The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust WSRHT

EYFS & KS1: Learning sessions

EYFS/KS1: 'A trip to the Seaside'

Focus:

Exploring and comparing how seaside holidays have changed over time with optional links to local history through the development of Minehead from small town to the big attraction (KS1).

Overview:

The session takes the form of an imaginary seaside holiday; with opportunities for dressing up and role play. It explores how the railways made seaside holidays possible and invite children to compare the differences between past and present holidays using local photographs and handling objects.

  • Topic links to Seaside, Holidays and Transport

Curriculum Links 2014:

  • Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.
  • Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally.

EYFS/KS1: Living at Three Chimneys – ‘What might life have been like for the Railway Children?’

Based on E Nesbitt’s classic novel, our Railway Children inspired learning sessions to invite children
to find out more about early rail travel and life in Edwardian England

Focus:

Exploring aspects of everyday life in Edwardian England and making comparisons with modern equivalents.

Overview:

Using extracts from the book, along with costume and guided role play, the session encourages children to discover what life was like more than 100 years ago. Exploring aspects such as clothing and everyday activities, children are invited to compare the lives of Bobby, Peter and Phyllis with their own. Inspired by events from the story, they will find out how to save a railway using their underwear and how to prepare their best clothes for an award ceremony.

Curriculum Links 2014

English

  • Develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
    o Listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently.
    o Being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences.
  • Understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to.
  • Ask and answer questions, choosing and using parts of stories and other sources to show that they know and understand key features of events.

History:

  • Identify similarities and differences between ways of life in different periods.
  • Understand some of the ways in which we find out about the past and identify different ways in which it is represented.

KS1: 'Who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel?'

Focus:

Exploring the life and achievements of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the changes that his GWR and branch lines brought to our local area.

Overview:

The session explores Brunel’s life and achievements within the context of the Industrial Revolution; with opportunities for dressing up and role play. It uses object sorting and handling to investigate the impact that Brunel’s railways had both nationally and locally on the everyday lives of people and encourages children to consider why we remember people like Brunel.

Curriculum Links 2014

  • Events beyond living memory that are significant nationally.
  • The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements.
  • Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.