Year 5 & 6 travel into the past of Welsh industrial history
The 19th century workshops of the now disused Dinorwic Quarry are dedicated to the preservation and display of relics of the slate industry in Wales
‘Pits and Ponies’ is this term’s new topic for Years 5 and 6, and this week they visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis.
The children saw where the slate miners worked and had a look around three miners’ cottages that are furnished from different periods of time.
Finley Davies (Year 5)
“I really liked the massive water wheel. It was used to power everything in the slate quarry and was huge”
Isabelle McGreevy (Year 6)
“My favourite part was learning about all of the houses. There were three different homes from different periods of time. One from the 1800’s, another from 1901, and the last one was from 1969. “The design was the same for each house, but the style changed, I liked how modern they became. “The last house even had a small TV in the corner of the room.”
Back in the classroom the children will use computer software to import videos and photos to accompany a written account of their experience. They will find out more about child labourers, mining disasters and coal formation.
Head of Year 6 Anna George said: “As well as slate mining we will learn about coal formation and coal production.
“We will use drama techniques to create different mining scenes and write imaginative poems and stories.”
The children will also debate the need for miners’ strikes and role play the conscription of the ‘Bevin Boys’ during the Second World War.
