hull: yorkshires maritime city the peoples choice competition · b. remember labels should tell a...
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Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City: The People’s Choice Competition
Resources and activities for primary schools taking part in the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Project’s
People’s Choice Competition.
For Primary School Years 4-6
Contents
This booklet contains the following:
1. The People’s Choice Competition 2. How to take part 3. Object Short list 4. Ideas and Activities for Pupils 5. Competition Resources
1. The People’s Choice Competition
Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City (HYMC) is a multi-million pound project which seeks to connect local people with Hull’s unique maritime history. This will be achieved through the redevelopment of five historic sites: the Hull Maritime Museum, Dock Office Chambers, the North End Shipyard, the Arctic Corsair and the Spurn Lightship.
Between March and June 2020, we are inviting Hull’s primary schools to choose 14 objects – from a short list of 35– to go on display at the Hull Maritime Museum as part of our People’s Choice Competition.
The competition will run between March and Friday 19th June.
In the People’s Choice Competition pupils, in Years 4-6, will be asked to select their favourite object from the short list and write a label about it.
This label should tell the reader a story about the object. The story could be based on fact or be one that is completely made-up! Pupils can decide to use prose, illustrations or a mixture of both to tell their story.
Members of the HYMC team will judge the submitted labels and select 14 winners. The 14 labels and the objects they describe will then go on display in the Hull Maritime Museum when it reopens.
Pupils who have had a label selected will receive a certificate, a £20 book token and a free trip to the Arctic Corsair or Hull Maritime Museum for a class in their school.
For more information about The People’s Choice Competition, please get in touch with Charles Trzeciak, Community and Schools Learning Officer at:
The Hull Maritime Museum
2. How to take part
This booklet contains all the information and resources you need for your class to take part in The People’s Choice Competition.
Step 1 – Choosing objects from the short list
a. Pupils should choose an object from the short list that can be found in this booklet. The short list contains pictures and information about each object as well as a series of prompt questions to help pupils come up with ideas for their labels.
Larger images of the objects in the short list can be downloaded from the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Website on our Primary Schools page.
/maritimehull.co.uk/get-involved/learning/primary-schools
Step 2 – Coming up with ideas for labels
a. As well as large images of the objects in the short list, there are some other useful resources to download from our Primary Schools page on the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Website:
A digital copy of this Resource Pack
A Project Pack which your pupils can use to come up with ideas for their labels
b. The Hull Museums Collections Website contains lots of useful information in its Hull and the sea section.
/museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/
c. The Hull Curriculum, an online learning platform run by Heritage Learning, has lots of topics which explore Hull’s maritime past. These include Hull Docks, Hull’s Polar Explorers and The Triple Trawler Disaster.
The Hull Curriculum is a resource which can be used by Hull Curriculum Member Schools. For more information visit:
/www.heritage-learning.com/uncategorised/a-curriculum-for-hull
Step 3 – Creating your labels
a. When creating their labels, pupils should use the branded label templates which can be found at the rear of this booklet (or at the rear of the Project Pack).
b. Remember labels should tell a story – either factual or fictional – about the chosen object using prose, pictures or both.
For example, a factual label, about this object could read:
‘’This silver coin was made in Mexico in the 18th Century. In 1743, the coin was being carried on board a Dutch ship called the ‘Hollandia’. However, the ship struck a rock off the Isle of Scilly, just off the coast of Cornwall, and sank! The shipwreck, and this coin, were found again in the 1970s.
Alternatively, a fictional label, could read:
‘’This silver piece of eight was stolen from a Spanish ship by the famous pirate Captain Swashbuckle. We think the coin made its way to Hull when Captain Swashbuckle stopped in the city in 1714 in order to buy a Hull Pattie. It was later donated to the Hull Maritime Museum’’.
Step 4 – Submitting your labels
a. The deadline for entries to the competition is 5pm on Friday 19th June.
b. Competition entries should be sent to Charles Trzeciak, Community and Schools Learning Officer by post or email:
Charles Trzeciak Community and Schools Learning Officer Heritage Learning 35 High Street HU1 1NQ
Email: [email protected]
c. Submitted entries must be accompanied by a Competition Entry Sheet, one for each class. A copy of this can be found at the rear of this booklet.
