In topic, Year 3 have been learning about local history, with carnival being a key stimulus. We began by exploring carnivals around the world and what they might look, sound and feel like. So far, we’ve looked at: Rio Carnival (Brazil); Venice Carnival (Italy); and the Leeds West Indian Carnival. The children are able to discuss similarities and differences between these carnivals and understand the reason behind these fantastic events.
Looking at the Leeds Carnival in more detail, our attention turned to Arthur France. Arthur is the founder of the Leeds West Indies Carnival and came to Britain as part of the Windrush Generation. This was after WWII when Britain needed help to rebuild from the war, and Britain invited people to immigrate.
Here’s some of our learning about Arthur France – we used a timeline to sequence key parts of his life in chronological order.
Help at home:
Talk to your child about the carnivals we’ve learnt about so far. Ask them questions on the similarities and differences between them. We’ve also talked a lot about staying safe at a carnival – perhaps explore this conversation in more detail at home.