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Box Primary School WW1 Research
Helen Murphy, July 2014. The work of Sycamore Class, 2014, Box School under Headteacher Jo French. Special thanks go to Helen Murphy, Box School History Co-ordinator, who designed, researched and controlled this marvellous project about the village from 1914 to 1918. Photos of children's work Helen Murphy. |
Introduction
The Year 5s and 6s in Sycamore Class at Box Primary School have spent the summer term 2014 working on researching the First World War. The focus of their work has been the history of the local area during this time, as the centenary of the Great War approaches. It was, therefore, very exciting that their work is published on the Box People and Places website.
The children have been truly inspired by their topic and a huge number of history skills have been developed by the class during the course of their work. From learning about the causes of WW1, the many numbers of young men that volunteered out of loyalty to their king and country (and quite a bit of persuasion by the government) and what life in the trenches was like, the children’s work took on a local flavour to bring it home to them how it would have been for the families living in Box at that time – for those that went to fight and those that stayed at home. The children were able to look at a map of Box and identify if any previous occupants from their home had signed up.
A huge breakthrough was a visit to the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham, where the archivists assisted in finding any local information for that period. It was here, that an exciting discovery was made – a complete set of letters home from the trenches together with a diary from Box volunteer and resident, Cecil Lambert. Through the kind assistance of the History Centre, we were able to trace the depositor of these, Anna Grayson, who still lives in Box and was delighted to come into school and talk to the children about her relation and allow us to use a copied set of the letters and diaries for our research. Cecil was away from home for the four years of the war and wrote to his family regularly of his various roles during the war and travels from France and Belgium to Salonika in Greece and eventually safely home again. What an opportunity for the children to read first-hand about his experiences and begin to piece together a biography of the man himself.
The children were also able to act as true historians – presented with a range of primary sources from local publications such as the parish magazine and the hand-written school log books from the time, they have been able to write short articles on how life was for people remaining in Box during the war years. They have been encouraged to quote their sources in an appendix at the end of their writing.
Over the course of the term, the children were set the task of researching and presenting, in any way appropriate, to any aspect of WW1. The creativity of the children has been incredible – projects ranged from creating a website on the role of animals in the war; collecting ration recipes and making ‘trench cake’ for the class to share; writing and analysing poems on the theme of war; embroidering postcards and messages such as those sent back from the trenches to loved ones; writing diaries from the time; creating powerpoint documents on a range of topics and creating a huge range of models from trench systems to ambulances to planes and tanks, including one with an electrical circuit. Their work is truly a credit to them - you can see photographs of some of the models – and they completed the task by sharing their work with the class and answering any of their questions.
Finally, having been involved in a Wiltshire-wide remembrance where the children made poppy crosses as a memorial for each of Box’s fallen men for a service at Tidworth Cemetery on 30th July, on Friday 18th July the class visited the Box Roll of Honour in
St Thomas a Beckett church and the village war memorial to pay their respects. A sobering fact to see so many lives lost, but as the commemorative events happen over the next four years, at least the children of Sycamore class will have some understanding of what that sacrifice means for us today.
Helen Murphy, Class teacher Y5/6
July 2014
The Year 5s and 6s in Sycamore Class at Box Primary School have spent the summer term 2014 working on researching the First World War. The focus of their work has been the history of the local area during this time, as the centenary of the Great War approaches. It was, therefore, very exciting that their work is published on the Box People and Places website.
The children have been truly inspired by their topic and a huge number of history skills have been developed by the class during the course of their work. From learning about the causes of WW1, the many numbers of young men that volunteered out of loyalty to their king and country (and quite a bit of persuasion by the government) and what life in the trenches was like, the children’s work took on a local flavour to bring it home to them how it would have been for the families living in Box at that time – for those that went to fight and those that stayed at home. The children were able to look at a map of Box and identify if any previous occupants from their home had signed up.
A huge breakthrough was a visit to the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre in Chippenham, where the archivists assisted in finding any local information for that period. It was here, that an exciting discovery was made – a complete set of letters home from the trenches together with a diary from Box volunteer and resident, Cecil Lambert. Through the kind assistance of the History Centre, we were able to trace the depositor of these, Anna Grayson, who still lives in Box and was delighted to come into school and talk to the children about her relation and allow us to use a copied set of the letters and diaries for our research. Cecil was away from home for the four years of the war and wrote to his family regularly of his various roles during the war and travels from France and Belgium to Salonika in Greece and eventually safely home again. What an opportunity for the children to read first-hand about his experiences and begin to piece together a biography of the man himself.