Step 5 – Selecting the winners
a. The 14 competition winners will be announced on Monday 6th July.
b. Entries will be judged by a panel made up of members of the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City team. 14 winning labels will be selected and they, along with the objects they describe, will be put on display at the Hull Maritime Museum when it reopens.
c. Pupils who have had a label selected will receive a certificate, a £20 book token and a free trip to the Arctic Corsair or Hull Maritime Museum, when the sites reopen, for a class at their school.
Object Shortlist
The following 35 objects are part of the short list for The People’s Choice Competition. Your pupils can use the image, description and prompt questions that accompany each object to help them come up with stories for their labels.
Larger images, along with descriptions and prompt questions, can be downloaded from the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City Website on our Primary Schools page.
/maritimehull.co.uk/get-involved/learning/primary-schools
Some of the prompt questions are factual, whilst others (written in blue) may help your pupils come up with more imaginative stories.
Try encouraging your pupils to look at the images and prompt questions before they read the object information. What ideas will they come up with?
A longer list of prompt questions, which your pupils can use to help them investigate their selected artefact, can be found on the Object Prompts worksheet at the rear of this document.
If you, or any of your pupils, would like more information about any of the objects in the short list, then why not send us a tweet (@HullMaritime) or a Facebook message (@HullMaritime)? We are always happy to help!
Object Description and Prompt Questions Prompt Questions
Object One: Spanish silver piece of eight, dating from c.1720.
Do you think this object is valuable?
Why do you think it is so battered and worn?
Why might a lot of people have wanted this object?
Where do you think this object was found? Was it hidden somewhere?
Object Two: Oil on glass painting of the ‘Director’ of Hull, 1848.
Who might have wanted to have this painting?
What power moved this ship across the oceans?
What cargo do you think this ship carried?
What dangers do you think a ship like this faced on its voyages?
Object 3: Bible used on ships in quarantine in the Humber during the cholera plague. It must have helped to comfort sailors whilst they were confined to their ships.
Do you think this object was used on ship or on land?
In what situations do you think it was needed?
Who do you think owned this object?
Why do you think this object is in a museum about the sea?
Object 4: Megaphone made of metal. This object would have helped someone to be heard in noisy places.
Why do you think this object was needed at sea?
What sort of messages might have been called through this object?
Can you imagine a time when this object would have been useful on a ship?
Imagine that it was YOU who had to use this object. What did you say? Who heard this message? What was the reply?
Object 5: Model of the steamer ‘Yorkshireman’. This ship took people from Bridlington on trips during the summer holidays.
Why do you think this object was made?
Why doesn’t the vessel have sails?
Do you think the vessel travelled on short or long journeys?
Imagine that this is your first time on a boat. Why are you on the boat? Where is it going?
Object 6: Set of miniature whaling tools made from silver and bone. These are copies of the tools which would have been used by sailors to hunt whales.
How do you think these tools would have been used?
Could these be large tools for a tiny creature, or very small tools for a giant creature? What is the creature like and what does it use them for?
Object 7: A silver pocket watch given to George Copping, a Hull sailor, by the brother of Henry Oelcker, a German sailor, as a present for saving Henry’s life.
Do you think this watch might have been important to its owner?
How might they have come by it?
What do you think George Copping did to help Henry Oelcker?
Object 8: Steel hand flare. This would have been used to attract attention by the crew of a ship if the ship was in trouble.
This object was used in times of danger. How do you think it was used?
What might have happened if you needed to use this object?
Object 9: Model of a self-righting lifeboat with a horse-drawn launching carriage. A self-righting lifeboat automatically flips the right way up if it capsizes.
Why would this boat need to be taken on a horse-drawn carriage?
What do you think this boat was used for?
Where or who is the boat being taken to?
Can you come up with a story about what happened to this boat on its first voyage?
Object 10: Wooden model of a lifeboat made by William Teasdel. William created this lifeboat as part of a competition to design a new lifeboat organised by the Duke of Northumberland.
How many people might fit into this boat if it was full size?
What do you think this boat was designed to do?
How do you think this boat was powered?
Imagine you are one of the boat’s crew. Where are you going? Why are you in the boat?
Object 11: Mug printed with hand-coloured picture of Grace Darling. Grace was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper who rowed out in a storm to save the passengers of a sinking ship.
Do we have mugs like this today?
What is the girl in the picture on the mug doing?
Why do you think this mug was made?
