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York Museums Trust Objects to Feature in Teaching History with 100 Objects

Schoolchildren around the country will be able to learn about objects in the collections of York Museums Trust, thanks to a new national learning resource launched today (Tuesday September 2) by the British Museum and the Department for Education.

The Vale of York Viking Hoard, which is jointly owned by the Yorkshire Museum and the British Museum, and a First World War Horse Gas Mask from York Castle Museum, are both included in the resource called Teaching history with 100 Objects.

Each of the objects act as a focus to learn about British and world history from 700,000 years ago to the present day, with connections to key elements in the new national history curriculum for England.

The first tranche of 20 objects (including the Vale of York Viking Hoard) is now online, with all 100 available by December 2014.

Dr Janet Barnes, CBE, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said:

“We are delighted to be part of this nationwide project which will become a valuable resource to schools teaching the new history curriculum. This resource benefits from the strength and diversity of collections from regional museums all over Britain. We hope it will capture interest, encourage debate and inspire children to learn more about the events and people which shaped the world we live in today.”

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum said ‘The British Museum is committed to showing how object based learning can bring history to life.

This project will enable every primary and secondary school child in the country to access museum objects from the magnificent to the mundane but all of which can teach us about our global history.

This is an extremely exciting project for the British Museum and our partners to be involved in as we seek to make a reality of our ambition to engage all children across the UK with museum objects which tell both local and global stories.”

As well as British Museum objects, other artefacts from museums across the country are included in the list, as part of the British Museum Partnership UK Scheme, of which York Museums Trust is a member.

The resource’s aim is to promote object based learning to enable a wide understanding of UK and world history to support the history curriculum at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. Each resource includes information, teaching ideas, images and links to video and other media.

The list of objects and the resources have been developed and written by the British Museum with support from the Department for Education and a host of partner museums.

Resource can be found at www.teachinghistory100.org

York Museums Trust objects included:

Vale of York Viking Hoard

The Vale of York Viking Hoard was discovered in January 2007 by metal-detectorists. The size and quality of the hoard is remarkable, making it the most important find of its type in Britain for over 150 years. It contains a mixture of different precious metal objects, including 600 coins, complete ornaments, ingots (bars) and chopped-up fragments known as hack-silver. The most spectacular single object is a gilt silver vessel in which the rest was contained.

The hoard shows the diversity of cultural contacts in the medieval world, with objects coming from as far apart as Afghanistan in the East and Ireland in the West, as well as Russia, Scandinavia and continental Europe.

Horse Gas Mask

Gas attacks were a danger to men and horses alike. This gas mask from sometime between 1915 and 1918 was designed to be worn over the horse’s nose and mouth – like a nosebag. It features in York Castle Museum’s major new exhibition on the First World War, 1914: When the World Changed Forever.