); the damage done and the restoration the context I’m working on into the column alongside the levels and needed; the work order then work my way down, writing in the tensions as they come to mind. Florence The hospital in Scutari in need of The layout of the hospital; the patients and their I don’t worry if some of the boxes stay empty, since I know new tensions reform and the introduction of injuries; the size and scope of the problem; how are bound to emerge once I take the context into the classroom. modern methods best to help Florence You can find a copy of the tensions list in the planning resources Titanic The wreck of the ship on the How the wreck is distributed across the seabed (based booklet in appendix 5, and as a Word document on the Mantle of the ocean floor, beginning to rot on real historical information); the artefacts discovered Expert website. and decay. by the archaeologists; the stories behind the artefacts. If you have trouble coming up with tensions, try looking out for them in other media. Sit down with the levels list while watching a drama on tv and see if you can spot where the tensions are in the story. This will Time help you in developing an eye for them, as well as in creating ones of Time is flexible in Mantle of the Expert, and through the use of the your own. conventions of drama you can jump backwards and forwards within a context to any moment you want to explore with your students. Planning where and when to enter a narrative is one of the joys of using this approach. It opens up all kinds of new ways of investigating the 116 117 curriculum. My own method is to think of a timeline for the context: ideas for expert teams3 past present future Services Bank, library, hospital, fire station, post office, rescue and emergency, disaster services, transport and haulage, recy- cling, sports centre, travel agency, activities and adventure centre, Then add significant events, as in this example from Titanic: catering, entertainment, exhibitions, events, fitness and health, gardening and landscaping, safety consultants past present future Manufacturing and agriculture Factories, a dairy, a bakery, fashion house, herb garden, cars, building, engineering, a farm, naval architects Titanic is Night of Events following Team finds Opening of commissioned the disaster disaster titanic exhibition Charitable oxfam, Red Cross, Greenpeace, National Trust, English Heritage, shelters for homeless people

As you can see, I don’t try to capture every possible event, but rather a Nurturing Hospice, orphanage, gene or blood bank, safe house, selection of those with the most potential to develop the drama as well library, council office as the students’ learning. Regulatory Police stations, tax and immigration offices, prisons, The Titanic context starts with the discovery of the wreck and ends law courts, armed forces, housing authorities, customs and excise, with the team opening the exhibition at the British Museum. harbour authorities, fire safety, flood protection, border authori- Some timelines, especially the historical ones, involve a mix of real and ties and immigration, environmental agencies fictional events, while others are entirely fictional. The length of a time- line depends on the nature of the context and on the time you have to Maintenance Plumbers, electricians, joiners, archivists, stone work in class. Some have no definitive end point, while others finish with masons, security guards, building restoration and conversion, a concluding event. Whatever choices you make, use the timeline to look excavation, demolition, house clearance, housing developers, at the options you have and choose ones that best match the curriculum. housing association, salvage and reclamation Arts Theatre, photographic studios, film-makers, art gallery, Expert team ballet and dance companies, museums, craft workshops, architec- When planning a team, the question to ask is this: what kind of experts ture business, authors and illustrators, set and costume designers, would be involved in this context if it were real? It doesn’t matter whether animators, sculptors the fiction is set in an imaginary world, like Dinosaur Island, or a more realistic setting, like Animal Park. What matters is that the choice of team Training Any learning programmes – the students would plan feels coherent to those participating. It makes sense for a team of explor- the training rather than functioning as students come to learn ers to be landing on an unexplored island, for instance, and for a team of Investigation, research and education Historians, archaeologists, park rangers to be looking after mistreated animals. These are among the palaeontologists, archivists, scientists, curators, conservation, things experts like these do in the real world. heritage, museums, visitor centres, exhibits, criminologists, A well-selected team is designed to grab the students’ interest, feel private investigators, accident and incident investigators, crime coherent, and generate activities that create opportunities for curriculum scene investigators, missing persons learning. So it’s important to spend some time at the beginning exploring the options before making a final decision. Animals and wildlife Animal rescue, vets, zoos, wildlife parks, rscpa, dogs’ homes, animal welfare and protection, grooming and training, nature reserve, animal sanctuary Personal services Advice and support, conciliation and mediation, financial services, care of the elderly or disabled

118 119 After deciding on the team, the next task is to plan its powers, respon- sibilities, and values within the fiction: ideas for client lists Powers The team’s authority: its decision-making powers and Government agencies Home Office, Foreign Office, Ministry of circle of influence. War, Naval Office, Environmental Affairs, national emergency, mi5, cobra, transport, education, regional government, sewage Responsibilities The team’s duties and responsibilities to the and water treatment, counterterrorism. client, the context, and other people. Services Charities (oxfam, Red Cross, Greenpeace, trustees, Values The team’s beliefs and values: what they stand for, National Trust, English Heritage, homeless shelters), co-operatives, their professional code of conduct, and their belief systems. international (wwf, climate control, etc.), banks, schools, govern- The team I selected for Titanic was marine archaeologists, and their ments, local authorities, universities, hospitals, churches, libraries. powers, responsibilities and values were: Museums Ancient history, modern history, science, natural his- Powers Decide on the use of equipment, times and durations for tory, local history, maritime, military and war, mobile museums, diving, whether it is safe to dive (especially with regard to the open-air museums, art galleries. weather), and how the job should be done (organising: time, Arts and media tv and film companies, art, sculpture and design layout, order, etc.). Influence: how the artefacts are displayed, how companies, news and media outlets, documentary film-makers. they will tell the story of the ship, and how the relatives of those who died and survived should be involved in the project. Organisations and institutions Police (detectives, missing people, cold case, immigration, crime prevention, crime detection), Responsibilities The careful preservation of the artefacts and the hospital, fire station, post office, rescue and emergency, disaster wreck, to the memory of those people who died in the disaster, to services, transport and haulage, recycling, sports centre, travel the facts and the accuracy of the history, to the careful maintenance agency, activities centre, catering, entertainment, exhibitions, of equipment, and the safety of other members of the team. events, fitness and health, safety consultants, town planners. Values To preserve and protect marine archaeology, educate and Animal services Animal parks, zoos, vets, rspca, animal rescue, inform, make maritime archaeology more accessible to the general dogs’ homes, animal welfare and protection, grooming and training, public. nature reserve, animal sanctuary. During this process you could research how the type of team you Gardens and outdoor Gardening, landscaping, farming, garden have chosen operates in the real world, especially if it is in a field you centres, road management, sea and river management, airports, are unfamiliar with, as marine archaeology was for me. Wikipedia is coastal and beach management. a good place to start, and many professional organisations have their own website. Manufacturing and agriculture Factory, dairy, bakery, fashion house, herb gardening, cars, building, engineering, farming, naval architects. Client People Families, parents, carers, relatives, local communities, The most important consideration in selecting a client is the curricu- ancestors, tribes, ancient communities. lum learning you want your students to develop. Clients and commis- sions go together, so a well-chosen client will produce a commission that generates challenging activities and takes the learning in the direc- tion you want. Some clients, like Mrs Pig in the Fairy Tales context, have little authority, while others, like the owner in Animal Park, have much more. Selecting the right level of authority is dependent on the context and the social needs of the students. Clients with low authority need more care and attention, while clients with high authority require more compliance.

120 121 authority needs examples Commissions have four core functions: Low Personal help, support Mrs Pig’s asking the Problem-solvers for help – to match the professional skills and knowledge or information of the expert team The climber calling the mountain rescue team for medical aid – to satisfy the needs of the client – to create situations involving the investigation Middle Advice, guidance, or reassurance Local residents concerned about the extra traffic of inquiry questions that might be caused by the opening of the Castle after restoration – to generate activities that develop curriculum knowledge, skills, and understanding High Work done to a high standard; the The British Museum commissioning the marine client has the power to terminate archaeology team Broadly, there are three types of commission: the commission The owner of Animal Park – The creation of a product For example, an artefact, building, piece of equipment, work of art, or exhibition. Try experimenting with different clients, and different levels of author- – A job to be done For example, transportation of an item or items, ity, and see what you find. They all have their own advantages and the excavation of a tomb, the protection of people or animals. disadvantages, and can be developed and explored in different ways. – Providing help, support, and advice For example, putting out a fire, Sometimes a client will become the centre of a team’s work, as with rescuing an injured climber, providing information. Mrs Pig, while others will be more distant and impersonal, such as the Worldwide League for Nature, the client in Dinosaur Island. Broadly, clients have four functions: ideas for commissions – to communicate the commission and its purpose Information sources Leaflets, newspapers, guide books, news- – to demand and evaluate professional standards letters, manuals, reports, books, children’s stories, code books, – to require updates and information brochures, letters, diaries, procedures, time capsules, timelines, – to provide feedback and further knowledge graphs, data, portfolios The client for Titanic is the British Museum, a high-authority client Art forms and performance Paintings, sculpture, murals, that expects high standards and has the power to terminate the com- photographs, graphic art, comics, tapestry, ceramics, fabrics, mission. The team communicates with the client through an interme- friezes, poems, plays, dance, music diary acting on the museum’s behalf. Most of the communication is Electronic media Films, radio programmes, podcasts, websites done via email and ship-to-shore video-calls. A client of this kind is distant and impersonal. It puts pressure on Displays Art displays, museum exhibitions, collections the team to perform to the highest standards and expects everything to Testing Test papers, exams, investigations, questionnaires be done correctly and properly. The client’s representative asks prob- ing questions and expects the team to work quickly and efficiently. Advertising and promoting Advertisements, warnings (environmental, for example), campaigns, signs Commission Presentations and proposals PowerPoints, pitches, speeches, Some commissions, such as the the design of homes for Mrs Pig, are demonstrations, ceremonies, guided tours, designs, maps, quick and easy to accomplish, while others, such as the restoration of a illustrations, instructions, tours, plans castle, take weeks and involve a huge amount of work. The length and complexity of a commission depend on the age of the children, the Pastimes Games, board games, card games, collections, amount of time you want to spend on the project, and the curriculum information cards (Top Trumps, for example), toys, models you aim to develop. Buildings and structures Houses, offices, museums, hospitals, stadium, parks, farms, shops, schools, fire stations, factories, castles, garages, cathedrals, pyramids, settlements, airports 122 123 – Use the artefacts to create an exhibition that tells the forgotten stories Artefacts Jewellery, weapons, technology, coins, utensils, burial of people involved in the disaster A task that demands a lot from the casks, medals, clothing, bottles, lamps, tools, writing implements, students, in terms of their understanding of the context and their bells, timing instruments (clocks, for example), games, flags, skills in communicating knowledge. They are likely to need consid- pipes, medical equipment erable help and support from the teacher. Services Library, hospital, fire station, post office, rescue and The commission in this example is detailed and specific. My aim is to emergency, disaster services, transport and haulage, recycling, develop the students’ understanding of the subject and to create an sports centre, travel agency, activities and adventures centre, opportunity for them to communicate this understanding to others. catering, entertainment, exhibitions, events, fitness and health, It is deliberately challenging and requires the students to do a great gardening and landscaping, safety consultants deal of research and investigation, using a range of resources, including Investigation Historical inquiry, archaeology, palaeontology, books, the internet, and the knowledge of the teacher. scientific inquiry, criminology, private investigation, accident and Not all commissions need to be this detailed. Some, like the one incident investigation, crime scene investigation, missing persons given to the problem-solvers by Mrs Pig, can be simple and quite easily accomplished in a single session, but all need to be carefully Charitable and nurturing Supporting people in need; for exam- planned and designed to match the curriculum areas you want the ple, the homeless, unwell, immobile, injured, lacking in resources, students to study. lost, orphaned, displaced When you come to plan your own, look at the commissions list Maintenance Plumbing, electrics, joinery, stonemasonry, securi- above and keep in mind exactly what you want the students to learn. ty, restoration, excavation, demolition, house clearance, salvage If you’re unclear then leave the specifics for now and come back after and reclamation you’ve planned the activities and curriculum links in steps 10 and 11. You can find more examples of commissions on the Mantle of the Training and support Induction programmes, training, advice, Expert website. conciliation, mediation Animals and wildlife Animal rescue, protection and preservation Consider other points of view The last step in this stage of the planning is to consider the other points of view you want the students to come into contact with while they work on the fictional context. Some short mantles will involve only The purpose of a commission is to create activities that give meaning one or two, as in the Problem-solvers fairy tale context, while others and purpose to curriculum studies, as well as holding the interest of the will involve a great deal more, as in Castle Restoration. children and stimulating their thinking. Commissions are not a list of The idea is to expand the way the students look at the context and to disconnected jobs that have to be done because the client says so, but a give them a range of perspectives and ways of thinking about the situa- coherent series of tasks and activities that have a specified aim in mind. tion. If we consider Titanic, not everyone will be happy with the archae- This is the one I planned for Titanic: ologists disturbing the gravesite of the people involved in the disaster. They might ask what right the team has to be there? By whose authority A marine archaeology team is commissioned by the British Muse- are they allowed to bring up the artefacts and display them in a museum? um to explore the wreck of the Titanic as sensitively as possible and Aren’t they the property of the victims’ families? Each of these questions to find personal objects that can be used in an exhibition to tell the requires the students to think differently about the context and to delve forgotten stories of people involved in the disaster. deeper into the moral and ethical implications of the team’s work. This commission involves three core tasks: Of course, not every context will pose questions as challenging as these, and the age of the children is always a factor to bear in mind. – Sensitively explore the wreck Something for the team members to Nevertheless, it is worth thinking about the range of points of view pos- decide inside the fiction. sible within your context. Planning in this way will help you to think – Find personal objects A task for the students to complete outside divergently and to look out for opportunities to expand and deepen the the fiction, using their developing knowledge of the context. work once it goes into the classroom. 124 125 Here is the list of other points of view I created for Titanic: – Gain historical perspective by placing growing knowledge into different contexts Present day – Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of – expert team: marine archaeologists British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within – client: the British Museum and across the period – client’s representative: Professor Brown, manager of the project – Note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the – the press covering the story: newspapers, tv, and online appropriate use of historical terms – the relatives of those who were on the ship – Address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, – other historians and interested parties similarity and difference, and significance The past – Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and – passengers – families of those – newspapers organisation of relevant historical information – crew on board – rescuers – Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from – captain – ship’s owners – survivors a range of sources Science (forces) stage 3: activities and curriculum links – Explain that unsupported objects fall towards the earth because of the force of gravity acting between the earth and the falling object In this next stage, we will look at planning the tasks and activities created – Identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance and friction, by the fictional context, then at how these tasks and activities can be used which act between moving surfaces to generate links across the curriculum. This is about getting into the specif- – Recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys and ics and working out some of the fine detail. How much time you spend on gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect it now, before the work goes into the classroom, is a matter of judgement. Art and design Some contexts (especially historical ones) need quite a lot of research and – Produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording experiences background planning before they are ready, while others (such as those – Become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, based on stories, for example the Problem-solvers) need far less and can be craft and design techniques developed more as you go along. – Evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft My advice is to plan as much as you think you need without getting and design bogged down in the detail. Whatever you do, don’t overplan – remember – Know about great artists, craft-makers and designers, and under- that the work needs to be flexible and open to the students’ ideas. stand the historical and cultural development of their art forms Computing curriculum content for titanic – Be competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology History – An aspect or theme in British history that extends chronological Design and technology knowledge beyond 1066 – Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills – Ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, in order to design and make high-quality prototypes and products sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. for a wide range of users – Understand historical concepts and use them to make connections, – Critique, evaluate and test ideas, products, and the work of others draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions, and Geography create structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses – Use maps, atlases, globes and digital mapping to locate countries and – Understand the methods of historical inquiry, including how evi- describe features studied dence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how – Use the eight points of a compass, four- and six-figure grid and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have references, symbols and key been constructed 126 127 Tasks and activities everything – that would be near-impossible – but it’s essential to cover The key planning tool here is the generic tasks list, a comprehensive the main headings and important areas of development. list of tasks and activities that often crop up in Mantle of the Expert. Looking at my planning for Titanic, you will notice a heavy focus on You’ll find the generic tasks list as item 8 in appendix 5 . It is not a pre- history and English, with direct links to science, art and design, design scribed formula or a recipe you have to follow diligently, but rather a technology, and geography, as well as an indirect link to computing tool for generating ideas. through the use of information technology. You will also notice there My own method is to go through the generic tasks list with the con- is no mention of maths, music, physical education, or religious studies. text in mind and make my own list of some of the specific tasks I want This is not because they have been forgotten, or I don’t intend to teach the students (the team) to do – report-writing, map-making, instruc- them during this time; it’s simply that they are not subjects covered by tions, press releases, and graphic designs, for example – as we go along. the fictional context. My aim is to be as flexible as possible, without being underprepared. Mantle of the Expert is not an approach designed to teach the whole This is the list I created for Titanic: of the curriculum and some areas of study are best taught discreetly using different methods. Personally, I find it difficult to make links with mathe- matics and believe maths is one of those subjects best taught sequentially, division category and task activity and purpose curriculum with plenty of repetition of key concepts and ideas, practised over time. Material resources Places: maps Students create maps of the wreck Geography Many teachers do find ways for students to apply maths skills, but Mantle for the marine archaeology team of the Expert is not (in my view) the best method for teaching those skills Social, cultural, Safety procedures Students create plans and routines English: writing in the first instance. I would say the same for music and pe. historical for working in submersibles, How much of the curriculum you choose to teach using Mantle of dimensions including evacuation plans in case the Expert is a matter of professional judgement. Some schools use it of emergency in the afternoon for teaching the humanities, some include it in their Interactions with Briefing for the press Students create a short presentation English English or science lessons, while others find ways to use it in almost people outside for the press visiting the site, explain- every subject. the team ing the excavation and what has Personally, I never try to squeeze anything in that doesn’t fit coher- been found ently. I can make a good case for a team of marine archaeologists making Interactions Researching and Students use books, the internet, and History accurate measurements and calculating surface areas, but there is no sen- with people presenting information other media to research the history sible argument for them practising their times tables or learning how to inside the team of the Titanic and artefacts play the flute. In short, if it doesn’t fit, don’t force it. Plan to teach as much as you can using the fictional context, but for those areas that don’t fit, stick to your Once the context is established in the classroom, the job of thinking normal ways of planning and make sure the students get a broad and bal- of activities and linking them with the curriculum will become easier. anced curriculum. Of course, you have to keep an eye on coverage, depth, and challenge You will find a sheet for planning the curriculum in the resources (all critical to good learning), but it is unlikely you will have to spend booklet in appendix 5 and as a Word document on the Mantle of the hours and hours thinking of new activities. These tend to emerge natu- Expert website. rally from the context. You’ll find a blank box you can use to plan your own list in the plan- ning booklet in appendix 4 and on the Mantle of the Expert website. stage 4: the start

The curriculum Planning a sequence of steps into the fiction If you get to the point where you want to plan a context that lasts more The last stage of the planning process is about taking the background than a few days, then you need to think long and hard about the curric- planning you’ve done so far – the foundations, context, and curriculum ulum and how it links to the fiction. activities – and bringing them, step by step, into the classroom. This is Personally, if I’m working on a long-term context, I like to plan what largely a matter of invention, where you design a sequence of tasks that 128 the students are going to be studying in some detail. It won’t involve 129 take the students from being a group of people outside the fiction, with no knowledge of the context, to being an expert team, inside the fic- Principle 2: don’t lie tion, with a range of powers and responsibilities to affect events and A fundamental principle of Mantle of the Expert is that the students interact with other people inside the imaginary world. know, right from the beginning, that they are involved in a fiction. So My own method is to plan five or six steps that detail what I’m don’t trick them, and don’t pretend it’s real. going to say, what tasks the students are going to be doing, and how Some teachers worry that if the children think the story is not real, the narrative is going to develop over the course of the session. I try they will quickly lose interest. This is a mistake and the students will to stay flexible, while ensuring my planning is coherent and meets my resent it if they start off thinking it is true and later discover it’s not. objectives. Although there is no set method for planning a starting sequence, Principle 3: make it interesting there are some basic principles and key planning tools you can use to When planning a start to a context, you need to work out what’s going help you in the process. to attract the students into the fiction. Use the tension list and think of a narrative that grabs their attention and offers them a chance to get Principle 1: be subtle involved. You can’t just push the students into the fiction: Sometimes a book such as Zoo, The Hungry Caterpillar, or The “Today, children, you’re going to be Animal Park rangers. Won’t that Selfish Giant will do the job. At other times you will need to invent a be exciting!” story of your own to draw them in. Instead, you have to bring them carefully and gradually into the context, using a series of subtle steps. Dorothy Heathcote called this Key planning tool 1: strategies for dramatic inquiry 4 ‘induction’, meaning the use of an idea that invites the students to join Planning the start of a Mantle of the Expert context is largely a matter in on their own terms. of invention, where you can try out your own ideas and be creative. For example: One useful tool in this process is the ‘strategies for dramatic inquiry’ “If you worked in an animal park, which animals would you most (see panel), which is a collection of activities for co-creating a context like to look after?” and generating opportunities for students to step into the fiction.5 This is a gentle proposal where there is no obligation, no teacher These activities can be used at any time during a context, but are telling the children what to do, just an offer to join in. particularly useful when planning a start. Some you might have come Following the proposal, the teacher sets the students a task, giving across before, while others will be entirely new. Consider the list as a them the opportunity to get involved and contribute to the co-creation resource, and adapt it for your own purposes. of the context. Here are some more examples of inductive language: strategies for dramatic inquiry context invitation task 1. Sharing a complete story: picture book, storybook, video, audio, tv Dinosaur Island “If you were one of those people Make a list of useful objects for exploring 2. Sharing a partial narrative selected or created in advance: a letter [parachuting onto a island], what an island (or part of one), a photograph, a video, film or tv clip, part of a would you take with you?” story, a piece of audio, an overheard conversation, a report of a Animal Park “If you worked in an animal park, Draw a picture of an animal in the park conversation, a map, a drawing, an artefact what kinds of animals would you like and consider what it needs to live a to look after?” healthy and happy life 3. Interacting with an adult representing a point-of-view in the Florence Nightingale “What do you think Florence will find Create – using drawings, writing, and fictional world (an adult-in-role): someone in a story who can be when she walks into the hospital?” dramatic conventions – conditions at watched and then interacted with, in order to answer questions, Scutari hospital give advice, provide help and support, learn from (for example, Castle Restoration “Cast your eyes around the ruin – what Draw different parts of the castle and a person in a story or from history, or someone invented by the do you think will need repairing first?” decide what needs repairing urgently teacher or class); this strategy is useful when the students need to know more or want answers to their questions

130 131 Each aspect has a role to play in drawing the students into the fic- 4. Interacting with the teacher representing a point of view (teacher- tion and in developing their point of view as the expert team. In cre- in-role): as strategy 3 above, except the teacher now represents ating the sequence, you should consider each one. Use the ‘strategies the role and moves in and out of the imaginary world to facilitate for dramatic inquiry’ list to help you in this process and take the time the students’ inquiry, supporting them and helping them to see you need to work out the steps. You might want to write out some of the role as a resource for their investigations the questions you are going to ask, so you have a clear idea of what 5. Creating an image or other resource with the students: this strategy you are going to say in the classroom. Rehearse the sequence in your is similar to strategy 2 above, except that the resource is created head, and try to anticipate what the students are going to do and say with the students rather than in advance; it involves careful ne- in response. Look out for inconsistencies, dead ends, and incoherent gotiation and clear planned outcomes (examples include making tasks that might trip you up. Lastly, have a backup task ready to use, in a map together, creating a plan of a house or a tomb, drawing the case things don’t go to plan and you need time to think. front door of a castle, making a set of keys or a warning sign) Above all, be patient. Learning something new, especially something complex, takes time and practice. You’re unlikely to plan the perfect 6. Students create images and resources: this is close to strategy 5 start straight off, so go steady, reflect on those parts that went well and above, except that the students work in small groups or alone to reconsider those that didn’t. It’s all about learning from experience. make the resources, rather than as a whole class If I were to give one piece of advice, it would be to start small: plan 7. Interacting with the students representing one or more points of view one or two ‘mini-mantles’ to begin with, as a way of learning the stages, (students-in-role): in this strategy the students, with the adults, and then build up the sophistication of your contexts as your experi- represent one or more points of view (for example, they might ence develops. There is no need to rush, and planning a whole term’s be looking around a ruined castle, either as people with the job work from the start can be risky. of restoring it or as people responsible for making it safe) Remember the principles outlined at the start of this chapter and use the planning booklet in appendix 4.

