Birmingham Excursion Pack

1. J. R. R. Tolkein and Birmingham • http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/features/2002/11/tolkien/jrr-tolkien-biography.shtml • Research project: How Birmingham, its people and its surroundings inspired many aspects of Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit • Creative project: create a fantasy world based on elements of your home town • Creative project: re-enact famous scenes from Lord of the Rings • Activity: LOTR themed escape rooms challenge, obstacle course to get the ring from Frodo’s house to e.g. the Eye of Sauron (LOTR fans – be creative!) 2. The Jewellery Quarter • https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/birmingham-jewellery- quarter/birmingham-jewellery-quarter/ • Research project: famous trophies/jewels etc which were made in the Jewellery Quarter • Research project: find the most unusual object made in the Jewellery Quarter • Creative project: design a new trophy for a sporting event of your choice • Conversation starter: why is it important to preserve and support local industries and locally- made goods? What is the cultural significance of local industries? Comparing local industries in UK cities and in students’ hometowns • Language focus: describing buildings, giving directions to navigate a city • Creative project: design a charm bracelet and explain the significance of the charms to other students 3. Sea Life • Conversation starter: pros and cons of zoos/aquariums • Conversation starter: importance of conserving endangered species • Research project: the environmental impact of humans on the oceans and ocean life • Activity: ocean-inspired paintings/watercolour art • Creative project: create posters informing your classmates about climate change/protecting oceans and sea life • Language focus: sea life vocabulary (Young learners) – see wordsearch link below • Creative project: create a menu for an animal at SeaLife (see below) 4. Thinktank • Language focus: machines and transport vocabulary (young learners) • Creative project: design an aeroplane/motorbike for the future • Research project: the history of watchmaking in the UK • Conversation starter: are skills such as watchmaking ‘old-fashioned’? Should we preserve them/continue teaching these skills? Are these skills transferable in the 21st Century? • Creative project: create art inspired by your favourite invention • Language focus: ‘clock’ idioms – see link below • Language focus: telling the time (young learners) – see clock below 5. Birmingham History • Activity: lawn tennis (originated in Edgbaston, Birmingham) • Activity: chocolate-orientated cookery (Cadbury’s Choc: https://www.cadbury.co.uk/recipes) • Research project: explore the history of a Birmingham export (e.g. Cadbury chocolate/lawn tennis) • Language focus: Brummie dialect (high level) https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats- on/whats-on-news/birmingham-black-country-accent-phrases-6477059 • Conversation starter: is it important to maintain regional identity/language? Categories: activity, conversation starter, creative project, language focus, research project

J .R. R. Tolkein and Birmingham

Did you know that Tolkein spent most of his childhood in Birmingham? He lived at NINE different addresses in and around south Birmingham when he was growing up. Many buildings/locations became the inspiration for places and characters in his hugely popular books, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

The Chamberlain Tower, part of the University of Birmingham, apparently inspired the description of the terrifying Eye of Sauron →

Outside the city centre are several parks and a Mill, as well as the University of Birmingham, which all provided inspiration for elements of the fictional world in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Look out for the following points of interest in central Birmingham:

• The Library of Birmingham holds many original documents about Tolkein • On the wall of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a blue plaque dedicated to Dr J. Sampson Gamgee, a local surgeon – do you recognise this name? Tolkein used this name for Frodo’s best friend, Samwise Gamgee!

You can find lots of Lord of the Rings themed wordsearches on Google here

The Jewellery Quarter

Walking Tour

Excellent informative walking tour guide here: https://www.discoveringbritain.org/content/discoveringbritain/walk%20booklets/Birmingham%20Jewel lery%20Quarter%20walk%20-%20written%20guide.pdf

A shorter trail follows symbols in the pavements of the Jewellery Quarter: https://jewelleryquarter.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/pavement-trails10.pdf

This could be offered as an ‘Excursion Plus’ option, especially for students interested in:

• Architecture • Industrial history • Jewellery design and art • Urban design and development

Sports, trophies and the Jewellery Quarter

Famous trophies made in the Jewellery Quarter include:

• Wimbledon Men’s and Women’s trophies • FA Cup • Medals from the 1908 Olympic Games, held in London • Olympic Games Torch for the 1948 London Olympics • Lonsdale Boxing Champion Belts

Did you know…

• Birmingham Jewellery Quarter produces 40% of all the jewellery made in the UK! • The Jewellery Quarter has the highest concentration of jewellers in Europe!

Birmingham Sea Life

Conservation at Sea Life

Focus areas include: coral reefs, glaciers and icebergs, protecting endangered species and monitoring fishing around the world

You can find out more about Sea Life’s conservation projects here: https://www.visitsealife.com/london/conservation/breed-rescue-protect/

The Marine Conservation Society also has lots of interesting information for reading, research and stimulating conversation: https://www.mcsuk.org/

Sea Life Vocabulary

Click here for some sea life vocabulary wordsearches: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_en- GBGB805GB806&q=sea+life+word+search&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj67tOn24vhAh UTuHEKHV4TDUYQsAR6BAgFEAE&biw=1536&bih=722#imgrc=_

Fish Restaurant!

Create a menu for one of the animals at Sea Life!

Starters

Mains

Desserts

Thinktank

Science & Industry

Topics covered in the exhibitions include:

• Transport: Motoring & the Spitfire • Engineering: machine tools and production machines • Scientific and medical instruments • Music: music boxes, pianos and organs • Horology • Computing and mechanics • Natural history: zoology, botany, entomology, geology, mineralogy and palaeontology

Watchmaking

British watchmaking today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36902222

British Horological Institute: https://bhi.co.uk/

‘Clock’ idioms: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/clock

The Industrial Revolution

These resources can be used for research/inspiration for a creative project etc

• 10 key inventions of the industrial revolution: https://www.historyhit.com/key-inventions-of- the-industrial-revolution/ • 27 inventions that changed the world: https://interestingengineering.com/27-inventions-of-the- industrial-revolution-that-changed-the-world

Machines and Transport wordsearches available here: https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_en- GBGB805GB806&q=machines+and+transport+wordsearch&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKE wjLiNy3lozhAhXrVBUIHY0QDAIQsAR6BAgEEAE&biw=1536&bih=674#imgrc=7H-hn7qIH0LpKM