Viking Longship Workshop

Architecture Workshops

The Architecture Workshops Association have been running fun and engaging workshops since 1996 that engage with pupils and providing catalytic support for teachers. Fitting with the national curriculum on numerous levels, not only the obvious STEM elements and History, but we help develop pupils Fine and Gross Motor Skills as well as a their independent thought and problem solving skills, thereby increasing their self esteem.

In The Viking Workshop Pupils work individually and in groups as Vikings together to construct a Long Boat up to 12m in length, complete with sail and oars. Large enough for the whole group to sit in, they imagine navigating a passage around the Arctic Circle to North America, as the Vikings did, some 500 years before Columbus.

Teacher Checklist

Risk Assessments

Where we travel to

We can visit your school in: East Midlands, West Midlands, London & South East, East of England, South West, North East, North West, Yorkshire, Wales

What activities are available during this school workshop?

Bridge Building, Egyptian Pyramids; Ely Cathedral; Fairground Rides; Geodesic Structures; Greek Parthenon; Indian Taj Mahal; Islamic Dome Of The Rock; Mayan Pyramid; Sculptures; Saxon Roundhouse; Shelters; Skyscrapers; Stonehenge; Tudor Globe Theatre; Victorian Crystal Palace; Viking Longboat

Which curriculum topics do we cater for?

Maths

Logic and Problem Solving Shape

All of our hands-on workshops contain every aspect of STEM learning, from number and counting to shape and space the real word Maths involved is focused on the importance of triangulation in construction. From EYFS Pyramids to KS2 Skyscrapers

Design Technology

Materials

We only use two materials in the majority of our workshops; dowel and rubber bands. Using these simple materials pupils can easily grasp the importance of triangulation and strong bond in structures, both made made and natural.
Construction Elements Included, where pupils have to follow instructions together to form the structure, so need to help and guide one another to ensure a successful build.

Performing Arts

As a way of leaning about the structures the pupils have built we use drama to enact out the Vikings in their Longboat sailing and rowing to north America via the arctic circle avoiding icebergs as they go. We play a version of What's The Time Mr Wolf, with pupils lifting their oars from the water when the spotter shouts "iceberg"

PSHE

Teamwork and resilience

Problem solving and resilience are endemic in all of our workshops, but particularly in the STEAM orientated ones, like Bridge, Maths & Design, Shelters, Skyscrapers, Olympic Sculptures. Pupils Work individually, in groups and altogether to create one large structure, or remaining in groups make their own structure. e.g. bridge, shelter, sculpture. The teamwork and resilience needed helps develop pupils cooperative intelligence.

Vikings

Invaders and Settlers Mythology and Culture

We talk about the history of the Vikings as pupils build the longboat structure. Where they originated from, where they traveled to, why they traveled and how the design of their boats enabled them to do this so successfully

Physics

Forces

As with Design & Technology it is the engineering contained in STEM that applies to Physics within our workshops and the importance of triangulation in structures

What size groups do we cater for?

90+ in 2 x 2hr workshops with 45 in each session in a day

Access for visitors with disabilities

Yes Please let us know more about your group and we will get back to you with more details about the suitability of what we offer.

Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

We are happy to work with SEN pupils who are part of a class, but if the percentage is greater than 25% we may have to adjust the total number accordingly. Likewise we can run workshops at specialist schools with smaller numbers.

Anything else?

My son, Erno, ran out of his classroom today exclaiming 'best day ever'. Thank you so much for what sounds like an inspiring session building pyramids in Elstree. His eyes were glistening and he is still buzzing! Thank you very much.

Who are Architecture Workshops?

Designed to stimulate imaginations and excite children and teachers alike the Architecture Workshops Hands-On experience is a Focused Practical Task For All Key Stages & Abilities. The workshops focus on simple ideas to amazing affect, using all aspects of STEM pupil’s work together to build stunning large scale structures. In many of the workshops we take a history topic as a starting point and using, Design Technology, Maths Literacy, Science and Drama to differing degrees, pupils create large scale reconstructions of famous architectural landmarks that bring curriculum subjects to life.
Pupils work individually, in small teams and altogether to build one large structure or many structures depending upon the focus of the chosen workshop. The ideas found in EYFS workshops are developed throughout our repertoire of workshops, from KS 1 & 2 right up to KS 3,4 & 5.