Key planning tool 2: seven aspects of planning a start Planning a start is a bit like raising the curtain on a play or showing the opening scene of a film: everything – the setting, the actors, the narra- tive – needs to be in place from the beginning, so that those participat- ing can grasp the whole thing in one go. There are seven key aspects to bear in mind: 1. What’s happening – location, people, and events? 2. What signs are there for the students to interpret – words, pictures, and movement? 3. What’s going to attract the interest of the students – the tension? 4. What questions are raised – the inquiry? 5. What tasks are the students going to do to bring them into the fiction? 6. How are the students going to take on the ‘mantle’ of the expert team? 7. How are they going to be introduced to the client and the commission?

132 133 134 135 7 An Example

In this chapter we will continue to look at Titanic as an example of how to plan a Mantle of the Expert context, focusing on the opening sequence of steps used to introduce the context to the students, estab- lish the expert frame, and bring students into the fiction. During the sequence we will refer to the planning tools introduced at the end of the last chapter – ‘strategies for dramatic inquiry’ and ‘seven aspects of planning a start’ – to explore how they can be used to introduce the context to the class and create opportunities for involve- ment and learning. It is important to emphasise that this is only one example of plan- ning a start. Every context will have its own sequence of steps, each one depending on the subject being studied, the experience of the stu- dents, and the resources available, so use the planning tools flexibly and adapt them to meet your own ends. The planning in this example is far more detailed than any you are likely to need to do, so please don’t overplan or spend hours recording unnecessary detail.

titanic

A planning sequence This sequence is made up of nine steps. Each one takes the students further into the fiction and increases the demands on their knowledge, creativity, and collaboration skills. Overview: Steps 1, 2 and 3 Provide the students with opportunities to find out more about the ship and the circumstances of the disaster. Step 4 Introduces the imaginary context by means of a teacher- in-role representing one of the team of marine archaeologists. The students are cast as newspaper journalists, interviewing the archaeologist to find out more about the exploration of the wreck. Steps 5, 6 and 7 Involve the students in creating the artefacts to be found on the wreck and the stories behind them. This process of informed invention enables the students to use their imagination and develop their knowledge, to create the props for the fictional context. Step 8 The students begin work as the expert team, considering 136 137 the purpose of their work and the ethical implications. Step 9 Cast the students in role as the passengers and crew of the The second part (adding the name) makes the subject clear. It raises ship. The goal is to explore the significance of the objects found by the stakes slightly, but still protects the students from feeling ignorant. the archaeologists and to investigate the actions, motivations, and The intention is not to find out what they know or don’t know, but to values of the people involved in the disaster. get them thinking and talking about the context. Further work: after the context is established, the students go on to investigate the disaster in more detail and to use their developing step 2: researching knowledge and understanding to complete the commission for the British Museum and to create the exhibition in their classroom. Strategy The complete planning for this context is in appendix 2, and there 1: sharing a complete story using topic books and video is a Word copy of the whole sequence on the Mantle of the Expert Key planning aspects website.1 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 4: inquiry questions In this step the students are provided with resources to engage in step 1: introducing the context their own research. The aim is to give them time to find out about the Titanic, to gather information, and to accumulate questions for Strategy (see ‘Strategies for dramatic inquiry’ on page 131) inquiry. Resources include books and pictures on the topic of Titanic. 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance – “I’ve brought along these books and pictures for you to look at.” Key planning aspects (See ‘Seven aspects of planning a start’ “If you find something you think is interesting, please write it on page 132) down on one of these Post-it notes and stick it on the board, along 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) with any questions you have.” 2: signs for the students to interpret Encourage the students to read each other’s notes and questions, 3: something to attract their interest (tension) but there’s no need to go through every single one with the class. 4: inquiry questions – Sort the notes into categories with the students. The students are introduced to the context using two pictures prepared – You could also show clips from films and documentaries. If you in advance. The first is a lifebuoy from the Titanic, with the name of do, encourage the students to carry on making notes and asking the ship removed. The second is the lifebuoy with the name returned. questions. The purpose is to engage the students in a conversation about the ship – Don’t forget that you are a resource too, and they don’t have and the events of the disaster. to discover everything for themselves. – Bring the students into a circle. Show them the picture of the How long you spend on this step is up to you. Some teachers like lifebuoy without the name and put it in the centre of the circle. to spend quite a long time front-loading3 a context, especially if it “I’d like to show you something – what does it make you think requires a great deal of background information, while others prefer of?” Give the students a chance to think and talk. They might to get going with the fiction as quickly as possible and return to the mention the Titanic, which is fine, but try to extend their thinking research as they go along. It’s a matter of professional judgement. in other directions as well. At this point there is no right answer. One word of caution, though: if you go with the front-loading – When you feel the time is right, add the name to the lifebuoy.2 option, be careful that your mantle doesn’t turn into a topic. This can “Have you heard anything about the Titanic? Please talk to the happen quite easily and was a frequent problem with my early efforts. person next to you and share what you’ve heard. If you haven’t It is important to remember that you know where you’re planning is heard anything, then see if you can find someone who has.” going, but the students don’t, so don’t spend too long loading them up with information or they’ll lose interest before the fiction begins. This strategy works by providing the students with only a partial view of the narrative and letting their imaginations roam. It’s a gentle way into an inquiry and gives the students permission to say whatever they 138 like, within reason, without the worry of getting it wrong. 139 step 3: data-handling esting you say that – could you say a bit more about what you’re thinking?” and “I see what you mean. I suppose it would have been Strategy harder for the children in third class to get to the lifeboats. Even so, 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance (data) I don’t understand why twice as many men from first class sur- Key planning aspects vived, when it was supposed to be women and children first.” 1: what’s happening (people and events) This step is another example of strategy 2, where the students are given 4: inquiry questions a partial view of the narrative and asked to make meaning. The table In this step the students are given a table containing data about the provides them with a collection of information about the disaster in a disaster, and asked to interpret it. The teacher gives them time to form that requires them to examine the evidence and ask questions. It’s investigate the information, ask questions, and draw conclusions. an inquiry approach, so the teacher is careful not to interrogate them; instead she supports them to find answers for themselves. – Show this table to the students. Give them time to study it and talk.

Titanic: passenger and crew statistics 4 step 4: introducing the imaginary context men women children total 1st class Strategies 175 144 6 325 on board 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance 1st class 4: interacting with a teacher-in-role 57 140 5 202 survived 7: students-in-role representing a point-of-view in the fiction 2nd class Key planning aspects 168 93 24 285 on board 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction 2nd class 7: introduction of the client and the commission 14 80 24 118 survived In this step the students are introduced to the fictional context and cast 3rd class 462 165 79 706 as a team of newspaper reporters. on board Resources: picture of the lifebuoy, a stack of folded a4 paper, a map 3rd class 75 76 27 178 of the world, showing the names of the oceans. survived – Ask the students to stand in a circle crew on board 896 22 0 918 – Place the picture of the lifebuoy in the centre – Teacher: “This lifebuoy was once on the Titanic. It was made in Bel- crew survived 195 20 0 215 fast and hung outside the first-class lounge. It went down with the ship and lay at the bottom of the sea for more than a hundred years. Total on board Titanic = 2234 Total passengers = 1,316 Total crew = 918 This morning it was brought up by a team of marine archaeologists, Total survivors = 713 Total survived = 498 Total survived = 215 using an unmanned submersible, and is now on the deck of their research ship. They work for a museum, the biggest in the country.” Note: the exact numbers of those on board are not known and the number of survivors varies from 701 to 713. – “Along with the marine archaeologists are a group of reporters This table is compiled from the most widely used figures.5 from the newspapers. They’ve come to cover the event.” – “If you were the reporters, what questions would you ask?” – Give the students the opportunity to ask a few questions, then – Investigate the table with them: “You know, what shocks me is the provide them with notebooks (the folded a4) to write in percentage of men from second class who lost their lives…” – “Why don’t you take these notebooks and give yourselves some – Try to avoid asking questions you already know the answer to: time to think? We’ll meet back here when you’re ready.” “Who can tell me how many children survived in third class?” – Once the students have written their questions, bring them back 140 – Extend their thinking by asking for more explanation: “It’s inter- 141 into the circle around the lifebuoy – Teacher-in-role as marine archaeologist: “We brought this life- Stage 2: another point of view buoy up this morning. It’s very exciting – it’s the first artefact The next stage creates a role for the students inside the fiction, giving we’ve recovered from the wreck. I expect you have a lot of ques- them the opportunity to participate as people with permission to ask tions, which I’ll do my best to answer. Who’d like to start?” questions and find out more: “Along with the marine archaeologists are a group of reporters from the newspapers. They’ve come here to cover This step introduces the students to the fiction and brings them into the event. If you were the reporters, what questions would you ask?” the world of the marine archaeology team. It works by taking a sign The teacher gives the notebooks to the students to draft their ques- they are familiar with, the lifebuoy, and using it to shift them subtly tions. The aim is to develop the students’ role and provide them with an into the imaginary context. authentic reason to write: “Why don’t you take these notebooks and give The three stages of this process are: introducing the students to the yourselves some time to think. We’ll meet back here when you’re ready.” fiction through the use of a storyteller; casting them temporarily in the There are three aims to the planning in this part of the sequence: role of journalists; and giving them the opportunity to interview the first, to provide the students with a role inside the fiction; second, to marine archaeologist (the teacher-in-role). give them an opportunity to contribute to the co-construction of the story; third, to set them an authentic task within the fiction. Stage 1: introducing the fiction When you plan your own start, bear these aims in mind. Don’t leave At the start of the session, the class forms a circle and the teacher it too long before the students step into the fiction, and make sure the places the lifebuoy picture in the centre. This creates a ‘theatre space’, role you select for them is one with influence and responsibility. stimulating the students’ imagination and inviting their curiosity. She then starts speaking as though she were telling a story. Stage 3: entering the fiction “This lifebuoy was once on the Titanic. It was made in Belfast and Once the task is complete, the next move is to give the students the hung outside the first-class lounge. It went down with the ship and lay opportunity to use their work inside the story. This is done by using the at the bottom of the sea for more than a hundred years. This morn- strategy of teacher-in-role. ing it was brought up by a team of marine archaeologists, using an The students are brought back into the circle with their notebooks, unmanned submersible, and is now on the deck of their research ship. and the teacher starts talking as if she were one of the marine archaeol- They work for a museum, the biggest in the country.” ogy team: “We brought this lifebuoy up this morning. It’s very exciting The purpose of this monologue is to shift the work into a fictional – it’s the first artefact we’ve recovered from the wreck. I expect you have space. It does this by framing events as if they are happening now in a lot of questions, which I’ll do my best to answer. Who’d like to start?” a story, with the students just outside, standing on the edge. They The students now question the archaeologist from inside the fiction, are like an audience, looking at an object on the stage as the narrator in their role as journalists. The purpose of the role is to provide the fol- introduces them to the play. The narration has three purposes: first, lowing information: to make it clear they are in a fiction – the students can see the lifebuoy is not real but simply an image; second, to invoke ‘now time’ by using – The marine archaeologist works as part of a team the present tense (“This morning it was brought up by…”); third, to – The team works on a research ship impart important information about the context to the class, telling – The ship is currently out in the Atlantic Ocean, two miles above them about the team, the client, and the commission. the wreck of the Titanic (use the map of the world) The success of the session depends on careful attention to detail. – The team work for the British Museum. Its commission is to Everything needs to be planned meticulously in advance: forming the explore the wreck as sensitively as possible, and to find personal circle, placing the picture, the shift in language, and the careful selec- objects that can be used in an exhibition to tell the forgotten tion of words. All are important and can’t be left to chance. stories of those involved in the disaster When you plan your own start, I suggest you apply the same level – Yesterday was the first day the team explored the wreck. They sent of detail. Write out exactly what you want to say, rehearse the moves in down unmanned submersibles and took pictures of artefacts they your head, and try to anticipate how the students are going to react. Take found interesting your notes with you into class and go slowly: don’t start until everyone – Later today they will return to the wreck for a closer look is ready, and make sure they understand exactly what’s happening. and to decide what to do next 142 143 Once everything has been covered, the teacher stops the fiction and – First, the students draw pictures of the artefacts from the wreck, reviews the session with the class. using books and other resources to help them. When you plan your own start, include a task early on, like this one, – Second, the students write notes to describe each artefact they where the students take on the role of people inside the fiction. They have invented. The teacher facilitates this by saying: “Could I ask don’t have to be members of the expert team – that can happen later – you to make a few notes under the photo, just outlining what it is? but getting them involved in the imaginary world, influencing events For example: mine is a compass and my notes say: ‘Small naviga- and making decisions, is an essential element in building the context tion compass, made of brass, with a broken lid.’” and developing the students’ engagement. – Third, the students invent stories about the past history of the As a beginner, I always found this the part of the process that caused artefacts: “We know these objects all have one thing in common, me the most worry. I fretted over using the right words, the right moves, but what happened to them before the sinking? Could you and the right tasks. If I’m honest, it was a bit hit and miss to begin with, imagine you know what the marine archaeology team don’t know and it was a while before I felt genuinely confident my opening moves – you know all about the object in your photograph, who it was would work. But through a certain amount of trial and error, careful owned by, how it got on the ship, and why it went down with the reflection, and meticulous attention to detail, my planning improved wreck. Could you then make a quick note about one part of the and I began taking real enjoyment from making a sequence of moves history of your object that later might be of interest to the archae- work well. Now I enjoy this part of the process more than any other: for ology team. For example, this compass has an inscription inside, it me it is where the magic lies. It’s the moment when the work takes off, says: “To my beloved son, may God always look over you and shifts into an authentic collaboration, and becomes genuinely exciting. protect you. With love, mother.” It was given to a boy by his mother as she kissed him goodbye on the eve of his (and the ship’s) maiden voyage.” step 5: creating the artefacts front back Strategy 6: students create the resources The inscription inside the lid reads “To my beloved son, may God Key planning aspects always look over you and protect 1: what’s happening (people and events) you. With love, mother.” 6: taking on the role of the expert team The students take on the role of marine archaeologists and create the His mother gave this compass artefacts they are later going to discover on the wreck. to the boy who owned it when she kissed him goodbye on the eve – The teacher brings the class on to the carpet. In her hand is a stack of his (and the Titanic’s) maiden of a5 plain paper. Small navigation compass made voyage. The boy worked as part of brass, with a broken lid. May of the crew. He lied about his age – She starts: “These are the photographs taken by the marine archae- have an inscription inside to get the job. ology team during their dive down to the wreck. If I hand them out, would you mind taking them as members of the team? You’ll notice there is nothing on them, currently. I was thinking we might This part of the sequence has three functions: to shift the students’ create the photographs by drawing pictures of the artefacts we point of view from representing the journalists in the fiction to repre- found while exploring the wreck, objects we’d like to take a closer senting the marine archaeology team; to create artefacts that will later look at when we return to the wreck later today.” be discovered by the team and used in the exhibition for the British – The students take the paper, then draw the artefacts found by the Museum; and to write the stories, used later in step 9. team. Once the drawings are finished, the students invent a story Once again, the language the teacher uses plays a significant role. from the history of each object – at this point in the context the She starts by using the voice of the storyteller to introduce the pho- stories will be unknown to the team. There are three parts to this tographs: “These are the photographs that were taken by the marine process: archaeology team during their dive down to the wreck.” Then she 144 145 switches to the voice of the facilitator to set the task and shift the stu- step 6: creating the wreck dents into the role of the archaeologists: “If I hand them out, would you mind taking them as members of the team? You’ll notice there Strategy is nothing on them – I thought we might create the photographs by 5: creating images and other resources with the students drawing pictures of the artefacts…”. And finally she moves to the Key planning aspects teacher-in-role’s voice to consolidate the purpose of the activity inside 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) the fiction: “…we found while exploring the wreck. We’d like to take a 4: inquiry questions closer look at these when we return to the wreck later today.” These quick shifts in register mean the teacher can move backwards The students create the wreck of the Titanic on the seabed, using sheets and forwards, inside and outside the fiction – setting tasks, providing of sugar paper and other resources. They can use books, photographs support, and communicating new information – without having to and websites as research media. The teacher will need to decide on the spend time explaining to the students what she’s doing. amount of support they need. This is a representation of the wreck, not a The shifts are subtle. Look again at this line: “If I hand them out, reproduction. would you mind taking them as members of the team?” Resources: large sheets of sugar paper (or similar); scissors, pens, Sello- This offer represents a key change in the students’ role. If they accept tape, etc; topic books on the Titanic; access to the internet, if possible. and take the blank pieces of paper as though they are the archaeolo- gists, then they are, in effect, agreeing to take on the ‘mantle’ of the – Prepare the resources so they are available to the students. You’ll expert team in the imaginary world. There is no fanfare, no elaborate need quite a lot of space and time for this activity. use of drama, no knock on the classroom door (“Is this the office of – Ask the students to sit in a large rectangle. the marine archaeology team?”). It is just a simple matter of taking the – “What have people discovered about the wreck during their studies?” paper and agreeing to the fiction. The groundwork was done in the “I don’t know everything, but I do know the ship split in two before previous steps: the students now understand the context and are ready it sank, and when it landed on the seabed the two halves were more to take on the role. than two miles apart. Now, obviously this space is much less than Another important piece of negotiation happens towards the end of two miles, so we’ll have to build our model to scale. I know, from the the mini-step in which the teacher asks the students to invent the sto- photographs of the wreck, that it is not completely rotted away, but ries the archaeology team don’t know: “Could you imagine that you the sea has caused a lot of damage.” know what the marine archaeology team don’t know? That you know “I’ve collected these materials and thought we could work together all about the object in your photograph – who it was owned by, how it to create a model. I’m not sure how it will work; I guess we’ll find got on the ship, and why it went down with the wreck.” that out as we go along. We can use these books and photographs to This move reframes the students as storytellers in their own right, help us.” giving them the capacity not only to invent the actions of the archaeol- “How should we start?” ogy team, but to write the stories of the passengers and crew who were This step is an example of strategy 5 from the list, where the teacher on the ship on the night of the disaster. works with the students to create a resource for the fictional context, in It’s a significant shift because it gives the students a foot in both this case a model of the wreck. The model is not conjured up from thin camps: the real world of the classroom and the imaginary world of the air, but is rather the product of the students’ learning and the informa- fiction. They are both the creators of the fiction and the people taking tion they have gleaned from reference materials. part in the story. They are essentially participants with multiple roles: The purpose is to create a landscape for the fictional context, a bit like scriptwriters, plot developers, prop-makers, set designers, actors, and a film set. audience. This is a wonderfully creative space. Co-created landscapes and locations are common in Mantle of the Expert and used in most fictional contexts. Here are some more examples:

146 147 context location medium – The students take it in turns to place their artefacts on the wreck Animal Park The park, showing enclosures, A model made from classroom construc- and to describe what they are. buildings, pathways tion toys, such as Lego, wooden bricks, – Encourage the students to work out the order for themselves, art straws giving them support if necessary. Dinosaur Island The island, showing geographical A model made from a large cloth (given – Ask them questions about the objects, and take a break if necessary. features and locations of the shape and height), tissue paper, string The idea is to add depth and quality to the model. Each artefact is a link various animals to the ship’s past. Castle Restoration The castle, showing walls, A wall map, made using a large sheet Before tidying up, take photographs of the model. These can be used towers, dungeons, courtyards of paper, crayons, and paints later by the students to create maps of the wreck. Tudor House A plan of the house, showing A plan made from drawings on large sheets rooms, corridors, stairways of paper, each representing a different part of the house and gardens step 8: operational parameters Problem-solvers The team’s office, showing office A full-scale recreation of the office, using furniture and equipment (tables, classroom furniture and equipment chairs, computers, etc.) (telephones, notice board, tables, etc.) Strategy 7: students in role, representing a point of view in the fiction Landscapes are usually made as a whole-class activity. They require Key planning aspects communication, collaboration, invention, and the application of the 6: establishing the expert team students’ knowledge and understanding. The levels of support and 7: establishing the client and the commission guidance needed will depend on the age of the children and their This step is designed to ask questions about the ethical and practical knowledge of the context. issues surrounding the exploration of the wreck. In particular: should the artefacts be disturbed? Does the wreck represent a gravesite? Are the archaeologists obliged to consult with the families of the victims? step 7: putting the artefacts on to the wreck Will the British Museum be satisfied with photographs and facsimiles, or will they want the authentic objects? Strategy 5: creating images and other resources with the students – Bring the class together. – Use the voice of the teacher-in-role talking to other members Key planning aspects of the team. 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) “Before we start work on the wreck, we need to agree on a way 2: signs for the students to interpret of working, a sort of set of rules, that stops us making mistakes In this step the students add the ‘photographs’ of the artefacts they or doing the wrong thing. I wonder if we could make a list of four made in step 5 to the model of the wreck. As they do so, they describe of five rules we need to keep in mind as we work? Like a set of each artefact and where it was found by the archaeology team. operational parameters.” “Where should we start?” – Clear away the resources, and ask the students to sit around – Give the students time to think and talk to one another. As they the model. work, write the title, Operational Parameters, on the board. – Hand out the photographs of the artefacts. – Guide the students’ inquiry, giving them help and support when – “At this point in the story the artefacts you have with you are still needed, and challenging their thinking when necessary. part of the wreck site, so we need to add them to the model.” “We’ll go one at a time, beginning with objects owned by the crew.” This step is all about developing the responsibilities of the expert team. “Who would like to start?” Through the inquiry and the task of creating the operational parameters, “Please place your object on the part of the ship where you found it the students think inside the fiction as professional archaeologists work- during the dive. As you do so, explain what the object is, using your ing on a sensitive project. The list they create represents the mantle of 148 notes. Please don’t include the hidden history.” 149 their expertise: the duties and responsibilities they keep in mind at all times and judge their work by. out more: “We’d like to ask the people in the story…”. As you and As the context develops, the teacher challenges their ideas and ways the class ask questions, remind those in the fiction to stay in the of thinking through the use of other points of view, for example those scene and only to answer the questions asked. of family members, reporters, campaigners. – When ready, ask the people in the fiction to show the next five seconds of the film. – Once they’ve finished, ask them to hold still once more and work step 9: stepping into the past with the rest of the class to make meaning from what they have just seen. Use the ‘action, motivation, investment, models, values’ Strategy rubric, as described below. 7: students-in-role, representing a point of view in the fiction – Repeat with the other groups. – These scenes can be used later in the final exhibition. Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) The purpose of this final part of the sequence is to capture moments 2: signs for the students to interpret from the disaster and communicate something important about the 3: something to attract their interest (tension) lives of the people involved. The session requires the students to use 4: inquiry questions their imagination, draw on their knowledge of the situation, and apply 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction their developing drama skills. Its success relies on the teacher support- 6: establishing the expert team ing the students’ questioning and guiding their inquiries into areas of 7: establishing the client and the commission significant thinking. The key teaching tool in this process is a rubric invented by In this step the students use the conventions of drama (see appendix Heathcote, which involves five dimensions of dramatic inquiry: 3) to create the stories behind the artefacts and investigate the lives of the passengers and crew. Action A person performs an action Motivation For a reason – Ask the students to work in groups and discuss the artefacts they Investment It carries a cost created in step 5 and added to the model of the wreck in step 7. Models It was learned from others Tell them to share with each other the hidden stories unknown to Values It says something about how this the archaeology team. person wants the world to be – Ask each group to choose one that they would like to explore together in more detail. Each one builds on the last, deepening and expanding the investiga- – Ask them to create a moment in the history of that object on tion, and providing the teacher with a framework to develop question- board the Titanic, like a scene from a film. Give them time to ing and support the students learning. discuss and practise their scene. Depending on the age of the For example, imagine the group in the planning above have chosen students and their previous experience of using drama, they may a moment during the disaster when a father is told he is not allowed to need help and support. join his family in the lifeboat, and that the artefact discovered on the – Visit each group in turn as they prepare. wreck is a photograph of the family, protected inside a silver locket. – Focus on one of the groups: “Could I ask everyone to stop and The students in the group work together and create the still gather round here please?” image from the film. Two represent the mother and daughter hold- – Ask the group being observed to stand still in the scene they’ve ing hands in the lifeboat, one represents the father being held back, created, as if the film they are in has just been paused. The rest of the fourth represents a member of the crew with his arm across the the class look on. father’s chest. – Talk to those watching: “What do you notice? Don’t worry about The teacher asks the group to stay as still as they can, giving those trying to guess what’s happening – just say what you see.” During watching the chance to look closely and discuss what they see. She the discussion, ask the people in the fiction not to move or talk: tells the audience not to try and guess what’s happening, but just to “Let those looking do the work.” If after a while those watching describe what the people in the fiction are doing. She helps them to need more information, talk to the people in the fiction to find find the right words and encourages them not to use the names of the 150 151 students in the scene, but general terms, such as ‘the person standing Action The father turns and walks away with his hands by his sides, fingers curled into fists’. Motivation Because he doesn’t want his family to see his tears She asks the people in the fiction to hold as still as they can and not Investment He loves them and can’t bear them to see his pain to help out by nodding or coming out of role: “Please stay in the story, Models He has learned from his family and peers that this we’ll do the thinking and the talking. Don’t make it easy for us!” is the right thing to do After a while, those watching might need more information, so, Values As a man from the Edwardian middle/upper class, while being careful not to ask the people in the fiction to explain away he has adopted the ‘stiff upper lip’ values the whole story, the teacher guides the audience to ask questions. of his culture During this process the actors remain perfectly still and do not In this way, the inquiry draws out of the scene the man’s actions, his rea- break role to talk directly to the audience. sons for acting in the way he does, the personal cost to him and his family, q: “Could we ask, are you related?” where he has learned to act this way, and the values of his time and cul- a: “Yes, I’m the father, this is my wife, and this is my child.” ture. These dimensions all add depth to the students’ understanding of the q: “Are you about to say goodbye?” topic and give breadth and quality to their exploration of the curriculum. a: “ Yes.” q: “Why are you saying goodbye?” a: “Because they won’t let me on the lifeboat…” further work Once the audience’s questions have been answered, the teacher, to further develop the inquiry, asks those in the fiction to show the next This is the last in the sequence of opening steps, and once it is over there five seconds of the film: “Just a few frames of action, involving move- are a number of different directions the work might go in. Choosing ment and possibly sound”. which one to take is largely a matter of professional judgement. You As the audience watches, the student representing the father turns might want to teach most of the subjects discretely and only revisit the and walks away, while the mother and child stand and watch from context to develop history and English, or you might want to include the lifeboat. much wider areas, including geography, art, design, and parts of science The teacher asks the characters in the fiction to hold still once more, and maths. The choice is yours. while she talks to the students in the audience. Her questioning is When planning a context I rarely plan in detail beyond the first steps. structured by the rubric, each one digging deeper and investigating I’ve found from experience that by the time the fiction has become further into the scene and its meaning: established and the mantle elements are in place, the work takes on a life “He didn’t wait to see the lifeboat lowered into the sea?” (Action.) of its own and the students start providing many of the ideas. From then “Why would he do that?” (Motivation.) on, my aim is to incorporate their suggestions as much as possible, while “Why wouldn’t he want his wife and child to see his tears? keeping an eye on pitch and exploration. It’s a matter of being open to (Investment.) contributions, flexible about the overall structure, and prepared to use “For me that feels strange. Where has he learned that turning away the students’ ideas where possible. and covering your pain is the right thing to do?” (Models.) The commission will help with this. I often put mine up in a promi- “What kind of world is this, where men can’t show their emotions, nent place in the classroom and refer back to it when necessary: “Right, even to their children, even when it might be the last time they ever how is this going to help with the exhibition? Is it something the visitors see each other?” (Values.) are going to want to know about? What else is on our list of jobs?” And Each level goes deeper, searching for reasons behind the charac- so on. ters’ actions, and exploring how their values and beliefs shape the ways — they act and reflect the culture they live in: In this chapter and the previous one, we have discussed planning and looked in detail at the context of Titanic. The goal has been to offer a model that’s suitable for a beginner to use to get started with their own planning. 152 153 I’ve applied all the main elements and key planning tools used to build a fictional context and establish the expert team, client, and com- mission. I hope you found them useful. Some are quite easy to under- stand, while others are more sophisticated and require practice to use well. The key is to get going and start using the approach in your own classroom. Try out your ideas, evaluate their success, and come back to these pages. Many of the strategies will develop new meaning and become far more effective tools in your hands as your practice improves and your experience grows.

