Author Description

Visiting a historic site provides a rich stimulus for all kinds of work in English. This handbook offers a range of ideas for work on site for teachers of all Key Stages. The handbook suggests activities which will deepen students' engagement and enable the potential of a visit to be explored within the context of English, and to deliver history and other subjects. Strategies in the handbook can also be used to fulfill the requirements of literacy instruction, and exercises undertaken on site can inspire a wide variety of activities back in school. It notes that creativity in writing and drama, which can be challenging to stimulate in the classroom, flows more easily when it is the outcome of close observation and a feeling of involvement with the subject matter. Additionally, it points out that the experience of different surroundings presents opportunities for students to practice social skills which can legitimately be claimed for English: listening carefully, responding appropriately, and, at the end of the day, writing letters of thanks. The handbook is mainly about giving suggestions for structures and methods for work out of school, covering Key Stages 1 to 4. Many of the suggestions in the handbook for work in one of the elements of literacy, like reading, have a natural follow-up in another, like a written or spoken presentation. The handbook is divided into the following sections: "About This Book"; "Word Collecting"; "Speaking and Listening"; "Drama"; "Reading"; "Non Fiction Writing"; "Persuasive Techniques"; "Creative Writing"; "Interviewing"; and"Bibliography and Resources." (BT)