Who owned the mug originally? Was it a gift or did they buy it? Why?
Object 12: Name plate for the M V Farringford, the first diesel Humber ferry. The ferry took people on trips across the Humber from Hull to New Holland.
What do you think this might be the name of? Why is it important enough to be in the Hull Maritime Museum?
This was the name plate for a ship. Do you think this might be the only piece left of the ship? What happened to the rest of it?
Object 13: Two tone whistle from the pilot vessel W.A Massey. This ship was used to guide other ships in and out of the Humber Estuary.
What do you think this object could be for? What does it remind you of?
Where do you think this object was located?
When do you think this object might have been used?
Object 14: Wooden model of the steam keel ‘Eagle’. This ship carried grain from Hull docks to mills on the River Hull.
This model looks different from other boats. Why do you think it has such a large flat shape?
Who do you think sailed on this boat?
What cargo do you think this boat carried?
Who do you think would have needed to go in the rowing boat?
Object 15: Wooden model of the Bull Lightship. Lightships like this were moored in the Humber to warn other ships about shifting sandbanks.
What do you think the purpose of the light on this ship was?
When do you think the light was lit? Who lit it?
Who might be looking out for this light?
What do you think could happen if this light went out?
Object 16: Brass date stamp in a wooden box. This would have been used to mark the date on barrels of salt beef when they were inspected at Hull Docks.
This object used to be found in Hull Docks. What do you think it was used for?
Why do you think this object is important enough to be in the Hull Maritime Museum?
What do you think this object would have been used to stamp?
Object 17: Wooden knitting sheath carved into the shape of a whale.
What or who was this object made for? Do you think it was an ornament or did it have a use?
This object has been carved in the shape of a particular animal that lives in the sea. What animal do you think it looks like?
Who might have carved this?
Object 18: Glass goblet given as a farewell gift in 1857 to Mr and Mrs Gawtry from their son, who was master of a Hull ship called the ‘Secret’.
Why do you think this glass was made?
What do you think is special about this glass?
Why do you think the ship might have been called the ‘Secret’?
Where was the ship travelling to? Who might have been travelling on it?
Object 19: A silver trophy, which is inscribed ‘Spring Bank Orphanage Charity Committee Challenge Cup’. The Hull Seamen’s and General Orphanage opened on Spring Bank in 1866. It was an orphanage for the children of sailors.
How would you describe this object?
What does the writing on the object tell you about it?
Who do you think won this trophy? What did they do?
How do you think they would feel if they won this object?
Object 20: Boarding axe used at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Who do you think used this object and what did they use it for?
How might this object have been used on a ship?
Why do you think this object is in the Hull Maritime Museum?
Object 21: Japanese ivory model of a ‘Takarabune’ or Treasure Ship in sail. In Japanese folklore the ship is piloted through the heavens by the Seven Lucky Gods in the first three days of a New Year.
What do you think this object is made of?
Where do you think this object was made?
Who do you think the people and creatures on the ship are? Why are they travelling together?
Object 22: A bone model of HMS Royal William made by J D Ashton. He won first prize in the Model Ship Exhibition at Liverpool for his model.
What do you think this model boat is made of?
This model won first prize in a competition. Why do you think it won? How difficult do you think it was to make?
This is a model of a real ship. What adventures do you think the real ship had?
Object 23: Model of the ‘Truelove’ in a case with a painted background. The ship was used on whaling expeditions by Hull sailors in the Arctic and once, during a voyage, was trapped in ice for six weeks.
This ship once got trapped in ice for six weeks. Where do you think it was?
Why do you think the ship had travelled to an icy region?
How do you think the sailors survived being trapped in the ice? Do you think they were frightened? What would they have seen?
Object 24: Silver shield presented by the Royal Navy to the crew of the SS Gourko. The SS Gourko was a theatre ship and its crew put on 700 performances for the Royal Navy during the First World War.
What can you discover about this object by reading the writing on it?
Who was this object given to? What did they do?
How do you think the crew of the SS Gourko felt when they were given this shield?
Imagine you were one of the crew on the SS Gourko. What sort of performance would you have put on?
Object 25: Knife given to Skipper James Cullen by the officers of the USS Wanderer during the First World War. The officers of the USS Wander gave this present to James Cullen for ‘’services rendered to the vessel while in difficulties’’.
