Richard Stevenson from Gateshead Heritage Centre came into Year 5 to help the children carry out an investigation into the death of the coal miner Peter Barrett in 1893, at Felling Colliery.
How was he killed? What dangers were there in the mine?
We used census materials, grave rubbings, photographs and mining artefacts to explore the life of a Victorian miner in Gateshead and to solve the riddle of his death.
The children had a wondeful time solving the mystery and learnt a lot about working conditions in a Victorian mine.