This week I have focused entirely on the development of the education pack.

After a long period of contemplation and some discussion with members of the Gypsy/Romany/Traveller community, the key themes that the pack will explore have been identified. They have all arisen from the recordings conducted as part of the reminiscence strand of the project, which form the spine of the pack. It is possible that the themes will change, but currently they are: change, hopes and fears; discrimination; entertainment; homes; Romani; school and education; travelling; Traveller identity; and work and employment.

Whilst the first daft of the general teachers’ notes was completed some time ago, I am now concentrating on the more specialised notes that support each of the discrete themes. I’m also working on collating resources and devising interactive and thought-provoking activities to explore the themes further.

Dreaming up ideas to engage and inspire learners has been a lot of fun this week. I’ve worked on problem-solving exercises that require people to find the answer to a mystery, I’ve started to think about the design for a snakes and ladders board, and I’ve conjured up some role-playing exercises where groups of learners need to reach a decision on a contentious issue. Hopefully I’ll come up with even more ideas for activities next week.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend, everyone. I’m just about finished and will spend the afternoon braising red cabbage for tonight’s supper.