1. Langton Boys – Why an interactive map?

3. Why use a map to teach local significance?
Easy to pick local sites and shows the pupils the immediacy of these places
Google maps now provide an interactive element, but how and why did people choose certain locations? – a question that spurned my idea.
Choosing the locations to study is at the heart of teaching the concept of ‘historical significance’. Why is this location important? What is the reasoning for such importance?
Relationship between ‘change and continuity’ can easily be examined on a map too.

6. Why make it interactive?
The map had to be interlaced with video blogs and photographs and written work to allow the boys to creatively learn. Not just a USP!
They decided ‘what to say’, ‘what to research’ – taking control of local significance and independent learning.
autonomous learning mixed with teacher guidance.
Mixed media allowed for pupils to develop different strengths and cross curricular skills (ICT/drama for example)
A better ‘sense of period’ can be achieved in this way with the interactive element.

7. How did the project develop?
List created by the class and myself – some key locations chosen by me to start it off – but discussed why to include them (obv time is an issue!)
Each had to be justified as we would go round together.
Boys had to research their most interested areas for HW – discussed in a later lesson. Lists adjusted.
4 hours taken out to tour round the local highstreet and locations with guidance/talks by me and questions. Pupils assigned areas.
Boys record, write, interview, act or snap local places. Dependant on skill/behaviour amount of guidance/freedom can be changed.
Videos, etc uploaded. Reports written up in lessons/Hw.
Template was prepared by me and designed using the prezi idea. But could be changed to allow pupils to team up and all work on it too (like a shared task in google docs)
Easy to follow up with lessons after going back over the finished piece.

8. How could the interactive local map be used in class
How could the interactive local map be used in class? – taking it further
Pupils could be more involved in the final map once template designed.
Work based around local history to national history using the map as starters etc – ie. Canterbury castle link to normal SOW on castles.
Sets up the concepts of significance, change, etc for future lessons.
Get them to argue why a group’s location is more significant than another – gets them to take control of the concept and argue!