Hot Seat lets your class talk to historical figures, and an astronaut, out loud on the board. Pick Bjorn the Viking, Emperor Marcus the Roman, Private Tom Hughes the WWII soldier, Commander Maya Lewis on the space station, Tutankhamun the boy king, Howard Carter who found his tomb, King Henry VIII or Guy Fawkes. A child asks a question, the character thinks for a moment, then answers in a real voice with a moving face and subtitles that light up word by word. Every answer is written in advance and checked, so it's child-safe, and there's no sign-in.
How can children talk to a historical figure in class?
Open Hot Seat on the class board, pick a character and press Meet. Press and hold the Hold to talk button while a child asks out loud, or tap a suggested question or type one. The character answers in a real voice, with a moving face and subtitles the whole class can read.
Which characters can my class interview?
Eight: Bjorn the Viking, a farmer from Norway; Emperor Marcus, a jolly Roman emperor; Private Tom Hughes, a young British soldier from Liverpool in 1940; Commander Maya Lewis, an astronaut on the International Space Station; Tutankhamun, the boy king of Ancient Egypt; Howard Carter, the archaeologist who found his tomb in 1922; King Henry VIII, the Tudor king with six wives; and Guy Fawkes, a man from York in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
What questions can children ask a Viking, a Roman or an astronaut?
Questions about everyday life. Ask Bjorn about longships, food and the famous horns, Emperor Marcus about baths, banquets and gladiators, Tom Hughes about letters home, rations and evacuees, Maya Lewis about floating, space food and space toilets, Tutankhamun about his gold mask and mummies, Howard Carter about the gold and the curse, Henry VIII about feasts and the Mary Rose, and Guy Fawkes about the Gunpowder Plot and Bonfire Night. If a character doesn't know, they say so and suggest something else to ask.
Is it an AI chatbot?
No. Every answer is written in advance and checked, about 30 to 40 for each character, so children only ever hear short, child-safe answers. The character picks the answer that best fits the question, so nothing is made up on the spot.
Does it work for KS1 and KS2?
Yes, for ages 5 to 11 (Kindergarten to Grade 5 in the US). Answers are short and simple, and younger children can tap a question instead of typing. The astronaut and Guy Fawkes suit KS1 topics (space and Bonfire Night), and the Vikings, the Romans, Ancient Egypt, the Tudors and the Second World War match KS2 history.
What do I need to use it?
A browser and your class whiteboard or a laptop. There's no sign-in, no account and nothing to install. A microphone is only needed for Hold to talk, which works in Chrome, Edge and Safari. Without one, tap or type a question and the character answers just the same.
Can a pupil sit in the hot seat instead?
Yes. That is classic hot seating: a child stays in role and the class asks the questions. For hot seating with a pupil in role, see Hot Seat in our speaking activities.
Want the children in the hot seat themselves? Try the speaking activities. More history? World Timeline puts the Vikings, the Romans and the Second World War in order with everything else.