School Workshops

School children learn about

archaeology as part of the

M74 Dig Schools Outreach

The M74 staff worked with 1,227 children from 9 schools in the areas around the digs. The children learnt about archaeology and had the opportunity to take part in activities, touch real archaeological finds and to look at plans and photographs of the sites.

Time Capsules Project
Pupils from Pollokshields, St Albert’s, Burgh, St Columbkille’s and Glendale Primary Schools took part in the Time Capsules Project. They picked the objects to be included in two time capsules which will be buried for 50 years beside the M74.

The children looked at themes such as school, toys and games, the high street, transport and technology and chose objects to illustrate their experience of life in 2009. These include objects such as mobile phones, school timetables, school ties, holiday brochures and many others.

The time capsules will be buried next year, one in Rutherglen, the other in Tradeston.

Archaeological Adventures
Archaeological Adventures was a schools workshop linked to the M74 exhibition, ‘Uncovering Industry', at Scotland Street School Museum. It looked at the work of archeologists and offered hands-on opportunities to try archeological activities and to handle real finds.

The Simulated Dig
The Simulated Dig provided a safe, hands-on resource which could be used by schools and other groups to learn archaeological excavation techniques. The simulated dig was available for booked educational sessions and for pre-organised events. Sections of the dig have now been given to Renfrewshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council and Glasgow City Council.

Simulated Dig activity materials

Archaeological Site Workshops
Workshops for schools were also offered at the dig sites. The pupils were given the chance to talk to archaeologists, enabling them to learn from those who knew the sites first-hand.

The Govan High School Project
Pupils from Govan High School visited the sites and created their own website about the M74 Dig.

Stonelaw High School Project – Hidden Rutherglen
Stonelaw High School visited the digs and developed a presentation and a film about their experiences.

Glendale Primary School Project
The pupils from Glendale Primary School visited the sites and took part in art, music and drama activities. These included children working with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and composer John Cooney to compose a piece of music based on the M74 Completion route; with artist Debbie Green to interpret the M74 digs through art and with Hopscotch Theatre Group to develop a theatre piece. The project was documented with a video diary. The children’s work was displayed at the M74 Public Archaeology Programme Launch Event

In addition an orientation session using the Simulated Dig was run for all the teachers of Glendale Primary School. The session provided the teachers with an understanding of, and familiarity with, the activities pupils would undertake.

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