154 155 8 Teaching

I could never treat education as something cold, mental, merely technical, and without soul, where feelings, sensibility, desires, and dreams had no place, as if repressed by some kind of reactionary dictatorship. In addition, I never saw educative practice as an experience that could be considered valid if it lacked rigour and intellectual discipline. —Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom1

If you visit a school using Mantle of the Expert, what will you find? Will it be entirely strange? Will the wall displays be unfamiliar, will the stu- dents act and talk in unexpected ways, will their work look different or incomprehensible? Or will most things feel familiar? Will the desks be where you expect them to be, will the students still be writing and doing sums, will they occasionally argue and misbehave? The answer to all these questions is probably yes. Mantle of the Expert does change how a classroom feels, how it operates, and how the students behave. But the classroom doesn’t become something entirely different: classrooms are still recognisably classrooms, they still have tables and chairs, a carpet area, and drawers for the students; they still involve lessons where the students do hand- writing practice, timetables, and phonics; they still involve routines, rules, and habits of behaviour. The big differences, noticed by most vis- itors, are the relationships between adults and students, and the levels of engagement the students have in their own learning. Classrooms using Mantle of the Expert have a buzz about them, a sense of business and purpose, urgency and direction. You’re unlikely to hear students saying things like “I’ve finished” or “what do I have to do now?” and you’re unlikely to see avoidance strategies or a lack of interest, or students struggling to understand what they’re doing. It’s not that these behaviours disappear entirely, just that they occur much less often. In classrooms using Mantle of the Expert, the students’ work is meaningful and important, it connects with things they’ve done in the past, and it feels authentic and real to them. Talk to a student in one of these classrooms and they’ll tell you what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and what they’ll be doing next. They are likely to give you, if you ask, a blow-by-blow account of the events since the start of the context, with characters’ names, loca- 156 157 tions, and actions. They’ll show you displays on the walls, notes, and drawings, each with their own significance and meaning. Students in – Consider yourself a fellow traveller and ask the kinds of questions classrooms using Mantle of the Expert share ownership of the space. you’d like answered – “I always wanted to know…”, “What do As a community, they own the stories, the maps, and the artefacts of you think would happen if…”. Don’t worry if the questions don’t the team. They own the work being done to complete the commis- always have an answer: this is the way with inquiry. sion, and they own the responsibility they have to the client. It’s about – Treat the students’ answers with respect and don’t rush to judge- belonging, being an important person, making a difference, and own- ment. Too often when students’ answers don’t match our expecta- ing the learning. tions, we feel let down. Battle this inclination and work with them This change doesn’t happen by chance: it takes time and it takes to develop their answers into something stronger. Children some- concerted effort. This chapter is about the demands this change makes times struggle to find the words to say exactly what they mean, so on our practice as teachers. It’s about the stuff of teaching, the craft, give them time and help out if needed – “I think I understand…”, the science, and the art of working in a classroom with young people “Could it be…”, “There might be a chance…”. on the purpose of education. – Really listen to their answers. Listening is about more than just I’ve divided the chapter into three parts. The first is about question- moving from one answer to the next. As Linda Laidlaw observed, ing: collaborative questioning and framing a question. The second deals “Active listeners are genuinely interested in the reply and willing with classroom organisation: behaviour, motivation, and differenti- to let it change them in some way.”3 Acknowledging students’ an- ation. The third looks at classroom practice: forms of representation, swers, pausing, looking interested, building on their thoughts, are dramatic imagination, and dramatic action. I’ve treated each topic separ- all important signals to them that you take their ideas seriously: ately, as if in a textbook, with the aim of creating a reference section you “That’s interesting…”, “I see what you mean…”, “I suppose…”. can dip in and out of as needed. Some of the topics touch on areas we – Avoid praise, unless it is sincere. It might seem counter-intuitive have already discussed, while others involve new lines of conversation. when we’re talking about reducing anxiety and building student confidence, but insincere praise can have a damaging effect. Chil- dren learn early to recognise insincere praise, and they quickly questioning come to dislike it. So be careful: if you praise an answer or a useful suggestion, make sure your praise is genuine. Questioning is the lifeblood of teaching. As Morgan and Saxton observed, “Education is a process of inquiry and questions are the Framing questions chief agents by which meanings are mediated.”2 Being able to ask a Finding the right language to encourage thinking and promote dia- perceptive question, followed by one that probes a little deeper, and logue is essential as you promote a ‘community of inquiry’. Here are another that gets to the heart of the matter, while at the same time some guidelines: bringing the students along with no feelings of anxiety or of being – A question must have a purpose, such as to draw out information interrogated – this is the art of great teaching. (“If you worked in an animal park, what kind of animal would you look after?”), to shape understanding (“What do you think Collaborative questioning Florence will find when she walks into the hospital?”), or to press In collaborative teaching, the teacher endeavours to work with the stu- for reflection (“Why wouldn’t he want his wife and child to see his dents, developing lines of shared communication and power. It is not tears?” ). her role to cross-examine them, to find out what they know or don’t – Set the bar high. You can always come down a rung or two if know. Her role is to develop and support their capacity for inquiry. your questions are met by blank faces. Don’t underestimate what This process involves a number of key principles: children, even little ones, are capable of. “Is it wrong to buy and – Use language that invites participation and reduces anxiety: sell animals, do you think?” “We can’t save every soldier in here – “I wonder if…”, “It occurs to me…”, “If you were…”. what should we do?” “The wolf is hungry and has little mouths to – Try to avoid asking questions you already know the answer to. feed. What will happen if we set her free?” It might not always be possible, but it’s a more authentic way – Probe and encourage students to go deeper: “Could you say a bit of working. more?” “What makes you say that?” “That’s interesting – why do you think…?” 158 159 – Scaffold using your own thinking: “It occurs to me…”, “What do you think of this idea…”, “I’m struggling here, how about…?” – People usually do things for a reason... – Ask questions that challenge existing thinking and encourage – I guess it’s possible… reflection: “For me that feels strange. Where has he learned that – We don’t want to… or do we? turning away and covering your pain is the right thing to do?” – If we’re going to… I guess we’d need to… – Ask questions that invite and sustain the students’ interest in the Deepening, connecting, reflecting material: “How can we take the baby chimp from her mother – Just think, we’re not the only ones who’ve… without causing her too much distress?” “What kind of world is – I wonder whether other people have been faced with it where men can’t show their emotions to their children, even this problem? when it might be the last time they see them alive?” – I guess it’s a bit like… – It makes me think of the time when… taxonomy of ‘question starters’ – Do we feel differently about this now? – Did it seem to you… Activating and transforming knowledge and understanding – How much do we know about… Hypothesising – Is it true that… – Now, supposing… – Is there any reason… – If people would let us… – Is there a way to… – It could be… – I’ve often wondered why… – I would guess if…. – If we could… Considering another point of view, and introducing new information – Maybe… – They do say… – Perhaps… – Some people think… – It makes me wonder what would happen if… – I’ve heard… – I mean, if it were true… – Has anyone thought… – Would it be good if… Bringing attention to, studying, analysing – Are you happy to go along with this and see where it leads? – It does seem strange… Offering choices – Did anyone notice… – Which… – Can you make out that word (or symbol)? – We’ll need to choose whether… – Isn’t there a… – It seems, from what you’re saying… – Do you notice anything… – Do you want to… or … – I think he might be trying to tell us something… – Given the situation, we could … or … – Could you tell whether… – Is there an argument for doing one of these tasks before – I don’t know about you, but it’s making me think… the others? Considering implications Acknowledging, summarising – Do you think it would really help – It’s clear… – So perhaps we need to… – Like you, I think… – There must be a reason for… – After all of our efforts, we’ve… – There might be… – So we’re saying… – What might it mean? – Shall we remind ourselves… – Will this affect… – It seems we’ve decided… – Have we thought about the consequences of that? – You seem to be saying… – Does that allow us to… 160 161 classroom organisation Seeking agreement – For now, can we agree… Considerations – Is it possible… Along with the language of teaching, it’s important to consider how – Do you think we could… your sessions are going to be organised, the techniques you plan to – Would you mind if… use and the expectations you aim to establish. Together these will cre- – For a while… ate the kind of classroom environment you want to develop where the – At the moment, can we agree… students work as a community, people are treated with respect, and – Can we live with that? learning flourishes. Directing The space – Decide in advance how you want the students to work: – We’ll (or we’d) need to… in a circle, in lines, behind desks, together on the carpet, standing – Would you like to see… up or sitting down. Each choice will create its own dynamic and es- – Should there be… tablish a different atmosphere. Sometimes you will want them close – Had we better… and in front of you so you can maintain eye contact and keep them – If we’re going to…, I guess we’d need to… focused. At other times you may want a more distant and formal – Perhaps we might… atmosphere, where the students are in rows behind desks (imagine – Can we, just for a moment… a conference meeting between the marine archaeologists and the – Let’s see if we could… British Museum). – Just have a little look… – Just go over there for a moment and… Giggling – Some classes can’t help giggling, especially if they are – We’ll have to make sure… new to drama. The shock of the new, the oddness of having people – Might we be able… talking in role and working ‘as if’ can feel odd to them and their nat- – We can look now at… ural reaction is to giggle. If this happens, don’t worry, but try to nip – Would you give a bit of time to… it in the bud, while doing your best to protect both the person being – There must be time for us to… giggled at and the people doing the giggling – “I can understand – Can we work in such a way… why you’re giggling, but we’re not doing this to make you laugh. – No doubt, there’ll come a time when... Can we have another go? This time let’s take it seriously. Giggling is for the playground.” Compiled by Michael Bunting and used here by kind permission.4 Sometimes the giggler is a student who has volunteered to be out front. Being stared at by your friends can be embarrassing, espe- cially if you are new to drama, so the situation needs to be handled sensitively. The most important thing is to protect the person’s dig- nity (“You don’t have to do this. Are you okay to carry on? It can be difficult when everyone’s looking at you. Would you like someone to take your place?” And so on.) In my experience nearly every child I’ve worked with has wanted to continue. When they do, I give them this advice: “I find that the best thing to do is not look in people’s eyes. I imagine they’re not there and look at the ground or into the distance, which helps somehow. Would you like to have another go?” At other times, students might giggle at other students’ sugges- tions. This can be awkward and shut people down. My solution is to take the suggestion seriously and emphasise the intent: “Ryan, were you trying to make us laugh or make us think?” Ninety-nine times 162 163 out of a hundred, students will say, “Make you think.” In which case: “I thought so. Let’s take Ryan’s ideas seriously and leave the Being stuck is fine: it is part of the process, part of wrestling with giggles for another place.” On the odd occasion when one wants to difficult ideas and finding solutions. If it happens in your class, don’t play the clown, my response is a curt: “That’s not what we’re about. move on to the next person right away. Instead, wait and see what Please save your jokes for another time. Let’s continue.” happens. If after a while they’re still struggling, acknowledge the difficulty and invite others to help out: “I’m not surprised you’re Insist on protocol – Nothing causes more disruption than students struggling – it’s a difficult question. Why don’t we hear what other disregarding protocol. Calling out, talking over, not listening, people think, then we can come back and see where you’ve got to. making unhelpful remarks: all disturb and undermine thoughtful You might hear an answer you like and want to use, or you might and considerate inquiry. So it is critical that the community agrees find one of your own.” protocols for behaviour during discussion time, and that you, as the teacher, insist the protocols are followed. You don’t have to be Modelling thinking and listening – Don’t underestimate the import- a tyrant, laying down the law and insisting on complete adherence ance of body language, and make a real effort to sincerely commu- at all times (which would be crushing), but it is important to show nicate your interest to the students. Nodding, smiling, creasing your leadership and insist things are done as agreed: “I’m sorry, we’re go- brow, twisting your mouth, scratching your chin – they all matter, ing to have to stop for a moment. We agreed early on that shouting however tiny, and let the students know that you value what they out isn’t going to work, if we want to hear everyone speak. Let’s try are saying. Language is important as well. Use phrases that commu- again. And remember, one person at a time.” nicate serious consideration: “That’s interesting…”, “I suppose…”, I hadn’t thought of it that way…”. Hands up? – Does it matter if the students do or don’t raise their hands to speak? Personally, I don’t mind, as long as they don’t talk Shrugging – When a student shrugs, it might have one of many over each other. Of course, if they do, then I have to insist they put meanings: “I don’t know…”, “I don’t want to say…”, “I don’t want up their hands until they learn to manage things better. to look foolish…” and so on. This can be disconcerting and difficult Which is fine until you get a forest of waving palms. Although to manage. On one hand, we don’t want to press too hard, risking generally a good sign – it means the students are keen and inter- an embarrassing battle of wills, but on the other, we don’t want to ested – there is one serious drawback. Waving arms soon get tired let them off the hook, signalling it’s all right to opt out when things and the students start concentrating on their aching arms, rather get tough. My solution is to consider a shrug as the best answer than the discussion. My answer is to stop the conversation and a student has at the time – “That’s a good answer; it’s not an easy renegotiate: “There’s a lot of people with their hands up, and it’s question and it might be too early to decide one way or another” – going to take a while to get round. I tell you what, why don’t you put followed by offering alternatives either from the students (“How your hands down and cross your arms if you have something to say. about hearing some suggestions? You might hear one that helps That way your arms won’t get tired and we can see each other.” you decide or you might come up with one of your own after a little more thought”) or from me (“The way I see it, there are three Thinking time – In my opinion, one of the worse pieces of advice alternatives: one, we leave the lion where it is and let nature take its ever given to teachers was to progress the lesson at a brisk pace. It’s course; two, we operate on the lion here and try to remover the bul- entirely subjective, and what is being brisk supposed to do? Cover let; or three, we take it back to the park and do the operation there. more in the time period? Stop the children getting bored? The fatal What do you think?”) flaw with briskness is never having time to do anything that requires proper thought. If the students are always rushing from one activity Involvement – How do you know if everyone is involved? Will to the next, when are they supposed to ponder or consider, let alone levels of engagement be reflected in body language? Will their eyes process or reflect? Posing difficult questions, setting complex tasks, be glued to the speaker and their bodies leaning forward in ex- and aiming to investigate deeply all require thinking time. So don’t pectation? Or is engagement harder to identify? What if some are worry if things go quiet: be patient and comfortable, and something looking at the floor, picking their nails, or staring out the window? will emerge eventually, and it will probably be better for the wait. Have they stopped listening, or is it possible their minds are racing and they just look less gripped? It’s difficult to know for sure. For Peer support – Peer support is about building community and this reason we should avoid reading too much into children’s body challenging the class to solve problems themselves. Too often we language. Not every child staring out the window will have lost in- 164 move on when a student gets stuck, and we miss an opportunity. 165 terest, and not every student who fails to make eye contact is disen- The class is not in charge of you. So if you feel your authority is slip- gaged. Give them the benefit of the doubt unless it really concerns ping, come out of the fiction and take back your power. Don’t feel you you. If it does, then tell them, “I’m not sure everyone is listening. will be damaging the work or impinging on your students’ creativity. Can I ask you all to look this way, so I can be sure you know what’s Chaos and anarchy are not conducive to learning. There is nothing going on. Now, where were we?” wrong with stopping the work, sitting everyone down, and having a discussion about what went wrong. Mantle of the Expert is an inquiry Behaviour approach where everything, including your teaching and their beha- Behaviour is one of the biggest concerns for teachers new to Mantle viour, is a legitimate topic for conversation. Collaborative leadership of the Expert. The three most frequently asked questions are: “How requires honesty and openness; it’s not a sign of weakness to admit can I control my class if I’m treating them as experts?” “Doesn’t this something isn’t working. approach mean I have to follow everything the children say?” “What “Doesn’t using this approach mean I have to follow everything the chil- can I do if the children misbehave?” Let’s look at each in turn. dren say?” No. Mantle of the Expert is about co-construction, building “How will I be able to control my class if I’m treating them as experts?” the context together, collaborating on the commission, and tackling Remember, they are only experts in the fiction. In the real world they challenges as a team. It’s not about giving children free reign and are still themselves. So if your class is one that finds it difficult to get indulging their every whim. Not everything they suggest will be rel- organised, work together, or share resources, then be prepared to step evant or worthwhile; not everything they make will be of sufficient in and help out: quality; not everything they want to do will be possible or desirable. It is the teacher’s role to guide the work, to keep it heading in the right – “Let’s stop the story for a moment – this isn’t working, folks. direction, and progressing at sufficient speed. This is likely to mean There’s only a limited number of pens and there’s going to have that from time to time you will have to make unpopular decisions and to be some sharing. Now, how are we going to do this?” be selective. But that’s all right: Mantle of the Expert is a pedagogy; – “Whoa, hold on! Jamie, I’m not happy with the way you’re it’s about teaching the curriculum and developing young people as throwing those scissors around. If Tom wants them, pass them learners. It’s not about reinventing the curriculum and handing over to him carefully.” all the responsibility to the students. – “Sorry to interrupt, everyone. Amy is looking for a group “What can I do if the children misbehave?” Disruptive behaviour to work with – is there one that could invite her to join in?” comes in many forms, from minor distractions to full-on wrecking. – “It’s time to get started. There’s been a lot of talking, a lot of How you deal with it and what strategies you use will depend on fac- moving around, a lot of gathering materials, but that time is over. tors such as the age of the children, their past history, causes for their Please get going in your groups. If you need help, let me know.” behaviour, the needs of the class, the time available, your own levels of Some classes need more support than others, but whatever their level tolerance, and your current priorities. of need, don’t do everything for them. Give them space to muddle Here are some guidelines: through and try things out, and only step in when absolutely neces- sary. If they never have the chance to fail, they’ll never learn how to 1. For low-level disruption that disturbs a lesson but isn’t serious, try succeed without having an adult telling them what to do. I like the to deal with it indirectly: “We’ll start as soon as everyone is ready. metaphor of scaffolding: it’s only there for as long as it’s needed, and You might need a bit of space for what happens next. Please move once it’s served its purpose, it comes down. if you don’t have enough room.” This language protects those Heathcote talked about this process in terms of ‘commitment and involved from direct scrutiny, while giving advice on solving the demand’. The more the students’ commitment to the work increases, problem. It gives the children the power and responsibility, but the more demands we can place upon them. makes it clear that you’re aware of what’s going on and won’t start Of course this is not a simple transfer of power. Children won’t sud- until it’s resolved. denly become competent because we give them the opportunity. It is 2. For serious disruption that the children can’t fix for themselves, a gradual process, requiring patience and care. Our job, as teachers, is stop and deal with the behaviour directly: “We’re going to have to structure it such that the children learn over time to do it for them- to stop the story for a minute. Jake, you’re going to have to move. selves. This, after all, is the purpose of a classroom. Sitting next to Ryan isn’t working and we need to get on. Could 166 The most important thing to remember is that you’re in charge. 167 you please move over there and give yourself a bit more space.” This strategy necessitates coming out of the fiction and temporar- behaviour improves. And since Mantle of the Expert puts a heavy ily laying aside your role as a colleague. Notice how this is made emphasis on student engagement, many teachers find their students’ entirely clear to the children with the use of the obligation “We behaviour improves the more they use the approach. It is not a magic are going to have to stop the story.” For everyone involved the wand, and you will need to be practical and realistic, but as your skill decision is clear and unequivocal. It might be done reluctantly, and experience in using the approach develop, you should find many and only because Jake has made it impossible to continue, but it of the problems caused by boredom and disengagement will gradually has to be done. It is not about telling Jake off in front of the class, disappear. but about keeping him involved and part of the group, while let- ting him know his behaviour has become disruptive. You politely Motivation ask him to move and give him a good reason for doing so. Once Most schools have reward systems, but they’re not much use for he moves, and everyone settles down again, you can restart: “So, Mantle of the Expert. If you think about it, it makes little sense for the what are we going to do with this lion?” teacher to hand out rewards and issue praise while the students are 3. For wrecking behaviour – deliberate acts of sabotage designed to engaged as a team of experts. Just imagine: “Well done, Ryan, lovely destroy the work – act quickly and decisively. Wrecking is unac- drawing of a hyena enclosure – here’s a sticker. Great job, Amy, that’s ceptable and can’t be ignored. Even if you are making allowances a fantastic sign, almost every word spelled correctly. Let’s put a smiley and there are good extenuating circumstances, conscious and face on the bottom.” determined wrecking will quickly destroy any chance of learning. You see the problem? My strategy is to take disruptive children temporarily out of the Stickers and praise are from a different paradigm. They position the group and give them the chance to find their own way back in. teacher as the overseer and benefactor, making judgements and hand- I’ll stop the fiction, as above, and ask them to move outside the ing out prizes to those she thinks deserving. In contrast, Mantle of the group. If I have another adult in the room, I’ll ask the disruptive Expert is about developing motivation intrinsically, through the stu- student to sit next to them. If not, they can sit on their own. I will dents’ interest in the context and their commitment to the work of ask them to continue watching, but not to disrupt or interfere the commission. If they’re not interested, then something has gone with what is going on. After a while, I will give them the chance to wrong, and there’s little point trying to jolly them along with stickers come back and join in so long as they are prepared to respect the or smiley faces. work. This is a negotiated process and I won’t tolerate students In fact, rewarding people for doing things we want them to want who are determined to continue wrecking from the sidelines. to do for themselves (like learning) is counterproductive, as Daniel Occasionally, if things get really bad, then they will have to be re- Pink6 and Alfie Kohn7 have observed: “Rewards can deliver a short- moved from the class. This rarely happens, but sometimes there’s term boost – just as a jolt of caffeine can keep you cranking for a few no choice.5 more hours. But the effect wears off – and, worse, can reduce a person’s longer-term motivation to continue the project.” (Pink, 2011) Every classroom is different and every group of students has its own idiosyncrasies. There are no hard and fast rules on how to deal “What rewards and punishments do is induce compliance, and this with disruption, and you will have to rely on your own professional they do very well indeed. If your objective is to get people to obey judgement. As a principle, Mantle of the Expert is an inquiry-based an order, show up on time and do what they’re told, then bribing approach, so as often as possible try not to see disruptive behaviour as or threatening them may be sensible strategies. But if your objec- a problem to solve, but rather as a question that needs to be answered, tive is to get long-term quality in the workplace, to help students and not always by you. Try, if you can, to give the children involved the become careful thinkers and self-directed learners, or to support chance to find their own solutions and protect them from feeling told children in developing good values, then rewards, like punish- off. Public scolding is rarely effective, serving only to further ingrain ments, are absolutely useless. In fact, as we are beginning to see, resentment and a sense of injustice. they are worse than useless – they are actually counterproductive.” Finally, although behaviour management can be a challenge for (Kohn, 1993) teachers using Mantle of the Expert, it is not necessarily any more of The point is, when we use stickers and other incentives to bribe stu- a challenge here than it is at any other time. In fact, many teachers find dents, we are subliminally communicating that the activity we want that the more interested and engaged the students become, the more 168 169 them to do is unpleasant and something to avoid. Over time this has a damaging effect, as children start to associate learning with unpleas- aging the coherence of the fiction or drawing attention to the chil- ant experiences and unwanted chores.8 This is a disaster if our aim is to dren’s different academic abilities. My preferred method is to offer develop students into self-directed learners, particularly for those who them to the whole class as a resource anyone can use: “I found some struggle academically or suffer from a lack of self-belief. information on the internet I thought might be useful, and I’ve When we use Mantle of the Expert, our aim is to create a classroom created these fact sheets. You might find them useful when you’re environment where bribes, rewards, and other incentives are no longer drafting your writing. I’ll leave them here for you to look at.” Then, needed. If something is worth doing, it should be worth doing without as they set to work, I make my way round the class, recommending the need for stickers or promises of ‘golden time’. them to anyone who looks as though they need one: “Have you had chance to look at these fact sheets? I think this one might help with Differentiation your report. The information on penguins looks particularly useful.” Some forms of differentiation are problematic for Mantle of the Expert In this way, the resources find their way to the people who need and need to be used with care. The concern is with the internal coher- them most, without drawing attention to their relative lack of ex- ence of the fictional context. Anything that undermines the collabor- pertise and need for extra support. ative nature of the work, where power and decision-making are shared Resources you might use include: among the community, risks damaging the integrity of the work and – a list of geographical features, including unfamiliar ones, making it harder to build the environment you’re aiming for. This is printed and cut out not to say that all forms of differentiation are wholly misguided, but – a collection of topic books that we should always use them with caution and monitor how they’re – a collection of photographs found on the internet and printed out received by the students. It’s a balancing act. – short films and documentaries (a National Geographic film on jungle terrains; a Channel 4 documentary on the sinking of the Activity Assigning differentiated activities in Mantle of the Ex- Titanic; a BBC programme on the Roman invasion of Britain) pert rarely works. If you’re trying to develop a fictional context – lists (such as animals found in jungle environments; objects where the students work as a team of experts, then tasks that draw found on the wreck of the Titanic; jobs done in neolithic attention to their lack of real expertise and their different academic settlements) abilities will pull them out of the fiction and back into the real world – writing templates (for report writing, letters, instructions, of the classroom. It’s not impossible to set differentiated tasks, but if newspaper reports) you do, take great care or the students will quickly fall back into old – fact sheets and cards established working relationships, with the adult in charge and the – vocabulary list (both common and technical words) students being told what to do. – other writing resources Grouping In Mantle of the Expert, there is a world of difference – access to the internet or websites selected in advance between those groups organised by the teacher for the purposes of – maps, plans, and other technical drawings differentiation and those created by the students for the purposes – software programs and other technical aids of fulfilling a commission. The ones created by the teacher keep Support Thoughtful support, offered respectfully and without the power in the hands of the adult and maintain the status quo, disrupting the fiction, can be among the most useful forms of dif- while those organised by the students provide opportunities for the ferentiation. The trick is to wait until it is needed and then to offer community to work collaboratively and share the decision-making to help as a colleague: “It looks like you’re having a bit of trouble process. Again, it’s not that you can’t ever organise the class into getting started. I can help with that – how far have you got?” “How’s groups, but be aware of how it affects the students and their work. your report coming along? I find that if I make a list of important Some classes need a lot of organising, others less so. It’s all part of items, it helps with the writing.” “Are you working together on this the learning process, and if we organise everything for them, never map? How’s it going? Have you got everything you need? Have you providing opportunities to make mistakes or to work things out for worked out who’s doing which job yet?” And so on. Think about themselves, how will they ever learn? how your offer of support is being received by the students and try Resources Differentiated resources are less problematic than activit- to be authentic. Come down to their level by kneeling or sitting next ies or groups, and can enhance the students’ learning without dam- to them, and speak respectfully, as if you’re a workmate. Your aim is 170 171 to replace the usual teacher-student power dynamic, where learning for learning. At first, they might seem a little difficult to understand, is an obligation and you’re there to make sure it’s done, with a more but in application you will find them practical and straightforward. collaborative environment, where learning has a purpose and you’re there to offer help and support when needed. Collaborative learning can be one of the more challenging aspects of Mantle of the Expert and a real problem for those students who are focused primarily on their own needs, rather than the demands of the activity. In such circumstances, petty squabbles and arguments iconic enactive are not uncommon, and it is the job of the adults to intervene, but without necessarily fixing it for them. Be patient, offer suggestions and be prepared to give the children a chance. Learning to work col- laboratively takes time and is not easy. That’s why they’re at school. symbolic Outcome Usually in Mantle of the Expert, the students work on the same tasks (making maps, writing reports, creating resources), which are differentiated not by the teacher’s streaming the activ- ities, but by the quality of the students work. Not all students are Bruner identified three forms: enactive, iconic, and symbolic. Each at the same place academically – some are more accomplished at one works by communicating meaning through distinct forms of rep- writing, others at drawing or making things – and none of this goes resentation: the enactive form involves physically moving and interact- away because they are engaged in a fictional context. It is our role, ing with people and objects in the world, the iconic involves the use of as their teachers, to involve them in conversations about their work, drawings and static images to convey information, and the symbolic about how to challenge themselves to go further, and about working involves the use of language – written and/or spoken – for communic- hard to learn more and develop. So when setting tasks, keep them ation. In the classroom, these forms work as a palette of options for the open and give students the time, support, and resources they need teacher to create opportunities for the students to make meaning and to complete them to the best of their current abilities, not separated communicate ideas. and limited by our perceptions of what they can and can’t do. Enactive The use of action: human beings interacting with content through the physical use of their bodies, such as: – playing football, sailing a boat, or driving a car classroom practice – sometimes with the application of imagination, as in imaginative play, dramatic action, or playing a musical instrument The aim of this final section is to consider some of the more advanced – or stylised in the form of art, as in ballet, dance, or drama techniques used in planning and teaching for Mantle of the Expert. I’ve left them until last because they represent a considerable jump in Iconic The use of images: human beings interacting with content complexity and, although they have been lurking in the background through the use of visual forms of representation, such as: throughout this book, it only makes sense to look at them now, having – drawings, diagrams, or graphics discussed the main elements of the approach. – sometimes formalised through the use of custom or Together, they are a collection of ideas and techniques you can use to convention, as in maps, technical drawings, or charts enhance and develop your practice. They are not in the same category – or stylised in the form of art, as in paintings, sculpture, as the elements we discussed in part one, which represent the defin- or graphic art ing features, but are auxiliary and complementary dimensions that will Symbolic The use of language: human beings interacting with con- make your use of Mantle of the Expert far more effective. tent through the use of sounds and symbols, such as: – spoken words, writing, or mathematical notation Forms of representation – sometimes formalised through the use of rules and Identified by Jerome Bruner,9 the forms of representation are a signifi- conventions, as in singing, prose, or algebra cant teaching tool and can be used to generate wide-ranging activities 172 173 – or stylised in the form of art, as in opera, poetry, or theatre For an example of how they work in the classroom, let’s return to Animal using Mantle of the Expert are full of posters, drawings, maps, dia- Park and the first task given to the students after the teacher has finished grams, lists, instructions, reports, letters, schedules, and other images reading the story. and writing: they are the stuff of the context. If you remember, the purpose of the task was to bring the chil- dren into the fiction as people with power and responsibility. Looking Dramatic imagination at Bruner’s list, the teacher can choose an activity from one of three Mantle of the Expert is about more than just working on activities and options: symbolic, iconic, and enactive. If she chooses to do it sym- completing jobs for fictional clients. It’s about grabbing the children’s bolically, she could ask them to put up their hands and say what kind interests and using their imagination to expand and enhance the imag- of animal they would like to look after or ask them to write a list of inary contexts you are working to develop with them. A fundamental animals on a whiteboard. If she chose to do it iconically (which is the heuristic in this process is the six dimensions of dramatic imagination: method used in the planning), she could ask them to draw their animal sound and silence, movement and stillness, darkness and light. on a small piece of paper. And if she chose to do it enactively, she could To see how they work, think back to the moment in the Titanic con- ask them to ‘stand’ as someone looking after their animal in the park, text when the students are brought together on the deck of the marine possibly as depicted in a photo shown in the park’s brochure. Each archaeology ship. Now imagine you are standing there with them and option has its merits, and it is up to the teacher to decide which is the take a look around you: what can you see? What equipment is there? best for the work. What’s lying on the deck or swinging in the air? What can you see in Often the forms will overlap and combine. For example, in the plan- the sky above the ship? What about the sea? Is it calm or rough? Is it ning for Animal Park, after the children have drawn the picture of their daytime or nighttime? Where are the sources of light? Are they natural animal they are asked to write its name and make a list of requirements, or artificial? What can you hear? What sounds are close and far away? including food, water, and shelter. In this way the teacher builds differ- What catches your attention and makes you want to find out more? ent forms of representation, one on top of another, developing and Embedded in these questions are the six dimensions. Once you enhancing the children’s learning as they go along. start looking you’ll find them everywhere, in art, music, literature, This is particularly useful when planning a sequence of activities and drama. For example, if you have time, look up William Bell Scott’s leading up to a major piece of work such as writing a report. If the painting of Grace Darling and her father saving the survivors from the teacher asks the students to write a report from the point of view of wreck of the steamer Forfarshire in 1838.10 It is a wonderfully evocative the rangers without having done the preparatory work, she is unlikely painting, seen from the perspective of the survivors, looking out into to see much quality in their writing. This is because it is difficult to the storm as their ship falls apart around them. Out in the distance, write about something you know little about, as well as concentrat- almost imperceptible among the giant waves, are Grace and her father, ing on the technical aspects – spelling, punctuation, form, and gram- desperately struggling to row their lifeboat across the sea. mar. This is particularly true of young writers who are still learning Now make a list for each of the six dimensions in the painting: see the basics. To give them a better chance, it is important for the teacher how many you can find. What movement is there? What stillness? to give them opportunities to develop background knowledge and What sounds and silences? What light and darkness? a good understanding of the context. Using Bruner’s forms can help See what I mean? This is a great activity to do with your students with this. By drawing the animals and their enclosures, writing lists, and can be used in many ways, especially to develop writing. reading about the animals, and working in the fiction as if they are Here are some more examples to try with them: park rangers, the students can build up the content they need, so that – Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov 11 when they sit down to write they can concentrate on the technical – The Coming of the Iron Man by Ted Hughes12 aspects, rather than having to think of both content and technique at – the opening sequence of David Lean’s Great Expectations13 the same time. As the teacher continues to plan and teach her way through the con- In my own practice, I’ve used the dimensions implicitly from nursery text, she can use and apply Bruner’s forms as and when necessary, using years, using them for storytelling and to stimulate the children’s imag- them separately or mixing them together in whichever ways match the ination, and explicitly from Year 2, teaching students to identify them learning she is looking to develop. The point is that the three forms in different forms of art and literature, and how to incorporate them give her options and create the means by which the students can take into their own work. 174 their ideas and communicate them to others. This is why classrooms 175 They are remarkably productive and can transform children’s writ- the teachers introduce the students to the six dimensions in Year 2 and ing, even from a young age. Take a look at these extracts from Luke then use them repeatedly to enhance and develop the Mantle of the Wheeler’s Year 2 class at Recreation Road Infants in Norwich.14 Expert contexts they co-create with their classes. It takes time and it takes effort, but the results speak for themselves. Many, many years ago a young Native American boy called Waban In a way, the six dimensions of dramatic imagination are the magic stood looking out over the river. Butterflies were glittering in the ingredients. They are not core to the approach in the way that the sunlight, deer searching for food in herds. As he looked out at the expert team and the client are, and they are not essential in the way that other side he looked at the mountains and thought it was time for an the drama conventions and inquiry questioning are, but they add depth adventure. He looked at his home. He saw the medicine man’s camp, and quality, which takes the work on to another level and generates he saw smoke rising up to the blue shining sky. He saw birds flying. genuine passion from the students. [Lola M.] So when you come to plan and teach your own context, include the As Waban climbed into his canoe he started thinking about the story six dimensions in your thinking and try them out. Think about the envi- his father had told him many times. There was once a great tribe of ronment you want to develop with the students, and ask them ques- red and blue feathers. An arrow was shot by the red fox tribe and it tions to stimulate their imagination: “What must it have been like the nearly hit the blue tribe, but it hit a tree and broke. There was a war. day Florence walked into Scutari? What do you think she heard? What The Great Grey Wolf roared and roared and made a river. People say caught her eye? Was there anything moving under the beds? Where did that if you look into his eyes then you turn into stone. People say that the light come from? I always imagine it was dark. Do you think light his eyes turn red at night. The chief says, never cross the river. shone through the windows during the day? I wonder if some of the [Lucy] patients were still and cold?” Their replies will bring the context to life. Waban walked slowly through the woods, looking for the Great Dramatic action Grey Wolf. There was a rustling in the bush in the distance. He For teachers new to drama, as I was when I first started using Mantle of found himself in a circle of bushes. A cold wind made his hair the Expert, one of the scariest challenges is the moment when they let stand on end. He saw a flick of red in the distance. Then something go and send the students off to work in groups as people inside the fic- grabbed him. He turned. There was a little boy with a red feather. tional context. It can be a disempowering experience, especially for those Waban reached for his bow and arrow. who are used to being in control and like keeping the children on a short Pela said, “Wait, don’t hurt me.” leash. What are they going to do? How are they going to behave? How “I heard your tribe don’t know how to look after your children,” am I going to bring them back? It can be a disconcerting experience. said Waban. The answer is to wait and then slow things down using the drama Then a snow storm came, Pela said they should go to the cave conventions we discussed in chapter 4. There are four stages to this pro- in the mountain. cess: play, dramatic action, invested action, and reflection. [Jack] As they woke up it was snowing. Waban and Pela were shivering with coldness. So Waban picked up a log from the fire. Going outside, Waban saw something in the snow. Deep down were some wolf prints, they seemed to be leading to his tribe. “Pela, Pela, look at these!” said Waban. So Pela got up and they both followed the paw prints. But as they left, all along it had been Waban’s sister Hatchi, she had made the footprints. Hatchi had done it because she didn’t know any other way to get her brother home. [Skye]

