curious curators of the delerium...
TRANSCRIPT
© BBC
Curious Curators of the Delerium Archive
This unit known as Curious Curators of the Delerium Archive is formatted slightly
differently from the other units in the Teachers’ Pack and is aimed at students of all ages,
ranging from 5-14 years of age.
In this section, students will be inspired to be the curators of a museum about Guy Fawkes or
the organisers of an exhibition about the Gunpowder Plot.
A recurring feature of the gameplay within The Adventure Games: The Gunpowder Plot
is the discovery of Historical Objects. These historical artefacts and key objects are woven
throughout the game and are related either to the Gunpowder Plot itself or to life in the
seventeenth century. Each object is accompanied by a mini fact-file, which appears whenever
the object is found. Across the game there are a total of 42 objects to be collected. These
supporting resources are available to download from bbc.co.uk/teachers
These artefacts are an ideal way to engage students in historical enquiry. The facts and
information that accompany each one provide useful information and act as an ideal starting
point for further research.
There are three approaches outlined for using the Historical Objects within the classroom to
develop historical enquiry skills:
1. Individual student work
2. Group activity
3. Whole class project
These approaches can be carried out in conjunction with the other themes in this pack, namely,
The Plot, Childhood, Crime and Punishment and London Life in 1605, or carried out as an
independent, standalone project. Students could undertake one approach or a combination of
all three.
Students may want to draw on information from museums and displays they have visited in the
past. The approaches are appropriate for all age ranges.
Aims and Objectives
Students will develop their ability to assimilate information from a wide variety of source
material and develop their ability to research, analyse and evaluate historical data in order to
develop their own interpretations of the past.
Supporting Resources
Historical Objects, Characters and Environments are available to download from
bbc.co.uk/teachers
Downloading the game
Before starting this unit of work, the Gunpowder Plot Adventure Game should be
downloaded from bbc.co.uk/doctorwho
Instructions on how to do so are available in The Adventure Games help section. It is suitable
for both PC and Mac platforms.
© BBC
1. Individual student work: Time Historians
Learning Outcome
To develop the ability to assimilate a wide range of source material.
To begin to understand the context in which an object was created.
To begin to understand how objects are used by historians to study the past.
To enable students to begin to develop their own historical interpretations.
MAIN ACTIVITY
In this activity, students will carry out a personal research project based around a particular
object, or objects, from the game and present their findings to the rest of the class.
Having played the Gunpowder Plot Adventure Game, each student should choose one
historical object to research. They should prepare a presentation or a class talk where they
will be able to share their learning with the rest of the class. Students should be encouraged to
find out as much as they can about their particular object. Students should consider the
following key questions when compiling their project and presentation:
What was the object called?
How was the object used?
Who might use or own the object?
What other interesting information can be found?
How can I make my project and presentation interesting for my audience?
Younger students should be encouraged to make or draw some of the objects and use the
existing facts from the resource sheets to label them, while the older students should be
encouraged to carry out additional research about their chosen objects and cite their sources.
A Useful Websites document is available to download on bbc.co.uk/teachers
© BBC
FURTHER ACTIVITIES
Doctors’ Detectives (5-7 year olds)
The teacher gives each student an object to research; information about the objects can be
found by playing the game, as well as by looking at the Historical Objects fact-files and
researching online (see the Useful Websites document). Students then present information
about their object to the class, and accompany their presentation with a drawing or model.
After each presentation, the object could be placed in a Class Museum, eg a small table display
in the classroom. The presentations could be made over a number of weeks, giving the class
plenty of time to look at the objects. When the last object is added to the display, the class
could ‘go on a visit’ to the museum, look at all the objects and read the labels. As an added
challenge, the teacher may wish to rearrange the objects and facts and students can then
complete a mix and match activity, labelling them correctly, in order to review their
knowledge. To conclude, students complete an individual piece of writing called ‘Our Museum’,
which would outline what can be discovered at their museum and/or which object they liked
best. This activity could be extended to opening up the Class Museum to fellow students,
parents, members of staff and school governors, with each child standing by their object ready
to answer any questions from the visitors.
