Learning the Landscape Through Language
Place-Names and Childhood Education
Learning the Landscape through Language: Place-Names and Childhood Education was a one-year project, managed by members of the Institute for Name-Studies (INS) at the University of Nottingham, that brought together university staff and education and learning professionals in Shropshire to explore and develop ways of enhancing childhood learning through the use of place-name material. Place-names offer fantastic insights into the development of landscape and local identity and have the potential to contribute to the curriculum in a variety of ways. ​The project ran from September 2019 - August 2020. To find out more, contact us at namestudies@nottingham.ac.uk.
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Why Shropshire?
At the Institute for Name-Studies, we've been working on Shropshire place-names for decades, and we'd like to share our research in ways that are meaningful for Shropshire educators and students.
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Shropshire shares a border with Wales, and its place-names can reveal information about historical languages, identity, community and migration.
Learning the Landscape Through Language
Place-Names and Childhood Education
Learning the Landscape through Language: Place-Names and Childhood Education, a project managed by members of the Institute for Name-Studies (INS) at the University of Nottingham, was a one-year initiative that brought together university staff and education and learning professionals in Shropshire to explore and develop ways of enhancing childhood learning through the use of place-name material. Place-names offer fantastic insights into the development of landscape and local identity and have the potential to contribute to the curriculum in a variety of ways.
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The project ran until the end of June 2021. If you are keen to find out more, please contact us at namestudies@nottingham.ac.uk.
Meet The Team
John Baker
Jayne Carroll
Susan Kilby
John is Professor of Medieval Studies and Name-Studies, based at the University of Nottingham. John's research focuses on English place-names, and, with Sarah Beach, he has recently published a volume in The Place-Names of Shropshire series.
Jayne is Professor in Early English and Name-Studies, and the Director of the Institute for Name-Studies at the University of Nottingham. Jayne's work is mainly focused on interdisciplinary place-name studies.
Susan is a Research Associate at the Institute for Name-Studies at the University of Nottingham. She is especially interested in understanding the relationship between medieval communities and the rural landscape.
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Place-Names and Childhood Education
Place-names offer a unique insight into past landscapes, and can easily be developed into tools for teaching. Using place-names, pupils can learn how the landscape was viewed in the past, and how it was shaped by people living and working locally. Place-names can help to reconstruct the historical environment in a variety of ways - for example, tracing local agricultural and industrial practices, assessing topography, and determining communication and travel networks.
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The Institute for Name-Studies at the University of Nottingham is the home of academic research into place-names, and is keen to work with education and learning professionals to develop teaching resources for schools.
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Project Events
We recently ran training days for Shropshire teachers and educators. Here's what they said about using place-names in cross-curricular lessons:
" I now have a greater understanding of how place-names can lead to so many learning opportunities!"
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Teacher, Key Stage 2
"So many local contexts and opportunities for History and Geography teaching."
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Head Teacher
"I am inspired to [create] classroom-based experiences, e.g. mapping, maths graphs, storytelling [and] historical research."
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Forest School Teacher
© Shropshire Archives
Institute for Name-Studies
School of English
University of Nottingham
Nottingham
NG7 2RD
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Email: namestudies@nottingham.ac.uk (please indicate that you are enquiring about the Learning the Landscape through Language project).
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