Bazalgette Free Education Programme
As part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette & The Great Stink of London, Habitats & Heritage are running an educational programme designed for KS2 and KS3 ages.
Sir Joseph Bazalgette was tasked to fix London’s sewage problems after The Great Stink of 1858 brought the capital to a standstill due to the stench created by the River Thames. The Thames had become an open sewer and outbreaks of diseases like cholera were widespread and deadly.
Today we still use Bazalgettes sewers but many of us don’t know what really happens to our water after it goes down the drain.
Petra Cox, our Outreach & Education Officer, has created a FREE assembly package and STEM learning day that uses a bespoke model that allows users to “plumb in” their model house and see what happens when we dispose of water.
All of these are offered completely for free!
Our assemblies and STEM days are fun and engaging ways to teach pupils and groups about the critical infrastructure of London’s fresh water supply and sewerage systems. It also teaches about the impact of these systems on public health and the environment.
Free Assemblies:
A short presentation with props. All we need is a projector and screen!
The length of presentation can be adjusted to fit your assembly timetables.
Suitable for KS1, KS2, and KS3.
Free STEM days:
This is a full day of activity for one class. Assemble our street model with pipes and taps and connect each “house” to a freshwater supply and the underground sewerage pipes. See what happens underground!
What happens if everyone flushes their toilet at the same time? What happens if there is a storm? What happens if the sewer get blocked? How can the system be improved?
All materials are provided by us, we just need some water from your taps!
We can also examine microplastic samples through a microscope and project the images onto a big screen. All we would need is a connection to a screen/projector.
Our model workshop works best in a large space such as a school hall or outside. A site visit and meeting is essential before a workshop is confirmed.
Covers science, technology, engineering, maths, history, and current affairs.
Best suited to KS2 and KS3.
About Petra:
Petra is a big fan of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, having spent 8 years at Crossness Pumping Station, the southern outfall of his sewer system for London.
Her background is in the arts and following a Fine Art degree, she trained as a prop-maker and went on to design the sets and props for historical drama documentaries and over 30 education series for the BBC. She started delivering creative activity workshops for schools and community groups and found huge joy working directly with audiences which inspired me to gain a PGCE teaching qualification.
Since 2009, Petra has worked in the museum education arena connecting a broad range of audiences with historical collections, sites and stories.
Petra is First Aid Trained, has a PGCE, and is DBS checked.