Teacher Introduction to the Site
The 5-14 guidelines state that by the end of the nine years of study from
P1 to S2, children should have had experience of studying all five historical
eras, The Ancient World (Pre-fifth century AD) being the first. It is also
of priority to maintain a focus on the history of Scotland and include at
least one topic with a specific Scottish emphasis. By working through the
Scots and Picts site, children will have the opportunity to develop an understanding
of some elements of their Scottish heritage.
The children will be able to learn about a wide variety of aspects related
to Ancient Scotland and the lives of its inhabitants. These are explored
by the use of four icons : Monk - enabling the children to learn about the
lives of the ancient monks, Bird - giving examples of Pictish designs and
then allowing for experimentation and personal designing, Mirror 聳
a series of exploratory activities whereby the children have to decide for
themselves the meanings behind certain Pictish symbols and finally Map 聳
where opportunity is provided for the children to discover Gaelic, Norse
and Pictish place names from around Scotland and then recall these by placing
them correctly.
Before you enter the site you might like to look at a) the background information
about the Scots and the Picts and b) the Forward Plan which identifies the
5 - 14 strands, attainment targets, levels and pupil experiences which this
site supports.
If you have any comments or suggestions please contact
sysm@bbc.co.uk.
Background
History
Forward
Plan
Plug-in
information
Glossary
1. Monk
area
Activity
 Children
will learn about the early monks聮 way of life. They will learn that
the monks sailed to Scotland from Ireland and be able to hear a traditional
story about St Columba. Moving to the monastery, the children can then view
the inside of the building as well as listening to a chant sung by early
monks. They will also discover, by visiting the herb garden, that the monks
used herbs to cure injuries and disease and will be given the opportunity
to try out some herbal remedies for themselves. And finally at this area
of the site the children are given the tools to create their very own illuminated
letter which can be transferred to the start of a short piece of writing.
Learning Outcomes
1. Children will be able to recognise the main features of the monks聮
way of life through visiting the main sites in the monks聮 living area.
2. Children will gain knowledge required to make comparisons between the
monks聮 way of life and that of eg. A member of a Pictish or Scots tribe.
3. Children will view simple types of evidence in the form of photographic
archives and then use this experience to make their own illuminated designs.
VISIT
MONK AREA (text only)
GO
TO FLASH VERSION (interactive)
Suggested Follow up activities
1. Children could be involved with writing a 聭Day in the life diary
of a monk聮
2. Make a class herb table, showing all or some of the herbs that the monks
used in their medicine and also collect information about how these herbs
are still used today.
3. Listen to different types of chants. Discuss how chanting is used today
and then devise a class chant.
2. Pictish
design area
Activity
 Here
the children will be looking at simple types of evidence that will tell
them about the craft skills and sophistication of peoples from the past.
They can firstly to look at examples of and read about Pictish Designs.
They then move onto making their own design on either a stone or shield.
The children are provided with simple clear tools on screen to make either
a simple or a more complex design. Finally the design can either be printed
as a single piece or incorporated into a background picture.
Learning Outcomes
1. Children will be able to recognise simple types of evidence, which can
help them to understand the past more clearly.
2. Children will use the process of 聭repetition of design聮 to
create their own Pictish designs.
3. Children will make personal choices for their own designs.
VISIT
PICTISH DESIGN AREA (text only)
GO
TO FLASH VERSION (interactive)
Suggested Follow up activities
1. Create standing stones with clay, incorporating some simple Pictish designs.
2. Make a 聭Class Stone聮 wall display, incorporating different
Pictish designs but also symbols which represent features of their own class
/ group of friends.
3. Pictish
symbols
Activity
 In
this section the children are involved in making decisions about Pictish
symbols. They have to study a number of different symbols and from four
given descriptions make a personal choice as to which explanation they think
is most likely. When they have done this , they can move to a graph which
shows the choices made by everyone who has visited the site. It should be
emphasised to the children that no answer is wrong, and that everyone has
their own opinion.
Learning Outcomes
1. Children investigate ways in which people remember and preserve the past.
2. Children make logical decisions by choosing the most appropriate explanation.
VISIT
PICTISH SYMBOLS (text only)
GO
TO FLASH VERSION (interactive)
Suggested Follow up activities
1. This exercise could be replicated as a class activity. Click
here for
printouts of opinions, characters and symbols. Use the print outs to conduct
your own class vote. Graphic representations can be made using the heads
of the character provided and constructing a bar graph or a pictograph for
classroom display.
2 The 聭choices聮 theme could be extended by the children creating
their own personal symbols and then the rest of the class making choices
about the meaning behind these symbols.
3 The teacher could set up a ballot box in the class and each day display
another Pictish symbols. The children then vote by ticking a ballot paper
and the results are calculated at the end of the week.
4. Place
names area
Activity
 The
children encounter ancient Gaelic, Norse and Pictish place names. Many of
the names have not changed over the centuries and here the children are
involved in recognising and then placing these names correctly. In the 5
聳 14 guidelines we are given the attainment target of describing ways
in which people remember and preserve the past and by finding out about
and then placing these names the children should discover that our Scottish
heritage is preserved in place names in every part of the country.
Learning Outcomes
1. Children should be able to recognise and categorise the different types
of place names under the headings of Norse, Gaelic and Pictish.
2. Children locate these place names correctly on a map of Scotland.
VISIT
PLACE NAMES AREA (text only)
GO
TO FLASH VERSION (interactive)
Suggested Follow up activities
1. A large class map could be displayed with removable tags, each labelled
with selected place names. The children then have competitions in placing
all or just a few of the place names.
2. The location of the places can then be compared with the location of
main cities and towns with which the children are familiar.
Useful links
Historic Scotland:
The National Museum of Scotland:
Pictavia:
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