Groundwork Coventry & Warwickshire’s ‘Past on your Doorstep’ focused on the Coventry Canal and the importance of it within the development of the city and within their heritage.
Working with six primary schools all situated near the canal, a week’s programme of exciting and alternative educational activities was delivered. The work focused on three themes: Industry, People and Environment.
Pupils were given the opportunity to see the industrial heritage of the canal from the ‘Coventrian’, a canal boat which we took between the Canal Basin in the City Centre and Hawkesbury Junction. On the boat the pupils learnt about the canal and the buildings alongside it from the Urban Rangers who look after it. Following the boat trip pupils used the information they had gained to tell the story of the Coventry Canal through shadow puppets.
Day two saw the pupils returning to the Canal Basin with a re-enactment company ‘Delph 9’ who provided them with an experience of what life was like living and working on the canals in c.1948. They had the opportunity to explore the boatman’s cabin onboard a working boat, provided by British Waterways and the Coventry Canal Society, to do the washing with a dolly and mangle. Pupils also painted their own ‘roses and castles’ painted plate. Back in school in the afternoon pupils were given the unique opportunity to question Alice who had grown up on a working boat, they also completed some creative writing and developed a drama piece about the development of the canal.
The environment themed day started with a walk along the canal towpath which was interspersed with earth education activities encouraging the children to use all of their senses to experience the environment. They had to match natural colours from the rainbow snake, feel unusual textures, and then toast the experience with a smelly cocktail. The afternoon was spent painting large animals which were to form a view of the canal teeming with wildlife.
All of the work was then compiled to form an assembly which took the audience on a journey through the history of the canal from before the canal was built right through to having ideas about the future of the canal, which included exciting ideas such as introducing new species which would increase the natural value of the canal and turning it into a waterpark with slides and rides. The assembly was shown to other pupils from the school and also parents.
In addition to these weeks of delivery an education pack has also been created which based upon the three themes provides a variety of activities aimed at Key Stage 2 which hit targets within the various subjects within the National Curriculum. These education packs were completed in partnership with the Primary Humanities Advisor within Coventry City Council. They have now been distributed to all primary schools within Coventry and further copies are available from Groundwork Coventry and Warwickshire.
(Click The Text Below For Full Detailed Lesson Plans)
Industry - Paying your tolls People - Canal Jobs Environment - Visual Quality
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Groundwork Enterprise Centre
Albany Works
Moorland Road
Burslem
Stoke on Trent ST6 1EB
T : 01782 829900
F : 01782
829901
E : stokeontrent@
groundwork.org.uk
