Idea 1: Writing an expert caption: e.g. wooden trencher
Present an object such as a wooden trencher as a mystery item – assuming the children haven’t seen one before! Ask them to keep quiet if they have!
Set the children a challenge. How can we write a detailed, lively and informative caption to accompany this object in a museum? Given that it is simply a board of wood with two differently sized circular depressions cut into one side this may seem a tall order. This is where your skilful questioning comes in. Start by asking children to explore and describe its obvious features. Ask for suggestions as to why there might be the two shallow depressions. What might be placed in each? Once you have established probable use, move on to investigating who would have used them. How typical was this item? How widespread the use? When pupils have collected
