The song of the sea spirits

Bridge and Patrixbourne CE Primary School

Year 5 pupils (nine to 10 years old) at Bridge and Patrixbourne CE Primary School in Kent thought about the souls of those who died during the Battle of Trafalgar. They created spirits emerging from the timbers of wrecked ships and imagined what they would be calling out to the Temeraire. Inspired by the poetry of Dylan Thomas, Oliver Wendell Holmes and William Shakespeare, and powerful performances of such work, the children wrote and recited their own evocative poems.

This was just part of a much larger whole-school project which included composing and performing a song about the different stages of the Temeraire's life; outdoor role-play; a giant 'pod' in which to experience life aboard ship; a soundscape of the Battle of Trafalgar; digital animation; and a science challenge to investigate how to preserve fruit using only materials available at the beginning of the 19th century.