This quality of writing doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t hap- pen at all unless the students know the context intimately and have 176 spent time exploring it from the inside. At Recreation Road school, 177 Teacher compass15 see any behaviour that worries you. But don’t worry, the noise and the confusion won’t last for long. Gradually you’ll start to see things beginning to happen, and the groups will move into positions, talking Prodigality (having choices) to each other and working out roles and actions. Get involved at this stage: go and talk to those who look as though they’re getting organ- ised, ask them how things are going, assess the development of their ideas, make suggestions if need be. Then move on to another group. Start to look out for those groups that haven’t got going, and see if you can help. Talk to them about the task, ask them about the artefact they’ve chosen, and help them with the convention. Once they look Teacher helps orientate; Teacher enables and en- assists choices; supplies as though they’re getting the idea, leave them alone, and tell them you ergises exploratory ideas; needs; guides; helps focus will come back in a little while to see how things are getting on. supports; observes; and decisions; gets students This is the ‘play’ stage of the process. There is likely to be a lot of provides stimulus started on tasks activity, a certain amount of confusion, some laughing and some dis- play dramatic action Play Work agreement, possibly people upset that they haven’t got their own way, No penalty reflection invested action Penalty and maybe some off-task behaviour. It’s all part of the process, and Teacher provides opportuni- Teacher provides exact infor- don’t worry: the next stage will provide far more structure and control. ties to consolidate, turn things mation and tools; teaches skills; As soon as there is a group ready to show the others, ask everyone around, explore possibilities sets limits; assists processes; to stop. You’ll need an agreed signal to gain their attention, I useclap , to develop variations on the offers opinion and guidance; theme, discuss, reflect supports; sets standards; clap, clap-clap, clap, which the students then repeat, until everyone is models; critically ready and waiting for instructions. appraises; makes “Thank you. Can I ask everyone to gather round here, please. We demands have part of the film ready to watch.” You’re now back in full control of the class. Wait for them to gather round the group who are going to show their sequence. Make sure Parsimony everyone can see, then explain what’s going to happen: “Here’s a short (doing more with less) sequence represented by four people. Can I ask everyone watching to look carefully and see what you notice.” The work now enters the second stage of the process: ‘dramatic action’. The emphasis is on the quality of the students’ work. In the To see how the four stages work, let’s look at each one through the first stage, the emphasis was on quantity, generating ideas, working context of Titanic. with possibilities. In this stage, the emphasis is on focusing in on finer If you remember, in step 9 the teacher asks the students to work in details, making refinements, looking for value. groups to create a short sequence of film that shows a moment from Don’t be afraid to ask the people in the fiction to stop and redo what the history of the artefact they’ve chosen. Now put yourself in the they doing. Look for commitment and an intention to work authentic- shoes of the teacher: what do you think is going to happen next? She’s ally: “Can I ask you to stop a moment and rewind that last movement. asked the students to get up and work in groups. They might be in the What do people think? Is that enough or would the officer place his classroom or in a larger space like the hall. They stand up and start hand on the man’s chest? How would it be done – with force, or gently moving around, there’s a lot of talking, maybe some giggling. Some with understanding? Let’s see it again.” of the students look unsure about what to do next, some might need Or stop the action to draw attention to something important: some help finding a group. “Pause it there. Did you see that look? Did you see the man’s look What would you do? Are you happy with this level of uncertainty? when he turned away? There was a lot in that – what did you see?” The When should you intervene or get involved? point is to make a lot from a little, and to slow things down so that the It’s tricky, but stay relaxed. Help out those who are genuinely observers can look and make meaning. 178 unsure, find groups for those who look lost, and intervene if you 179 Once the quality is there, the next stage is for those watching to make meaning from the scene: the ‘invested action’ stage. Invested action uses the five dimensions of dramatic inquiry we discussed in chapter 7 (action, motivation, investment, models, value), where every moment is discussed and analysed for meaning. Take the choice of how the crew member prevents the man from joining his family in the lifeboat. If he does it roughly, putting his arm across the man’s chest and pushing him back hard, it says something different from doing it gently, resting his hand on the man’s chest, look- ing into his eyes and slowly shaking his head. This is the investment he makes in his actions, giving us, the people watching, the opportunity to make meaning from it. The final stage in this process is ‘reflection’. This is where the parti- cipants (the people in the scene and those in the audience) stop the story to reflect on what happened in the fiction: “What did everyone make of that? Was there anything that particularly caught your eye, anything that really stood out for you? Do you think that if this disaster happened nowadays, people would behave in the same way? Would it be possible to prevent men from getting on the lifeboats? Would they walk away and accept their fate? I wonder why things were so different in 1912? Once the discussion is over, it’s time to move on to the next group and the cycle starts again.

180 181 appendices

182 183 appendix 1 Animal Park

While reading these plans, refer to the chapters on planning and the planning resources booklet. In particular the planning model, the strategies for dramatic inquiry, and the seven aspects of planning.

Overview: Theme animal Park Expert team animal Park rangers Client The owner of the park (note: not the owner of the zoo) Commission To assess the animals in the zoo and decide whether they are healthy enough to be moved to the wildlife park

stage 1: foundations

1 – Theme An experienced team of animal park rangers is commissioned to prepare for the arrival of a shipment of animals from a zoo which has been forced to close due to lack of funds. The zoo’s owner is concerned that the animals are not hurt or distressed by the move. The zoo owner did what she could for the animals, but recently has found it difficult to provide the quality of care the animals deserve. As a consequence, some of the animals are reported to be ill, under- nourished and injured. In contrast, the team’s wildlife park is a model of care, consid- eration and protection. The park has a long and successful history of tending injured, sick and endangered animals, and is proud of its record of returning many of them safely back to the wild. However, the new arrivals will put strain on the park’s resources and the owner of the park needs to be reassured that the new arrivals can be safely and effectively integrated.

