"Excitement, wonder, inquiry, delight, and puzzlement are central to meaningful learning in social studies"
"... connect past to present whenever possible."

Social Studies Core Curriculum, Elementary Grades 3-6, Utah State Office of Education, May, 2008

We tailor school shows to highlight educational aspects of the feudal, medieval, and "renaissance" ages. It is normal for us to create presentations that range from educational with some entertainment to entertainment with some education. Our goal is to fit the presentation to the learning objectives of each school. We even offer "Living History Day" programs that reflect mini-renaissance faires by adding specialists and other groups.

"In the sixth grade the focus for social studies turns to the world." "Just as there are many ways of understanding social studies, there are many ways of teaching it."

"Ancient civilizations are referenced in the first standard ... remaining standards reflect specific epochs of time: The Middle Ages and Renaissance, The Age of Revolutions, and The Modern World. "

Social Studies Core Curriculum, Elementary Grades 3-6, Utah State Office of Education, May, 2008

We refer to our school and libray shows as "Myth, Magic, Mayhem, and Music" because we combine four parts into the whole:

• The way people thought before the 17th century differs greatly from 21st century thought; what we call fantasy they thought of as reality, what we call science they thought of as magic. Before the dawn of the industrical and scientific thinking eras, only the four physical senses were available. This influenced how the world was viewed and how people believed it worked. We use "performance magic" (tricks, puzzles, effects, and illusions) to introduce the concepts that people can see different things in different ways -- reality is not what you see, think, and believe -- that's magic.
• Class structure and how each person fit into the hierarchy of society differed in various countries. "Class" is one of the most basic but most perplexing concepts needed to understand these periods of history. Luckily, it offers many opportunities for presenting costume, stories, values, behaviors, and historical items. History and culture is easily approached from a fashion sense; we show costumes and talk about how they reflect changing styles and thought, hopefully awakening interest.
• The characteristics of an educated or noble person included the knowledge of literature and music. Music and musical instruments broaden students' views about how people lived and what they thought was valuable. We often find our "period instruments" are touched and studied more than our "period armor and weapons". Chivarly, nobility, and what was expected offers fascinating avenues for presentations.
• The roles of conquest and warriors are central to these time periods and equipment used in war is of great interest to students. We bring period armor and weapons to demonstate. Often we include a working "cold armor worker" who explores, in depth, the techniques, reasons, and history of different weapons. We don't deliberately pick on the most unruly student to model the 70 pounds of armor but that student's energy is well used to demonstrate a reality of the knight's life.

The science curriculum can also benefit from Royal Magick's programs. Zinger's undergraduate minors were physics and mathematics, one of his graduate programs included studies in mathematics. Performance magic is often a combination of science with a spiral twist using logic in a "non-scientific" way. 
Explaining "scientific-industrial thinking" from the pivot point of the 15th-16th centuries requires forays into how the world view changed. Middle and high school students are often exploring thinking that parallels those era's stumbling; often are wandering down dead ends that magic exploits and science illuminates. Critical thinking skills become sharpened when the student's nose is bumped into the glass wall of "fantasy".  We strive to present works that open imaginative wonder but also stress that reality should be scientifically sound.

If you are interested in using Royal Magick's knowledge, expertise, and entertainment to help introduce students to history and thinking of feudal, medieval, and renaissance ages, please contact Zinger -- (206) 356-3649 for more discussion.

We are based in the Seattle area and can easily travel within Washington and Oregon in the "off season". With prior arrangements, we adjust or extend our schedule when we are in an area performing at Renaissance Faires. Please check our schedule .

(Further developed information about school shows, library presentation, and other resources available from Royal Magick for educators will be added here.)

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Our performing season runs from early spring to late fall. Updating the website and general revisions occur during the cloudly winter Pacific Northwest season.

We are in the midst of a major revision and redo of the website
This page and links are in the middle of the priority list. We'll be posting thoughts to the NOTEBOOK sooner than we will be updating this page.
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