It’s been a busy few months on the Tides of Change project. Many of the school’s projects are well underway and are really innovative and inspiring. They have been developed by the schools with support from the CoastNet Education and Community Liaison Officer, seen here on the right.
Meet Jim Bob and Devon, 2 new additions to one of the classes at Mount Wise Primary school. These 2 puppets are being used by the school as the presenters of a documentary the children are producing to tell others about their local marine heritage. The children have studied the history of the area with Tamar Education Business Partnership and worked with a film maker to decide how to produce their documentary to showcase what they have discovered.
CoastNet's oral history expert interviews Wembury local Peter Lugar
Wembury Primary School has been developing their heritage marine project. CoastNet went into the school and gave the pupils and teachers some oral history training. Members of the community were then invited in to be interviewed by the children. The interviews are going to be used by a local musician and an artist to celebrate the heritage.
Paper mache elephant being created at Torpoint.
Torpoint Community College has created an ambitious project that involves a whole year group and at least 10 teachers working collaboratively across the curriculum. They have focused their attention on the history of The Torpoint Ferry and on Torpoint.
Research into the history, statistical data, as well as oral histories from the community has been collected in geography, history and maths lessons and is being used by the drama department to create a living timelines of events, some of which will be performed on the Torpoint ferry. The students have uncovered many intriguing historical events including the little known story of a circus elephant jumping off the ferry and going for a swim up the Tamar river!
All the performances produced will be filmed and this footage will be used by the English and media departments to create a film to explore the rich marine heritage of the ferry and Torpoint.
CoastNet are also working in collaboration with a National Trust project and Plymstock School who are looking at the marine heritage of Wembury Point which has recently been taken over by the National Trust. The site used to be a gunnery school and pupils are going to collect oral histories from people that lived and worked at this site when it was in use by the military to capture this heritage.
Wembury Point is undergoing many changes.
The Gunnery School has gone.
Tamarside Community College has also created an exciting collaborative project that spans the whole of the Summer term and involves many curriculum areas. They have produced an inspiring scheme of work, based on the coast, that includes elements of learning about their local marine heritage. The scheme is diverse studying areas such as, the natural marine environment at the aquarium and the university, to looking at the Celtic connection and its links with religion and the sea. The students worked with a graffiti artist on a piece of Celtic graffiti art whilst learning about this.
Graffiti celtic art at Tamarside
Four of the schools projects have also had the opportunity to become part of the, Sea 4 life programme, run by the Real Ideas Organisation and supported by Creative Partnership. This programme aims to develop creative teaching and learning about coastal environments. Being part of this initiative enabled the schools to add value to the excellent work already taking place.
The Tides of Change Project is also busy recruiting its volunteers to train to gather further oral histories. Some of these groups will be young people and some will be members of the community. If you think being a volunteer on this project sounds like something you would be interested in or want further information, please contact susan.carleton@coastnet.org.uk .