2 – Overview of learning

Knowledge ––the names of different animals ––distinguishing features ––diets and habitats ––breeding habits 185 ––caring for animals: what they need to survive and flourish ––how humans sometimes cause harm to animals because ––feeding and tending animals of ignorance ––dealing with potentially dangerous animals ––about birth and the rearing of young animals ––first aid and illnesses ––about the careful and thoughtful disposal of waste ––different parts of an animal and of human beings ––how to observe and study animals effectively without disturbing ––circulation and the effects of exercise them and upsetting their life patterns ––movement: the role of skeletons and muscles ––how to accommodate visitors: keeping them safe, comfortable ––human and animal life cycles and informed ––different species of animals Social ––about markings and camouflage, and the roles they play ––identifying strengths, managing feelings, reflecting, setting goals, ––the different diets and tolerances of animals working independently and interdependently, listening and ––the things that affect animals’ health or comfort responding appropriately, adapting behaviour, working collaborat- ––about organisations that campaign for and protect the planet ively, sharing, negotiating, and giving constructive feedback (e.g. wwf) ––how near-extinct species are classified Note: this list is illustrative only. There is no requirement to make one ––examples of extinct or near-extinct animals as long or detailed as this for your own planning. ––how to provide suitable environments for animals (e.g. shelter, exercise, companionship) ––significant geographical features 3 – What’s interesting about this theme ––how to make and read a map For the students ––factors that affect weather and climate ––looking after animals Skills ––caring for sick and injured animals ––scientific inquiry: thinking creatively; testing ideas; using ––running a wildlife park evidence from observations and measurements; developing ––reintegrating animals into the wild investigation skills; obtaining and presenting evidence ––researching animals and telling other people about their findings ––communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing ––drawing plans, conducting operations, reporting back ––information technology: researching, evaluating, and presenting For the teacher ––working with others: working in groups, sharing ideas ––exploring the question of whether it is ethical to keep ––problem-solving: developing skills and strategies to solve animals in captivity problems in learning and life ––looking at how animal parks are run and maintained ––improving own learning and performance: reflecting on and ––investigating endangered animals and their preservation critically evaluating own work and identifying ways to improve ––literacy skills: listening, talking, and reading accurately for comprehension; writing, presenting and broadcasting, analysing 4 – Inquiry questions and evaluating ––numeracy skills: representing and modelling situations; using Key inquiry questions (concerning ethics, morality, society, etc.): number and measurement; interpreting and interrogating data; ––what responsibilities do human beings have for the preservation using maths to justify and support decisions and protection of animals from injury, sickness, and possible extinction? Understanding ––how can the environment be managed sustainably, and why ––how animals and other living species are affected by human is this important now and in the future? actions ––what should we sacrifice to protect animals and the planet? ––how animals can suffer from harm or neglect ––can animals from zoos be returned safely to their natural ––why certain animals are or near extinction, and what can environment? 186 be done to protect and preserve them 187 ––what do human beings and other living creatures need 5.2 – Location to survive and flourish? location aspects to be decided ––how can we identify, classify, and group various living things A wildlife park in the uk How the park is designed: the design and to best preserve and protect them? layout of the enclosures, the space the ––should animal welfare ever be placed above the welfare animals have, facilities for visitors, the of human beings? animal hospital, cemetery, etc. ––to what extent do animals have rights to privacy or dignity? 5.3 – Time Present day.

stage 2: context 6 – Expert team: Animal Park rangers

5.1 – Tension Powers List of tensions for Animal Park: ––to make decisions about how the animals are cared for and looked after tension example Responsibilities A person not doing The owner of the zoo (through lack of competence rather than –to protect the animals their job well intent) has let the zoo run down and the animals suffer. – ––to preserve their dignity Herculean tasks: extremely Moving the animals from the zoo to the Animal Park: requiring careful –to treat them humanely difficult or dangerous activ- handling, transportation, and their integration into a new setting. – ities, requiring huge effort ––to feed them and provide them with shelter ––to transport them safely Threats from stupidity Customers who visit the park and mistreat the animals by throwing sweets or rubbish into their enclosures; by making loud noises or ––to communicate with local authorities and treat people taunting the animals; and by putting themselves and others in danger. with respect

Time pressures A lion is due to arrive at the zoo with a serious infection, caused by ––to ensure dangerous animals are handled safely a bite in a fight with another lion. The rangers prepare the operating ––to make sure team members are supported and there theatre, and later they operate to save its life. are good means of communication Pressures from sickness Many of the animals at the zoo are ill, malnourished, and/or suffering ––to ensure information and data are properly and safely stored from minor injuries. The rangers assess whether they are well enough ––to make the park attractive, interesting and educational to be transported and whether they represent a risk to animals already ––to attract more visitors to the park in the park. ––to educate the wider community about the plight of animals Insufficient resources The owner of the park asks the rangers to prepare a report on the and the environment space available in the enclosures for the animals from the zoo. Is there enough space? Can we find homes for all the animals? If not, what will ––to help animals breed and to care for their young happen to the animals left behind? ––to prepare them for reintroduction to the wild –to ensure their reintroduction is managed with care A danger known but not The inspectors make it clear that they expect the rangers to operate – entirely controllable under the correct regulations. If there is not enough room in the park, ––to ensure new employees are properly trained and supported then they cannot take the animals from the zoo and will need to make ––to ensure that health and safety regulations are fully adhered to alternative arrangements. Va lues ––to protect and preserve animals ––to create healthy and safe environments suitable for animals to live and flourish ––to promote the welfare of animals ––to conserve and protect them from human or environmental threat 188 189 ––to communicate and educate ––to be truthful and accurate stage 3: activities and curriculum links ––to treat people with dignity and respect activities curriculum

7 – Client Planning and mapping the layout of the park Planning and mapping the layout of the park The owner of Animal Park: a high-authority client who expects high –where different animals are kept –use secondary sources to find out about standards. She wants to make sure the animals are happy in their – – ––arrangements for feeding and sleeping a range of places and environments new home and well looked after. ––ways for visitors to move around the park ––undertake investigations and inquiries, ––other attractions: playgrounds, etc. using various methods, media and sources 8 – Commission ––paths and transport around the park (including maps) ––places for medical attention ––use and make maps for a purpose ––to assess the animals in the zoo and decide whether they ––places for storage and machinery ––find out about a range of places and are healthy enough to be moved to the wildlife park ––landscaping and modelling envi­ronments, including students’ own ––to evaluate the park’s enclosures, and to decide ––places for refreshments and shops locality, a contrasting area in the uk, ––message boards and announcements and a locality in another country (a) whether they are large enough to accommodate ––signs and information the new animals and ––toilets, shelters and meeting points (b) whether this will have a detrimental effect on the ––environments for different animals –places for staff: offices, changing rooms, etc. park’s existing animals – ––to report their findings to the owner of the park Managing the park Managing the park 9 – Other points of view ––keep the park clean and well tended ––how and why places and environments ––the local community: people whose lives might be affected by the ––clean and maintain the animals’ enclosures develop, how they can be sustained and influx of new visitors to the park ––maintain the different areas and facilities how they might change in the future –maintain fences and other barriers –use secondary sources to locate and ––visitors: adults, students, families, senior citizens, and disabled – – ––check locks, doors, and security investigate geographical features people, who want to have a pleasant day and to find out more ––deal with plumbing, heating, lighting, ––learn about and develop informed views and about the animals and disposal opinions on local, national and global issues ––department of Health and Safety: officers with responsibilities ––recycle, reuse, and reduce waste such as sustainability, climate change, economic inequality, and their impact on (to ensure the park is well run, the animals are properly cared for, people, places and environments in the and the public is protected), and with powers to act past and the present ––people and organisations from the animals’ countries of origin: with different motivations and interests in the animals’ return Studying the animals Studying the animals

––research, using a range of resources ––undertake investigations and enquiries, (books, film,ic t, and pictures): animals’ using various methods, media and sources names, species, distinguishing features, ––listen, read and view in order to understand and diets, habitats, and breeding habits respond ––be aware of animals’ contentment and ––generate and explore questions that require the general welfare collection and analysis of information. ––collect, group, match, sort, record and represent information, and store it ––interpret and draw conclusions from information collected

190 191 activities curriculum activities curriculum

Information for visitors Information for visitors Resources, equipment and buildings Resources, equipment and buildings

––collect information on the animals and repres- ––use frequency diagrams and bar charts ––design and develop accommodation for people ––work collaboratively towards a common ent the data in various forms: bar charts, pie to represent and record information living and working at, and visiting, the park; it is goal by sharing ideas, making compromises, charts, etc., and interpret their meaning ––discuss, sort and order events according important that this does not physically damage negotiating, and providing feedback ––make information boards, guidebooks, etc. to their likelihood of occurring the park or endanger the animals and plants in ––apply knowledge and understanding to (about the animals, their eating habits, ––write for a variety of purposes for a range of any way describe and explain the structure and characteristics, environments etc.), which audiences and in a range of forms: to organise ––include electric lighting and alarm systems function of key human body systems might include drawings and writing and explain information, to comment on what ––consider, design, and model a medical centre, ––apply scientific knowledge and understanding ––signs and messages explaining how the park has been seen, read, or heard for both humans and animals to how humans and other animals stay fit and works and the role of the park Rangers ––to grow healthy plants and explain how ––consider injuries, surgery, emergency first healthy ––park website, powerpoints, posters, display humans and other animals stay fit and healthy aid, portable medical kits, ambulances, and ––develop practical skills that will help in boards, recorded messages, animal sounds, emergency evacuation carrying out investigations and making func- photos, and pictures ––for recuperating animals consider safe tional products from students’ design ideas containment and care ––use design and technology contexts to develop –consider, design, and model machinery, scientific understanding and apply scientific Caring for the animals Caring for the animals – equipment, and clothing knowledge to inform students’ designing and ––stock feed for the animals, being ––develop and apply speaking and listening skills ––invent the kinds of machinery, heavy and light, making careful to stock suitable products to suit a variety of audiences and purposes needed in the park ––explore simple electrical circuits ––medical treatment for injuries and illness ––use language and communication to convey ––invent the kinds of specialised equipment ––apply knowledge of mechanical and electrical ––suitable space and opportunities to exercise important information needed control when designing and making functional ––suitable equipment and materials ––explore ways of keeping living things alive and ––invent the clothing and uniforms used by products ––regular cleaning of enclosures healthy, treating them with care and sensitivity the people living and working at, and visiting, ––refine sequences of instructions to ––suitable lighting, heating, and ventilation ––grow healthy plants and explain how humans the park control events or make things happen ––access to relevant natural resources: and other animals stay fit and healthy ––security is a serious concern, so consider, ––plan, discuss, and review own work in order space, water, trees, etc. design, and make alarm systems, security to improve it, including the use of ict where protocols, identification and password appropriate recognition (visitor id cards and checking ––combine written text with illustration, Managing the team Managing the team systems, for example) moving image, and sound ––develop guidance and training (in the form ––communicate and model in order to explain ––cctv and other forms of surveillance, and ––communicate with known audiences, using of induction training, posters, leaflets, Power- and develop security, night vision, sonic alarms, etc. ict where appropriate Points, guidebooks, etc.) for newcomers to the ––create and shape writing for different readers, park, particularly regarding health and safety choosing appropriate vocabulary ––plan and design healthy diets for the people working at or visiting the park Note: this list is illustrative only; there is no requirement to make one as long or detailed as this –plan, design and make emergency kits to – for your own planning. be carried at all times by the park’s rangers ––consult and make job lists, responsibilities, and allocations ––consider codes of conduct, special duties, routines, and safety measures

192 193 stage 4: the start Step 2 – developing the context

Steps in Strategy 6: students create images and resources Step 1: introducing the context Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) Strategy 4: inquiry questions 1: sharing a complete story – topic books, video 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) The students invent the animals of the park and what they need 4: inquiry questions to thrive. Resources: a5 paper and project books, iPads etc. – Inventing the animals: “We have a lot of animals here – it might The teacher reads the class a book, then asks a ‘problem-free’ help if we found out just how many we’re dealing with. Could question with the aim of thinking inside the fiction. Resources: you grab a piece of paper from the pile and draw the animal or Zoo by Anthony Brown. animals it’s your job to look after in the park. You might find the – Read the book to the class, taking the time to look at the project books here helpful.” pictures and discuss with the students what they think is – Scaffolding their work: as the students draw, go round the room, happening. Draw attention to the way the animals look: “I don’t looking at their pictures. Ask them questions about their work. know about you, but things don’t seem right in the zoo. Does Give support, if necessary, and suggest using the books if they anyone feel the same way?” are stuck. – Ask the problem-free question: “If you had a job, looking after – Extending the activity: “I know you’re busy, but please look this animals in an animal park, what kind of animal would you most way. Thank you. Can you make a note of the kind of animal you’re like to care for?” Give the students chance to answer. Ask some caring for. It’ll be very helpful later on, just write next to it what it follow-up questions, in a conversational way – it’s important not is. Also, draw or write on your picture what your animal eats and to interrogate. “Ah, a dog. Any kind of dog in particular? What drinks – I don’t know if it’s a meat-eater or a vegetarian. But just about a horse? Would anyone like to look after the horses? What make a quick note, thank you.” about dangerous animals?” – Later: “Team, could you also draw on your picture where your – Start moving into the fiction: “Do you think we should have any animal or animals are kept – whether they in a tank or an enclos- large animals?” Notice the switch to ‘we’ as you start to build ure or something else. Perhaps there’s a high wall or a moat the team through the language of collaboration. “Is anyone to keep people safe…”. Notice again how the shift in language prepared to feed and care for the tigers?” “Yes. I see. I guess we reinforces the idea of working as a team, as well as developing have to be careful with the big cats. Do you think we’ll need any the context and the team’s responsibilities. special equipment? Like gloves?” “You wouldn’t mind getting close? OK.” “I’m guessing not everyone is keen on the big anim- als. What else would people like to look after? What about pets? Step 3 – building the park Do you think we might also look after small animals in the park, like rabbits or hamsters?” Strategy 6: students create images and resources Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 4: inquiry questions 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction

In this step the students create the park by making a large model together. Resources: materials for the students to make the animal 194 195 park (e.g. ropes, hoops, Lego, large sheets of paper, art straws, etc.). – Ta s k : to build the park using the materials. Encourage the stu- photographs, certificates, awards, or newspaper cuttings on the dents to think about the happiness and welfare of the animals. walls? Does the owner have a portrait of herself? If so, how is Ask them questions from inside the fiction as they work: “Ah, she portrayed?” this is interesting. Could you explain to me how this works? I – Ask the adult-in-role to voice the thoughts of the owner: “I never see. And is this something that regularly happens?” “I’m sorry thought it would come to this.” to stop you working – would you mind if I ask a question about – Ask the students to reflect on what they’ve heard and to think your shark tank?” “I see, and do they eat a lot of fish? How do about what it all means: the room, the things on the wall, the you manage to keep them fresh? Hm, that makes sense. And are objects on the owner’s desk, her private thoughts. they delivered every day?” – Ask what the team should discuss with the owner when they – Reflection : once the model is finished, sit with the students and come into her office. “What do we need to find out about? What look at the park. Make comments, avoiding insincere praise: “It’s do you think she wants to hear? Of course, we can’t fix her zoo, interesting how you designed the hippo enclosure. They are very but we might be able to put her mind at rest about the animals.” private animals – I think it will give them just what they need.” – The students come into the story as the team. “Thank you for – Extension : use the list of places in the park, printed and cut out seeing us this morning. We know you’ve got a lot on your mind (see end of unit): “We need to decide where these places go. at the moment, but we’re here to help, if we can. Could we ask I’ve cut them out, as you can see. How about this one: ‘Visitor’s you a few questions?” car park’? What do you think?” Read and hand them out one at a – The team talk to the owner. As the conversation develops, time, allowing the students to make the decisions. support the students, offering suggestions and extending their thinking. Your aim is to open up new lines of inquiry, new thinking, and new understanding. Step 4: the owner of the zoo

Strategy Step 5: the zoo owner visits the park 3: interacting with an adult who represents a point of view in the fictional world Strategy Key planning aspects 3: interacting with an adult representing a point of view in the 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) fictional world 2: signs to interpret Key planning aspects 3: the tension; inquiry questions 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 2: signs to interpret In this step the students meet the owner of the zoo, someone 3: the tension; inquiry questions who is in a tight spot. – The adult-in-role sits perfectly still, representing the owner In this step the students show the owner of the zoo around the in her office, reading a letter from the inspectors telling her park, explaining to her how the animals are looked after. that they are going to close her zoo. – It is agreed that the zoo owner will visit the park. The students – Ask the students to look carefully at the owner and describe now have to prepare for her visit: how to guide her round to see what they see. Work with them to develop the language and then everything, how to show her how the animals are cared for, and feed it back like words in a book, “The owner of the zoo sat in her how the animals are looked after when they are ill or injured. office, her eyes unable to leave the words that brought her the – There are ample opportunities for writing, drawing, mapping, terrible news.” demonstrating (through drama), and for creating wide-ranging – As the adult-in-role continues to sit perfectly still, ask the cross-curricular links. students what they imagine her office looks like. Your aim is to – When the students are ready, the zoo owner is brought into the further develop the context by creating more depth and signific- park and guided round each area by the rangers, who explain ance in the scene. “What kind of desk does she have? Is it untidy? and demonstrate as they go. Is it covered in papers? What else is in the room? Are there any 196 197 Step 6: the animals from the zoo activities. Take a look at the activities/curriculum and tension lists for ideas, and remember to use Bruner’s three forms of Strategy representation. 6: students create images and resources Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 4: inquiry questions A list of places in the park

In this step the students invent the animals from the zoo. Resources: a5 paper. Park shop: choose from a huge Visitor reception: rental Toilets (male and female); selection of soft toys, books, lockers, pushchairs, carts baby-changing and feeding – This step is similar to step 2, except that these animals all have and souvenirs and wheelchairs; first aid something wrong with them. Not because they have been delib- and information erately hurt, but because they haven’t been looked after as well as possible. The injuries and illnesses might include such things Toddlers soft-play complex Discovery centre, daily Adventure play area bug-handling, touch tables, as a sore foot, a rotten tooth, malnourishment and dehydration. and discovery area

School visits centre Guest services: birthday Restaurant Step 7: meeting the owner of the park parties, keeper experiences, adoptions, group visits

Strategy Ice cream parlour Coffee house Picnic area and sandpit 3: interacting with an adult representing a point of view in the fictional world Meerkat hangout play area Wild animal theatre Friends indoor area Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) Train station Chimp world Komodo dragon pit 2: signs to interpret Displays area Animal operating room Animal x-ray room 3: the tension; inquiry questions Animal recovery centre Waterfowl and flamingos Animal hospital In this step the students are introduced to the owner of the park. This is the team’s client, represented by either an adult-in-role Park rangers’ office Equipment shed Vehicles, garage, and workshop or a teacher-in-role. The role’s functions include: a focus for the team’s work, a person they are responsible and answerable to, Visitors’ car park Park entrance Food storage areas an audience for communication, and someone who can demand certain standards and evaluate outcomes. Water tank Security cctv room Animal memorial park and cemetery – You can introduce the owner of the park in many ways. Take a look at the conventions list (see appendix 3). The important thing is to develop with the students an idea of her character and values. She’s someone who cares passionately for animals and doesn’t like to see them caged up, but she understands that sometimes they are safer in a park than in the wild. She wants to tell people about the animals: her park is about education as much as preservation. – The owner sets the team the task of writing a report detailing how the animals from the zoo will be integrated into the park. – This is the final step in setting up the context. From here, as well as planning how the students are going to work on writing 198 the report for the owner, you can start planning other tasks and 199 APPENDIX 2 – the role human error and lack of planning played in the disaster: Titanic the shortage of lifeboats, the loss of the key to the locker holding the binoculars, a mistake by the steersman, the use of low-grade iron rivets – the effect the disaster had on Edwardian society and what it represented as a metaphor for the decline of Victorianism Stage 1: foundations Social – work together effectively in small and large groups 1 – Theme – share ideas and listen to others A team of marine archaeologists is aboard a specially equipped – explore different points of view research ship, two miles above the wreck of rms Titanic. – evaluate own work and the work of others, give feedback After an initial exploratory dive, using unmanned submersi- and make suggestions for improvement bles, the team members make a final check of their equipment and – draft, redraft, and produce work of high quality for others discuss the operational parameters of their mission. to learn about the context The British Museum has commissioned the team: the objective is to explore the wreck as sensitively as possible and find person- al objects that can be used in an exhibition to tell the forgotten 3 – What’s interesting about this theme stories of those involved in the disaster. For the students – the disaster: the events surrounding the sinking, including the iceberg, the captain, the crew, the band, the sos, the lack of 2 – Overview of learning lifeboats, ‘women and children first’, and passengers Knowledge – events leading up to the disaster: the speed of the ship (trying to – a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends break the record), the unusually low path of the iceberg, pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066, representing the lack of binoculars, and the passengers’ lack of awareness a significant turning point in British history – events after the disaster: the time it took for other ships to arrive, – the ship: its construction, voyage, crew, ownership, history people pulled from the sea, what happened to those who survived, – its cultural significance: iconic status, representation of how the was disaster reported, the inquiry, and responsibility Edwardian society, art, architecture, class, confidence in – the ship: its construction, size, fixtures and fittings, design, engineering and science statistics, and decks for different classes of passenger – the story of the disaster: events, causes, repercussions, effects For the teacher Skills – all of the above, plus... – ask perceptive questions – the survival rates of people from different classes; the lessons – think critically learned from the disaster; the effect it had on those who – weigh evidence designed, built, and commissioned the ship – sift arguments – how ship design changed after the disaster; how the disaster – develop perspective and judgement. affected confidence in engineering – how the disaster became a metaphor for the decline of Victori- Understanding anism and part of a narrative, culminating in the First World War – Edwardian society was deeply stratified, which resulted in an unnecessarily high number of casualties among the lower-class passengers – the role hubris played in the disaster: overconfidence in the de- sign of the ship, the superiority of engineering over nature, the 200 urgency to break the record for crossing the Atlantic 201 4 – Inquiry questions Stage 2: context

Social 5.1 – Tension What was life like on the Titanic for the passengers and crew? Levels of tension for Titanic Political What effect did wealth, influence and social attitudes have on the consequences of the disaster and the subsequent inquest? level of tension examples from the titanic

Historical Level 1: danger named but not controllable – – The iceberg possibly sudden and unexpected How can we learn about the sinking of the Titanic and life in 1912 by studying historical artefacts from the wreck? Sudden obstacles, threats and watchers. Such as: drops (cliff, chasm, etc.), fires, gods, witches, Environmental sentries, and other non-benign presences. What effects did the especially cold weather and the unusual ice- Level 2: dangers known in advance; expected – Field of icebergs floe have on the disaster? and planned for – Storms at sea – The pressure of the deep sea A mission in face of danger that could involve Critical – The extreme cold Could the disaster have been avoided? Was anyone to blame? the elements (cold, heat, etc.), enemies, and/ or defences. This might involve being in a Ethical place that is forbidden or difficult to reach. Is it ethical to take artefacts from the wreck of the Titanic? Should Level 3: duty in the face of distraction – Captain Smith staying on deck as the ship sinks these objects be considered the property of the victim’s families? – The band playing on Situations and territories that daunt, and – The crew, helping people on to the lifeboats Philosophical might have unpredictable challenges and To what extent was the Titanic disaster the result of hubris? properties, but must be faced nevertheless.

Spiritual Level 4: Herculean tasks – Saving the passengers – Raising the artefacts from the wreck Should the wreck of the Titanic be considered a gravesite? Extremely difficult or dangerous tasks, – Third-class passengers, finding a way requiring enormous effort. What are the team’s responsibilities to the dead? up to the lifeboats – Working on the wreck without destroying it

Level 5: dangers from guile, untruths – Newspaper reports claiming the Titanic and exaggerations was unsinkable gave passengers and crew an unrealistic (and dangerous) confidence Being spied on, tricked, lied to, or confused – in the ship’s invulnerability deliberately or as a result of exaggeration.

Level 6: threats from stupidity and lack – Not providing lookouts with binoculars, of thought while every officer carried a pair – Halving the number of lifeboats because the Any thoughtless or foolish acts that result owner thought they cluttered the first-class deck in an unintended outcome, e.g. carelessness, – Only half-filling some of the lifeboats, wrong thinking, losing or forgetting critical because of the ‘women and children first’ rule information, etc.

Level 7: pressures from limitations in time – Rescuing people before the ship sinks – Lifting the artefacts from the ocean Anything that limits activity. Means an activity before they decay must be completed within a certain time, or – Preparing the exhibition for the opening day where someone must be with someone or somewhere by a certain time.

202 203 level of tension examples from the titanic 6 – Expert team: marine archaeologists

Level 8: pressures from illness, weakness, – Passengers and crew injured or sick Powers and vulnerability – Rescuing people from the freezing sea – to decide on the use of equipment, times and duration for diving, Difficulties created by wounds, accidents, whether it is safe to dive (especially with regard to the weather), illness, old age or youth. and how the job should be done (organising: time, layout, order, etc.) – to influence how the artefacts are displayed, how they will tell Level 9: breaks in communication – The Marconi operators not passing on the iceberg warnings because they were the story of the ship, and how the relatives of those who died and Failure of messages to reach their destination; too busy sending and receiving personal survived should be involved in the project technical problems. Lights failing, batteries messages from the passengers running low, poor reception, burnt letters, Responsibilities messenger being killed or injured. – to the careful preservation of the artefacts and the wreck Level 10: missing, lost or misreading signs – Lack of urgency among the passengers, – to the memory of those people who died in the disaster who misread the tilt of the ship as a sign – to the facts and the accuracy of the history Misunderstood signs, messages, that it would take many hours to sink or signals, and missing signs. – to the careful maintenance of the equipment – The California (a ship close by that could have saved many of the victims) misreading – to the safety of other members of the team distress flares as fireworks Va lues Level 11: breakdowns in relations and – Some members of the crew failing to follow – to preserve and protect marine archaeology differences the orders of the officers – to educate and inform – T ension between the families and the repre- People falling out with one another, especially – to make maritime archaeology more sentatives of the White Star Line during the friends, family, and work colleagues. accessible to the general public inquest

Level 12: loss of faith in companions – The loss of faith felt by society in the 7 – Client and beliefs infallibility of science and technology after the sinking of the Titanic The British Museum, a high-authority client that expects high People who were once trusted, but who betrayed a person’s faith (for example, the standards and has the power to terminate the commission. The husband caught having an affair). Can include team communicate with the client through an intermediary acting ideas and beliefs (for example, the priest who on the museum’s behalf. Most of the communication is done via no longer believes). email and ship-to-shore video calls.

