A new high-tech approach to discover England's past has been launched to encourage students to explore the past.
Youngsters can hunt for clues to English history by using GPS devices to navigate their way through trails to discover treasure boxes, known as 'caches', which are hidden in historical landmarks. The caches contain tasks designed to stimulate discussion about England's past, present and future.
Developed by English Heritage, the 'Geosong' project is the first of the trails to launch and is composed of a chain of 'geocache' paths through the Ironbridge Gorge. The journey explores the lives of those who helped create the World Heritage Site, which marks the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Stories of Ironbridge's historic community will be told by modern-day folk ballads. The songs, composed and performed by schools and community members, will be revealed as the 'treasure' along the trail.
The project is the brainchild of David Sheldon, education manager for English Heritage, and Andy Calderbank, performing arts curriculum leader at Phoenix Secondary School, Telford.
Sheldon expressed his delight at being part of the new programme and said the trails would give both children and teachers the chance to take charge of their own learning and develop "cross-curricular skills".
"Geocaching is a really popular hobby at the moment and it's great to see the technology being used to engage young people with our country's rich heritage", he said.
"Projects like Geosong enable us to make the past more tangible by capitalising on the public's love of technology and the arts, and bringing it together with hands-on learning."
The activities are available as part of English Heritage's free entry scheme for schools and learning groups and can be booked here.
The geocache trails are situated at historical properties across the country including Dover Castle in Kent, Wiltey Court in Worcestershire and Kenwood in London.
The project launched this autumn and is set to be completed by September 2012.
The project's founders hope the programme will help youngsters engage with the country's heritage and involve them in leaving a legacy for future children.