As part of the topic, ‘How Precious Life is..’ the Year 6 children have been learning about the history of coal and how important it was to the local area.
To begin with, the children learnt about the significance of the coal mines in the North East. They considered what coal was used for as well as how coal was used in other industries that were important in the local community and also how coal contributed to ‘The Industrial Revolution’. Using this information, the children produced a fact file page about the importance of coal mines in the North East.
After learning how beneficial coal was, the learning moved on to thinking about the negative sides of the industry. The children listened to the song ‘Working Man- The Miner’s Song’, looked at a list of pit disasters in the North East and read an eye witness report of a disaster at Felling. The children talked about the awful conditions in the mines and the number of deaths that happened. A fact that surprised the children was the age children worked in the mines: as young as four. They then produced a profile of a coal miner. To end the learning, the children reflected on whether the mines considered lives to be precious. The discussions were extremely thoughtful reflecting the children’s growing maturity.
Article 13: We all have the right to share what we learn, think and feel with others.
