Teaching primary history : the case of Wignacourt Museum

Abstract

This study aims to show the effectiveness of teaching history outside the classroom. The Wignacourt Museum is located in the village core of Rabat and it is the property of the Church in Malta. This site was chosen because it has a range of artefacts and paintings dating from different periods in Malta's history. Three Year VI classes were selected and taken on-site to visit the museum and the complex of which it forms part of. They then had the opportunity to try out the resources prepared specifically for this site. A resource pack for secondary students already exists. This was viewed and adapted to Year VI students, and new resources were created. All necessary arrangements were done and the author took the three classes on-site himself. The pupils tried out the activities; the author reported, and came out with some proposals to make the experience for the students even more enjoyable and fulfilling.