Library helps pupils learn about Second World War’s impact on their local area
WORLD War Two was brought to life when 90 primary pupils invaded their local library to research historic material.
The Year Three and Four pupils from Penygloddga Primary School in Powys looked at books and microfilm at Newtown Library and investigated items from a memory box lent by Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery.
They also read accounts about children who were evacuated to the local area and learned about a former pupil from their school who was killed in the war.
“Having an invasion of Penygloddfa Primary School was the perfect way of sharing our local resources,” said assistant branch librarian Kate McCaffery, who planned the activities.
“The enthusiasm and interest of the children created a wonderful buzz in the library.”
Activities included a quiz which focused on a local man who attended Penygloddfa primary school as a child, but was killed during the fighting.
Newspaper articles were used together with reproduced clippings from the Cenotaph book, and a 1941 map of Newtown.
An edition of the Newtonian Journal, which reported on personal accounts of evacuees who came to Newtown, was also examined by the children.
“The accounts were made by children who were the same age as the pupils,” said Trish Thomas, Powys County Council’s reader development librarian.
“Many found they empathised with the evacuees and their plight as they were sent away from their families to live with strangers for the first time.”
Councillor Graham Brown, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for library services, said: “We know there is a need in schools to explore information literacy and libraries are a great place to do this by using their local history resources.
“It helps pupils with the way they do research – gathering evidence that they can use to back up their work or lead them to more information. The library staff are great facilitators and the pupils really enjoyed this approach.”