Explore!

Explore!: Anglo Saxons

Travel back to the time of the Anglo Saxons! Who was Alfred the Great? Where did the Anglo Saxons come from, and what traditions and beliefs did they bring with them? Explore this ancient civilisation to understand how prehistoric people have influenced the way we live today.

Find out how we know about the Anglo Saxons, and how archaeologists and historians have pieced together their story from the evidence and artefacts found. Learn about the Anglo Saxon way of life – how they farmed and feasted, what they believed and where and how they lived. Information about their songs, music, poems, arts and crafts will help you to picture yourself among them. Read an Anglo Saxon warrior’s letter, and try your hand at making an Anglo Saxon helmet!

Explore!: Benin

Benin was an important kingdom in West Africa in the 15th and 16th centuries. Find out about Benin’s magnificent capital city, the objects that Benin traded with Europe and their intricate bronze plaques and statues. Read about food and farming, armies and weapons, the life of a craftsman and how to make a leopard statue!

Explore!: Early Islamic Civilisation

Early Islamic civilisation spread across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia in the 7th and 8th centuries CE, forming a massive empire. Find out about the birth of Islam, amazing inventions and trade across the empire. Read about weapons and war, the city of Baghdad, the life of a scribe, science and medicine and find out how to make an Islamic tile design!

Explore!: Mayan Civilisation

The Maya were an advanced civilisation that built magnificent cities in the rainforests of Central America. Find out about Mayan numbers, bloodletting rituals, and why the Maya disappeared. Inside you can read about: calendars and astronomy; how to make a mosaic mask; writing and crafts; the life of a ballplayer; city-states and the elite.

Explore!: Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages

Travel back to the time of the stone, bronze and iron ages! What was Britain like over 6000 years ago? Who lived on the island and what was it like? Explore these ancient civilisations to understand how prehistoric people have influenced the way we live today. Discover the artefacts that give evidence of their way of life.

Explore!: Victorians

Explore the Victorians who lived in a time of great progress and change. Find out how factories and towns grew incredibly fast, and the British Empire reached its largest size. Discover the advances in transport, industry and architecture, and learn about the lives of both rich and poor.

Read about Queen Victoria’s long life and reign, the great Victorian buildings, ideas and inventions. Discover the working conditions in the mines and factories and a day in the life of a Victorian schoolchild.

Explore!: Vikings

Travel back to the time of the Vikings! Where did they come from and where did they settle? What beliefs and traditions did they bring with them? How do we know about the Vikings? Explore this ancient civilisation to understand how prehistoric people have influenced the way we live today. Discover the artefacts that give evidence of they way of life.

Explore!: World War Two

This photographic book gives you an overview of World War Two. From how the war began to how it spread worldwide, the new technology that was used in war for the first time, how women’s roles changed in society because of the war, what life was like on the home front, and how the war was recorded in pictures, diaries, poems and stories. You can learn about key figures, such as Winston Churchill, and events, such as The Holocaust. You can also read a diary entry from the Blitz and learn how to create your own secret code.

Explore!: Fair Trade

From chocolate and tea to flowers and cotton, discover the history of fair trade and its products. Learn what difference fair trade makes to the people producing the goods, what the ten principles of fair trade are, and how fair trade practices affect the environment. Read an interview with a worker from a fair trade project in India, debate the issues surrounding fair trade, make a fair trade ice cream sundae and find out amazing fair trade stats and facts.