Viking Longship Workshop
Architecture Workshops
The 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.
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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.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments
Architecture Workshops
How science, maths and art skills can be developed through team work, problem solving and imagination
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