What do you think this knife might be made of?
What do you think this knife was used for?
Why do you think James Cullen was given a knife rather than a trophy by the officers of the USS Wanderer?
What do you think James Cullen did to help the USS Wanderer?
Object 26: A portable orrery made of wood, bone and brass. An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System that shows the positions and movements of the planets and moons.
What do you think this object was used for?
Imagine you are using this object to help you on a journey? Where are you going? What might you see and do?
Object 27: Iron bracket from the
SS Bessemer. The SS Bessemer was a ship, designed by Sir Henry Bessemer, with a ‘swinging cabin’ that was meant to combat seasickness. The ship wasn’t a success and it crashed into Calais pier in 1875.
This object is part of a bigger structure. How big (or small) do you think the structure was originally? Why do you think the Hull Maritime Museum only has a small part of it left?
What do you think the structure was?
This object was part of an invention. What do you think the invention was? Don’t forget that it had something to do with the sea.
Object 28: Glass paper weight belonging to ‘’The Sailors Children’s Society Hull’’. The Sailors Children’s Society was a charity which provided support for the children of sailors.
Why do you think this object has ended up in the museum? Why is it important?
Why is the girl’s picture on the object? What do you think her photo was chosen? What do you think her story is?
Object 29: A medal, known as the ‘Resolution and Adventure medal’ which was made for use on Captain Cook’s second voyage.
Captain Cook was a British explorer. In his second voyage he crossed the Arctic Circle, visited New Zealand and travelled across the South Atlantic.
Look closely at the object. What do the picture and words on the object make you think of?
This object was known as the Resolution and Adventure medal. What adventures do you think the person who received this medal went on?
Object 30: Undecorated dugong tusk. Dugongs are marine mammals which can be found throughout the Indo-West Pacific.
What do you think this object is?
Where do you think this object was found?
Why do you think someone would have wanted to keep this object?
What do you think the creature this came from looked like?
Object 31: Canister used to transfer messages between ships during the Second World War when radio silence had to be kept.
This object was used in the Second World War. What do you think was kept inside it?
Where would it have been carried to and from?
Who do you think took this object to where it was going? Who do you think it was given to?
Object 32: Oak and mahogany longcase clock with pictures of whalers in the Arctic.
How is this clock linked to the sea?
What sort of person might have owned it?
Has it been well kept?
What might be the story of why the clock came to be made?
Who do you think made it and why do you think the person it was made for wanted it?
Object 33: Part of Hull steam trawler ‘Mino’, with several shell holes from the Russian Outrage, 22nd October 1904.
The Russian Outrage took place when ships from the Russian Navy mistook British fishing boats for enemy ships and attacked them.
This is part of a steam fishing trawler. Why do you think there are holes in it?
What do you think might have happened for it to be important enough to be kept in the museum?
Object 34: ‘Bar bag’ given to children on a North Sea Ferries crossing from Hull to Zeebrugge in 1994. The bag contained games and crayons to keep children entertained during the voyage.
How old do you think this object is?
This bag was given to children on a North Sea Ferry crossing. Where do you think they were going? What do you think the journey was like?
Object 35: Racal Mk 53 Decca Navigator. This was used to determine a ship’s position and was used by fishermen to navigate back to rich fishing grounds.
Do you think this object was an important piece of equipment?
What do you think it was for?
Who do you think would know how to use an object like this?
When and where do you think it was used?
Activities and Ideas for Primary Schools
Introduction for teachers
The People’s Choice Competition aims to give local people the opportunity to ‘have their say’ on which objects will go on display in the Hull Maritime Museum.
The objects in this booklet give us vital information about the lives of people who lived in the past, the work they did, and the events that changed them.
We hope they will rouse your pupils’ curiosity and interest in heritage, as well as encouraging them to engage in discussion, develop their own theories and to think imaginatively.
The activities below have been designed to help pupils engage with the objects on the shortlist and to give them ideas for creative labels which can then be submitted to the People’s Choice Competition. They can also be supplemented by the Object Prompts worksheet (which can be found at the back of this resource).
Some of the activities encourage further research about the objects. An internet search can quickly yield results: in particular the Hull and the Sea section on the Hull Museums Collections Website will be of use.
/museumcollections.hullcc.gov.uk/
Thinking about Museums
1. The Balloon Game
This activity can be done individually or in small groups.
