Blacksmiths
10th March 2023
To support our Year 7 and 8's scientific understanding, we invited some Samburu Blacksmiths to the school. The Year 7s are learning about States of Matter and the Year 8s are learning about atoms. Watching the Blacksmiths seemed a great way to elicit prior knowledge and set the children up for the learning that is coming.
The children were treated to a great demonstration of how these traditional craftsmen use scrap metal, melt it and then reform it into spears, knives, jewellery and other items. The children were mesmerised by the demonstration which was expertly narrated by one of our Year 3 children who is fluent in Samburu. He was incredibly useful in helping to translate questions and answers. It was to great surprise that the children discovered that the black markings on the spears are made with burnt animal horn!
We were very lucky in that, despite travelling a great distance, our guests arrived early enough in the day for children from across the school to also be able to visit and watch them crafting.
Everyone was particularly delighted when a number of members of staff made attempts at throwing full-size spears on the school field!
