HOW TO

PRIMARY

TEACHER GUIDANCE

The Operation Spitfire 4 Schools primary curriculum is designed for KS2. Its aims are to improve pupils’ understanding of why the Spitfire is important to people in Stoke-On-Trent and to give them an understanding of basic engineering principles. Our guiding principles are creativity, curiosity, inclusion and relevance. All the resources needed to teach the lessons are accessible online and you will be provided with an activity kit which contains the physical resources you will need.

HOW TO

Video coming soon.

Take Off

The curriculum begins with a Take Off session for the pupils taking part in the Operation Spitfire Curriculum. This 30-minute session gives the students an introduction to the History the Spitfire and the Operation Spitfire Curriculum. It will be delivered by a member of museum staff.

Incorporating the lessons into your curriculum

The lessons can be delivered over one Local History Week in school or during British Science Week. Alternatively to save time you may choose to incorporate the lessons into the Science and History curriculum you already teach over the year.

Each lesson is linked to the National Curriculum.

The mapping documents are provided as part of the programme.

TEACHING THE LESSONS

To teach the lessons you will need access to the curriculum online. The lessons are in the section named Primary Navigation. The starting point to access all the resources is the Hangar page available from the top menu when logged in.
There are five lessons in total which will take six hours to deliver: Marvellous Mitchell (1 Hour) , Hidden History (1 Hour) , Morse’s Messages (1 Hour), Wonderful Wings (1 Hour) and Clever Camouflage (2 Hours).
Each lesson has its own page. It contains teacher notes, an accompanying slidedeck and any worksheets you may need.

Extra-Curricular STEM Project

There is an extra-curricular project included called 'What did Reginald Mitchell mean to Stoke-On-Trent?' You will be provided with a project kit containing all the physical resources you need.
This project is designed to be delivered in an extra-curricular STEM club at lunchtime or after school.
The project gives you an opportunity to target pupils who may have low Science Capital. These pupils are unlikely to participate in Science and Engineering careers post 16 and may see a career in Science and Engineering as being not for them.
Then they will put everything they’ve learnt together and make their own Mitchell Carousel which is a moving model of the Spitfire in flight. You may wish to pre-assemble the model depending on how much time you have.
Your pupils will then decorate the model to show what Reginald Mitchell means to Stoke-On-Trent today.
Finally, your pupils will evaluate their model and presentation in preparation for the competition held at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery.

Meet a Member of the Operation Spitfire Team

Your students will meet a member of the Operation Spitfire team and have the opportunity to ask them questions. The Operation Spitfire team comprises of individuals with links to the Spitfire such as a current Spitfire pilot, an RAF engineer, engineers who have worked to create the Spitfire simulator in the museum, a relative of a female Spitfire Pilot and a relative of Reginald Mitchell. This can form part of your museum visit or the speaker can visit your school.

MUSEUM VISIT

The Operation Spitfire Primary Curriculum includes a visit to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery.
At the Museum your students will take part in a Spitfire Heroes Workshop and a Flight School Workshop.
This visit should be booked at the beginning of your curriculum as this will ensure that the museum can accommodate you.