LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE LEARNING AT THE BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE AND BLAENAVON IRONWORKS Blaenavon’s Industrial landscape became a World Heritage Site in December 2000. It is a landscape shaped by human hand, dating from the early days of the Industrial Revolution - a significant stage in human evolution, when the iron and coal industries of South Wales were of global importance. The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape is an important place of study of the Industrial Revolution and is an ideal venue for schools studying changes in people’s daily lives in the 19th century and changes that happened in Wales, Britain and the wider world between 1760 and 1914. The Blaenavon Industrial Landscape is also an excellent case-study for students of urban decline and economic regeneration. The Blaenavon World Heritage Site now boasts three visitor attractions which offer full time, dedicated educational services to schools, colleges and adult learners – Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, Blaenavon Ironworks and Big Pit: National Coal Museum. The Blaenavon World Heritage Centre was established to provide a focal reference point to the area’s rich industrial legacy, telling the story of the people who have shaped this landscape from the earliest days of the Industrial Revolution to the present day using a range of media including film, audio, graphics and interactive displays. 2 LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE THE LEARNING BOX The Learning Box has been devised by Torfaen County Borough Council in collaboration with Cadw who are responsible for Blaenavon Ironworks. It consists of a range of educational resources suitable for all key stages covering the curriculum subjects of history, geography and design & technology that will provide structure for visits to key sites and support for preparatory and follow-up classroom studies. This resource is also available to download on the Blaenavon World Heritage Site website (www.visitblaenavon.co.uk) and the National Grid for Learning Cymru (www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk). The learning box has been designed so that it can be revised and updated to keep pace with curriculum developments and new educational resources for the area. Self-led visits to explore the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre and Blaenavon Ironworks are free of charge. However in order to get the most out of your visit, we would strongly recommend that you take advantage of a range of complementary services which we offer. These include: • 19th century discovery day: Cadw and Blaenavon World Heritage Centre offer a facilitated whole day of activities based on a two-centre visit to the Ironworks and Heritage Centre. (Suitable for Key Stage 2) Please see pages 6 and 10. • Hands-on, object study workshops based at the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre using historic artefacts and replica items. Periods include Tudor, 18th and 19th centuries, World War II, 1950s, 60s and 70s. Themes include toys and games, school, coal mining, domestic and household. These activities are suitable for Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2. Please see page 7. • Storytelling sessions can also be provided by costumed interpreters based on a choice of 12 historic characters who have worked and lived in Blaenavon. (Suitable for Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2) Please see page 8. • Guided, investigative walks around the historic town of Blaenavon and Industrial Landscape using buildings, historic photographs and maps to discuss changes in the 19th century. (Suitable for Key Stage 2 & Key Stage 3) Please see page 7. A fee may be payable for these additional services. Please refer to enclosed price list or refer to www.visitblaenavon.co.uk for current charges. LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE 3 BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE The Blaenavon World Heritage Centre is Touch-screen Interactives situated within the former St. Peter’s Church School which was founded in 1816 by Sarah The centre piece of the centre’s exhibition Hopkins to provide free education for children space consists of eight touch-screen stations, whose parents worked for the Blaenavon each providing opportunities for students to Ironworks. explore six topics including living and working conditions during the 19th century, transport, Following a period of disuse, the building the making of iron, geology and World was extensively renovated by Torfaen County Heritage. Borough Council to create the UK’s first interpretation centre devoted to a World Heritage Site. The quality of the refurbishment has been recognised by a Royal Institute of British Architects’ Award. Like its historic predecessor, learning lies at the very heart of the World Heritage Centre - its interpretative content was designed to meet the needs of the National Curriculum. The centre’s interpretative layout was overseen by leaders in exhibition design and its content was developed over a two year period as a product of painstaking research and consultation with teachers. Narratives are delivered through the words of historical characters so that students can gain an insight into the daily lives of ordinary people and understand the changes that they experienced during the 19th century. 4 LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE For the topic of living conditions, students and railroads through to the 19th century with can investigate a week in the life of a child in reference to the routes used to move iron and the 19th century recounted as a first-person coal from Blaenavon to Newport. narrative and, compare the contents of an ironworker’s cottage with an ironmaster’s For the topic of iron making, students can mansion. There is also a ‘living wage’ learn about the raw materials that were game where students can try to manage a needed to make iron and discover how a blast household budget on an ironworker’s wage. furnace worked. They can also investigate how pig iron was refined and watch an On 19th century working conditions, students animation of the entire iron-making process at can investigate different jobs carried out Blaenavon. by ordinary people during the Industrial Revolution and explore the role of an air-door On the topic of geology, students can find out boy (trapper), a drammer and a young collier about how coal and ironstone were formed. in the 19th century. There is also a game By exploring the theme of World Heritage, where students can spot the dangers in the students can find out how World Heritage 19th century workplace. Sites are selected. A game – ‘Where in the On the theme of transport, students can World?’ – gives students an opportunity to compare the changing forms of transport explore different World Heritage Sites around from the days before the building of canals the globe. LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE 5 BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE Graphic Panels Heritage Sites. Both films contribute to the Curriculum Cymreig and PSE by helping Displayed around the walls of the exhibition students to understand the factors that have space are a series of graphic panels set out shaped Wales as well as exploring the theme along a timeline which illustrate the changes of global citizenship. There are simplified that Blaenavon underwent during the 18th, versions of these two films that are more 19th and 20th centuries. Exploration of the suitable for a KS2 audience available to screen wall-mounted displays will help students to by request. develop their chronological awareness and historical knowledge and understanding of The Blaenavon film is an excellent introduction this area from the Industrial Revolution up to to the history and changes that Blaenavon the present day. Text is written in such a way underwent during the Industrial Revolution, as to be accessible to a KS2 audience. transforming South Wales from a rural A dedicated set of topic based pupil backwater to one of the leading industrial worksheets is available to support an centres in the World. exploration of this resource as well as the The World Heritage film explores the range touch-screen software in order to focus and diversity of World Heritage sites and students’ attention. explains why sites are selected. It outlines the responsibilities of looking after a World Audio Stations Heritage Site as well as the challenges that Featured within the exhibition space are such sites face in a changing World. two audio-stations which provide students with an opportunity to listen to first-hand Discovery Days testimonies by older residents of Blaenavon The World Heritage Centre in partnership on various topics. These include: growing up with Cadw is pleased to offer a facilitated 19th and children’s games in the 1920s and 30s, century discovery day consisting of a whole Sunday schools, St. Peter’s school, housing and day of activities based on a two-centre visit to living conditions, the 1926 miners’ strike and the Blaenavon Ironworks and Heritage Centre. the town of Blaenavon. The Heritage Centre is a two-minute walk from the Ironworks car park; alternatively there Audio-visual Theatres is a coach parking area next to the Heritage The main exhibition area is complemented Centre. by two small theatres that feature films Students spend half the day at the Ironworks of 5 minutes’ duration; one examines the exploring the site with costumed interpreters development of Blaenavon’s Industrial and undertaking practical activities designed Heritage whilst the other, focuses on World to enhance pupils’ understanding of 19th 6 LEARNING BOX A TEACHER’S RESOURCE BLAENAVON WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE century life, including bed making and Victorian era), through to the 20th century comparisons of 19th century grocery items with a focus on World War II (home front) and in the company shop with their modern 1950s, 60s and 70s. Themes include toys and equivalents. games, school, coal mining, domestic and household. The other half of the day is spent at the Heritage Centre, where pupils can investigate Hands-on workshops will be facilitated by how ordinary people’s lives have changed centre staff.