The Boat Builder's Story

Source: 

Second Nature - Environmental Studies Pack (5-14), SNH & RSPB - available from the RSPB.  

Inspired by an outdoor programme 'Woodland Ways' developed by English Nature at Lathkill Dale NNR.

Time

15 minutes for the story + 30 minutes for the boat building activity

You will need

• Blindfolds (optional), one for each child
• The Boat Builder's story (see downloads)
• A costume or accessories for the Boat Builder to wear (optional)
• Raffia for boat building activity

Did you know?

The Time machine stories were originally written to be told as a sequence of six stories, see Introducing the Time machine for further explanation of how to sequence and use the stories. 

Before the Activity

Decide where on your visit you will introduce this story.  Prepare blind folds and the boat builder's costume if required. If possible learn the basic content of the story so that you avoid reading from a script and thus can use gestures and eye contact to make the story come alive. 

The activity

The boat builder's story tells us that he has been responsible for building some of the finest war ships in the country. The large oaks found in many parts of Scotland are ideal for this purpose. His ancestors were among the first people to build small skin covered boats called coracles.

Explain to the children that you want them to imagine that they are going to travel back in time. Five thousand years ago wildwoods covered most of Scotland however something happened that changed the wildwoods. To find out more about what happened to the woods, they are going to travel back in time 1,000 years and meet someone who lived here at that time. Use blindfolds or ask the children to cover their eyes, then all count back to 1,000 years ago, 100 years at a time. On an agreed signal the children uncover their eyes and meet the boat builder who tells his story. They then re-cover their eyes and count forwards 1,000 years to the present day. Once they have returned to the present, use the discussion points below to reinforce what has been said in the story.

Discussion Points

• Who was the character and why did he clear parts of the forest?
• Can the children think of a name beginning with B to remember him by?
• What sort of vessels did his ancestors build?
• How did the boat builder describe the forest?
• If the children have previously listened to the Iron-age farmer's story - Had the forest changed since the Iron-age farmer lived here?
• What did the boat builder feel was causing the change?
• What animals were present that you don't find in Scottish woods today?

If there is a small safe area of water nearby, such as a shallow river or small burn, challenge the children to design a boat. Use natural materials from the surrounding area and ask the children to check with the group leaders before taking materials from living plants. Some grasses can be used for binding and it would also be useful to have raffia available to help them.

Suggested Follow up

This story can be followed by other Timeline stories, either taking place in the same spot or by moving to other relevant spots on the site. 

Back in class you could enact a Timeline drama. Create props and costumes and count back in time, visiting stages of the time-line with the children playing the role of the various characters.

Research present and past uses of wood for boat building.  

Downloads

The Boat Builder's Story

Additional Information

The resource pack 'Telling Stories' is available from the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

The Scottish Wood website provides in depth information on our native woods and their uses.
Find out about making  viking ships 
Find out about making a replica coracle, using the traditional methods, for a modern day test of the legendary voyage of St Brendan and his monks
Find out about the wood used in the famous boats at the Battle of Trafalgar

Curriculum Links

• Language - main
• Social studies - main
• Technologies - main
• Expressive Arts - associated
  

Age Range

• 2. Primary
• 3. Lower Secondary