‘Gunpowder, treason and plot’ was the focus of our latest Curriculum Collapse Day on Thursday 6 November.
During the exciting day, which went with a bang (quite literally), boys in the Prep School swapped their usual lessons to explore a whole carousel of activities on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
The boys uncovered the history behind one of these most infamous plots, from why a plan was hatched to blow up the Houses of Parliament with King James I inside to the individuals behind it – even creating their own ‘guys’ of either Guy Fawkes or Robert Catesby.
In French, boys explored the equivalent French Revolution before enacting, filming and editing reels of the key moments. In Spanish, they learned about Fallas Mascletà with its explosions of gunpowder and colour.
Fireworks also inspired music, as boys crafted bassoons and clarinets beautifully decorated as fireworks.
As this short film shows, our Y3 boys enjoyed dancing to Katy Perry’s Firework.
In Art, sgraffito and ink and watercolour portraits of Guy Fawkes added even more colour to the day.
And there were even more pyrotechnics in the science labs and on the Inky Pitch. The boys saw first-hand how different metals create the brilliant displays that light up the skies on 5 November. Our thanks go to parent and Director of Titanium Fireworks, Darryl Fleming, who gave the brilliant outdoor talk on the science of fireworks, from the chemistry behind the colours to the physics of their propulsion. He also delighted boys with flares and bangs.
“Our Curriculum Collapse Days offer boys the opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of topics, broaden and enrich their understanding, work collaboratively with boys from different year groups, learn new skills and put their Future Skills to the test.”