Deep Cover Time Agents (7-10 year olds)
The teacher gives each member of the class an object to research using the key questions
mentioned in the Main Activity above. Students will be given the task of finding out about how
and why an object was made, who created it, what it was used for etc. They then produce a
presentation on why these objects are important to historians and why they should therefore
be preserved in a museum for everyone to see. Students then play a version of BBC panel
shows, such as ‘Would I Lie to You?’ or ‘Call My Bluff’ as a way of reviewing their knowledge.
After these activities, students should rank the objects they have learnt about in order of
importance, with 1 being the most important object that illustrates life in the seventeenth
century. Students then select their Top 5 objects and speak for thirty seconds to explain their
choice. The class should then be given a ballot paper with all the objects researched by the
students, and they vote using a preferential voting system.
© BBC
TARDIS Media Team (10-14 year olds)
Each student selects 5-10 objects to research. Students then create an online museum tour or
trail, creating a webpage for each object. On each page, they need to explain why the object
featured is important to historians and why they think this object should be preserved in a
museum for everyone to see. These will include explaining how and why they were produced.
They must include an interactive task at the end of the tour, which will ensure that they can
review what they have learnt. After these activities, students should rank the objects they have
learnt about in order of importance, with 1 being the most important object that illustrates life
in the seventeenth century. Each student then selects their Top 5 objects and speaks for thirty
seconds to explain their choice. The class should then be given a ballot paper with all the
objects researched by the students, and they vote using a preferential voting system.
The Personal Project Planner Resource Sheet can be used to help the students record and
focus their research.
Resources
Resource Sheet 1: Personal Project Planner
Resource Sheet 2: Ballot paper
Resource Sheet 6a: Labels
Resource Sheet 6b: Labels
Message from the Doctor
Historical Objects: All
© BBC
2. Group Activity: Expert Groups
Learning Outcome
To develop the ability to assimilate a wide range of source material.
To begin to understand the context in which an object was created.
To begin to understand how objects are used by historians to study the past.
To enable students to begin to develop their own historical interpretations.
To develop their ability to look at history thematically.
MAIN ACTIVITY
In this activity, students work in groups to research objects related to an assigned theme. They
work cooperatively to create an informative and educational museum display and present their
findings to the rest of the class.
The class should be split into four groups for this activity. Each group should be assigned one
of the main themes covered in the Teachers' Pack:
The Plot
Childhood
Crime and Punishment
London Life in 1605
Students should play the game, collecting objects along the way. Each group should decide
which objects are the most appropriate for their assigned theme. When the students have
collected the objects that they feel are the best fit for their particular topic, they should create
a themed display using their relevant artefacts. They should also draw on additional
information that they have researched in books and on the internet and incorporate these
additional facts into the display. They should consider the following questions for each object:
What was the object called?
How was the object used?
Who might use or own the object?
What other interesting information can be found?
How can I make my display and presentation interesting for my audience?
Students can use the resource sheets provided to support them with their planning and
research.
When all the groups have completed their displays each group should be given the opportunity
to present their work to the rest of the class.
Younger students should be encouraged to make or draw some of the objects and use the
existing facts from the resource sheets to label them, while the older students should be
encouraged to carry out additional research about their chosen objects and cite their sources.
A Useful Websites document is available to download on bbc.co.uk/teachers
© BBC
FURTHER ACTIVITIES
Doctor’s Detectives (5-7 year olds)
Split the students into 4 groups. Each group should be assigned one of the key themes from
the Teachers’ Activity Pack. Students should be given modelling clay or a selection of materials
for junk modelling or collages. Each group chooses one or two Historical Objects from their
chosen theme and creates a large model or collage, or a combination of both, to display to the
rest of the class. Once they have completed their model, they should each create a label for
their object. They then write a couple of sentences about their assigned theme in a mini guide
book. Each group then places the completed model and guide book on a display table in order
to create a Class Museum. The rest of the class can then visit each display table and read the
guide books and labels. Students should then return to their groups to discuss which object or
theme they found most interesting and why, and feed back their ideas to the rest of the class.
