A group of our Year 8 students visited Woodhorn Colliery this week and had a fantastic time participating in three workshops!
In the first workshop, students explored what our local area was like in the past, using maps and Lego to understand how central mining was to life in Ashington. There was an opportunity to listen to voices from those who experienced life in the mine, exploring the positives of mining, such as the opportunity for steady work and whole families working together, as well as the negatives of mining.
In the next workshop, students explored art created by a group of ex-miners who went to weekly courses and learned how to paint their life experiences. Their art focused on inside the mine or general life such as working clubs, pubs, football and family life.
Finally, students looked at how the mines worked by looking at different rooms and features such as wheels/fans and carts. Students had the chance to see what coal was and learn about its layers by breaking it in their hands to show what was inside!
Well done to all of our students for participating so brilliantly!