Welcome to a playful, precise plan for a Year 8 (age 13) integrated English–History mini-course on medieval books, palaeography and codicology. Big goals: read medieval handwriting, handle manuscripts respectfully, and explain how books shaped ideas. (Yes, books had feelings. Kind of.) Structure: 6 weeks, twice-weekly 45-minute lessons, plus one library visit and a short one-to-one in the middle. Week 1: What is a manuscript? Look, touch (gloves), compare with printed books. Week 2: Letters and hands — alphabet, common abbreviations, practice tracing letterforms. Week 3: Old English and Middle English sounds and spelling; use anthologies and guided glosses. Week 4: Codicology basics — quires, bindings, margins, layout, and why scribes made choices. Week 5: Transcription practice and mini-test (pass/fail) — two short extracts to transcribe. Week 6: Project planning and presentations; choose a small editing or research task; get feedback. Assessment: formative quizzes, pass/fail transcription test, and a short final project (500–800 words or a cleaned-up transcription with commentary). Skills developed: careful observation, historical empathy, palaeographic decoding, citation and archival etiquette, teamwork. Resources: student-friendly extracts from Mitchell & Robinson, Burrow & Turville-Petre; Jane Roberts’s scripts guide; select images from Bodleian online. Safety and access: digital facsimiles where originals aren’t available; gloves and handling rules for real manuscripts. ACARA links: literacy — analysing texts and text types; history — using sources to ask questions; ICT — using digitised archives. (Quietly, secretly, this is detective work. Cue pop song. Fade out.) Classroom activities: paired decoding challenges, a role-play 'scribe studio' (whispered drama), short reflective journals and a student mini-exhibit. Parents invited. Success = clear transcriptions, sharper questioning, and a tidy portfolio. Low-cost materials. Curiosity mandatory. If you love puzzles, handwriting or history, this will sing. If unsure, bring headphones; music helps timing and mood. (Mic drop.) Bring questions. Be brave. Smile. always.