The History

After introducing myself, this session leads into the stories, descriptions and explanations that arise from the children and teacher’s questions concerning the war.

I make this an interactive experience, so that the children can take advantage of working with an experienced role-player, interpreter and history teacher rather than simply watching a presentation or video.

This session also involves demonstrating the weapons and other artifacts I bring along with me (from a matchlock musket to a mortuary sword, a bandoleer of boxes to a dog-lock pistol), as well as perhaps reading from documents I have.

Option: Marching drill

Weather and playground or hall space permitting, this is a good, physical exercise which gives the children a feel for the kind of drill that soldiers practiced every day, as well as a much better idea of what exactly was involved in a battle. It is a far cry from modern warfare! They will get to know their left from their right as they wheel, turn, counter-march, double their front, etc.

Option: Description of a Battle

An involving way to give an account of a battle is to go outdoors and have the children represent bodies of men involved in the battle. They move about according to my instructions, allowing a visuospatial perspective on the descriptive story of the battle.

Option: Creating work for a display

This can involve most of the children sketching me, my weapons and/or other possessions, &/or interviewing to take notes to write up as information for the display. Photographs could be taken too, or elements that arise from any particular topic you want me to focus on during the earlier sessions.

Option: A Wargame!

This takes half a day and can form the afternoon session when I do a full day with one class, so that I stay in role all morning and only come out of role in the afternoon. (It is always more effective to meet and work with the children as a character first, to maintain their suspension of disbelief.)

This involving session utilizes a large map and miniature soldiers to learn about a Civil War battle – either the 1643 battle of Wakefield or the battle of Heptonstall later that year. The children already have an idea about the types soldiers involved and their weapons (from the morning session) and now peruse the map with me to learn about the local terrain. Then they divide into groups to work out and write down their detailed battle plans. We then fight the battle like a wargame, so that the children see what might have happened if they were in command! The session ends with me showing the children what actually happened, and now that they properly understand the map and representative units their understanding is deepened. Comparing what happened 360 years ago to their own little battles fascinates the children.

NB: The children’s battle plans might even be incorporated into the display mentioned as an option above.