5.2 – Location 8 – Commission

Location A marine archaeology team is commissioned by the British The wreck of the ship on the ocean floor, beginning to rot and decay Museum to explore the wreck of the Titanic as sensitively as possible and to find personal objects that can be used in an Aspects to be decided exhibition to tell the forgotten stories of people involved in the How the wreck is distributed across the seabed (based on factual disaster. This commission involves three core tasks: information); the artefacts discovered by the archaeologists; the – Sensitively explore the wreck Something for the team members stories behind the artefacts. to decide inside the fiction. – Find personal objects A task for the students to complete outside the fiction, using their developing knowledge of the context. 5.3 – Time – Use the artefacts to create an exhibition that tells the forgotten

past present future stories of people involved in the disaster A task that demands a lot from the students, in terms of their understanding of the context and their skills in communicating knowledge. They are likely to Titanic is Night of Events following Team finds Opening of need considerable help and support from the teacher. commissioned the disaster disaster titanic exhibition 205 9 – Other points of view titanic curriculum Present day – the expert team: marine archaeologists History – the client: the British Museum – this is a ‘depth’ study from this unit: An aspect or theme in – the client’s representative: Professor Brown, manager British history that extends chronological knowledge beyond 1066 of the project – ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, – the press covering the story - newspapers, tv, and online sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement – the relatives of those who were on the ship – understand historical concepts and use them to make connec- – other historians and interested parties tions, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions, and create structured accounts, including written The past narratives and analyses – the passengers – understand the methods of historical inquiry, including – the crew how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, – the captain and discern how and why contrasting arguments and – the families of those on board interpretations of the past have been constructed – the ship’s owners – gain historical perspective by placing growing knowledge – the newspapers that covered the story into different contexts – the rescuers – develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding – the survivors of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the period – note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms Stage 3: activities and curriculum links – address and devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance – construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection 10 – Tasks and activities and organisation of relevant historical information

Science (forces) division category and task activity and purpose curriculum – explain that unsupported objects fall towards the earth Material Places: maps Students create maps of Geography because of the force of gravity acting between the earth resources the wreck for the marine and the falling object archaeology team – identify the effects of air resistance, water resistance Social, cultural, Safety Students create plans English: writing and friction, which act between moving surfaces and historical procedures and routines for working – recognise that some mechanisms, including levers, pulleys dimensions in submersibles, includ- ing evacuation plans in and gears, allow a smaller force to have a greater effect case of emergency Art and design Interactions with Briefing for Students create a short English – produce creative work, exploring ideas and recording people outside the press presentation for the the team press visiting the site, experiences explaining the excavation – become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and and what has been found other art, craft and design techniques Interactions with Researching Students use books, History – evaluate and analyse creative works using the language people inside the and presenting the internet, and other of art, craft and design team information media to research the – know about great artists, craft-makers and designers, and under- history of the Titanic stand the historical and cultural development of their art forms and artefacts 207 like to show you something – what does it make you think of?” Computing Give the students a chance to think and talk. They might mention – be competent, confident and creative users of information the Titanic, which is fine, but try to extend their thinking in other and communication technology directions as well. At this point there is no right answer. – When you feel the time is right, add the name to the lifebuoy. Design and technology “Have you heard anything about the Titanic? Please talk to the – build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding person next to you and share what you’ve heard. If you’ve heard and skills in order to design and make high-quality prototypes nothing, then see if you can find someone who has.” and products for a wide range of users – critique, evaluate and test ideas, products, and the work of others Step 2: researching Geography – use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping Strategy to locate countries and describe features studied 1: sharing a complete story – topic books, video – use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid Key planning aspects references, symbols and key 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 4: inquiry questions 11 – Curriculum In this step the students are provided with resources to engage in their own research. The aim is to give them time to find out about the Titanic, to gather information, and to accumulate questions for inquiry. Resources include books and pictures on the topic of Titanic.

Stage 4: the start – “I’ve brought along these books and pictures for you to look at.” “If you find something you think is interesting, please write it 12 – Steps in down on one of these Post-it notes and stick it on the board, along with any questions you have.” Encourage the students to read each other’s notes and questions, but there’s no need to go Step 1: introducing the context through every single one with the class. – Sort the notes into categories with the students. Strategy – You could also show clips from films and documentaries. If you 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance do, encourage the students to carry on making notes and asking Key planning aspects questions. 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) – Don’t forget that you are a resource too, and they don’t have 2: signs for the students to interpret to discover everything for themselves. 3: something to attract their interest (tension) 4: inquiry questions

The students are introduced to the context using two pictures pre- pared in advance. The first is a lifebuoy from the Titanic, with the name of the ship removed. The second is the lifebuoy with the name returned. The purpose is to engage the students in a conversation about the ship and the events of the disaster.

– Bring the students into a circle. Show them the picture of the lifebuoy without the name and put it in the centre of the circle. “I’d 208 209 Step 3: data-handling Step 4: introducing the imaginary context

Strategy Strategies 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance (data) 2: sharing a partial narrative selected in advance Key planning aspects 4: interacting with a teacher-in-role 1: what’s happening (people and events) 7: students-in-role representing a point-of-view in the fiction 4: inquiry questions Key planning aspects 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction In this step the students are given a table containing data about the 7: introduction of the client and the commission disaster, and asked to interpret it. The teacher gives them time to investigate the information, ask questions, and draw conclusions. In this step the students are introduced to the fictional context and cast as a team of newspaper reporters. The sequence is divided into – Show this table to the students. Give them time to study it and talk. three stages to make it easier to follow. – Investigate the table with them: “You know, what shocks me is Resources: picture of the lifebuoy, a stack of folded a4 paper, the percentage of men from second class who lost their lives…” a map of the world, showing the names of the oceans. – Try to avoid asking questions you already know the answer to: “Who can tell me how many children survived in third class?” Stage 1: introducing the fiction – Extend their thinking by asking for more explanation: “It’s interesting – Ask the students to stand in a circle. you say that – could you say a bit more about what you’re thinking?” – Place the picture of the lifebuoy in the centre. and “I see what you mean. I suppose it would have been harder for – Teacher: “This lifebuoy was once on the Titanic. It was made the children in third class to get to the lifeboats. Even so, I don’t in Belfast and hung outside the first-class lounge. It went down understand why twice as many men from first class survived, when with the ship and lay at the bottom of the sea for more than it was supposed to be women and children first.” a hundred years. This morning it was brought up by a team of marine archaeologists, using an unmanned submersible, and men women children total is now on the deck of their research ship. They work for a museum,

1st class the biggest in the country.” 175 144 6 325 on board Stage 2: another point of view 1st class 57 140 5 202 – “Along with the marine archaeologists are a group of reporters survived from the newspapers. They’ve come to cover the event.” 2nd class – “If you were the reporters, what questions would you ask?” 168 93 24 285 on board – Give the students the opportunity to ask a few questions,

2nd class then provide them with notebooks (the folded a4) to write in. 14 80 24 118 survived – “Why don’t you take these notebooks and give yourselves some

3rd class time to think? We’ll meet back here when you’re ready.” 462 165 79 706 on board Stage 3: interviewing the marine archaeologist 3rd class 75 76 27 178 – Once the students have written their questions, bring them back survived into the circle around the lifebuoy.

crew on board 896 22 0 918 – Teacher-in-role as marine archaeologist: “We brought this lifebuoy up this morning. It’s very exciting – it’s the first artefact

crew survived 195 20 0 215 we’ve recovered from the wreck. I expect you have a lot of questions, which I’ll do my best to answer. Who’d like to start?” Total on board Titanic = 2234 total passengers = 1,316 Total crew = 918 total survivors = 713 total survived = 498 total survived = 215

Note: the exact numbers of those on board are not known and the number of survivors varies from 701 to 713. This table is compiled from the most widely used figures. 211 Note: the purpose of the teacher-in-role here is to provide the – The students take the paper, then draw the artefacts found by the following information: team. Once the drawings are finished, the students invent a story from the history of each object – at this point in the context the – The marine archaeologist works as part of a team. stories will be unknown to the team. There are three parts to this – The team works on a research ship (use the picture process: of the research ship). – First, the students draw pictures of the artefacts from the wreck, – The ship is currently out in the Atlantic Ocean, two miles above the using books and other resources to help them. wreck of the Titanic (use the map of the world). – Second, the students write notes to describe each artefact they – The team works for the British Museum. Its commission is to have invented. The teacher facilitates this by saying: “Could I ask explore the wreck as sensitively as possible, and to find personal you to make a few notes under the photo, just outlining what it is? objects that can be used in an exhibition to tell the forgotten For example: mine is a compass and my notes say: ‘Small naviga- stories of those involved in the disaster. tion compass, made of brass, with a broken lid.’” – Yesterday was the first day the team explored the wreck, sending – Third, the students invent stories about the past history of the down unmanned submersibles and taking pictures of artefacts they artefacts: “We know these objects all have one thing in common, found interesting. but what happened to them before the sinking? Could you imagine – Later today the team will return to the wreck for a closer look you know what the marine archaeology team don’t know – you and to decide what to do next. know all about the object in your photograph, who it was owned by, how it got on the ship, and why it went down with the wreck. Could you then make a quick note about one part of the history of your Step 5: creating the artefacts object that later might be of interest to the archaeology team. For example, this compass has an inscription inside, it says: “To my Strategy beloved son, may God always look over you and protect you. With 6: students create the resources love, mother.” It was given to a boy by his mother as she kissed Key planning aspects him goodbye on the eve of his (and the ship’s) maiden voyage.” 1: what’s happening (people and events) 6: taking on the role of the expert team front back The students take on the role of marine archaeologists and create the artefacts they are later going to discover on the wreck. The inscription inside the lid – The teacher brings the class on to the carpet. In her hand reads is a stack of a5 plain paper. “To my beloved son, may God – She starts: “These are the photographs taken by the marine archae- always look over you and protect ology team during their dive down to the wreck. If I hand them out, you. With love, mother.” would you mind taking them as members of the team? You’ll notice His mother gave this compass there is nothing on them, currently. I was thinking we might create to the boy who owned it when she the photographs by drawing pictures of the artefacts we found kissed him goodbye on the eve while exploring the wreck, objects we’d like to take a closer look at of his (and the Titanic’s) maiden Small navigation compass made voyage. The boy worked as part when we return to the wreck later today.” of brass, with a broken lid. May of the crew. He lied about his age have an inscription inside to get the job.

Note: depending on the age and confidence of the students, some may need help inventing the stories, which don’t need to be completely fin- ished or perfect. Simple ideas, which can be developed later, will be enough now. 212 213 Step 6: creating the wreck Step 7: putting the artefacts on to the wreck

Strategy Strategy 5: creating images and other resources with the students 5: creating images and other resources with the students Key planning aspects Key planning aspects 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) 4: inquiry questions 2: signs for the students to interpret

The students create the wreck of the Titanic on the seabed, using In this step the students add the ‘photographs’ of the artefacts they sheets of sugar paper and other resources. They can use books, pho- made in step 5 to the model of the wreck. As they do so they describe tographs and websites as research media. The teacher will need to each artefact and where it was found by the archaeology team. decide on the amount of support they need. This is a representation – Clear away the resources, and ask the students to sit around of the wreck, not a reproduction. the model. Resources: large sheets of sugar paper (or similar); scissors, pens, – Hand out the students’ drawings of the artefacts. sellotape, etc; topic books on the Titanic; access to the internet, – “At this point in the story the artefacts you have with you are still if possible. part of the wreck site, so we need to add them to the model.” “We’ll go one at a time, beginning with objects owned by the crew.” – Prepare the resources so they are available to the students. You’ll “Who would like to start?” need quite a lot of space and time for this activity. “Please place your object on the part of the ship where you found – Ask the students to sit in a large rectangle. it during the dive. As you do so, explain what the object – “What have people discovered about the wreck during their studies?” is, using your notes. Please don’t include the hidden history.” “I don’t know everything, but I do know the ship spilt in two before – The students take it in turns to place their artefacts on the wreck it sank, and when it landed on the seabed the two halves were more and to describe what they are. than two miles apart. Now, obviously this space is much less than – Encourage the students to work out the order for themselves, two miles, so we’ll have to build our model to scale. I know, from the giving them support if necessary. photographs of the wreck, that it is not completely rotted away, but – Ask them questions about the objects, and take a break the sea has caused a lot of damage.” if necessary – this activity can last a while. “I’ve collected these materials and thought we could work together to create a model. I’m not sure how it will work; I guess we’ll find that out as we go along. We can use these books and photographs Step 8: operational parameters to help us.” “How should we start?” Strategy 7: students in role representing a point of view in the fiction Key planning aspects 6: establishing the expert team 7: establishing the client and the commission

This step is designed to ask questions about the ethical and practical issues surrounding the exploration of the wreck. In particular: should the artefacts be disturbed? Does the wreck represent a gravesite? Are the archaeologists obliged to consult with the families of the victims? Will the British Museum be satisfied with photographs and facsimiles, or will they want the authentic objects?

214 215 – Bring the class together. – Focus on one of the groups: “Could I ask everyone to stop and – Use the voice of the teacher-in-role talking to other members gather round here, please?” of the team. – Ask the group being observed to stand still in the scene they’ve “Before we start work on the wreck, we need to agree on a way of created, as if the film they are in has just been paused. The rest working, a sort of set of rules, that stops us making mistakes or of the class look on. doing the wrong thing. I wonder if we could make a list of four of five – Talk to those watching: “What do you notice? Don’t worry about rules we need to keep in mind as we work? Like a set of operational trying to guess what’s happening – just say what you see.” During parameters.” the discussion, ask the people in the fiction not to move or talk: “Where should we start?” “Let those looking do the work.” If after a while those watching – Give the students time to think and talk to one another. As they need more information, talk to the people in the fiction to find work, write the title, Operational Parameters, on the board. out more: “We’d like to ask the people in the story…”. As you and – Guide the students’ inquiry, giving them help and support when the class ask questions, remind those in the fiction to stay in the needed, and challenging their thinking when necessary. scene and only to answer the questions asked. – When ready, ask the people in the fiction to show the next five seconds of the film. Step 9: stepping into the past – Once they’ve finished, ask them to hold still once more and work with the rest of the class to make meaning from what they have just Strategy seen. Use the ‘action, motivation, investment, models, values’ 7: students-in-role representing a point of view in the fiction rubric, as described on pages 151–153. Key planning aspects – Repeat with the other groups. 1: what’s happening (location, people, events) – These scenes can be used later in the final exhibition. 2: signs for the students to interpret 3: something to attract their interest (tension) 4: inquiry questions 5: tasks to bring the students into the fiction 6: establishing the expert team 7: establishing the client and the commission

In this step the students use the conventions of drama (see appen- dix 3) to create the stories behind the artefacts and investigate the lives of the passengers and crew.

– Ask the students to work in groups and discuss the artefacts they created in step 5 and added to the model of the wreck in step 7. Tell them to share with each other the hidden stories unknown to the archaeology team. – Ask each group to choose from the stories one that they would like to explore together in more detail. – Ask them to create a moment in the history of that object on board the Titanic, like a scene from a film. Give them time to discuss and practise their scene. Depending on the age of the students and their previous experience of using drama, they may need help and support. – Visit each group in turn as they prepare.

216 217 APPENDIX 3 11 The same, except made beforehand as a fait accompli, for Dorothy Heathcote’s Conventions List example the poacher as seen and depicted by the local people. 12 A life-size model of the role, with clothing, for example Florence Nightingale on her first day in Scutari.

13 The same, except the class dresses the model in order to see 1 The role actually present: naturalistic, yet giving and accepting how it was on the particular day the events happened. responses, for example the owner of the zoo when the team 14 The clothing of a person, cast off in disarray, for example for meets her. example clothes found by the team on the island, along with 2 The same, except framed as a film. That is, people have a pool of blood and a trail of footprints. permission to stare, but not to intrude. The film can be stopped 15 Objects to represent a person’s interests. This works as above, and restarted, or rerun, for example the family on the Titanic, but more intimate things can indicate concerns rather than when the father is refused access to the lifeboat. appearance, for example Florence Nightingale’s lamp. 3 The role present as an effigy: it can be talked about, walked 16 An account of a person by another person, in naturalistic around, and even sculpted afresh, if so framed: for example fashion, for example letters written by soldiers to their families, a statue of Florence Nightingale outside St Thomas’ Hospital. telling them about Florence Nightingale. 4 The same, but with the convention that the effigy can be brought 17 A person’s written account, but read by someone else, for into life-like response mode and then returned to effigy, for example Florence Nightingale’s diary, read by the historians example the owner of the zoo, before the students enter the fiction. for insight into her personal thoughts. 5 The role as a portrait of a person: not three-dimensional, but 18 An account written by a person who now reads it to others, for in all other ways the same as an effigy, for example photographs example a policeman giving evidence or a confession. The role of the owner on the walls of her office. is present in this case, but in contact through their writing, as 6 The role as a portrait or an effigy, activated to hear what the an author might well be, for example reports written by the pit class is saying. This causes selective language, for example a inspectors, read out during a parliamentary inquiry. painting of Captain Smith on the deck of the Titanic, represented 19 An account written by one person about a second person, by a student-in-role. and read by a third person, for example a letter written by a nurse 7 The role as above, but activated to speak only and not capable with a grudge against Florence Nightingale, read by historians of movement. to gain information about people’s reactions to her reforms.

8 The role depicted in a picture: removed from actual life, as in 20 A story told by one person about another, in order to bring that a slide, a painting, a photograph, or a drawing. This includes person close to the action, for example an account from the pit those made by a class, as well as prepared depictions, for inspector of a child working in the mines. example drawings of animals in the park made by the students. 21 A report of an event, but formalised by authority or ritual, for 9 A drawing seen in the making, of someone or something example an account of the sinking of the Titanic, read at the inquest. important to the action: the students watch as the teacher draws 22 Text read in the voice of the writer: an emanation of a specific on the whiteboard a picture of a helicopter: “The weather was presence (not just any voice), communicating the words, terrible that night. No one believed it was possible to save the for example Florence, reading her diary to herself and voicing people on the rocks, until suddenly, out of the darkness…” personal thoughts. 10 A stylised depiction of a person, for example an identikit picture 23 The same, but read by another person, in this case not attempting (such as a poacher seen through binoculars) made by the class to portray the writer, but still expressing feeling, for example as detectives. 218 219 Florence’s diary, read by a friend after her death. 24 A text read without feeling, for example evidence at the inquest Appendix 4 into the Titanic disaster. Planning Booklet 25 The voice of a person overheard talking to another, using informal, naturalistic language, for example the crew of the Titanic, discussing Captain Smith in their cabin.

26 The same, but in formal language, for example an officer gives Planning model Captain Smith a report on the work of the crew.

27 A conversation overheard, and where the people are not seen: Stage 1: foundations deliberate eavesdropping (as in spying), for example miners Step 1 Choose a theme listen in to a conversation between the pit owner and his Step 2 Create an overview of the students’ learning manager: “Look, just make sure everything is above board until Step 3 make a list of things that make the theme interesting they leave. Once they’re gone, things can go back to normal…”. Step 4 generate questions for inquiry

28 A reported conversation, written and spoken by someone who Stage 2: the context was not involved in it, for example the overheard conversation Step 5 Invent a narrative: include tension, location, and time above, but written down and then reported to the inquiry by the Step 6 Select the expert team, and create a list of powers, pit inspectors. responsibilities, and values 29 A reported conversation, with two people reading the respective Step 7 Decide on the client, and their role, purpose, and authority parts, for example as above. Step 8 Devise the commission Step 9 Consider other points of view 30 A private reading of a conversation, reported as overheard, for example the conversation above, relayed to the inspection Stage 3: activities and curriculum links team by the miners. Step 10 make a list of team tasks and classroom activities 31 The finding of a cryptic code message, for example secret Step 11 Link the tasks and activities to the national curriculum messages shared among people living in the castle, protecting the identity of different factions. Stage 4: the start Step 12 Plan a sequence of steps into the fiction 32 The signature of a person, discovered, for example a letter signed by the owner of the pit, countenancing the use of child labour underground.

33 The sign of a particular person, discovered, for example a special mark made by a craftsman working on the castle, now long forgotten.

220 221 Stage one: foundations Stage two: the context

Step 1 – choose a theme Step 5 – invent a narrative: include tension, location, and time (resources: levels of tension, page 232)

Step 2 – create an overview of the students’ learning Step 6 – select the expert team and create a list of powers, re­spon­sibilities­, and values (resources: expert teams list, page 234)

Step 3 – make a list of things that make the theme interesting Step 7 – decide on the client, and their role, purpose, and authority (resources: client list, page 235)

Step 4 – generate questions for inquiry Step 8 – devise the commission (resources: commissions (see page 230 of the resources booklet: inquiry questions) list, page 238)

222 223 Step 9 – consider other points of view Step 11 – link the tasks and activities to the national curriculum

Theme: ______Tasks and activities grid

category activity division & task & purpose curriculum

Stage three: activities and curriculum links Stage four: the start

Step 10 – make a list of team tasks and classroom activities Step 12 – plan a sequence of steps into the fiction (resources: (resources: generic tasks list; divisions of culture, strategies list, page 243, and seven aspects of planning list, page 244) page 240) Aims 1 – Attract the students’ interest 2 – Guide them into the fiction 3 – Give them a grasp of the world of the context 4 – Invite them to adopt the ‘mantle’ of the expert 5 – Introduce them to the client and the commission

224 225 Planning for Mantle of the Expert

Stage 1 Step 1 – choose a theme Step 3 – make a list of things that make Step 4 – generate questions for inquiry foundations the theme interesting

Step 2 – create an overview of the students’ learning

Stage 2 Step 5 – invent a narrative: include tension, location, and time Step 6 – select the expert team, and Step 7 – decide on the client, and their context create a list of powers, responsibilities their role, purpose, and authority and values

Stage 3 Step 8 – devise the commission Step 9 – consider other points of view activities and curriculum links

Step 10 – make a list of team tasks and classroom activities Step 11 – link the tasks and activities to the national curriculum

Stage 4 Step 12 – plan a sequence of steps into the fiction start

226 227 APPENDIX 5 Planning resources booklet

Contents

1 Creating inquiry questions 2 Levels of tension 3 Categories of expert teams 4 Clients list 5 Clients’ levels of authority 6 Clients’ functions 7 Commissions list 8 Generic tasks list 9 Generic outcomes 10 Strategies for dramatic inquiry 11 Seven aspects of planning

229 1 Creating inquiry questions1 Environmental – relating to the 1 How are our attitudes towards wolves different now from natural world and the impact of the past? And what are our responsibilities regarding the human activity on its condition conservation of wolves? Three examples 2 What was the ancient Egyptians’ relationship to their environ- 1 traditional tales 2 ancient egypt ment (e.g. the seasonal flooding of the Nile) and how did this purpose of question 3 homeless children in india2 affect their belief systems and the way they organised society? 3 What effects are changes in the environment (e.g. the growth Factual – concerned with 1 What information do we need to know in order to design/ of giant cities and changes in the economy) having on the what is actually the case, build safe/comfortable homes for the three little pigs? lives of people in India? rather than interpretations 2 What kinds of objects did the ancient Egyptians put of or reactions to it in their tombs? Critical – expressing or 1 What is the perspective of the wolf? Are wolves ‘evil’? 3 What do you see in the photos of the Indian children? involving an analysis of the Isn’t the wolf just being true to his kind? merits and faults of the subject 2 Should we ‘plunder’ the past? Isn’t the excavation Procedural – an established 1 What skills do we need to be able to do this successfully? of tombs an act of desecration and a wanton disregard or official way of doing some- 2 How did the embalming process work? for people’s beliefs? thing; a series of actions 3 What do the children do to survive? 3 Are acts of charity merely the assuaging of guilt? Is it conducted in a certain order arrogant and condescending to believe that homeless or manner children in India need our help and sympathy?

