Introduction

We discuss who and what I am, why I am there, as well as my possessions and clothes. I explain strange words, and answer questions. Eventually I ask the children if they have ever read stories about me, which leads me on to ...

Journalistic and/or letter writing exercise

The main task of the day. I use up to four differentiated texts. Two need re-writing (in part), another responded to with a letter, and another needs changing.

Volunteer pupils (or teacher chosen) read the stories aloud with my help. Each time I say they've got it wrong, and I then recount my "true" versions, conversationally explaining how things were quite different. I am not the villain described in the pamphlets, but more like Robin Hood, a goodfellow, a hero! This part of the session can take 30 minutes or so.

I then ask the children if they would put these things right. This involves ...

(a) Re-writing parts of a news-sheet. This is a higher ability task. There are several different stories for individual children to choose from, as well as a ballad/poem that needs changing. Nevison wants stories and a ballad he would be proud of, and is very worried that people will remember these false stories about him. I have two different forms of this news-sheet, in different font sizes. The more difficult of the two, with some archaic English spelling, is accessible to the highest ability Year 6 children.

(b) Writing a letter to the London Gazette to complain about a recent article in which Nevison was described as a coward and a murderer! Nevison wants the children to tell them what they think he is like, having met him and heard his own account of his adventures.

(c) Creating a false description of Nevison to be passed around the local watchmen, in the form of a wanted poster. Hopefully this would buy him time to escape! This is the lowest ability task, and involves the labelling of a picture.

I give careful instructions, and ask the teacher which groups could do what. The tasks are distributed according to ability. The children then do this written work as differentiated groups at their tables. Task (c), which all the children tend to want to do, can be an extension task for the more able children should they finish their own task.

As they work I visit the groups in turn to spend 10 minutes or so with each - perhaps playing a game of cards, dice or nine men's morris with them, or looking at maps and coins, etc. Different groups get to something unique with me, and they have another chance to ask me things. While I sit with one group, the others get on with their tasks. This written session can takes about one hour.

Finally the chosen children then read their work aloud, or present their posters to me and the class. This little plenary session allows me to comment on and approve of their work. This takes perhaps 20 minutes or so.

The Big Story

I tell the very famous story of my ride from London to York. This takes about 25 minutes. I usually round off the day with this. If I have worked with two classes that day, we can get the two together in the Hall for this, rounding off the day nicely for all concerned. You will, if you choose to do so, hear a pin drop!

The following optional activities are usually for days where I can work with one class all day.

Option: Question and answer

The pupils and teacher can do the questioning here, asking whatever they want ... about my life, childhood, life in the 17th century, whatever. This can go in many directions - from food to school to houses to London. If they've been studying highwaymen, I can ask them if know about the law: officers of the law, courts, prisons, punishments, etc., which could lead to some gory tales!

Option: Sketching (art-work)

Having written corrected stories and ballads, I might want a good likeness drawn to go with them. I can thus pose for the children while they all do a bit of portrait sketching, using whatever medium you think is best. Perhaps they might simply sketch in pencil then 'work up' the picture another time? This art-work might take 20 or more minutes. (This can link to any annotated drawings they may done, or may be doing, in phase one of their highwayman work.)

Option: Children's Own Stories

The children make up their own adventure stories about highwaymen (in a Robin Hood style), and write them up in note form, neat enough at this stage to be read aloud. They could work in pairs to come up with their stories, so that they have more ideas. I suggest stories about escapes, clever tricks, chases, etc., and the children tend to come up with all sorts of ideas. I move around offering ideas and suggestions. This can take up to one hour.

Option: A little Numeracy

I count my money - a mixture of Elizabethan and Stuart coins ... from sovereigns down to farthings. The children can help me work out how many pennies each coin is worth, and how many pints of ale I could buy with each!