This process, essentially a process of comparison, allowed for wide-ranging and sophisticated exploration of concepts. I watched two or three of these lessons and heard Year-8 pupils considering (for example) the difference between school rules and medieval theology. Not only are school rules more trivial (obviously) but some pupils noticed that the relationships are different in kind. School rules and their sanctions are entirely man-made, whereas heaven and hell (presumably, to a medieval mind) are not. This contrast led to some real insights into the ways in which the medieval Church commandeered the divine for temporal purposes. Of course, the children didn’t use this kind of language; but the comparison with their own experience enabled some new and impressive realisations. Similarly, a widespread discovery was that the medieval systems were essentially negative – more hell than heaven; this was helped by having them guess the name of this type of painting. Guessing and predicting activities are strong involvers and motivators. None guessed ‘doom’, of course; most of their guesses were less negative, and so they were intrigued by the uncompromising purpose of the term. Some of them concluded that modern sanctions systems are more rational and balanced than medieval ones; interestingly, though, not all agreed.