Skills: Discussion, Verbal/Written Reporting.
Activity: A disaster has taken place at the museum! You are only able to save 10 objects from the 35 you have in the short list. What 10 objects will you save?
Discuss: how will participants decide what 10 objects they will save? What criteria will they use to make a judgement? For example:
Is an object that belonged to a famous person more important than one that belonged to someone who wasn’t?
Is an object that is really old more important than one that was made more recently?
Is an object that is beautifully decorated more important than one that is plain?
Is it important for an object to tell a story about Hull?
Is it important for an object to tell a story about the World?
Pupils should explain why they have chosen to save their ten objects.
2. The Intergalactic Museum
This activity can be done individually or in small groups.
Skills: Discussion, Investigation, Verbal/Written Reporting.
Activity: Explorers from a different planet have landed on the planet that we call Earth. They have never been to Earth before and they want artefacts for their own museum.
The explorers land in Hull where they find lots of different objects. They have to decide what these objects are for, what strange creatures might have used them and what life would have been like on Earth.
Participants will take on the role of a group of the alien explorers and be given a list of everyday objects or buildings – for example a kettle, a teddy bear, a jumper (‘’What? Only two tentacles?!’’), a mobile phone etc.
Participants should then ‘investigate’ the objects they have found. By looking at the objects closely, can they ‘work out’ what they were used for? (Remember, as visitors from another planet, they will never have seen these objects before).
Once your pupils have completed their investigations, they should then write labels about each object – explaining what they think it does – which can then go on display in their intergalactic museum.
Attention to Detail
1. Super Sketchers
This activity is best completed in pairs.
Skills: Observation, Communication, Description.
Each person should be given an object. Objects can be selected from the short list or be an everyday item found in the house.
Sitting back to back in their pairs, Person A should describe their object as fully as possible, whilst Person B should try and draw the object from the description they have been given. The pair should then swap roles and repeat the activity.
This activity isn’t about creating a beautiful picture. Instead, the aim is to encourage pupils to look at an object closely and carefully.
2. Model Boats
This activity can be completed individually.
Skills: Observation, Investigation, Research.
Activity: Pupils should choose one of the model boats in the short list to sketch.
Whilst completing their detailed sketch of their chosen boats, pupils should try to answer the following questions:
What do you think the boat’s job is?
How would it move through the water?
What equipment does it have on it?
Where do you think it would have travelled?
Pupils could build upon their observations by doing additional research on their vessel: for example, when it was built and where it voyaged.
Objects in Focus
The following activities are linked to particular objects that feature in the short list.
1. Bible used on ships in quarantine in the Humber during the cholera plague – 1848
Research: can your pupils find out more about the 1848 cholera epidemic in Hull? How did people try and manage the disease?
Creative writing: imagine you are someone in quarantine on a ship in the Humber. Write a diary entry explaining how you feel.
2. Japanese ivory model of a ‘Takarabune’ or Treasure Ship in sail
Research: what is a Japanese ‘Takarabune? The story of the Takarabune features mythical creatures such as gods. What other mythical journeys or creatures can your pupils discover that are linked to the sea?
Information about the Takarabune can be found on the Hull Museums Collections website in the Hull and the Sea section.
Creative writing: imagine that you are sailing on a ‘Takarabune’ through the sky. Can you describe your journey?
3. Spanish silver piece of eight, dating from c.1720
Research: one of the most famous phrases in a pirate story is ‘’pieces of eight’’. This was uttered by the pirate Long John Silver’s parrot in the book Treasure Island. What information can your pupils uncover about famous pirates?
Creative writing: imagine you are a pirate and that this piece of eight belongs to you. Where did you get it from? What are you going to do with it?
4. Iron bracket from the SS Bessemer
Research: your pupils might enjoy trying to guess what the iron bracket was but, in order to discover the ‘true’ story, it is likely more research will be needed. What was Sir Henry Bessemer trying to invent when he had the SS Bessemer built?
Art and Design: have a go at creating your own invention which is designed to improve sea travel. This could be sensible or completely fantastical. How about a non-spill cup for drinking tea during a storm? Or a ship powered by seagulls?
5. Undecorated dugong tusk
Research: what is a dugong? Where do they live? What do they eat? This can be a good starting point from which to explore the ethics of hunting marine animals for their materials. A natural comparison can be made with artefacts relating to the whaling industry (see activity 9).
