Essential information
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Key Stage |
SEND
|
| Curriculum links |
Communication
|
| Session length | 60 minutes |
| Session times | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, flexible timings |
| Capacity | Up to 12 learners per group (including 2 wheelchair users) |
| Price | Free |
Session overview
Entry level: Adaptable for students following pre-formal, semi-formal or formal curriculum (SLD, MLD, ASC, SLCN)
Dry dock
Learners meet the facilitator in the dry berth and are welcomed with a call and response sea shanty. Learners explore boxes to find out what cargo Cutty Sark carried when it was at sea.
Main deck
Learners move to the main deck and use props such as telescopes to think about and act out what sailors did onboard. Learners visit the sailor cabins and the Captain's quarters.
Tween deck
Learners explore an interior deck and have a chance to play some interactive ship games.
Dry dock
The session ends with a discussion about what sailors eat (using props) and another sea shanty.
Learning objectives
Learners will:
- Develop communication and social skills
- Be inspired to explore the collection further
- Appreciate the importance of working as a crew
- Have fun
GLOs
Knowledge and Understanding
- Understand that the ship carried different cargo around the world
- Acquire new vocabulary (as appropriate) related to the ship and its history e.g. clipper, cargo, crew etc.
Skills
- Develop communication and social skills
Enjoyment, Inspiration, Creativity
- Have fun
- Be inspired to explore collections further
Attitudes and Values
- Appreciation of importance of working together as a crew (team)
- Empathy for those who sailed on the ship
Activity, Behaviour and Progression
- Responses to activity
Key words
Sail, Cutty Sark, River Thames, rope, mast, wheel, captain, sailor, telescope, brush, sails, wind power
Suggested pre-visit knowledge and activities
Introduce a picture of a sailing ship (like the Cutty Sark).
Ask: What do you think people had to do on board? How do you think they worked together?
Explain: On a ship, everyone had to be part of a crew - if they didn’t work together, the ship couldn’t sail.
Pass soft beanbags/balls from one end of the ship (room) to the other without dropping them. They must cheer each other on and work as a team.
Suggested post-visit knowledge and activities
Provide learners with a simple template or tactile props to retell their experience (looked through a telescope, saw cabins, sang shanties, touched food props). Learners sequence or choose their favourites.
Provide a sensory story bag with items such as a telescope, captain’s hat, wooden spoon, rope, for learners to retell the day by handling the items again.
Ask learners to share their favourite moment or point to an image/prop that represents what they liked most.
End with singing the sea shanty again, so they connect their classroom reflection back to the ship visit.