When this is completed, students should complete a writing task on which object or theme
they found most interesting and why. These reports can then be displayed above the museum
display tables.
Deep Cover Time Agents (7-10 year olds)
Split the students into 4 groups. Each group should be assigned one of the key themes from
the Teachers’ Activity Pack. The groups are told that a local museum is considering redesigning
their seventeenth century display section, but the local council only have enough money to do
it theme by theme. Therefore, each group has to prepare a presentation in order to justify
why their theme should be displayed first. As part of their presentation, students have to
produce a design layout for their display in a local museum and explain why their objects are
important for local people to see. These presentations should be given in front of the whole
class as if they are presenting to the finance committee of the local council. Therefore, they
need to use formal language and construct a clear argument. The teacher, the headteacher and
a school governor could listen to the pitches and decide which theme would be awarded the
finance first. This could be concluded with each group writing a tweet to explain their
reactions to the choices.
TARDIS Media Team (10-14 year olds)
Split the students into 4 groups. Each group should be assigned one of the key themes from
the Teachers’ Activity Pack. Students should create a video app that could be downloaded to a
phone. This should be a mixture of pictures and videos in order to create a mini-tour of a
museum that could be used by parents on a smart phone. Students would need to construct
something that is suitable for a variety of ages. Different groups could be given the task of
aiming their app at different age groups, eg the Childhood theme could be aimed at 5-7 year
olds. Each group should then review the tours of the other groups and write a pop-up advert
to persuade people to go to the museum.
Resources
Resource Sheet 3: Group Task Planner
Resource Sheet 4: Individual Object Planner
Resource Sheet 6a: Labels
Resource Sheet 6b: Labels
Message from the Doctor
Historical Objects: All
© BBC
3. Whole Class Project: TARDIS History Room
Learning Outcome
To develop an ability to categorize a wide variety of information.
To understand the importance of placing artefacts in a historical context.
To understand why historical artefacts are an important source from which historians can
learn about the past.
MAIN ACTIVITY
In this activity, the whole class will work together to research the Historical Objects from the
game, and plan an exhibition to display and present their findings to an identified audience.
The class is given the challenge to create a room in the TARDIS to store all the historical
objects that have been found by the Doctor and his companions in London in 1605. Older
children will be encouraged to organise an exhibition for their year/school/parents/governors.
This can be presented to the students in the form of a class challenge or through a letter from
the Doctor, whichever method is most appropriate for the age and stage of the students.
While playing the game, the students should be encouraged to collect as many historical
objects as they can find.
Once all the objects have been located, the students discuss how they are going to organise
and present the items. Students should be encouraged to think about the following questions:
How should the objects be categorised?
What other information can be found about each object?
How should each object, or group of objects, be displayed or presented?
What features would a History Room in the TARDIS require?
Students may use the resource sheets provided to support their discussions and planning.
The exhibition could be open for other classes within the school to visit or for a Parents'
Open Day. The students would be able to take on the different roles needed to staff a
museum or exhibition, including guest speakers and expert historians who could talk with
authority about the objects on display.
© BBC
FURTHER ACTIVITIES
Doctor’s Detectives (5-7 year olds)
Open this activity with a discussion about what makes a good museum and discuss examples of
museums that the students may have already visited.
Get the class to read the letter from the Doctor and explain to the class about creating a
room in the TARDIS to display these objects. The class will then need to discuss the
categories they will use to display the objects.
Split the class into groups to prepare certain points.
Group 1 – Create models and drawings of the objects.
Group 2 – Write the labels and create an activity, eg a word jumble or treasure hunt.
