An all day session

Session 1
Activities on the riverside and in the classroom will introduce pupils to the River Lea and its connection to London and the Thames. Pupils will learn about geographical features and the water cycle. This is followed by Role play with the Regeneration game, a large floor game that is used to investigate the river environment and why land/river use has changed over time. Through drama pupils will explore environmental issues and find “pollution solutions” to help devise a sustainable future for the local area. The riverside trail will take pupils on a journey around Three Mills Island to find evidence of past and present environmental change.

Session 2
A tour inside the 18th century tidal mill (the largest in the world!) will allow pupils to recognize the importance of the mill and tides; helping pupils to understand why rivers are important to industry. Fieldwork includes recording simple abiotic data (water temperature, weather, state of tide), assessing water quality through chemical tests and assessing the impact of rubbish on local wildlife, plus the investigation of river processes such as erosion, transportation and deposition.

A full day programme

Session 1a (with foreshore fieldwork): Fieldwork includes recording simple abiotic data (water temperature, weather, state of tide), assessing water quality through chemical tests and invertebrate sampling, assessing the impact of rubbish on local wildlife, plus investigation of river features such as erosion, transportation and deposition.

Session 2: Role play with the River of Life floor game to investigate pollution and human impacts on the river environment. Includes revision of geographic features and the water cycle. Pupils find “pollution solutions” to help devise a sustainable future for the river.

Sites: Chiswick and Kew Bridge

RIVER BANK OPTIONS FOR SESSION 1A AT CHISWICK (WHEN TIDE IS HIGH)

EITHER 1b – Riverside Challenge
On the riverside pupils turn detective to find evidence of riverside settlement, flood protection, river uses and wildlife. On the Pier pupils will record simple abiotic data (water temperature, weather, state of tide), assessing water quality through chemical tests and assessing the impact of rubbish on local wildlife, plus investigation of river features such as erosion, transportation and deposition.

OR 1c – Meet the Lifeboat Crew
A great example of Citizenship in action! Pupils have the opportunity to visit Chiswick Lifeboat Station, which is the second busiest in The RNLI fleet. In 2011, they were called out to 231 incidents. Learn first-hand about features of the E-class Lifeboat, the crews’ kit and what happens when the crew are called out on a shout! Learn how to prevented accidents from happening by developing an understanding of water safety. The station is crewed by both full-time staff and volunteers who work towards keeping the riverside community safe. Please note Chiswick is an operational lifeboat station so sometimes it is not possible for pupils to meet the crew as they will be watching them race off to answer a call for assistance.

Site: Chiswick

A full day session

Session 1: Indoor activities allow pupils to travel back to the industrial era by practicing investigative skills using historical photographs to interpret local settlement and find out how and why the area has changed. A sense of chronology can be gained using the time-line model and by using their senses pupils discover what the local area was like as a result of river industry. Using specially designed sorting board’s pupils learn how to distinguish between different materials and identify and date artefacts.

Session 2: Pupils turn detective as they scour the riverside for evidence of riverside settlement. Fieldwork on the foreshore involves collecting and identifying historic artefacts as evidence of past river use. Pupils will have the chance to sketch Kew Bridge, allowing them to compare and contrast the past and present.

A full day programme

Session 1: Fieldwork on the foreshore includes identifying and recording invertebrates, fish and birds within a survey area to assess the health of the river. On the riverside pupils collect environmental data and water quality is assessed by chemical analysis.

Session 2: Indoor activities include observing and recording of live specimens using keys and microscopes. Pupils use scientific resources to investigate food chains, adaptations to different habitats and the impact of pollution on populations.

Site: Chiswick

A full-day programme, with a choice of activities for the second session

Session 1
Pupils walk along the riverside to learn traditional sketching techniques.

EITHER -Session 2A: Water Colours
Indoors: pupils learn techniques including: using water colour, colour mixing, creating washes, adding detail using a fine brush and using a colour chart. They also discover how artists in the past have painted and sketched the Thames. Outdoors pupils will learn how to observe and frame a suitable image. Using the techniques that they have acquired will enable pupils to produce a water colour painting of the river. An artist will help pupils focus on the water with its changing light and colour as well as the surrounding landscape.

OR-Session 2B: Print Making
Pupils produce a simple monoprint using natural materials that they have collected along the riverside. Pupils will then produce a working drawing from their sketches that will form the basis of their print and taught how to transfer their drawing to a polystyrene print block. Pupils will then produce a series of prints using water based inks.

