Videoconferencing sessions at the National Coal mining Museum for England

Meet a Real Miner Availability: Thursdays 9.30-10.00; 14.30-15.00 Duration: 30 minutes Cost: Free of charge Suitability: This session is aimed at KS2 pupils and is most appropriate for pupils who have some knowledge of coal and where it comes from. It would be an excellent session for pupils who are about to visit, or who have visited, the Museum. Learning outcomes:

to know what a miner does and what a typical working day for a miner would entail

to understand and describe what the working conditions underground for miners were like

to recognise items of protective clothing worn by a miner.

Content Take the opportunity to meet one of our mining guides and hear first hand, what it was like to work underground. The mining guide will take you through a typical working day; explain the dangers and the thrills of working in a mine and give pupils an insight into the mining industry. Pupils will be able to ask their own questions at the end. .

National Curriculum Links: KS2 History Knowledge, skills and understanding: 1a-b; 2a-d; 3; 4a-b, b; 7, 11b Breadth of Study: 7 Local history study; 11 Britain since 1930

Literacy Strand 1 speaking; Strand 2 listening and responding

QCA Links: History Unit 18: What was it like to live here in the past?

Preparatory Materials

Included in this pack are some resources and activities to help pupils prepare for the videoconferencing session. It would be beneficial to pupils if they have an understanding of what coal is and what it can be used for. Pupils should have some questions prepared to ask the miner at the end.

Resources Images of paintings from Museum Collection:

1. Owd Up, Sorry, Roof’s Not Safe or Derbyshire Miners, Edith (Betty) Hughes (Ref: YKSMM: 1997.754)

2. Four Colliers in the Showers, Jack Crabtree (Ref: YKSMM: 2004.506) 3. Removing Props, George W. Bissill (Ref: YKSMM: 2006.99)

Photographs from the Museum collection 1. Digital print of miner with a caged canary (P1468) 2. Photographic print showing a miner and shearer at work (Ref: P6645) 3. Photographic print showing a miner working with a Flame Safety Lamp

(Ref: P883) 4. Scanned digital image of photographic print showing the screens room at

Caphouse Colliery in 1983 (Ref: P12144) 5. Scanned digital image of photographic print showing the lamp room at

Caphouse Colliery in 1983 (Ref: P12147) Images of objects in the Museum’s collection

1. Snap tin 2. Safety lamp 3. Boots 4. Cap lamp and battery 5. Checks 6. PHB soap

Other resources

1. Snap tin template 2. Safety lamp template 3. Safety Lamp Investigation Sheet 4. Dress a Miner worksheet

Suggested pre-videoconference activities Coal and coal mining

What is coal and where does it come from? Draw a diagram or draw a picture to show how coal was formed.

What is coal used for? Make a list of the different uses of coal. Collect some examples of materials or products that use coal as a raw material.

Find out about coal mining in your local area.

Using the images of paintings and photographs

Use the paintings and /or photographs to explore what it would have been like to work as a miner. Use the prompt questions below to get discussion going.

What is your first reaction? Describe what you can see. What is the painting or photograph about? What is happening? What are the men doing? What are the men wearing? How does it make you feel? Does the painting or photograph remind you of anything? What do you think the painting or photograph tells you about

working as a miner?

Use post-it notes or small pieces of paper to label the photographs or paintings with descriptive words, thoughts or feelings

Images of Museum objects

In pairs: Use the mystery object sheet to help you work out what the object is and what it might have been used for

In groups: Write list of questions about the object you can see in the photograph and pass them to the next group to answer

What is special about each of the objects in the photograph?

What objects are important to you in your daily life?

Suggested post-videoconference activities

Literacy

Write a description of what it might be like to work underground. Try to use all of your senses to make the description really powerful.

Explain to a partner what a typical day in your life is like.

Compare our miner’s day at work with a member of your family’s day at work. What are the differences and similarities?

Write a job description for a miner.

Imagine your own dark place and write a poem about it.

History

Find out more about coal mining in your local area.

Is there someone in your local family or community who used to work in a mine? Conduct an interview and find out about their experiences underground.

Art and Design

Make your own snap tin using the template provided.

Draw a picture of a miner and label it to show all of the different protective clothing and equipment a miner would use or wear.

Create a collage or drawing to show what you think it might be like underground. Charcoal drawings can be really effective.

Science

Complete the Dress a Miner worksheet

Find out about how a safety lamp works and why they were so important to miners working underground.

Use the Safety Lamp Investigation Sheet to complete a Science investigation.

Carry out some research into Sir Humphry Davy and his inventions. Geography

There are still a few working coal mines left in Britain today but not many. What other countries across the world are using coal for industry? Find out about these countries and the people that live there.

Owd Up, Sorry, Roof’s Not Safe or Derbyshire Miners (1980) YKSMM: 1997.754 Edith (Betty) Hughes © Mrs E. Hughes

Four Colliers in the Showers (1976) YKSMM: 2004.506 Jack Crabtree © Jack Crabtree

Removing Props YKSMM: 2006.99 George W. Bissill Oil on canvas

Digital print of a miner with a caged canary (P1468) ©

Photographic print showing a miner and shearer at work (Ref: P6645) ©

Photographic print showing a miner working with a Flame Safety Lamp (Ref: P883) ©

Scanned digital image of photographic print showing the screens belt at Caphouse Colliery in 1983 (Ref: P12144)

Scanned digital image of photographic print showing the lamp room at Caphouse Colliery in 1983 (Ref: P12147)

Image of object from the Museum collection - 1

Object from the Museum Collection - 2

Object from the Museum collection - 3

Object from Museum collection - 4

Object from Museum collection - 5

Object from Museum collection - 6

Snap tin template

How to make a safety lamp model You will need:

Crayons

Scissors

Sticky tape

Glue

1. Colour in your lamp. You should also have a hook, lid and a circle which will be your identification plate.

2. Cut along the solid black

lines.

3. Roll the lamp until one end meets the arrows.

4. Use sticky tape to fasten in place.

5. Fold over the narrow slits you have made at the top of the lamp.

6. Add a thin layer of glue and attach the lid.

7. Attach the hook to the lid.

8. Attach the circular identification plate to the front of the lamp.

Safety lamp template (1)

Safety lamp template (2)

Safety Lamp Investigation Sheet

Fair test alert! To make my investigation fair I must: ……………………………………………………………………………………… …………..............................................................……………………………… Prediction Mark your predictions in order on the light line, showing which material will let the most light through, and which will let the least. Most light least light

Light Line Results Mark your results in order on the light line, showing which material lets the most light through, and which lets the least. Most light least light

Light Line

Conclusion The material which would be good for the window of the safety lamp was ……………………………. This is because it is the most opaque transparent translucent (circle your answer)

The equipment I will use

Sir Humphry Davy, inventor of the safety lamp, has asked for your help! He has invented a lamp, quite similar in appearance to the paper one you have made, but the miners are complaining they cannot get enough light. So you must put a window in the lamp and cover it with a material through which light can be seen

A miner would wear this on his ___________________________________________ It is made out of these materials because ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

A miner would wear this on his ___________________________________________________________ It is made out of these materials because _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

A miner would wear these on his __________________________________________ They are made out of these materials because ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________

A miner would wear this on his ________________________________________________ It is made out of these materials because ________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Have a look at these pictures. They are all very important things which a miner has to wear. If you have borrowed a loans box you will be able to touch them too.

Dress a Miner!