Group 3 – Produce a guide book to the exhibition which lists the key areas. This could be
done as mini-books with a sentence on each theme.
Group 4 – Produce a video extract to go on a website to persuade people to visit their
museum.
Group 5 – Create a table/display/tour layout around the room. The TARDIS is always an
odd shape so they need to work out the shape, where each object will stand and how they
will be displayed. They will need to create a version of this for parents to visit, so they may
have to work out the material they would use to create the room. (A member of staff may
give the group an area in which they have to place their museum room so that it can be
seen by parents or the rest of the school in the final exhibition). This will depend upon the
age of pupils.
Group 6 – Prepare an audio guide for the Doctor to listen to that tells him why they selected
their categories and then the order in which he would visit the objects.
Group 7 – Create an interactive task for the Doctor to complete at the end of the Museum
tour to use the information he has gained to produce a key which locks the room in the
TARDIS until he needs it again.
Group 8 – Take photographs of the models, images, and the work in progress that can be
made into postcards that the Doctor could send to people.
© BBC
Deep Cover Time Agents (7-10 year olds)
Open this activity with a discussion about what makes a good museum and discuss examples of
museums they may have already visited.
Get the class to read the letter from the Doctor and explain to the class about creating a
room in the TARDIS to display these objects. The class will then need to discuss categories
they will use to display the objects.
Split the class into groups to prepare certain points.
Group 1 – Create models and drawings of the objects.
Group 2 – Write the labels and create an activity, eg a word jumble/crossword/riddle.
Group 3 – Produce a guide book to the exhibition which lists the key areas.
Group 4 – Produce a video extract to go on a website that people could forward so that the
site could go viral, which encourages people to visit the museum.
Group 5 – Create a table/display/tour layout around the room. The TARDIS is always an odd
shape so they need to work out the shape, where each object will stand and how they will be
displayed. They will need to create a version of this for parents to visit so they may have to
work out the material they would use to create the room. (A member of staff may give the
group an area in which they have to place their museum room so that it can be seen by
parents or the rest of the school in the final exhibition).
Group 6 – Prepare an audio guide for the Doctor to listen to that tells him why they selected
their categories and then the order in which he should visit the objects.
Group 7 – Create an interactive task for the Doctor to complete at the end of the Museum
tour to use the information he has gained to produce a key which locks the room in the
TARDIS until he needs it again.
Group 8 – Take photographs of the models, images, and the work in progress that can be
made into postcards that the Doctor could send to people.
© BBC
TARDIS Media Team (10-14 year olds)
Open this activity with a discussion about what makes a good museum and discuss examples of
museums they may have already visited.
Get the class to read the letter from the Doctor and explain to the class about creating a
room in the TARDIS to display these objects. The class will then need to discuss the
categories they will use to display the objects.
Split the class into groups to prepare certain points.
Group 1 – Create models and drawings of the objects.
Group 2 – Write the labels and create an activity, eg a word jumble/crossword/treasure
hunt/hangman diagram/message from the Doctor.
Group 3 – Produce an interactive guide book to the exhibition which lists the key areas and
which could be downloaded onto a tablet device or a smart phone.
Group 4 – Produce an informative but amusing video extract which encourages people to go
onto a website that people could forward so that the site could go viral.
Group 5 – Create a tour layout around the room or school. The TARDIS is always an odd
shape so they need to work out the shape and where each object will stand and how they will
be displayed. They will need to create a version of this for parents to visit, so they may have
to work out the material they would use to create the room. (A member of staff may give the
group an area in which they have to place their museum room so that it can be seen by
parents or the rest of the school in the final exhibition).
Group 6 – Prepare an audio guide for the Doctor to listen to that tells him why they selected
their categories and then the order in which he should visit the objects.
Group 7 – Create an interactive task for the Doctor to complete at the end of the Museum
tour to use the information he has gained to produce a key which locks the room in the
TARDIS until he needs it again.
