Activities for primary schools
Key stage 1 (years 2, 3 and 4)
“The Wendel Miners” discovery tour
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 15 students
- Location: The Wendel Miners Museum
- Duration: 1h30
In addition to acquiring vocabulary and specific knowledge, in connection with the former administrative building of the Wendel site, this activity gives children an important opportunity to learn how to find their way around this part of the museum. To navigate the circuit, students receive a booklet containing directions and photographic cues.
Following in the footsteps of the miners, they will go to the hanging room, the baths, showers and the lamp store to discover their functions.
“Daily life in 1950” discovery tour
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 15 students
- Location: The Wendel Miners Museum
- Duration: 1h30
Going back in time to the 1950s, students will become aware of important changes in daily life. When they arrive in the room of the Wendel Miners Museum dedicated to this theme, they will have to connect, for example, a stove, a shower cubicle or a washing machine with certain objects in the collections, which is not always easy!
They will then manipulate some objects from the museum’s stored collection to illustrate the notion of progress before the gradual installation of electricity in the coal basin’s houses
key stage 2 (years 5, 6 and 7)
“6 underground professions” guided tour
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 15 students
- Location: The Wendel Mine
- Duration: 1h30 (includes a 30-minute introduction for a total of 2 hours of activity)
The students, equipped with helmets and playing the roles of apprentice miners, will discover 6 underground professions (blaster, geometer, mechanic, timber packer, bucker and spragger).
On some sites, they will take turns getting involved by discovering their tools to better understand their “work”. They will thus gradually gain insight into some of the aspects of Lorraine miners’ know-how and some key steps leading to coal mining.
Each student will leave with a booklet illustrating “their” profession. These booklets were put together both to keep track of the visit and to allow it to be extended with learning situations in the classroom.
“The Wendel Miners” discovery tour
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 15 students
- Location: The Wendel Miners Museum
- Duration: 45 mins
In addition to acquiring vocabulary and specific knowledge, in connection with the former administrative building of the Wendel site, this activity gives children an important opportunity to learn how to find their way around this part of the museum. To navigate the circuit, students use a map of the structure. Following in the footsteps of the miners, they will go to the hanging room, the baths, showers and the lamp store to discover their functions.
Wendel miners (pdf, 10.75 MB)
“Coal, fossil energy” educational workshop
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 15 students
- Location: Educational workshop
- Duration: 1h30
The students collect rocks from a mini heap with a cultural mediator. Back in a “laboratory”, they will be led, through observation, to identify various rocks. If they are lucky, they will discover plant footprints. They will formulate hypotheses to understand how coal is formed! Finally, students have access to a collection of fossils from the Carboniferous Age and
each student leaves with a booklet summarising the steps carried out during the workshop. These booklets were put together both to keep track of the activity and to allow it to be extended with learning situations in the classroom.
Testimonial meetings
- Modalities: in sub-groups of 20 students
- Duration: 1 hour
The encounters with a former miner immerse the visitor in the daily life and work of the miners through an authentic account and anecdotes. Students can prepare questions in advance and interact with the miner during this activity.