Empathetic – the ability to 1 What are the three pigs scared of? Ethical – of or relating to moral 1 What is the right way to deal with the wolf and protect the pigs? understand and share the 2 What would it feel like if you were a slave, pharaoh, or architect? principles 2 How can we do the job in a way that is respectful to the past feelings of another 3 What might it be like to stand in the shoes of these children? and to the memory of the dead? 3 It what ways can we support the homeless children, while Narrative – an account 1 What other stories are there to be told? E.g. the stories protecting their dignity? of connected events of the wolf and the pigs’ mother? 2 How was the tomb of Tutankhamen discovered? Philosophical – of or relating 1 The characters in traditional/fairy tales are typically on a 3 What might these children’s life stories be? to the study of the fundamental binary-opposite scale of good and evil. What does this tell nature of knowledge, reality, us about the world, and aren’t real animals ethically neutral? Social – of or 1 How would we collaborate to build the houses? and existence 2 The ancient Egyptian belief system (and the ways they relating to society 2 Who would have been present at the burial? organised society) was radically different from our own: or its organisation 3 How do people in the railway station treat the what does this tell us about the relative nature of our homeless children? beliefs and values? Cultural – of or relating to the 1 What does this tale tell us about the structure of traditional 3 As India goes through radical economic change and ideas, customs, and social or fairy tales and their cultural/social purpose? population growth, is it inevitable that some (possibly behaviour of a society 2 How was Egyptian society organised around particular large numbers) will suffer, but that this is a price worth beliefs of life after death? paying for the benefits to be enjoyed by the majority? 3 In what ways does India’s current cultural situation Spiritual – of, relating to, or 1 Do animals have souls? Do human beings? Is what create the circumstances where so many children have affecting the human spirit or happened to the two unfortunate little pigs (the ones to live on the streets? soul, as opposed to material that are eaten) an inevitable part of animal life? Political – of or relating to the 1 What responsibilities does society have to people who do or physical things 2 What do the story of Osiris and the Egyptian belief system government or public affairs of things that could threaten their own safety (building houses tell us about human beings’ desire to make meaning out a country; of or relating to the out of straw when a big hungry wolf is on the prowl)? of life and death? ideas or strategies of a par- 2 Who gets to be buried in tombs? Who gets to make the 3 Does the Hindu belief system of reincarnation play a part ticular political party or group decisions? in the attitudes of Indian society to homeless children? 3 In what ways is the children’s situation being addressed Transformational – relating 1 How did having to be responsible for the wolf (and the two by people with power? to or involving transformation foolish pigs) change our understanding of our relationship Historical – of or concerning 1 In what ways can traditional or fairy tales tell us about how or transformations with animals and with each other? history; concerning past events the world was different in the past (e.g. as cautionary tales 2 How has our study of ancient Egyptian life and beliefs to warn children about the dangers of the world)? changed our understanding of how culture and values 2 What can we tell about ancient Egypt from what remains? can change over time? 3 Is this a historical phenomenon or a more recent occurrence? 3 In what ways has studying the situation of homeless Has there been a change over time? children in India affected our perceptions of the world How much of the children’s past affects their present? and our own country? 2 Levels of tension

level of tension examples from the titanic level of tension examples from the titanic

Level 1: danger named but not controllable – – The iceberg Level 8: pressures from illness, weakness, – Passengers and crew injured or sick possibly sudden and unexpected and vulnerability – Rescuing people from the freezing sea Sudden obstacles, threats and watchers. Such Difficulties created by wounds, accidents, as: drops (cliff, chasm, etc.), fires, gods, witches, illness, old age or youth. sentries, and other non-benign presences. Level 9: breaks in communication – The Marconi operators not passing on Level 2: dangers known in advance; expected – Field of icebergs the iceberg warnings because they were Failure of messages to reach their destination; and planned for – Storms at sea too busy sending and receiving personal technical problems. Lights failing, batteries – The pressure of the deep sea messages from the passengers A mission in face of danger that could involve running low, poor reception, burnt letters, – The extreme cold the elements (cold, heat, etc.), enemies, and/ messenger being killed or injured. or defences. This might involve being in a place that is forbidden or difficult to reach. Level 10: missing, lost or misreading signs – Lack of urgency among the passengers, who misread the tilt of the ship as a sign Misunderstood signs, messages, Level 3: duty in the face of distraction – Captain Smith staying on deck as the ship sinks that it would take many hours to sink or signals, and missing signs. – The band playing on – The California (a ship close by that could Situations and territories that daunt, and – The crew, helping people on to the lifeboats have saved many of the victims) misreading might have unpredictable challenges and distress flares as fireworks properties, but must be faced nevertheless.

Level 11: breakdowns in relations and – Some members of the crew failing to follow Level 4: Herculean tasks – Saving the passengers differences the orders of the officers – Raising the artefacts from the wreck Extremely difficult or dangerous tasks, – T ension between the families and the repre- – Third-class passengers, finding a way People falling out with one another, especially requiring enormous effort. sentatives of the White Star Line during the up to the lifeboats friends, family, and work colleagues. inquest – Working on the wreck without destroying it

Level 12: loss of faith in companions – The loss of faith felt by society in the Level 5: dangers from guile, untruths – Newspaper reports claiming the Titanic and beliefs infallibility of science and technology and exaggerations was unsinkable gave passengers and crew after the sinking of the Titanic an unrealistic (and dangerous) confidence People who were once trusted, but who Being spied on, tricked, lied to, or confused – in the ship’s invulnerability betrayed a person’s faith (for example, the deliberately or as a result of husband caught having an affair). Can include exaggeration. ideas and beliefs (for example, the priest who no longer believes). Level 6: threats from stupidity and lack – Not providing lookouts with binoculars, of thought while every officer carried a pair – Halving the number of lifeboats because the Any thoughtless or foolish acts that result owner thought they cluttered the first-class deck in an unintended outcome, e.g. carelessness, – Only half-filling some of the lifeboats, wrong thinking, losing or forgetting critical because of the ‘women and children first’ rule information, etc.

Level 7: pressures from limitations in time – Rescuing people before the ship sinks – Lifting the artefacts from the ocean Anything that limits activity. Means an activity before they decay must be completed within a certain time, or – Preparing the exhibition for the opening day where someone must be with someone or somewhere by a certain time.

232 233 3 Categories of expert teams 4 Client list

Government agencies Home Office, Foreign Office, Ministry of War, Naval Office, Environmental Affairs, national emergency,

category expert teams mi5, cobra, transport, education, regional government, sewage and water treatment, counterterrorism Services Bank, library, hospital, fire station, post office, rescue and emergency, disas- ter services, transport and haulage, recycling, sports centre, travel agency, Services Charities (oxfam, Red Cross, Greenpeace, trustees, activities and adventure centre, catering, entertainment, National Trust, English Heritage, homeless shelters), co-operatives, exhibitions, events, fitness and health, gardening and landscaping, international (wwf, climate control, etc.), banks, schools, govern- safety consultants ments, local authorities, universities, hospitals, churches, libraries Manufacturing Factories, a dairy, a bakery, fashion house, herb garden, cars, building, Museums Ancient history, modern history, science, natural and agriculture engineering, a farm, naval architects history, local history, maritime, military and war, mobile museums, Charitable oxfam, Red Cross, Greenpeace, National Trust, English Heritage, open-air museums, art galleries shelters for homeless people Arts and media tv and film companies, art, sculpture and design Nurturing Hospice, orphanage, gene or blood bank, safe house, library, council office companies, news and media outlets, documentary film-makers

Regulatory Police stations, tax and immigration offices, prisons, law courts, armed forces, Organisations and institutions Police (detectives, missing people, cold housing authorities, customs and excise, harbour authorities, fire safety, flood case, immigration, crime prevention, crime detection), hospital, fire protection, border authorities and immigration, environmental agencies station, post office, rescue and emergency, disaster services, transport and haulage, recycling, sports centre, travel agency, activities centre, Maintenance Plumbers, electricians, joiners, archivists, stone masons, security guards, catering, entertainment, exhibitions, events, fitness and health, safety building restoration and conversion, excavation, demolition, house clear- ance, housing developers, housing association, salvage and reclamation consultants, town planners Animal services Animal parks, zoos, vets, rspca, animal rescue, Arts Theatre, photographic studios, film-makers, art gallery, ballet and dance dogs’ homes, animal welfare and protection, grooming and training, companies, museums, craft workshops, architecture business, authors and illustrators, set and costume designers, animators, sculptors nature reserve, animal sanctuary Gardens and outdoor Gardening, landscaping, farming, garden Training Any learning programmes – the students would plan the training rather than functioning as students come to learn centres, road management, sea and river management, airports, coastal and beach management Investigation, Historians, archaeologists, palaeontologists, archivists, scientists, curators, research and conservation, heritage, museums, visitor centres, exhibits, criminologists, Manufacturing and agriculture Factory, dairy, bakery, fashion house, education private investigators, accident and incident investigators, crime scene herb gardening, cars, building, engineering, farming, naval architects investigators, missing persons People Families, parents, carers, relatives, local communities, Animals and Animal rescue, vets, zoos, wildlife parks, rspca, dogs’ homes, animal ancestors, tribes, ancient communities wildlife welfare and protection, grooming and training, nature reserve, animal sanctuary

Personal services Advice and support, conciliation and mediation, financial services, care of the elderly or disabled.

234 235 5 Clients’ levels of authority 6 Clients’ functions

authority needs examples function purpose example from dinosaur island

Low Personal help, support – Mrs Pig asking the problem-solvers for help Catalyst To generate purposeful, The Worldwide League for Nature or information – The climber who calls the mountain rescue important, and urgent commissions the explorer team to investigate team for medical aid activities for the team. the island and produce a detailed report of their findings. Middle Advice, guidance, or – Local residents concerned about the extra reassurance traffic that might be caused by the opening of the Castle after restoration Focus To force/encourage the team The explorers create a list of criteria to to think carefully about what successfully complete the report and High Work done to a high standard; – The British Museum commissioning the client wants, needs, and communicate their findings to the client. the client has the power to the marine archaeology team is asking for. terminate the commission – The owner of Animal Park Kernel To be at the heart of the team’s As they work, the team refer back to the activities and thoughts, acting criteria and check to make sure they are as an anchor for their work, on schedule and on track. They may need to preventing it from drifting communicate with the client for confirmation. off course.

Mirror To reflect back to the team The wln gives feedback to the team how the team is performing and asks questions as it begins to receive and what they need to improve information from them. This can be in various and develop. forms, for example written and verbal.

Judge To assess and evaluate the The wln makes it clear, through channels work of the team, requiring high that include the wording of the commission, standards and concentration that they require the team to meet high stand- on the commission. ards; they may provide specific instructions with examples.

Muse To inspire new thinking and Representatives of the wln visit the island ways of looking at problems. to inspect the work of the team, and offer suggestions and ideas about the way the team are working.

Resource To provide information, The wln sends the team information packs specialist knowledge, and and power-points, briefing them on specific experiences. topics of importance and relevance, for exam- ple volcanoes.

Challenger To make demands on the team, Inspectors from wln land on the island to and to test their ideas, ways of evaluate the working practices of the team thinking, values and integrity. and to access their impact on the island. They Sometimes, a ‘challenger’ cli- might not agree with everything they see. ent can be difficult to deal with.

Different To offer a different way The wln might view some of the team’s point of view of looking at the world. practices and assumptions critically, e.g. if the team decide to start helping injured animals, the wln might view this as an ‘unnatural’ inter- ference and instruct them to stop immediately. 236 7 Commissions list Charitable and nurturing Supporting people in need, for example the homeless, unwell, immobile, injured, lacking resources, lost, orphaned, displaced

Maintenance Plumbing, electrics, joinery, stonemasonry, security,

restoration, excavation, demolition, house clearance, salvage and Information sources Leaflets, newspapers, guide books, reclamation newsletters, manuals, reports, books, children’s stories, code books, brochure, letters, diaries, procedures, time capsules, Training and support Induction programmes, training, advice, timelines, graphs, data, portfolios conciliation, mediation

Art forms and performance Paintings, sculpture, murals, Animals and wildlife Animal rescue, protection and preservation photographs, graphic art, comics, tapestry, ceramics, fabrics, friezes, poems, plays, dance, music

Electronic media Films, radio programmes, podcasts, websites

Displays Art displays, museum exhibitions, collections

Testing Test papers, exams, investigations, questionnaires

Advertising and promoting Advertisements, warnings (environmental, for example), campaigns, signs

Presentations and proposals PowerPoints, pitches, speeches, demonstrations, ceremonies, guided tours, designs, maps, illustrations, instructions, tours, plans

Pastimes Games, board games, card games, collections, information cards (Top Trumps, for example), toys, models

Buildings and structures Houses, offices, museums, hospitals, stadium, parks, farms, shops, schools, fire stations, factories, castles, garages, cathedrals, pyramids, settlements, airports

Artefacts Jewellery, weapons, technology, coins, utensils, burial casks, medals, clothing, bottles, lamps, tools, writing implements, bells, timing instruments (for example clocks), games, flags, pipes, medical equipment

Services Library, hospital, fire station, post office, rescue and emer- gency, disaster services, transport and haulage, recycling, sports centre, travel agency, activities and adventures centre, catering, entertainment, exhibitions, events, fitness and health, gardening and landscaping, safety consultants

Investigation Historical inquiry, archaeology, palaeontology, scientific inquiry, criminology, private investigation, accident and incident investigation, crime scene investigation, missing persons

238 239 8 Generic tasks list – Protocols and procedures: for effective working, meetings, dealing with people at and away from work, working safely, dealing with dangerous situations, dealing with complaints, rotas, timetables – Customs: entering the building, celebrating success, welcoming A list of the types of tasks and activities used in Mantle of the Expert, guests and/or new employees grouped into four categories: – History and possible futures: timeline, journal, photos, diaries, – material resources of the team videos, photographs, letters, artefacts, memories, memorials, – social, cultural, and historical dimensions of the team hopes, plans, dreams and nightmares – interactions with people within the team – interactions with people outside the team Interactions with people within the team

– Meetings: meetings for making decisions, sharing information, Material resources of the team planning next moves; meetings with clients, customers, – Places: landscape, maps, models, aerial views, scenes of events, bureaucrats environment – Employment: job descriptions, job adverts, tendering, – Buildings and structures: company hq, rooms, cellars, attics, subcontracting sheds, outbuildings, fences, garages, bridges, plans, architectural – Jobs: areas of responsibility, special duties, collaborative drawings possibilities – Portals and barriers: entrances and exits, doors, gates, fences, – Training and staff development: in-service presentations, walls, gatekeepers and security guards, demonstrations, simulations, videos, training manuals, – Utilities: heating, plumbing, lighting, disposal, recycling, booklets, posters, exams, reusing, reducing waste – Induction for new employees: presentations and demonstrations – Working environment: sound, space, resources, human by existing employees interactions, access to food and water, shops, message boards – Human relations: agreed practices and values, support – Planning and preparation: plans of action, means of entry, lists, for employees’ families, crèches, wheelchair access procedures, things to consider (materials, equipment and – Health and well-being: work-life balance, questionnaires, resources, problem solutions, maps and schemas) exercise, health information, medical care, first aid, – Equipment, machinery, materials and resources: vehicles, special medical emergency procedures machinery, computers, cameras, safety, specialist equipment, – Comfort and refreshments: cafeteria, drinks machine, clothing (suits, helmets, boots, gloves) fruit and water at work, staff room, toilets, showers – Transport: ways of travelling to work, vehicles used by the company, car parks, garages, airstrips, helipads Interactions with people outside the team – Maintenance and repair: maintaining and repairing equipment, – Internal communications: messages, notes, meetings, emails, machinery, buildings, structures, enclosures circulars, phone calls, text messages, incident board, mobiles – External correspondence: letters, email, fax, phone calls, cards, Social, cultural, and historical dimensions of the team postcards, video and text messaging – Building security: cctv, codes, procedures, guards, dogs, fences, – Providing information: writing reports, making films, giving towers, safes, id cards, card readers, scanners, keypads, passwords interviews, making presentations and displays, taking photographs – Safety: emergency procedures, evacuation, fire drill, emergency – Presenting information: website, reports, business cards, exits, first aid, communications, use of fire extinguishers and PowerPoints, leaflets, books, posters, films, display boards, other equipment, health and safety regulations guides, manuals, signs, photo albums – Preserving and protecting information: archives vaults, safes, – News: dealing with the media (newspapers, tv news, radio, encryptions, codes, access procedures magazines) and preparing press releases, interviews, briefings 240 241 – Advertising: promotion, activities, products, posters, 10 Strategies for dramatic inquiry letters, leaflets – Displaying: wall displays, slide shows, short films, posters, leaf- lets, exhibitions, photos, awards, past accomplishments, website – Portfolio: company portfolio, history, past work, personnel, 1 Sharing a complete story: picture book, storybook, video, booklet, website audio, tv – Company identity and values: logo, slogan, poster, company sign, website, letterhead, flag, motto 2 Sharing a partial narrative selected or created in advance: – Gathering information: research using the internet, books, a letter (or part of one), a photograph, a video, film or tv clip, video, interviews, newspapers, museums, libraries, dvds, part of a story, a piece of audio, an overheard conversation, tv, databases a report of a conversation, a map, a drawing, an artefact – Cataloguing and recording: films, photographs, databases, 3 Interacting with an adult representing a point-of-view in the folders, archives, storerooms, vaults, filing cabinets, incident fictional world (an adult-in-role): someone in a story who books, journals, logbooks, diaries can be watched and then interacted with, in order to answer – Client(s): profiles, pictures, personalities, background, family, questions, give advice, provide help and support, learn from company history (for example, a person in a story or from history, or someone invented by the teacher or class); this strategy is useful when students need to know more or want answers to their questions

9 Generic outcomes 4 Interacting with the teacher representing a point of view (teacher- in-role): as strategy 3 above, except the teacher now represents – Information sources: leaflets, newspapers, guidebooks, the role and moves in and out of the imaginary world to facilitate newsletters, manuals, reports, books, children’s stories, code the students’ inquiry, supporting them and helping them to see books, brochure, letters, diaries, procedures, time capsules, the role as a resource for their investigations timelines, graphs, data, portfolios 5 Creating an image or other resource with the students: this – Electronic media: films, radio programmes, podcasts, websites strategy is similar to strategy 2 above, except that the resource – Art forms and performance: paintings, sculpture, murals, is created with the students rather than in advance; it involves photographs, graphic art, comics, tapestry, ceramics, fabrics, careful negotiation and clear planned outcomes (examples friezes, poems, plays, dance, music include making a map together, creating a plan of a house or – Displays: art displays, museum exhibitions, collections a tomb, drawing the front door of a castle, making a set of keys – Proposals : designs, maps, illustrations, instructions, or a warning sign) tours, plans – Advising and promoting: advertisements, warnings 6 Students create images and resources: this is close to strategy (e.g. environmental), campaigns, signs 5 above, except that the students work in small groups or alone – Presentations : PowerPoints, pitches, speeches, to make the resources, rather than as a whole class demonstrations, ceremonies 7 Interacting with the students representing one or more points – Pastimes: games (board games, card games), collections, of-view (students-in-role): in this strategy the students, with information cards (for example Top Trumps, etc.), toys, models the adults, represent one or more points of view (for example, – Testing: test papers, exams, investigations, questionnaires they might be looking around a ruined castle either as people with the job of restoring it or as people responsible for making it safe)

242 243 11 Seven aspects of planning

1 What’s happening – location, people, and events? 2 What signs are there for the students to interpret – words, pictures, and movement? 3 What’s going to attract the interest of the students– the tension? 4 What questions are raised – the inquiry? 5 What tasks are the students going to do to bring them into the fiction? 6 How are the students going to take on the ‘mantle’ of the expert team? 7 How are they going to be introduced to the client and the commission?

