On Friday 8 November, Upper I took the short journey to Windsor Castle. It was an amazing day filled with exploration and fact finding.
Upper I started the day by walking around the castle grounds, spotting that the union flag was up indicating the King was in! The flag of the United Kingdom is often miss-named as the Union Jack, however the Union Jack is the name for the flag when it is used on a boat! The flag is actually called the Union flag.
The children loved looking inside the St.Georges Chapel, spotting the beautiful stained glass windows and touching a stone that is 2 billion years old! The students saw where King Henry VIII is buried with his third wife Jane Seymour. They were then able to walk past the Queen’s grave and pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II.
After exploring the grounds the children went inside the castle and were greeted by the friendly stewards, who directed them to the Queen Mary Doll House. The Doll’s House was magnificent and when it was first created included running water and working electricity.
Moving through the castle, Upper I were amazed by the decorated, ornate chandeliers and wood carvings drenched in real gold. The children loved spotting famous Kings and Queens painted in the portraits hung up around the state apartments. After lunch, Upper I had a workshop ‘All about Castles’ and learnt so much about the way castles have developed over time and how Windsor Castle has changed from its creation until now!
Did you know Windsor Castle is the oldest castle in the world and that the castle came first then the town of Windsor? During the workshop the children were chosen to play various roles such as soldiers and archers. Even Miss Mulvenna joined in and played the role of evil King John! Once the workshop had concluded, Upper I were lucky enough to spot some of the guards marching around the courtyard, they were very fierce and never smiled!
All in all it was a fantastic day and Upper I are looking forward to investigating more landmarks as part of their Unit of Inquiry all about maps and significant places!
