Little Explorers
We welcome visits from children whether with family or as part of a school group. The Church Tour and Village Memory Trail link in well with aspects of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and therefore make visits both fun and educational.
We love to share all aspects of our Heritage Centre with children but, in particular, the amazing story of Jane Haining’s life.
We have lots to enthuse younger visitors including:
- Information and artefacts in the Heritage Centre
- The history of Dunscore Church which can be explored through the church tour or, for younger children, the Dunscore Church Detective Trail
- The short walk following the Village Memory Trail. The trail is approximately half a mile / one kilometre long.
- The Jane Haining Trail (the whole trail is approximately two miles / three kilometres long) which includes the farm where she was born, her school and church,
- The Jane Haining Book for Children including activities such as a quiz and a word search
- Videos about the life of Jane Haining. These can either be shown on a touch-screen in the Heritage Centre for small groups or, for larger groups, on the church audio visual system
Our volunteer guides will interact with the children and help to make a visit rewarding, fascinating and memorable.
Dunscore Detectives
Complete the trail and receive a Dunscore Church Detective badge!
We welcome pre-booked visits from school groups.
We can accommodate school groups of up to around 40 children (with appropriate numbers of accompanying adults). The centre is probably most suited to older primary school and younger secondary school pupils but there is interest for any age.
Small groups (of up to around five children) can visit the Heritage Centre and view information then find out more information about Jane Haining, the church and village through the audio visual touch-screen system and listening station. They can also find out about the church by completing the church tour (either the child or adult tour depending on their age). Older children, or younger ones with an accompanying adult, could walk the Jane Haining Trail or the Village Memory Trail.
Please contact us before visiting with larger groups and we will arrange to give the children a presentation and can show a video about Jane Haining’s life. The children would also be able to see in the Heritage Centre (in smaller groups) while others could complete the Church Tour or Village Memory Trail.
Several aspects of the Heritage Centre fit very well with the Scottish Schools Curriculum. Many Experiences and Outcomes (Es & Os) within the Curriculum for Excellence can be achieved by finding out about Jane Haining’s amazing life. For example:
- RME 3-01b: “Through investigating and reflecting upon how Christians put their beliefs into action, I can reflect upon the consequences of putting my own beliefs into action”
- RME 4-02b: “I can apply my developing understanding of morality to consider a range of moral dilemmas in order to find ways which could promote a more just and compassionate society”
- SOC 2-06a: “I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence”.
Similarly, the Church Tour and Village Memory Trail also link in with aspects of the curriculum.
Jane Haining is included a one of the Great Scots in invaluable teaching material for the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence.