Preparing for the visit:On the evidence trail

At the end of these activities, it is useful to get pupils to start completing a KWL grid (What do I know about the battle of Culloden/the two armies/the battlefield? What do I want to know? After their visit, pupils can complete the grid by noting What have I learnt?).

Based on this, pupils can work in small groups or pairs to formulate questions which they want to investigate and find out more about when they visit the visitor centre and the battlefield. Arriving at the battlefield with a sense of mission will help pupils engage more on a personal level with the site and the objects displayed. Help them to view the Visitor Centre, its staff and the battlefield as resources to be used.

Pupils should plan at this stage how they are going to collect evidence – are they going to make notes, draw pictures, take photographs, interview staff, complete a grid? Pupils should plan their evidence collection carefully before they go, in order to make the most of this opportunity to access and investigate primary sources.