This week, a historical-fantasy script written by Tom. Plus, book our only remaining school-slot for September – scroll down to learn more. Why Use Scripts as Stimuli? This script has been part of our schools resource pack for a few years, but we share it today after it worked incredibly well in a session with Year 3 at Lyng Primary School earlier this month. Jason and I are big fans of scripts as a stimuli for P4C and oracy. A bit like a written version of our Spot and Stripe series, a good script will always:present two or more opinions on a questioncontain explicit and implicit questions for the students to considerinvite students to continue the discussion (either as themselves, or the characters!)help develop their reading aloud skillsYet I tend to be reticent about using them when visiting schools. I find myself thinking that a piece of paper in everyone’s hands will make it feel too much like a traditional lesson. Or fearing that some students might not follow what’s being said. But they always absolutely fly and end up being one of the best sessions from the day. Students love following the exchanges between characters and then have plenty to discuss when deciding who they’re siding with. And even if I know I’m pitching things a bit high, everyone always rises to the challenge and relish learning new words and proving they can tackle something initially designed for older students. You can let them read in pairs, before a pair of volunteers to act it out, or vice-versa. Before visiting Lyng Primary. I was told Year 3 had been studying Romans and I recalled writing a script set after The Battle of Watling Street, in heaven’s departure lounge, between Gallus, a Roman soldier, and Drest, a Celt. Any fears it was above them soon evaporated as we read it together and engaged in a deep discussion about whether improving a place really does justify your invasion. Who does this suit? This particularly suits anyone studying Roman Britain, or any topic involving invaders and settlers, but I’ve included plenty of knowledge in the dialogue so anyone can access it and take an opinion. Scroll down to download a printable PDF. Enter GALLUS, a Roman Soldier, and DREST, a Celtic warrior, sat in heaven’s departure lounge, waiting to be taken to their respective afterlives. GALLUS Nice spearwork. Caught me quite off-guard. Good battle, that. DREST For you, maybe. We lost, remember? Boudica took poison. Game over from then on. GALLUS True. But I think the best side won. DREST It’s not fair. GALLUS What do you mean? We beat you fair and square. A very good square, in fact – we’re brilliant at formations. DREST Not the battle. The invasion. The way you Romans have taken over our country. Us Celts were doing just fine before you invaded. GALLUS Your country. What makes you say it was your country? DREST Is our country, for a start. Not was. We were here before you. GALLUS I don’t think that’s how it works. DREST It’s better than ‘best army wins’. GALLUS ‘Best army wins’ works well for us. DREST But not for anyone else. You can’t just invade a country and take it as your own. You already have a whopping great empire. Why do you need more? You’ve taken our land, you make us pay high taxes, and obey your laws. GALLUS But aren’t you happy with everything we have given you? DREST Given us? Battle defeats and stinging nettles? Yeah. Thanks a bunch for that. GALLUS We’ve given you far more than that. Where do you live? DREST Londinium. GALLUS See, even the name is ours. We’re building most of it. Shops, fresh water, public toilets, sewers, central heating, roads in and out. We’re teaching you how to use coins and how to read and write in Latin. I think we’re improving the place. DREST You haven’t improved it for me. I’m dead. GALLUS So am I. Still, no hard feelings. I think they’re calling our flights. Enjoy The Otherworld. DREST Thank you, enjoy Elysium. And this time, try not to invade us. Download PDF Questions: Who do you agree with more, Gallus or Drest? List the reasons each of them give. Which are the strongest? Which are the weakest? Is an invasion justified if you improve the place? What’s your criteria for a “Just” invasion? (see the Just War theory for some background)You can find this, and many other scripts like it, at P4C.com. What’s new in the Philosoverse?I (Tom) have just finished five school visits in one week, including returning to Eltham College to work with Year 10 and 12 as one of our other organisations Hidden Leaders. On Wednesday I returned to Rosemead Prep to run an all-day Curriculum Clinic, and on Thursday co-ran a pilot Thinking Moves Pupil-Day with Roger Sutcliffe at Winterbourne Girls Primary in Croydon. Jason has been just as busy, joining me for some of the week before leading Duke of Edinbrugh expeditions with our sister enterprise, Outspark. 2025 will see our busiest September yet, working with over 20 schools, and thousands of students, across the businesses in the first half of the month alone, before we’re set to do similar in Australia. A late postponement has meant we are now available on Thursday 4th Septemberfor either oracy or metacognition INSET or workshops, or teambuilding activities with Hidden Leaders. Do get in touch if you’re interested and we can share more details. The slot will be allocated on a first confirmed, first served basis I want this slot! Best wishes, Tom and Jason |
