Primary - Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month Project
CASE STUDY
GRTHM (Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, held annually) Celebrations at St. Peter’s Primary in June 2010
Following a Cultural Awareness Raising input to school staff by ACTES, the school’s literacy co-ordinator met up with the ACTES teacher to explore Cross-curricular links to Traveller culture and help weave this into the whole school curriculum.
The co-ordinator met up with school staff, offering them each a pack that included a list of useful websites; some ACTES resources (including a Book Box) on loan; some DVDs with practical examples of best practice in other schools; an exhibition showcasing work done by local schools in Bristol and South Gloucestershire compiled by ACTES for third year teacher trainees at the University of West of England; and a list of possible lesson plans.
The staff were very inspired by the exhibition and the resources and, as a result, some activities were initiated throughout the whole school. They discussed how this could fit in with the already planned topic of ‘Tobias and the Angel’ as part of the ‘Take One Picture Project’ which is organised by the National Gallery with schools. Most teachers’ work was based on Circle Time sessions taking the picture as a starting point for a discussion around who travels in our community. Work around the children designing their own homes was carried out in year1 by the Deputy Head. (See pictures below). Year 5 & 6 children made homes outside for all the children to play in for about one week.
The co-ordinator said that all the staff (teachers and LSAs) enjoyed the celebrations and that it really motivated them towards the creation of a more creative curriculum in the school.
Examples of some of the homes designed by the children
Including Travellers in the Curriculum at St.Peter’s Primary
Planning ideas
Literacy / -Non standard English dialect within Britain using the book ‘The Whatsit’ (include the word ‘yoke’, used by some Travellers)-Narrative using stories such as ‘A Horse for Joe’ and ‘Melissa’ worksheets/role-playing and hot seating drama activities
-Story telling using the storytelling pack
-Making a stone soup (traditional tale) reading different versions of the same story
-Alphabet frieze showing Gypsy artefacts labelled
Numeracy / -Canal tolls
-Using a trailer-shaped counting book
-Using objects from Traveller Culture for counting e.g. horses
Science / -Fieldwork, forest school, kinaesthetic styles of teaching/learning which Travellers are familiar with
-Materials topic, ‘Come Count with Us’ book
-Transport/homes
History / -Traveller homes and lifestyles/ comparing old and new homes
-Watch DVD ‘My life, Your life, Our life’ about a friendship between a Traveller boy and non-Traveller boy in a school.
Geography / -Waterways, including canals and barges
-Social anthropology e.g. the people of Britain; their origins and cultures
-Homes around the world
-People and cultures topic
R.E / -‘Tir-Na-Nog’, traditional tale as a stimulus for discussion
-Religions of Irish travellers, Gypsies (to be included where possible)
Hinduism-one God with many aspects, our aspects could be: sister, Brownie, Traveller, horse-rider
Art and DT / -Gypsy and Fairground artwork, wagons and trailers
-International art, Irish, Roma
-Weaving, designing a rug for a caravan
-Designing a fairground ride (DVD and book)
-Designing a bow-top wagon
Music and Dance / -Storytelling through story and song pack
-Traditional Gypsy or Irish music and dance
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C19/RB/2010/I:WebsiteFinalVersions/Curriculum/CurricularLinks