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This part is mainly for parents and/or teachers.
Back in 2023, we made a little video to tell you why we are doing what we do with Owlbut's website.
Our site is aimed at giving young people more knowledge about the world they inhabit. There is no specifically defined age range but our material is
perhaps best used for ages between 2 and 13. Similarly we do not write for any specific curriculum. We want to create, within those who follow us,
an infectious desire to learn. The material we upload can be used in a variety of ways and there is no prescribed way to make use of our site. We
provide the necessary tools for you to build the learning machine. As one teacher involved in the development of the site said,
if you can't find parts to both motivate your pupils and make their learning more fun and meaningful, you may be in the wrong profession. He also said
that it would be great for parents to use to help their children gain more knowledge.
SECTIONS ALREADY ON THE SITE - in the order they appear on our top menu page
School of the Air
The World
Times Past
English Counties
Your Turn
SCHOOL OF THE AIR
This brand new section started in January 2025. It provides unique material for parents who are either home educating or who
wish their children to have a more rounded education than the current school curricula used in England. However teachers can also use the material in a school situation.
All is explained on the section's home page, where you can also find the daily videos.
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THE WORLD
In words, these pages are to introduce our followers to all the countries of the world. They give a brief but interesting introduction to these countries.
Information is geared, in part, to what might interest young people but, for each country, identical topics are covered so comparisons are easy. We use a lot
of statistical data represented in different ways and, as such, it achieves our aim of a cross-curricula project. Children can be encouraged to make comparisons
between countries that we do not and decide how to represent their findings.
Each diagram is uploaded to the site as a jpg file and so can, individually, be saved by the users. This, we hope, makes producing comparative data
not only easier but also a little bit more exciting.
We will update all figures currently on the site during 2025. We would welcome any suggestions with regard to adding/deleting any categories.
This part of our site, apart from 4-yearly update of figures, will remain as it is now for the foreseeable future.
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TIMES PAST
We've made a little video about this section and why we feel there is only one way to teach the history of England. You can read more
here.
In words, England's history has been divided into 24 separate time periods. Within each period, except the first one, there are 3 parts:-
A timeline and narrative (suggested age range 9-13 but see our pinned note on learning English history in the education section), the timeline of which is divided into various calendar years which can be clicked to read more about the events in that year.
A series of hoots (suggested age range 5+), "written" by Owlbut in his own style, and showing everyday life in the chosen period. He covers homes, clothes, food, daily life and culture for each period.
A story (any age) about the period, for which we are asking our followers to submit a drawing or picture, the best of which will then appear with the relevant story. Each story has an audio version too for very young followers.
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ENGLISH COUNTIES
We've made a little video about this section and why learning more about your own country can also be fun. This section becomes even more
important when we start our journey in August 2026
This section takes our followers on a virtual journey through the counties and metropolitan boroughs of England with some information and fun
facts. Also, during the lockdowns of 2021, Richard decided to cook some of the recipes in our English Counties section. His efforts can now be seen as short
videos on the appropriate county or metropolitan borough page. The recipes are fairly easy and intended for young children, with some adult help and supervision, to attempt.
There is day, Friday, in our School of the Air programme which complements this section.
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YOUR TURN
We've made a little video about this section and how you can, and we want you to, be part of our site. So many different ways.
We cater for poets, writers, musicians photographers and people who like free lunches.
This section is for both home educators and schools, with one complete section specifically for schools. We have set out various projects that can be done by young people from all over the world. Their finished
work can then appear on our website or as a link to a genuine school site. Each project has instructions and information on how to submit it plus, where applicable, some examples of work done previously. Some projects also have a set of teacher's
notes and, in PDF format, copies of any material needed.
We will start uploading projects sent to us and links from schools from September 2026.
There is also a section where we would like you to tell us something about a piece of music you like and has a special meaning for you.
Thirdly, this part has a section where you can win a prize. No, it's not money, we haven't got any but it could be fun and we might buy you and your family lunch.
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