244 245 trained in the dominant paradigm of the deficit model, this on the subject and, as far as I know, no one, apart from Notes represented a difficult shift and meant giving up a great Sandra Hesten, has discussed the idea since. Hesten (1986) deal, including their role as experts in solving other people’s p.29. Hesten wrote a short explanation of the grace element, problems. As it happens, the foundations of solution- describing it as “a dialectical element [that] turns the potential focused brief therapy are built of the same rock as Mantle for evil into the potential for good.” She then recounts an of the Expert. Both approaches make dialogic inquiry a interview with Heathcote, where Dorothy explains the fundamental medium for interaction; both focus on people concept using the example of a lesson about robbing a as being resourceful, hopeful, and successful; and both use bank: “My object interests are they [the children] shall listen imagination as a powerful lever for change. to people, understand and try to communicate with people, introduction 1 the principles of mantle of the expert 9 Bolton (2003) p.126. use the knowledge they have, gain new information. Their 10 Bolton (2003) p.127. need interest must be satisfied if they are to collaborate with 1 McKee, R. (1997) Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and 1 Hesten, S. (1986) The Heathcote Archive. PhD thesis. p.216. me. I immediately induct the ‘grace element’ – I never ask the Principles of Screenwriting. Regan Books, p.27. http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/about-moe/archives/ a child to use a gun against another. So my bank robbery 2 The Castle Restoration team is adapted from an original dh-archive/. 2 the foundational elements begins with, ‘It’s a marvellous building to break into. Have idea by Luke Abbott. 2 Heathcote (2002) Contexts for Active Learning. p.3. Available you noticed the architecture?’ Just placing that grace element 3 It is important to state that not everything my students from: www.mantleoftheexpert.com/about-moe/articles/ 1 See the Strategies for Dramatic Inquiry list in chapter 6 for a – I can forgive myself for using ‘crippled and evil material’”. needed to learn that year fitted coherently into the context of Cited: Viv Aitken, Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert detailed discussion on using illustrations as a starting point Heathcote then defined the grace element as “The infiltration castles: there were some things that needed to be taught sep- Approach to Teaching and Learning: a Brief Introduction. Ch.3 for Mantle of the Expert. of one minute element into all circumstances which transports arately in discrete lessons. These included most of the maths in Fraser, D. Aitken, V. and Whyte, B. (2013) Connecting 2 I use inquiry with an ‘i’ to highlight the difference between the possibility of evil and harm into the opportunity for good curriculum, as well as parts of science and all of pe. Curriculum, Linking Learning (nzcer Press). p.35. Quoting ‘inquiry’, meaning an investigation, and ‘enquiry’, meaning – for after all – ‘Trailing clouds of glory do we come; From 4 To see the filmThe Escape of King Edward, visit Heathcote, D. (2009, April). Mantle of the Expert: My a question requiring an answer. For example, ‘The police God, who is our home’.” [W. Wordsworth] https://vimeo.com/14177012. current understanding. A keynote address to the Weaving conducted an inquiry into the death of the actor’ and ‘The As you can see, Heathcote’s definition does not have 5 For an example of a ‘mini-mantle’, look at Mountain Our Stories: International Mantle of the Expert conference, gentleman made an enquiry into the time of the next train.’ exactly the same meaning as the one I’m using. I don’t know Rescue on the Mantle of the Expert website: University of Waikato, Hamilton. 3 Dialogic: ‘A discussion between two or more people or whether she would have approved, I suspect not, but I forgive www.mantleoftheexpert.com. 3 Browne, A. (1994) Zoo. Red Fox; New Ed edition. groups, especially one directed towards exploration of a myself because I think it expresses a critical aspect of the 6 “I realised when I was working with the teachers, they found 4 This is a heuristic developed by Brian Edmiston, which he particular subject or resolution of a problem’ (Webster’s way we use role in drama for learning, in a succinct and it really hard to make the lessons gripping enough. In making first showed me in 1998. Although it doesn’t capture the Dictionary). memorable phrase. dramas with the children, they could see the point of keep- full complexity of the real/imagined world relationship, 4 Those readers familiar with Philosophy for Children will 9 Tension: ‘A feeling of nervousness, excitement, or fear that ing the same point of view, but they couldn’t make what I I found it extremely useful as a beginner and still do. Brian recognise this as a strategy similar to that approach. is created in a movie, book, etc.’ (Webster’s Dictionary). call now productive tension. I realised if you kept the point has recently refined this model into something far more 10 Heathcote, D. (2010) ‘Productive Tension: A Keystone in of view and you run something you could be the boss of, sophisticated. You can find it in: Edmiston, B. (2014) Mantle of the Expert Style of Teaching’, natd Journal, p.9. you only had to do tasks. Attention then came from having Transforming Teaching and Learning with Active and Dramatic 3 the core elements 11 Morgan, N. and Saxton, J. (1987) Teaching Drama: A mind to sustain the circumstances of the work. This was one Approaches: Engaging Students Across the Curriculum, of many wonders. Portsmouth: Heinemann. p.3. thing, and I thought ‘What can I do to stop them getting Routledge. 1 Heathcote and Bolton (1995) p.18. 12 Abbott, L. (2005)Drama and Productive Tension: An essential this wrong?’ It’s about making things interesting enough to 5 This is what Heathcote meant when she talked about creating 2 Although this depends on the needs of the class and the ingredient. www.mantleoftheexpert.com. grip the children.” Interview with Heathcote, Mantle of the classrooms where “the students know the results of what requirement of the curriculum, sometimes the teacher might 13 This energy drop was termed ‘the two-week slump’ at one Expert website, 2009. they do will matter to someone other than themselves”. choose to take on a management role, where her power will of our early meetings. 7 Bolton, G. (2003) Dorothy Heathcote’s Story: the biography of She well understood that it is difficult, expensive, and time- be greater than the rest of the team’s, or she might choose to 14 Heathcote, D. (2010) Productive Tension. p.10. a remarkable drama teacher. London: Trentham Books, p.126. consuming to create real scenarios, with real clients, and real take on the role of someone with less power than the rest of 15 It is important to point out that Heathcote’s conventions 8 Heathcote had strong views on our current education system commissions, so she invented an approach that had the same the team, such as an apprentice. We’ll return to this subject are not the same as the ones created by Jonothan Neelands. and saw her approach as an agent for change. During her qualities, but used imaginary-world contexts instead, with the in chapter 5. Neelands’s list is a collection of drama strategies and interview with Bolton, she told him she disliked the way the additional benefits of their being easily accessible and free. 3 An observable and measurable end result, having one or methods – such as hot-seating, conscience alley, and system disempowers children, making curriculum study hol- 6 Heathcote, D. and Bolton, G. (1995) Drama for Learning: more objectives to be achieved within a more or less fixed thought-tracking – which are regularly taught on drama low and unproductive. She described modern schooling as a Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert Approach to timeframe. courses, but have quite a different purpose. Neelands’s ‘waiting room’, where children are culturally disenfranchised Education. Portsmouth: Heinemann, p.16 and 18. 4 To develop a sense of social responsibility. strategies are about creating dramatic events in the and made to feel useless: “[We have created] an education 7 James, G. (2016) Transforming Behaviour in the Classroom: classroom. Some of them hold time, like Heathcote’s system that requires children over many years to be content A solution-focused guide for new teachers. Sage Publications conventions, but generally they are about giving students with an absence of status, to feel useless, to exist in a limbo Ltd, p.149. 4 the drama elements the opportunity to use drama. In the hands of a skilled of learning which relies solely on the de-functioning maxim 8 James noticed that psychologists working in the school 1 Wagner, B.J. (1976) Dorothy Heathcote: Drama as a Learning teacher they are a powerful and effective pedagogical that ‘one day, you’ll be good enough to really do it’ but never support services concentrated on children’s problems Medium. London: Trentham Books, p15. tool. However, they are not same as Heathcote’s methods today.” Bolton (2003) p.126. and deficits, rather than on their strengths and resources. 2 Wagner (1976) p.15; Bolton (2003) p.126. and have different purposes. You might find you want to 9 For more information visit Bealings Primary School As a consequence, their therapy methods tended to be 3 Heathcote and Bolton (1995) p.18. use some of Neelands’s strategies, especially if you know (www.bealings.net); Recreation Road Infant School about identifying problems, giving advice, and modifying 4 Bolton (2003) them well, and that would be fine (there is certainly no (www.recreationroad.com) and Woodrow First School behaviour, rather than supporting children to focus on what 5 Tulsa, A. (2010) Nuremberg Trial. London: prohibition on their use with Mantle of the Expert), but we (www.woodrowfirstschool.co.uk). they hoped to achieve and finding their own solutions. This Skyhorse Publishing. won’t be exploring them in any more depth in this book. If 10 Bolton (2003) p.127. paradigm, he argued, locked both the therapist and the child 6 This is the argument made by Zimbardo, P. (2008)The Lucifer you want to find out more about Neelands’s strategies, there into a negative view of the situation, where the child was Effect. Rider. And Haidt, J. (2013) The Righteous Mind. Penguin. are many good books on the subject. seen as something broken that needed fixing, rather than 7 For a brilliant account of Heathcote’s work at this time, read 16 Neelands, J. and Goode, T. (1990) Structuring Drama Work. a person with agency, strengths, and resources of their own. Wagner (1976). Cambridge University Press. p.2. To break out of this deficit model, James recommended 8 My definition of the ‘grace element’ in this chapter is an 17 Aurelius, M. Meditations iv, p.43. Penguin Classics (2006). adopting and holding fast to three alternative ‘beliefs’: extension of Heathcote’s original meaning. She wrote little 18 Johnson, L. and O’Neill, C. (ed.) (1984) Dorothy Heathcote: (1) people have a successful past, (2) people are resourceful, 246 and (3) people have a hoped-for future. For therapists 247 Collected Writings on Education and Drama. London: “How much information do the students need before they 12 The Coming of the Iron Man text: www.imaginative-inquiry. Hutchinson. p.161–2. enter the story?” Too little and they’ll be confused; too co.uk/2014/02/using-dramatic-imagination-to-devel- 19 Johnson, L. and O’Neill, C. (ed.) (1984). p.166. much and they’ll get bored. It is difficult to give specific op-writing/ – and animated by the bbc: www.bbc.co.uk/ 20 Johnson, L. and O’Neill, C. (ed.) (1984). guidance on this. Obviously, much will depend on the stu- programmes/p011mxw2. dents: their age, experiences, interests, geographical location, 13 Great Expectations: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXyo68s-f1E. ethnicity, and other factors. My best advice is to follow your 14 The Adventures of Waban, a collection of stories written by 5 imaginary contexts for learning professional judgement: find out as much as you can about the children of Owls class about Waban, a native American your students and make a judgement based on the children boy. Owls class, Recreation Road Infant School (2015). 1 Huizinga, J. (1950) Homo Ludens: A study of the play element you have in front of you. If you think they need an introduc- 15 This is adapted from the original Teacher Compass created in culture. Boston: Beacon Press. The full quote reads: “play tion to the theme before you start, then do it. If you think by Lesley Webb and Dorothy Heathcote, available on www. is more than a mere physiological phenomenon or a psycho- they know enough to go straight into the fiction, then do mantleoftheexpert.com. logical reflex. It goes beyond the confines of purely physical that. The choice is yours. or purely biological activity. It is a significant function – that With Titanic, we can assume the students will have heard is to say, there is some sense to it. In play there is something of the disaster, but they won’t know all the details. Some might appendix 5 ‘at play’ which transcends the immediate needs of life and have seen the film by James Cameron, others might have 1 This table was created in collaboration with Brian Edmiston. imparts meaning to the action. All play means something. If read books, and some might have watched a documentary on 2 Use Google Images for the search enquiry ‘Calcutta railway we call the active principle that makes up the essence of play, television. Whatever their levels of knowledge, they will need children’, and visit www.railwaychildren.org.uk for more ‘instinct’, we explain nothing; if we call it ‘mind’ or ‘will’ we to know a lot more as the context develops. information. say too much. However we may regard it, the very fact that 4 History on the Net website: www.historyonthenet.com/ play has a meaning implies a non­materialistic quality in the titanic/passengers.htm. nature of the thing itself.” 5 For more information on the divergent views on numbers of 2 Edmiston, B. (2014) Transorming Teaching and Learning with travellers and survivors on the Titanic visit www.anesi.com/ Active and Dramatic Approaches. New York: Routledge. p.39. titanic.htm The model I’m using here was first shown to me by Brian in the early 2000s. The verson in his latest book is a develop- ment on this original. 8 teaching 3 The purpose of this table is not to capture the full complexity of the interactions between the child, the adult, and the two 1 Freire, P. (1968) Pedagogy of Freedom. Rowman & Littlefield worlds (real and imaginary). There are far too many things Publishers. going on here for a simple table. Rather, it is just a simple 2 Morgan, N. and Saxton, J. (2006) Asking Better Questions. representation of how the two people involved move back- Portsmouth: Heinemann. p.51. wards and forwards between the two worlds in their imagi- 3 Laidlaw, L. (1989) ‘Some further thoughts on questioning’. nation and, to some extent, the purpose for that movement. Toronto (quoted in Morgan and Saxton, p.79). 4 Ref. Michael Bunting, ‘Questions, Questions, Questions’. www.mantleoftheexpert (2006). 6 planning 5 Thankfully, persistent wreckers are rare in my experience and I’ve only ever encountered three genuinely determined ones 1 This is from an original idea by Brian Edmiston. in all the years I’ve been using Mantle of the Expert. My strat- 2 Abbott, L. (2005)Drama and Productive Tension: An essential egy in each case was to remove them from the session and ingredient. www.mantleoftheexpert.com. then talk to them later about how they could, if they wanted, 3 This is from an original idea by Dorothy Heathcote. negotiate their way back in. In all three cases the students did 4 ‘Dramatic inquiry’ is a term invented by Brian Edmiston. want to come back and so I explained I would help them but 5 This list was created in collaboration with Brian Edmiston they needed to understand their behaviour was unacceptable. in 2009. Their wrecking was, I suppose, a way of gaining recognition from the rest of the class, and they needed support finding their place in the community. 7 an example 6 Pink, D. (2011) Drive: The Surprising Truth About What 1 www.mantleoftheexpert.com – Titanic planning. Motivates Us. Canongate Books. 2 There were 48 lifebuoys on the Titanic, but the ship’s name was 7 Kohn, A. (2000) Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold not painted on them (this practice came in only much later). Stars, Incentive Plans, A’s, Praise and Other Bribes. Houghton However, for the purposes of the inquiry we will take artistic Mifflin. licence and add the name. Later on you can tell the students 8 According to research referenced by Pink and Kohn, once the truth. Ref. Gill, A. (2012) Titanic: The Real Story of the the incentives are taken away, students are less likely to want Construction of the World’s Most Famous Ship. Random House. to return to activities that previously came with a reward. 3 Front-loading: some contexts require the student to find 9 Bruner, J. (1974) Towards a Theory of Instruction. Belknap out more about the subject before they go into the fiction, Press. while others can rely on their background knowledge. Much 10 Grace Darling (1815–1842), and Her Father, William Darling depends on their familiarity with a theme. Some themes, like (d.1865), Save the Survivors from the Wreck of the Steamer fairy tales and dinosaurs, will be familiar to children, while ‘Forfarshire’ on the Farne Rocks, 7 September 1838: www.bbc. others, like Florence Nightingale or the Romans, might be co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/grace-darling-18151842- entirely new. The first question you should ask yourself is: and-her-father-william-darling-d-1167967. 11 Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov: www.youtube.com/ 248 watch?v=s_pkRH2DZuw. 249 Index in the real world 54–56 different points of view 125–126 coverage 51 expert teams 118–120 critical feedback 31 location 117, 147–148 curriculum learning 12, 14, 37–38, 51, 57 tension 108, 114–116 coverage 51 timelines 117–118 exploration 51–52, 109, 111–112, 153 see also planning a sequence of opening steps generating curriculum learning activities 25–26, 39, 102–103 Florence Nightingale example 42–44, 45–47, 83, 84, 85, 117, 130 imaginative play at school 98–102 forms of representation 172–175 Abbott, Luke 15–17 support 171–172 planning 107, 111–112, 126–127, 128–129 foundational elements 34, 37 active listening 159, 165 thinking time 164 inquiry questions 34, 37, 45–48, 109, 113 activities classroom practice 172 Darling, Grace 175 narrative 34, 37, 40–44 differentiated 170 dramatic action 100, 177–180 differentiation 170–172 see also fictional context generating curriculum learning activities 25–26, 39, 102–103 dramatic imagination 175–177 Dinosaur Island example 40, 60, 85, 117, 122, 130, 148 Freire, Paulo 157 planning 108, 126, 128 forms of representation 172–175 disaster dramas 75 purpose 108 clients 23, 34, 51, 56–60 disloyalty dramas 75 generic tasks list 128 see also commissions examples 57, 58–60, 121–122 disruptive behaviour 167–168 giggling 163–164 Ancient Egypt example 60 ideas list 121 drama elements 34, 67–68 grouping 170 Anglo-Saxons example 60 introducing 58–60 different points of view 34, 68–74, 125–126 Animal Park example 23–24, 25, 26 levels of authority 57, 121–122 ‘man in a mess’ concept 71–73 hand raising 164 client 57, 60, 121, 122 planning 120–122 drama conventions 34, 67–68, 71, 80–86, 150 Heathcote, Dorothy 14–15, 17, 28, 29–30, 34 commission 60, 61–62, 63–64 purpose 56–57, 122 clothing 82, 84 commitment and demand 166 different points of view 69, 71–73, 74 collaboration 29–31 events happening now 82, 83 dimensions of dramatic inquiry 151 drama conventions 83–84, 85 language of 32–33 holding time 82, 83–84 drama conventions 67–68, 82, 86 expert team 53–54, 60 collaborative leadership 30–31, 167 significant objects 82, 84 expert teams 22–23, 53, 54 fictional context 38 collaborative questioning 158–159 signs, codes and special marks 83, 85 induction 130 forms of representation 174 commissions 23, 34, 51, 61–65 spoken words 83, 85 ‘man in a mess’ concept 71 inductive language 130 examples 60, 61–62, 63–64, 124–125 written words 82, 85 now time 80–81 inquiry questions 47–48, 113 ideas list 123–124 tension 34, 75–79 teacher-talk 31 location 117, 148 planning 122–125 levels of 115–116 tension 75, 76 narrative 43 purpose 61, 63–65, 123, 124 planning 108, 114–116 honesty 30, 131 paradox 27–28 types 123 dramatic action 100, 177–180 hospital expert teams 54–55 tension 76–77, 79 context, fictionalsee fictional context dramatic imagination 175–177 Huizinga, Johan 91 Aurelius, Marcus 80 conventions of drama 34, 67–68, 71, 80–86, 150 dramatic inquiry authority 31 clothing 82, 84 dimensions of 151–153, 180 iconic forms of representation 173, 174 levels of 57, 121–122 events happening now 82, 83 strategies for 131–132, 137 imaginary contexts for learning 25–26, 91–92 holding time 82, 83–84 generating curriculum learning activities 25–26, 39, 102–103 behaviour management 166–169 significant objects 82, 84 enactive forms of representation 173, 174 imaginative play at home 93–97 body language 165 signs, codes and special marks 83, 85 engagement 165–166 imaginative play at school 98–102 British Museum examples 41, 60, 122 spoken words 83, 85 espionage dramas 75 see also fictional context see also Titanic example written words 82, 85 everyday dramas 75 imagination, dramatic 175–177 Browne, Anthony 24 core elements 34, 51–52 expert teams 22–23, 34, 51, 52–56 incentives 169–170 Bruner, Jerome 172–175 clients 23, 34, 51, 56–60 behaviour management and 166–167 inductive language 130 examples 57, 58–60, 121–122 examples 53–54, 60 Innovation Unit project 16–17 Castle Restoration example 13–14, 60, 117, 122, 130, 148 ideas list 121 ideas list 119 inquiry, dramatic Child labour in Victorian coal mines example 40, 59–60, 83, 85 introducing 58–60 naming 56 dimensions of 151–153, 180 classroom organisation levels of authority 57, 121–122 planning 118–120 strategies for 131–132, 137 behaviour management 166–169 planning 120–122 in the real world 54–56 inquiry questions 34, 37, 45–48, 109, 113 body language 165 purpose 56–57, 122 exploration of the curriculum 51–52, 109, 111–112, 153 insincere praise 159 differentiation 170–172 commissions 23, 34, 51, 61–65 invested action 178, 180 giggling 163–164 examples 60, 61–62, 63–64, 124–125 fairy tales see Problem-solvers fairy tales example involvement 165–166 grouping 170 ideas list 123–124 fictional context 34, 37–40 hand raising 164 planning 122–125 imaginary contexts for learning 25–26, 91–92 Kohn, Alfie 169 involvement 165–166 purpose 61, 63–65, 123, 124 generating curriculum learning activities 25–26, 39, 102–103 modelling thinking and listening 165 types 123 imaginative play at home 93–97 Laidlaw, Linda 159 motivation 169–170 expert teams 22–23, 34, 51, 52–56 imaginative play at school 98–102 language 31–33, 80–81 peer support 164–165 behaviour management and 166–167 introducing 141–144 body language 165 protocol 164 examples 53–54, 60 paradox and 26–28 framing questions 159–162 resources 170–171 ideas list 119 planning 114–126 inductive 130 shrugging 165 naming 56 clients 120–122 large scale dramas 75 space 163 planning 118–120 commissions 122–125 leadership, collaborative 30–31, 167 250 251 listening 159, 165 step 8: operational parameters 149–150 behaviour management 166–169 Tudor House example 148 location 117, 147–148 step 9: stepping into the past 150–153 body language 165 play differentiation 170–172 vision 31 ‘man in a mess’ concept 71–73 in classroom practice 178, 179 giggling 163–164 Mantle of the Expert 13–14, 21–22 imaginative play at home 93–97 grouping 170 Wheeler, Luke 176 collaboration 29–31 imaginative play at school 98–102 hand raising 164 wrecking behaviour 168 defining features 22–24 points of view, different 34, 68–74, 125–126 involvement 165–166 language 31–33 ‘man in a mess’ concept 71–73 modelling thinking and listening 165 paradox of 26–28 praise 159, 169 motivation 169–170 real and imaginary worlds 25–26 Problem-solvers fairy tales example 40 peer support 164–165 McKee, Robert 11 client 58–59, 60, 121, 122 protocol 164 Morgan, Norah 75, 158 commission 60, 125 resources 170–171 motivation 169–170 different points of view 69, 70–71, 125 shrugging 165 Mountain rescue team example 41, 85, 122 drama conventions 83, 85 space 163 location 148 support 171–172 narrative 34, 37, 40–44 tension 77–78 thinking time 164 now time 80–81 protocol 164 classroom practice 172 dramatic action 100, 177–180 Ofsted 16 questioning 158 dramatic imagination 175–177 opening steps see planning a sequence of opening steps collaborative 158–159 forms of representation 172–175 open-mindedness 30 framing questions 159–162 questioning 158 openness 31 inquiry questions 34, 37, 45–48, 109, 113 collaborative 158–159 outcomes, differentiated 172 taxonomy of ‘question starters’ 160–162 framing questions 159–162 overplanning 107–108, 126 taxonomy of ‘question starters’ 160–162 real and imaginary worlds 25–26 teams see expert teams paradox of Mantle of the Expert 26–28 reasonableness 30 tension 34, 75–79 peer support 164–165 Recreation Road Infants, Norwich 176–177 levels of 115–116 Philosophy for Children 15 reflection 46–47, 72, 178, 180 planning 108, 114–116 Pink, Daniel 169 representation, forms of 172–175 themes planning 107 resources, differentiated 170–171 inquiry questions and 45–46 curriculum learning 107, 111–112, 126–127, 128–129 respectfulness 30 planning 110–111, 112 fictional context 114–126 reward systems 169–170 thinking time 164 clients 120–122 Ringsfield Hall, Suffolk 17 time commissions 122–125 role model 30 holding time conventions 82, 83–84 different points of view 125–126 now time 80–81 expert teams 118–120 Saxton, Juliana 75, 158 planning timelines 117–118 location 117, 147–148 scaffolding 160, 166 thinking time 164 tension 108, 114–116 Scott, William Bell 175 Titanic example 107 timelines 117–118 ‘seven aspects of planning a start’ tool 132–133, 137 client 122 inquiry questions 109, 113 shrugging 165 commission 124–125 model 109–110 social aspects of learning 112 curriculum learning 126–127, 128, 129 overplanning 107–108, 126 space organisation 163 different points of view 126 overview of learning 111–112 starting see planning a sequence of opening steps expert team 120 principles 107–109 ‘strategies for dramatic inquiry’ tool 131–132, 137 inquiry questions 113 tasks and activities 108, 126, 128 support location 117, 147 themes 110–111, 112 differentiated 171–172 overview of learning 111–112 see also planning a sequence of opening steps peer 164–165 sequence of opening steps 137–138 planning a sequence of opening steps 129–133, 137 symbolic forms of representation 173, 174 step 1: introducing the context 138–139 inductive language 130 step 2: researching 139 principles 130–131 talking in the moment 80–81 step 3: data-handling 140–141 ‘seven aspects of planning a start’ tool 132–133, 137 tasks and activities step 4: introducing the imaginary context 141–144 ‘strategies for dramatic inquiry’ tool 131–132, 137 differentiated 170 step 5: creating artefacts 144–146 Titanic example 137–138 generating curriculum learning activities 25–26, 39, 102–103 step 6: creating the wreck 147–148 step 1: introducing the context 138–139 planning 108, 126, 128 step 7: putting artefacts on wreck 148–149 step 2: researching 139 purpose 108 step 8: operational parameters 149–150 step 3: data-handling 140–141 see also commissions step 9: stepping into the past 150–153 step 4: introducing the imaginary context 141–144 teacher compass 178 tasks and activities 128 step 5: creating artefacts 144–146 teacher-talk 31–32 tension 115–116 step 6: creating the wreck 147–148 teaching 157–158 theme 112 step 7: putting artefacts on wreck 148–149 classroom organisation timeline 118 252 253 Acknowledgements

Books don’t write themselves, and authors don’t write them without help. I’ve been incredibly lucky over the years, enjoying the support and guidance of many brilliant people. For the time to research, develop, and write this book I am enormously thankful, in particular to my family, who have supported my work and given me the opportunity to think, plan, and bash on the keys for more than three years, and to the friends and colleagues who have spent countless hours talking through ideas, giving feedback, and encouraging me to keep going. I am deeply grateful to: – Claire, Lilly, Finn, and Ettie, for the love, kindness, and support I needed to finish this work. Without them I would not be here. My mother, for her love and support through some very difficult times. My father, for his love, guidance and direction. – Luke Abbott, who has served as a mentor, inspiration, and guide. Without him this book would not exist. Geoff James, a great friend who has shared many ideas and new directions for thinking. Brian Edmiston, for his time and patience in explaining his understanding of the educational significance of Mantle of the Expert and of the underlying principles and ideas behind Dorothy Heathcote’s work. Viv Aitken, for valuable conversations and clear writing on the principles and elements of Mantle of the Expert. Sue Eagle, my first headteacher, who gave me the support and freedom I needed to take risks and try out new ideas. Hanneke Jones, for her support and encouragement, and for invaluable feedback on early drafts of this book. Richard Heywood, my friend outside teaching and always a steady influence and inspiration. Tim Allard, a great friend and colleague, who I first got to know while walking off the effects of chemotherapy. – Charlie Watson and Emily Benton, for their invaluable editing, design, and production assistance. This is not an easy book and I deeply appreciate their patience and diligence. Steve Beaumont, for the wonderful photographs. Sue Cowley, Rachel Rossiter, Nancy Gedge, Mark Aston, and Rachel Jones, for reading early drafts and giving invaluable feedback. – Professor Kris Bowles and the haematology team at the Norfolk University Hospital, who kept me alive and sorted out the unwanted distraction. The team at Qattan Foundation in Ramallah, Palestine, for their support and the opportunities they have given me. Before writing this book I spent fifteen years working to understand Dorothy Heathcote’s approach. This involved teaching thousands of hours in my own and other people’s class- rooms. I am greatly indebted to the following teachers, headteachers, and ­colleagues­ Michael Bunting, Emma Hamilton-Smith, Jenny Lewis, Sally Bailey, Richard Kieran, Lisa Hinton, Julia Walshaw, Bec Hardisty, Duncan Bathgate, Debra Kidd, Hywel Roberts, Judith Tiggerschiold, Iona Towler-Evans, Judith Pawson, Hannah Quinn, Richard Restall, Mark Wheeler, Maggie Hulson, Dene Zarins, Ross Ashley, Patrice Baldwin, Emma Bramley, Tracey Caffrey, Serena Dixon, Lauren Ellero, Jo Evans, Ian Gorman, Sheila Greenacre, Beverley Hart, Carrie Herbert, Kevin Holland, Angela Howell, Katy Jones, Rachel Judd, Jane Manzone, Lynsey McCrohon, Catrin Parry-Jones, Dorothy Patton, Denise Popplewell, Claire Pugh, Carole Reich, Sue Tadman, Simon Underhill, Chris Walton, Luke Wheeler, Mark Wheeler, and Jane Worsdale. I also thank all the other colleagues, students, and learning support assistants I’ve worked with, for their inspiration, encour- agement, and support, and Dussindale Primary School and Recreation Road Infants in Norwich, the two schools where the photographs for this book were taken. Finally, I owe a great deal to Dorothy Heathcote, whose brilliant mind produced the most ­fantastic teaching and learning approach imaginable. Tim Taylor

255