This morning myself and my friend took a trip to the RRS Discovery Boat Dundee. I went there with two aims in mind; to learn more about the history of Dundee and to evaluate what it would be like to take a class there.

As a child, I remember visiting the Discovery Boat multiple times however I had absolutely no idea about the history behind it. I was amazed to learn about the journeys the boat has been on and really liked the way the exhibition led you through time from construction, to the first expedition, it’s life after the expedition and how it came back to Dundee today. The exhibition was extremely informative and described many aspects relating to the boat and its expeditions such as what they ate during the expedition, the conditions in Antarctica and the types of studies they carried out there. All of these subtopics had my teacher mind spinning and I began to consider what a topic based around the Discovery Boat would involve. I feel this topic has links with many other subject areas and therefore could easily be covered over a whole term. This fits in with the Interdisciplinary Learning Approach discussed in Curriculum for Excellence Briefing 4; “Learning in different subject or curricular areas is used to explore a theme.” (Scottish Government, 2012).

Examples of possible cross-curricular links:

• History – Dundee’s role in ship making and what other ways we used/use the river.
• – What type of food and clothes they had back then. (SOC 1-02a, SOC 2- 03a)
• Geography – The path the discovery took to reach Antarctica, the climate in Antarctica and how it is being impacted by global warming ( SOC 2- 08a, SOC 2- 12a, SOC 2-14a)
• Technology and Design – The construction of the boat (TCH 2-09a, TCH 2-10a)
• Literacy – Writing diary entries about what it was like to be on the boat (ENG 2-27a)
• Skills – researching, note taking, comparing and contrasting, reflecting, presenting.

(Scottish Government, 2009)

As mentioned, I previously knew little about the RRS Discovery, therefore, it was not until I had been through the whole exhibition and engaged with the resources that I felt I had a full understanding of what it was all about.  On reflection, this made me realise that without previous knowledge the children may not be able to piece the story together themselves and might not get as much out of the experience. Therefore, I think the visit would be best to come during the topic rather than at the beginning. This will allow the teacher to give the pupils some background knowledge on the topic and gather what the pupils would like to learn more on. Pickford, Gardner and Jackson (2013) call this a deductive approach to fieldwork, where pupils make predictions and generate thoughts about the topic which are then answered during the fieldwork. Whilst at the visitor’s centre, I came across a book which tells the tale of the Discovery Boat and its journey. I think this would be a good way to introduce the topic to the pupils as hopefully the story would spark curiosity, imagination and inspiration while giving some background knowledge.

I then moved onto thinking about what activities I would plan for pupils during the visit. Some reading, such as Hoodless (2008) discusses giving pupils free range to explore the museum how they like. However, I felt there was a lot of information in the museum and if pupils were not focused, they may not get the most out of it. I thought of splitting the class into ‘specialist explorer groups’ where each group would have a specific area to research. Pupils would then report their information back to the class once back at school. Turner – Bisset (2005) discuss that this literacy aspect may put pressure on pupils and take the fun out of a visit. They suggest allowing pupils to record their information in various formats such as pictures, videos and sound clips. This is something I would definitely take into consideration.

Along with this, I feel it would be beneficial for pupils to do a personal piece of work when they returned to school too. This could involve pupils putting themselves in an explorer’s shoes and reflecting on how they think they would feel. I found the experience very moving and inspiring therefore I think this would work well.

Finally, I considered the risks of the trip. Firstly, if you were an inner-city school you may walk to the centre. This would involve crossing and walking along some very busy roads. Therefore, the need for high vis vests, what adult- pupil ratio is required and the route would need to be pre-investigated. Although, if pupils were to be getting a bus to the centre, the road outside is still very busy. This may be something I would discuss with pupils before getting off the bus. Once indoors the centre is very enclosed with fences around the whole outdoor area. This is good as it would stop pupils wandering off. The centre is also small meaning it is easier to keep an eye on pupils.

Overall my visit to the Discovery Boat was very beneficial for me as a teacher. I learned a lot about the city I live in and how the 18/1900’s was a period of ground-breaking expeditions to Antarctica; a place people back then knew so little about. This will really help my own professional knowledge. I also learned how to conduct a pre-visit and evaluate places.  I considered when is best to carry out a trip, what activities are suitable and what risks need to be considered.

While walking around the exhibition I also had myself in a leaner’s shoes. I found going to the Discovery a very exciting experience, much like how I felt whenever I went on a school trip as a child. The exhibition included lots of interactive pieces and appealed to lots of learning styles, for example the 4D Cinema. The exhibition was laid out in such a way that felt like you were part of the expedition through dressing up and handling equipment. Due to this array of hands-on learning I can see how this would help consolidate knowledge learned in the classroom.

Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to speak to the education officers at the centre however the website details the variety of resources the centre can offer for schools (Dundee Heritage Trust, 2018). This is something I would definitely draw upon as it may bring in more child aimed experiences and the staff will be able to give pupils more in-depth subject knowledge.

References

• Dundee Heritage Trust (2018) Learning, Nursery and Primary Schools. Available at: https://www.rrsdiscovery.com/learn/nursery-primary-schools/(Accessed 3/11/18)
• Hoodless, P.(2008) Teaching History in Primary Schools. Exeter: Learning Matters.
• Pickford, T. Gardner, W. and Jackson, E. (2013) Primary Humanities, Learning through enquiry. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Scottish Government (2009) Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies Experiences and Outcomes. Available at: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes#soc (Accessed 4/11/18)
• Scottish Government (2012) CFE Briefing 4, Interdisciplinary Learning.Available at: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/cfe-briefing-4.pdf(Accessed 4/11/18)
• Turner-Bisset, R. (2005) Creative Teaching: history in the primary classroom. Abingdon: David Fulton.