Our book project funds copies of The Show Must Go On to each school. you will receive a number of copies! That way we hope that they can be used in many different ways and not just put on a library shelf.
Of course our first hope is that the book is read and enjoyed by everyone. As a community group we see so many benefits for them being in school, especially when it comes to the children learning about others. Maybe it will help stop misconceptions and preconceived ideas about our community from starting. Using an authentic resource it will enable those outside of our community to learn a little more about Showmen. As well as providing a positive representation for those Showmen children who are attending school.
The books are aimed at independent readers. They can of course be used for reading for pleasure but with 5 copies in school they also lend themselves to the guided reading scheme or peer review reading. We would encourage schools to use them as a tool. To spark a thought and be used as a conversation starter for a discussion in PHSE about diverse communities. Or as part of a theme for a project linked to the fair. All aspects of the curriculum link easily back to the fairground industry. Local history with local fairs that visit your town annually, or a more overall look at a history topic such as the Victorian’s.
Fairs link back to this era with fairs leading the way for familiar entertainment that we all see now in the modern age such as cinema. Art linked to traditional sign writing. Science with an insight into kinetic energy and forces. DT structure and engineering. Cookery is an easy one with the possibility of hot dogs and toffee apples on the school menu. Not to mention English literacy and the inspiring stories and poems the children could write about. Maths could incorporate a fairground stall in class and probability as well as using money.
Authors could visit, Michelle and Richard have already given talks in schools and we have also arranged for Showman artist George Hebborn to give a lesson via zoom. For a school to have authentic community voices as a contact for any work that you may do is an additional asset and adds to a schools focus on diversity and inclusion. We know teachers are very experienced in adapting the curriculum to fit their children we think this is something that can be used for every child in a class.
Every child matters after all. We are aware that lesson planning is time consuming so we can help with this too providing other teaching resources and we are conscious school budgets are tight to say the least so it’s always nice to be given a gift of books. Having these books in school are a gift from our group and we hope schools can see the value they can add to their pupils by being taken off the library shelf.