The children were also able to act as true historians – presented with a range of primary sources from local publications such as the parish magazine and the hand-written school log books from the time, they have been able to write short articles on how life was for people remaining in Box during the war years. They have been encouraged to quote their sources in an appendix at the end of their writing.
Over the course of the term, the children were set the task of researching and presenting, in any way appropriate, to any aspect of WW1. The creativity of the children has been incredible – projects ranged from creating a website on the role of animals in the war; collecting ration recipes and making ‘trench cake’ for the class to share; writing and analysing poems on the theme of war; embroidering postcards and messages such as those sent back from the trenches to loved ones; writing diaries from the time; creating powerpoint documents on a range of topics and creating a huge range of models from trench systems to ambulances to planes and tanks, including one with an electrical circuit. Their work is truly a credit to them - you can see photographs of some of the models – and they completed the task by sharing their work with the class and answering any of their questions.
Finally, having been involved in a Wiltshire-wide remembrance where the children made poppy crosses as a memorial for each of Box’s fallen men for a service at Tidworth Cemetery on 30th July, on Friday 18th July the class visited the Box Roll of Honour in
St Thomas a Beckett church and the village war memorial to pay their respects. A sobering fact to see so many lives lost, but as the commemorative events happen over the next four years, at least the children of Sycamore class will have some understanding of what that sacrifice means for us today.
Helen Murphy, Class teacher Y5/6
July 2014
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Research Projects
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Details The Impact of WW1 on Everyday Life In the Trenches Help for the Troops at War The Sopwith Triplane Zeppelins The Battle of the Somme The Role of Horses Air Attacks Animals in Wartime Tanks in WW1 |
Research Projects
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 |
Details Women in WW1 Ambulance Work WW1 Poetry Rationing at Home Box Scouting During the War Wicked Weapons The Impact on Schools During WW1 Remembering Home Peace and Remembrance |
We hope all readers will enjoy Box School children's contribution to the village's centenary commemorations of the Great War.
To our delight the school has kindly agreed that the Box People and Places website could publish the children's research (subject to child protection anonymity).
The children involved are years 5 and 6 in the Sycamore Class. The variety of work in the project is astounding and reflects the range of the projects undertaken. There will be few villages who can boast of such wide-ranging and stimulating work. In fact, it has caused us some difficulty in trying to publish such variety. We failed totally to get to the Cake made with a Rationing Recipe and to photograph the rapidly deflating helium balloon. We apologise for this and any editorial made errors by us. Given this range of work, it is well deserved that Helen served as an advisor for the Wiltshire First World War Home Front History Education Pack.
There are a lot of people to thank: Box School under headteacher Jo French for permssions; Helen Murphy who masterminded the project; Anna Grayson who gave so much of her family record to the children; Carole French for her knowledge and commitment; Laurel Miller, Education Advisor at Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre for her research assistance; and lots of parents and grandparents who searched their memories and in their attics.
But above all, the village thanks the children of Sycamore Class for their research and the sensitivity which they have brought to such a difficult subject. In their hands, the future of our community is safely entrusted to ensure that the events of the Great War should never be repeated.
To our delight the school has kindly agreed that the Box People and Places website could publish the children's research (subject to child protection anonymity).
The children involved are years 5 and 6 in the Sycamore Class. The variety of work in the project is astounding and reflects the range of the projects undertaken. There will be few villages who can boast of such wide-ranging and stimulating work. In fact, it has caused us some difficulty in trying to publish such variety. We failed totally to get to the Cake made with a Rationing Recipe and to photograph the rapidly deflating helium balloon. We apologise for this and any editorial made errors by us. Given this range of work, it is well deserved that Helen served as an advisor for the Wiltshire First World War Home Front History Education Pack.
There are a lot of people to thank: Box School under headteacher Jo French for permssions; Helen Murphy who masterminded the project; Anna Grayson who gave so much of her family record to the children; Carole French for her knowledge and commitment; Laurel Miller, Education Advisor at Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre for her research assistance; and lots of parents and grandparents who searched their memories and in their attics.
But above all, the village thanks the children of Sycamore Class for their research and the sensitivity which they have brought to such a difficult subject. In their hands, the future of our community is safely entrusted to ensure that the events of the Great War should never be repeated.