Group 8 – Take photographs of the models, images, and the work in progress that can be
made into postcards that the Doctor could send to people.
© BBC
When writing the labels or explanatory notes to accompany the objects, students need
to consider which written style would be most appropriate. They could opt for a formal
explanation of what the object is, just as they would see in a traditional museum.
Alternatively, they could write exclusively for the Doctor, which would mean they would
have to explain why people in different eras of history would find these objects useful to
find out about the past.
After the students have completed the tasks and each group has fed back to the rest of the
class they need to create their Museum Room for the parents or the rest of the school.
The visitors could be asked to record their views on the postcards and send them back to
the class.
Once the activity is complete, each student should write a postcard or letter to the Doctor
explaining what they contributed to the room and why they think he will like it, as an
assessment of the whole game and task.
Resources
Resource Sheet 4: Individual Object Planner
Resource Sheet 5: Class Planner
Resource Sheet 6a: Labels
Resource Sheet 6b: Labels
Message from the Doctor
Historical Objects: All
© BBC
PERSONAL PROJECT PLANNER
What is the object called?
______________________________________________________________________
Drawing, sketch or image of the object:
How was the object used?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who might use or own the object?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Other interesting information?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Resource Sheet 1: Personal Project Planner
© BBC
BALLOT PAPER
1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________
10. _________________________________________________
Resource Sheet 2: Ballot Paper
© BBC
GROUP TASK PLANNER
Theme
______________________________________________________________________
Objects Collected:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How are the objects going to be displayed ?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
What other information is needed?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Resource Sheet 3: Group Task Planner
© BBC
Individual Object Planner
Object
______________________________________________________________________
Drawing, sketch or image of the object:
Who would have owned or used the object?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How was the object used?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Other information
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Resource Sheet 4: Individual Object Planner
© BBC
CLASS PLANNER
How should the objects be categorised?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
What other information can be found about each object?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
How should each object, or group of objects, be displayed or presented?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
What features would a history room in the TARDIS require?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Resource Sheet 5: Class Planner
© BBC
LABELS
WHIP AND TOP BREECHES SWADDLING
CLOTH
NINE MEN’S
MORRIS BOARD FOOTBALL BIRCH ROD
HORN BOOKS TYBURN TREE DUCKING STOOL
PILLORY GIBBET RACK
WATTLED
HURDLE
GUNPOWDER
BARREL
THE MONTEAGLE
LETTER
PRIEST HOLES
PRINCESS
ELIZABETH ROSARY
GUNPOWDER SIR FRANCIS DRAKE WATCH
VEILED LANTERN FREE
MONARCHIES ROYAL WAX SEAL
PORTRAIT OF
KING JAMES I COINS LITTER
UNION FLAG BLACK RAT CABBAGE
POTATOES DEADLY
NIGHTSHADE LEECHES
BEER BARREL TRAGEDY OF
MACBETH CHAMBER POT
QUILL AND INK WELL CLAY PIPE
FORK AND SPOON SUGAR MACE
Resource Sheet 6b: Labels
© BBC
Hello there! How are you lot today? Good I expect. I’m very good. I’ve just been on the most interesting adventure to London in 1605. You’ll never guess who I met. Guy Fawkes! I know that he was so excited to meet me. When I was there I gathered lots of really interesting stuff. I like collecting stuff. I have rooms and rooms of stuff all over the TARDIS. And that's my problem. It would be really good to find some interesting ways to organise the objects that I found on my trip to London. You know, a bit like a museum. Each object, or group of objects, could have its own display with a little label. I have lots of rooms in the TARDIS. Maybe you could help me create my very own museum! You’d need to think about how to categorise all the things that I've found. You might want to find out more about each of them. Oh, and remember to think of clever, interesting ways to display them. I’m sure you can create a wonderful exhibition for my TARDIS. I really am looking forward to seeing what you come up with! All the best,
The Doctor
Message from the Doctor