Explore2025 – A Town Explores A Book

SCHOOLS - 8 Ways to Connect

The festival schools engagement programme is ‘8 Ways to Connect’.

Joining up reading, writing and fun in creative exploration of heritage.

The programme is developed and delivered by a diverse early career artist team who have grown up and/or live in and near St Leonards-on-Sea. The team of equality change makers are positive role models in which children can find themselves reflected.

Schools can tailor their festival experience by selecting from a mixture of artist-led and teacher-led activities that explore the text in different ways.

1. Festival Book

Gideon Mantell Names the Iguanodon Species.

This is an early version of the festival book. Check back for an updated version which will include a foreword by Prof. Susannah Maidment, Principal Researcher at the Natural History Museum, and final edits.

Value:
The first accessible version of Gideon Mantell’s 1825 scientific paper naming the Iguanodon species.

Exploring this year’s book choice, a scientific paper, supports readers to understand how new scientific understandings are developed and presented. Gideon Mantell names the Iguanodon species in this paper based on fossilised teeth that his wife, Mary Ann Mantell, found and illustrated.

Exploring heritage writing offers insights into people who have gone before us and shaped the world we live in now.

Resource:
A digital version of Gideon Mantell’s 1825 scientific paper that he presented at the Royal Society.

2. Introductory Video

Find out about the 2025 book choice in a short video by Rod Morris with voice over by Sam Brown.

Value:

A 2.06 min video introduction to the book, the heritage and the Natural History Museum store where Iguanodon fossils found in St Leonards-on-Sea are kept. The video includes captions separated from images to aid diverse learners’ access.

Resource:

A video.

3. Sketch Assembly Introduction

15-20 mins session in school

Book a whole school guided sketch assembly. Participants can doodle as they enjoy the exciting story of how Mary Ann Mantell found fossilised teeth which led to Gideon Mantell naming the Iguanodon species 200 years ago.

The story will be told with live music; young musicians in school can join in.

The sketches will be gathered at the end of the assembly and processed onto creative materials for display in the festival spring school holiday period.

The sketch assembly will prepare children to enter the writing competition entry joining up reading, writing and fun.

Value:

The display of the sketches in the festival values children’s enjoyment and benefit in doodling, a processing tool that aids concentration, manages anxiety through the sensory impact of feeling the pen move over paper and offers a visual way to consider what is heard and seen. This activity validates spontaneous artistic expression inspired by reading from the book and music.

Resources:

Pencil and an exercise book (to lean on) for each participant, supplied by the school.

Paper for each participant, supplied by the festival team.

4. Creative Writing Competition

Entries submitted by 27th March. Prizes Awarded on 3rd April.

Responding to Gideon Mantell’s scientific paper naming the Iguanodon species, an invitation to submit 150 words of creative writing about discovering something in the earth, delivered in any format. Three age categories for writers aged 5-14 years.

A winner and runner up prize will be offered to entrants selected from each school in each category as well as an overall winner.

Value:

This festival exploration connects up writing with reading and fun.

Deadline for submission to the festival panel is Thursday 27th March. Schools can arrange for a member of the festival team to pick up bundled entries from the school office. Individuals can email entries to explorers@atownexploresabook.com detailing name and age.

The winners and runners up in each age category from each school will be invited to the awards event opening the festival on Thursday 3rd April with staff.

This is a key opportunity for children to represent their school and be rewarded for their creativity.

It encourages aspiration to take part because barriers that diverse learners experience in other writing competitions are removed in the judging of the most creative voice in contrast to conventional understandings of what ‘best writing’ looks like.

Select flyer images for a printable PDF copy

5. Festival Poster

Download and Display your poster.

The team can also deliver posters to your school.

Value:

Be proud to be a festival school.

The A Town Explores A Book Schools Engagement Programme joins up reading, writing and fun in creative exploration of heritage.

Exploring heritage writing offers insights into people who have gone before us and shaped the world we live in now.

Resources:

The ATEAB25 school poster

Select poster image for a printable PDF copy

6. Build an Iguanodon Activity

Download a template to build your own iguanodon to inspire exploration alongside Gideon Mantell’s scientific paper naming the Iguanodon species.

Value:

Create your own scientific discovery while exploring Gideon Mantell’s scientific paper naming the Iguanodon species.

Resources:

Downloadable iguanodon building activity to fold.

Printable PDF activity.

7. Iguanodons of St. Leonards-on-Sea

Coming soon

8. Festival Map

To be published March 2025.

Pick up a festival map to connect with the festival outdoor art trail in St Leonards-on-Sea during the school spring holiday. The trail will include 3000 children’s drawings from schools and community art. Festival goers will discover sites where iguanodon fossils were found in the town.

The National #Iguanodon200 events will be detailed on the back of the festival map.

Published and delivered to schools in March, there will be a map for every child.

Value:

Free, inspiring, accessible outdoor art trail for families through the school spring holiday connecting the community.

Resources:

A festival map that folds neatly into a pocket.

SCHOOLS - 8 Ways to Connect

The programme is developed and delivered by a diverse early career artist team who have grown up and/or live in and near St Leonards-on-Sea. The team of equality change makers are positive role models in which children can find themselves reflected.

Schools can tailor their festival experience by selecting from a mixture of artist-led and teacher-led activities that explore the text in different ways.

Contents

1. Festival Book

2. Introductory Video

3. Sketch Assembly Introduction

15-20 mins session in school

4. Creative Writing Competition

Entries submitted by 27th March. Prizes Awarded on 3rd April.

Select flyer images for a printable PDF copy

5. Festival Poster

Select poster image for a printable PDF copy

6. Build an Iguanodon Activity

Printable PDF activity.

7. Iguanodons of St. Leonards-on-Sea

8. Festival Map

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