Creative writing/drawing: write a description, or draw a picture, of the habit and lifestyle of dugongs. Alternatively, produce a newspaper report exploring the issues relating to the hunting of marine mammals.
6. North Sea Ferries ‘Bar bag’, Model of the steamer ‘Yorkshireman’ and Name plate for the M V Farringford
Research: can your class find out more information about the Humber Ferries, and the North Sea Ferries? Where did their vessels travel? Who travelled on them?
Art and Design: design a poster advertising the trips run by the North Sea Ferries or the Humber Ferries. Alternatively, create a map displaying the route that these vessels would have taken. Could your pupils design the perfect ‘Bar Bag’ for their own North Sea Ferries trip? What would they pack to keep themselves entertained on their journey?
Creative writing: pretend you have made a journey on a North Sea Ferry or a Humber Ferry. Write a post card or diary describing your journey and the things you did when you arrived at your destination.
7. Knife given to Skipper James Cullen, Silver pocket watch given to George Copping, Mug with printed hand-coloured picture of Grace Darling
Research: ask your pupils to investigate Grace Darling’s heroic rescue of passengers from a sinking ship. Her story could inspire your pupils to think about what Skipper James Cullen and George Copping might have done in order to be given their knife and pocket watch respectively.
Creative Writing: write a diary from the point of view of Grace Darling, Skipper James Cullen, or George Copping. What did you do to help people? What dangers did you overcome?
Art and Design: why not create a picture which tells the story of Grace Darling, Skipper James Cullen or George Copping?
8. The Resolution and Adventure Medal
Research: the Resolution and Adventure Medal was created for Captain Cook’s second expedition. Find out more about his journey; where did Cook go and what did he discover?
Creative Writing: imagine you are a journalist who is covering Captain Cook’s adventures. Create a front page for your newspaper telling the story of Cook’s second expedition.
Art and Design: have a go at creating a medal for your own expedition. What will it look like? What will it be called?
9. Model of the ‘Truelove’, Set of miniature whaling tools
Research: ask your class to find out more about whaling in Hull and the voyages of the ‘Truelove’. A great starting point for this is the Hull Museums Collections website. Why did people hunt whales?
Creative writing: imagine you are a whaler from Hull. Can you describe what the whaling tools were used for? Or why not come up with a more creative story? Perhaps they were tiny tools used by a dentist to clean a whale’s teeth!
Competition Resources
1. Branded Label Templates 2. Competition Entry Sheet 3. Object Prompts Sheet
The People’s Choice Competition – Object Label (Prose)
School: Pupil Name: School Year: Teacher:
Chosen object: ____________________________________
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The People’s Choice Competition – Object Label (Pictures)
School: Pupil Name: School Year: Teacher:
Chosen object:
Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City The People’s Choice Competition
Competition: Entry Form
Date: Name of school: Teacher Name: Teacher contact information: School Year of Pupils: Number of Pupils in Class: Number of Entries:
Object Prompts
Investigate your object as closely as you can. Looking closely will help you discover a lot about your object. However, there may be things that you still don’t know.
You can use these questions to try to find out the FACTS that you don’t know, by looking in books or the internet, asking teachers, members of your family or friends. OR You could decide that you want to use your imagination and develop all your own answers to the questions, making a fantastical tale OR You could mix fact and your imagination. For instance, you may know what the silver piece of eight is and what is was used for (object 1). But imagine you are a pirate – what might that be like?
You don’t need to try and answer all of these questions. They are just to help you come up with ideas!
What link to the sea do you think this object might have?
How old you think the object could be?
Do you think this object is part of a larger artefact? Or is it complete?
What materials do you think it is made out of?
Who do you think might have made this object?
Do you think the object was made by hand or by a machine?
Do you think the object is rare, or would it have been considered ordinary, ‘everyday’ in its time?
Do you think the object might have been made for a special occasion?
Do you think the object could be precious or valuable in any way?
What do you think this object could have been used for?
Is there any writing, drawing, or diagrams on the object might give you clues about how and who might have used it?
What might the person who made, or used, this object have been like? What do you think their lives were like?
How important might the object have been to the person who owned it?
How do you think the object survived to be found?
Do you think this object was looked after carefully before it arrived at the museum?