Professor McGinty is a new way to help to teach History to Key Stage 2 children.

It combines storytelling, costumes, artefacts, slides, smells, music and sounds of the time in question.

The 'mobile museum' is the main talking point of a workshop, giving the children chance to examine, touch and experience objects that would normally be found out of reach in a glass case.

Each session involves an entertaining hour long interactive story that acts as a tour guide for your chosen time.

Some of the artefacts are mystery objects and the Professor may need the help of your students to identify their use

TEACHERS

  • History

     Ancient Egypt - The Nile, the Pyramids, irrigation, the Pharaohs, housing, food and drink, clothing, wildlife, climate, tombs and mummies, egyptian beliefs and their gods, travel, papyrus, trade and growing up in Ancient Egypt.

    Ancient Greece - The gods, temples, Olympics, myths and legends, money, housing, food and drink, schools, slaves, trade, clothing, theatre, music, democracy, inventions and the legacy or Ancient Greece.

    Roman Britain - The gods, temples, the Celts, the Picts, housing, villas, towns, food and drink, music, entertainment, pottery, money, clothing, theatre, warfare and roads, Hadrian’s Wall.

    The Vikings - Invasion, settlers, trade, arts and crafts, hunting, weapons and war, the gods and beliefs, housing, food and drink, clothing, pottery, entertainment, shopping and the law.

    The Tudors - Henry VIII and his wives, Elizabeth I, rich and poor housing, religion, crime and punishment, sanitation, disease, clothing, food and drink, money, wars, the Armada, exploration and trade.

    The Victorians - Victoria and Albert, rich and poor, inventions and inventors, toys, the industrial revolution, sanitation and disease, workhouses, food, clothing, schools, social etiquette and growing up in Victorian England.

    World War Two - Rationing, politics, air raids, the home guard, the new role for women due to the war, gasmasks, clothing, shelters, evacuation, the army, navy and air force, weapons and growing up in World War Two.

  • Who is Professor McGinty?

    Professor McGinty is the creation of actor Richard Allen, whose extensive work with Youth theatres and 'Theatre in Education', has made him aware of children's ability to learn through experience and entertainment.

    Not just to be told about a period in history, or even to see pictures, but to be able to touch and smell objects and wear clothes from that time can help to bring history to life.

    The Professor isn't from any particular time or place and has been described as a mixture of Doctor Who, Mr. Bean and something that H.G. Wells could have dreamed up in a spare afternoon.

    Rather than just spouting historical facts, he too is amazed and sometimes shocked,by what he discovers in the past.

    Although a history expert, Professor McGinty is just as much a tourist in the past as the children, and his naivety and wonder makes the workshops more accesible and interesting than a regular history lecture.