Charlotte Rushforth
Charlotte completed the 'Communicating the Past' module in 2021. She created a children’s book which details the Colosseum through time.
Tell us about your project...
"I produced a children’s book, aimed at 7 to 13-year olds, which detailed the Colosseum through time, from antiquity to modern day.
I explored how human, environmental, political and cultural changes impacted the Colosseum's appearance and function over time."
What made you choose this topic?
"I wanted to teach children through a creative and engaging resource that ancient monuments have cycles of decline and rebirth through the centuries and do not stay static in time."
What did you enjoy the most about your project?
"Being imaginative! Most university deadlines are long 3000-4000+ word essays and coursework, but after graduation and in the workplace, you often have to be innovative and dynamic with your work which is what this module teaches you.
Not only did I enjoy researching the Colosseum through time and painting my whole book, but I also enjoyed completing parts of the documentation, such as the audience-research and exemplar analysis of other children’s books."
The completed book's front cover:
An inside spread:
Did you learn anything new, or surprising?
"I found it especially interesting (and from a survey I completed I discovered very few children knew) that the Colosseum had once been a castle, medieval church and weapon store for the Germans during WW2!
Completing this product also enabled me to learn many skills that I can take forward into my dissertation and future career, such as the ability to target a specific audience and complete relevant audience-research, time-management and problem solving."
Would you recommend this module?
"I would definitely recommend this module. It allows you to be creative and work on something you truly enjoy. There are so many various aspects of the ancient world to study, and this module allows you to focus on the part that interests, excites, and fascinates you the most."