Plenary session
At the end of the programme pupils will have the opportunity to peer assess their work then take it home as a record of their day.

Site: Chiswick

A full day programme

Session 1(Chiswick): Using the specially designed River of History model, pupils gain a sense of chronology through 2,000 years of Thames settlement. Pupils then work in groups, investigating the lives of different local Victorian families, using a variety of historic sources such as census material and maps. This information is then presented to the whole class. Finally each group poses for a “Victorian family photo” using props and costumes.

OR Session 1 (Isle of Dogs and Museum in Docklands): This session takes place in and just outside the Museum in Docklands. Pupils first discover through hands-on activities and use of historic photos how cargoes were moved from ships to this former working warehouse. Through a visit to Sailor Town they also learn about living conditions of those dependent on the docks and river trade.

Session 2 (all sites): Pupils turn detective as they scour the riverside and local streets for evidence of Victorians, who lived near and worked on the Thames. Specially designed Spotter Sheets help pupils spot clues about the importance of the Thames as a transport route, a skill they can then apply to any river worldwide. Buildings, river installations such as piers and street furniture are investigated, and pupils learn how to use different kinds of historic sources such as maps and photos to build up a picture of living and working conditions. Different techniques of recording evidence are also practiced.

Sites: Chiswick, Isle of Dogs and Museum in Docklands

A full day programme

Pupils practice the historical enquiry skills used by an archaeologist and learn how fragments of history can build up a picture of the past. This programme is backed up by a much acclaimed resource pack for classroom use.

Session 1: Fieldwork on the riverside includes recording river features and evidence of human use. Work on the foreshore involves collecting and identifying historic artefacts as evidence of past river use.

Session 2: Indoor activities show pupils how to distinguish between different materials and identify and date the artefacts using specially designed sorting boards – very colourful and easy to use! We also investigate how artefacts found around the Thames help us build up a picture of London’s settlement. Time permitting, sessions will round up with a look at our partners’ collections.

Sites: The City & Museum of London; Isle of Dogs & Museum in Docklands; Greenwich & Royal Naval College, Fulham Palace.

A full day programme

Session 1: Fieldwork on the foreshore and riverside trail includes recording river features; assessing and recording water quality through water and invertebrate sampling; gathering evidence of how people have used and changed the river and the environmental issues which arise from these changes. Indoors we look at what photographs and maps both past and present can reveal about the local area.

Session 2: Pupils then practice investigative skills, using both maps and photographs to interpret the local settlement and find out how (and why)_ the area has changed. At The Museum of London Docklands we visit the Victorian Gallary, while at Greenwich, we follow a historic trail around the riverside to find out how life has changed since Victorian times.

Sites: Greenwich & Museum of London Docklands

A full day programme

Session 1: Fieldwork on the foreshore with Thames Explorer includes recording river features, assessing water quality through chemical analysis and assessing the impact of rubbish on local wildlife, plus collecting historic artefacts. On the riverside trail pupils collect evidence of past river use.

Session 2: The Golden Hinde circumnavigated the globe from 1577 – 80 and this visit offers a unique and memorable opportunity to investigate life afloat in Tudor times. We will help organise this visit; but should be paid for directly to the Golden Hind Educational Museum.

Site: Southwark

Fieldwork on the foreshore and riverside trail includes recording river features; assessing and recording water quality through water and invertebrate sampling; assessing the impact of rubbish on local wildlife; gathering evidence of how people have used and changed the river and the environmental issues which arise from these changes.

Half day only – no lunch room available

Site Isleworth and Southwark

A full day programme

Session 1: Fieldwork on the riverside includes measuring and recording river features, wildlife, environmental issues and learning river vocabulary. On the Foreshore pupils discover the geology of the local landscape and the materials that can be found on the foreshore. Back in the classroom pupils will identify their foreshore finds using sorting boards. We will also investigate why these materials have been found on the foreshore, their uses and the impacts they have on the environment.

Session 2: Indoor activities include exploring materials and their properties and using definition cards. Pupils will then test properties of different foreshore materials using science equipment to conduct their experiments. This is followed by a material hunt along the riverside to examine river furniture, their materials and the common properties they share.

Site: Greenwich & Shadwell Basin