Olion

Co-creating Welsh-medium history resources for schools.

Led by the School of History, Archaeology and Religion, this project was the first step in the creation of a Welsh language history magazine for school pupils. Its key objectives was to co-create and test a prototype through workshops with schools.

The project ran an initial workshop at Cardiff University in February 2024 for history teachers from four local schools – Ysgol Glantaf, Ysgol Plasmawr, Ysgol Bro Edern, and Ysgol Gwynllyw. Teachers reported a lack of learning resources that enable them to teach history effectively – especially in Welsh. Useful discussions were captured around resources currently available, where teachers felt the gaps were, what resources they would like to see developed, and the challenges of implementing the new curriculum.

Feedback from teachers obtained resulted in a shift to what was originally planned. The teachers believed a website would be a more useful resource, with a pupil-facing element in the line of the original idea of a magazine, and a teacher-facing element which would include downloadable essay plans.

Wales and the world

A broad overarching theme of ‘Wales and the World’ was chosen to link the new curriculum’s focus on Welsh history with broader global developments. The idea was to include units on specific topics linked to this theme on the website.

The next stage of the project involved the construction of a prototype website that included units on the slate industry in north Wales, Vikings in Wales, as well as interactive games and quizzes for pupils. The website also included summaries of key themes, images, timelines and maps, and introductions to source material. Five downloadable lesson plans for each unit were designed for teachers.

After completing the test website, it was shared with teachers for feedback. Teachers praised the resource and said that they felt listened to and that we had acted on the discussions in workshops. The prototype website is currently being tested in Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf in Llandaff.

The scheme was invaluable in providing the opportunity to develop a resource which could have a genuine impact on the experiences of pupils being taught history at secondary schools and those teaching them.

Next steps

The next steps for the project would be to secure funding to turn the prototype into a fully functioning website to include additional learning units and to roll it out to more schools across Wales.

Contact

For more information about this project, contact: