Year 6 Climate Change at Beamish

Last week, Year 6 took part in a climate change workshop with Beamish. To start the week, Catherine came to the school to discuss how our carbon footprint has increased over time and how this impacts our world. The children used maps and pictures to explore how life has changed over the years and to understand how the use of fossil fuels, particularly coal, has declined in the North East. Then, on Thursday, the class visited Beamish Museum, where they experienced first-hand how life has changed.

The visit began at Pockerly Hall in the 1820s, where people grew their own food, made their own clothes, and lit their homes using candles. At that time, people's carbon footprints were low. The children were then able to contrast this with life in the 1950s, when our carbon footprint had substantially increased. The children loved asking questions of the volunteers in period costume and were able to deepen their understanding of how life has evolved.

In an effort to combat climate change, the children all took part in tree planting. Everyone had a fantastic day, and the children will be able to see their hedgerows growing if they visit Beamish again in the future.