Local History – Loxley Valley Sheffield – New Resource

We have been lucky enough to run a work placement for an MA history researcher. We tasked her with researching the locations studied during a local school’s Loxley Valley project, so that we could produce an electronic resource. She trawled through archives and did a thorough job, resulting in some excellent maps dating from mid-19th to early-21st century; some images of the works and mines from the same period; and some text describing the companies and people that operated there. It’s interesting stuff, and has been thoroughly checked for copyright permissions.

CLC staff then worked with her to put the resources into a Google Earth file (called a KML); this is available here (right click on this link and download the file – just opening it will show you a load of gobbledygook). If you have Google Earth installed, then simply opening this attachment should create a set of place-markers on the screen containing the images and text. The OS maps that have been overlaid are currently turned off – you will see some tick-boxes in the ‘places’ panel on the side. By selectively ticking one or two of these boxes you will be able to overlay the semi-transparent maps on the ground beneath.

As well as using it as an information resource, there are  some other possible teaching applications:

By switching different maps on and off it is possible to see how changes have occurred to the area over time, such as buildings appearing and disappearing. This could be used to date buildings or even for some sort of time-travel ‘dr who’ style creative writing.

  • Information can be extracted from the text including the archaic language used to describe jobs etc. this would make an interesting English language study.
  • In physical geography terms, the resource and maps can be used to locate and identify various physical features such as the river, valleys, ponds and paths – this could help orient pupils before a field trip.
  • They can use the ruler tool for measuring the scale of the buildings or for working out the distance the clay must have to travel to get from the mine to the refractory.
  • They could create a narrated fly-by tour that could be used in putting forward the case for regeneration of the site.
  • The different layers of Google Earth (such as the Wikipedia or weather layers) can be used for additional local research.
  • Create digital stories that move between tagged landmarks.
  • Google Sketchup could be used to construct models of the objects they intend to put on the site – these can then be placed directly onto the ground, and viewed from any angle.
  • Use the materials as a problem solving activity for a group of students – what can you find out about this location and how it has changed over time?

Because our MA student created this resource as part of her course, some feedback from any reader (and / or their students) on the resource would be highly valuable.

2 Responses to “Local History – Loxley Valley Sheffield – New Resource”

  1. Ron Clayton Says:
    April 8th, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    being somewhat IT illiterate I can’t down load it.

    have you thought about doing something on the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864? I have set up a Flood Trail from Malin Bridge to town.Might be a useful Field Trip.

    Regards,

    Ron

  2. Alex Jones Says:
    May 5th, 2010 at 12:21 pm

    This is a good suggestion. Can the CLC get hold of your materials somehow?

    Alex

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