The Seaside through Time: Newbiggin Beach, 1900s & 2021
Reference: NRO 583/J/12/24 | Suggested age groups: EYFS, KS1 | Topic areas: At the Seaside, Then and Now
NEWBIGGIN BEACH
The first photograph was taken in the very early 1900s. There are lots of people on the beach, all wearing their “best clothes”. It may have been for a special occasion connected with the boats but it is unclear.
The second photograph shows Newbiggin beach, lifeboat station, church, and Maritime Centre in July 2021.
QUESTION PROMPTS
Have you been to the seaside for a holiday? Where have you been on holiday?
What is different in these two photographs? Is there anything the same in these two photographs? What colour are the photographs? What types of activities can you see taking place on the beach? Can you find the dog? What do you do at the beach? Do you play any ball games at the beach? Can you find the boats? How many boats can you see? Are the people at the beach in big or small groups? Which is the biggest group you can find? Does the beach look busy? Who do you go to the beach with? Do you go to the beach in a big or a small group? How do you travel to the beach? What are the people wearing at the beach? Are a lot of people wearing hats? Are their clothes similar to what you would wear at the beach? Do you think their clothes look comfortable to wear on the beach? What do you take to the beach?
KEY WORDS
📝 Maritime – Things living or found near or in the sea.
📝 Lifeboat – A boat used to rescue people in trouble at sea.
📝 Compare – To find things that are the same and different.
READING SUGGESTIONS
📚Miranda’s Beach Day by Holly Keller
📚Magic Beach by Alison Lester
📚Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konagaya
📚Noni the Pony Goes to the Beach by Alison Lester
📚Seal Surfer by Michael Foreman
📚The Sea Saw by Tom Percival
📚Steven Seagull Action Hero by Elys Dolan
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
⚽ Practice throwing and catching with beachballs and frisbees.
⚽ Play the parachute game with a large beach towel.
⚽ Hold the beach towel like in the parachute game. Place a beach ball in the middle of the beach towel and see how high it can bounce by wafting the towel.
🧮 Use different sized containers to pour water/sand. Count how many small containers it takes to fill a large one.
🏃 Have a bucket relay. Fill a large container with sand or water. Divide children into groups, give them an empty container and an item such as a cup, spoon or large shell. Children take it in turns to fill their cup with water/sand and take it back to empty into their container. The first group to fill their container wins.
🐚Visit the beach and collect different natural items such as shells, stones and driftwood. Or ask the children to bring in items they have found at the beach.
🐚 Count and sort shells.
🐚 Make a mosaic of a beach scene using shells.
🔬Use a digital microscope to look more closely at items collected from the beach.
🖍Make rubbings of different textured beach items.
🧺 Ask the children to bring in healthy snacks to make a beach picnic.
🖍Make pictures using things you have found at the beach.
