Exploring Evidence

Become an investigator for the day and put your thinking skills to the test. Explore real and replica objects from our handling collections, then tell us what you see, think and wonder about objects as diverse as elephant skin, Canadian snow shoes and fossilized tree bark.

Exploring Evidence is a new, cross-curricular workshop that helps develop skills in social studies, literacy and English.
Suitable for Levels 1 & 2 (P2-7)
10:15 / 12:45

Pre-workshop resources to download

What will my pupils do in the workshop?

Introduction

Discuss the nature of evidence.

What is evidence?
Why is it important?
How can it be difficult to use?

Exploring the evidence

Work in small groups of 3-4 to explore an object from the collections
Each group will discuss their own object and write down what:
They see or feel (I see)
Their thoughts are about the evidence (I think)
They still wonder about the evidence (I wonder
One person from each group will be in charge of writing, another in charge of the piece of evidence, the other in charge of timing.
After a set time, move onto the next table, bringing with them only their marker pen. Presented with a new piece of evidence, this time they will read and discuss the previous group’s thoughts and mark whether they agree or disagree? Then they will add their own observations to the list.
Move round and repeat the process for the other artefacts.

Feedback

Groups will return to their original tables and consider what has been added to their lists and any comments that have been made.
Decide whether they agree or disagree with these comments and explain their reasoning to the class
Find out what their objects actually are and how they are / were used.

Primary 2-4

If required this workshop can be adapted for younger children who are less confident at writing. The writing will be replaces with discussion groups and at the end of the set time each group will have to tell the workshop enabler what they think their piece of evidence is. The team with the most correct guesses will be named the winning team.

Curriculum areas and key learning outcomes

Social Studies
People, past events and societies	I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past. SOC2-01a
	I can interpret historical evidence from a range of periods to help build a picture of Scotland’s heritage and my sense of chronology. SOC2-02a
Literacy and English
Tools for listening and talking	When I engage with others, I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, show that I value other’s contributions and use these to build on thinking. LIT2-02a
Understanding, analysing and evaluating	I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by responding to literal, inferential, evaluative and other types of questions, and by asking different kinds of questions of my own. LIT2-07a
	To help me develop an informed view, I can distinguish fact from opinion, and I am learning to recognise when my sources try to influence me and how useful these are. LIT2-08a