Introduction	The Project Microsite	New Literacy Framework	Visit to Crabble Mill	Resources
ICT and Writing	Pupil Work (Word)	Evidence of Impact	Credits	Teachers impact

Resources

One of the great challenges facing this project was how to interest one hundred and thirty pupils from twenty-six Kent primary schools in a very complex five storey watermill. We needed something that would grab the attention of the children.

The starting point had to be a good story involving some identifiable characters. Researching the local histories and copies of the Kentish Express two short stories of incidents at the mill were found. The stories were both fantastic and tragic and had the added bonus that both of the stories featured children. Armed with information about the mysterious deaths of James and William we felt that we could hook the interest of our prospective, usually reluctant, writers.

The project began with a clear investigative question:

'What happened to the boys in the mill?'

The two sources were sent in advance to the teachers for their group of six pupils. Each group then visited Crabble Corn Mill, Dover to take part in an Activity Day armed with questions and an interest in seeing where the deaths of the children might have taken place. We avoided the traditional tour and any attempt to formally explain how the mill worked. Instead the children took part in eight workshops that helped create the necessary knowledge base and atmosphere. The sources and the activities also inspired the children to want to know what had happened and in turn this provided a dramatic context for their writing. By encouraging the drafting and redrafting of the stories using ICT the children repeatedly refined and sought new historical evidence.

Videoconferencing – FlashMeeting

• Interview and ask Ian Coulson (ASK History Advisor) about working condition sin the Mill during the nineteenth century
• Additional resources were provided and pupils were encouraged to research more deeply about Victorian working conditions
• Playback and review the answers and suggestions from these sessions

Web research

• Pupils were directed to suitable web sites to research the mill and the Victorian period.
• Receive feedback about their work from pupils in other schools
• Obtain photographs and web resources to support planning and writing heir stories

Using historic sources

A significant number of pupils were able to relate the relevance of a variety of different types of historic sources to the context of their stories.

A wide range of sources were used including:

• photographs,
• maps,
• newspapers and
• expert evidence.

Crabble Mill Visit Activity Sheets

• Crabble Words (doc)
• The Dangers of Crabble Mill (doc)
• How Crabble Mill Worked (doc)
• Read all about it! (doc)
• What was Crabble Mill like in the 1820's (doc)
• My Object (doc)
• Recording Verbs (doc)
• A Real Grind (doc)
• Noises (doc)

Microsite Activity Guide (pdf)

Pre-Activity Recording Sheet (doc)

Risk Assessment Sheet (doc)

FlashMeeting User Guide (pdf)

Audacity User Guide (pdf)

Post Activity Recording Sheet (doc)

How to publish on “Making the News” (doc)

How to use the Forum Blog (doc)

Crabble Mill Writing Certificate (doc)

How to record a Podcast (doc)

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