We are The River Clyde - Govan High School LCR
Our Language and Communication Resource Base supports secondary pupils to access education where they would struggle within a standard mainstream setting. Part of their specialised curriculum is “Wider Achievement” which covers a wide range of topics.
S1’s Eco topic for the last session was to participate in the Ríos Solidarios project. Pupils learned about Colombia and the importance of the Río Atrato. We watched a film about the River Guardians and learned a bit about the people and animals of Colombia.
Our school is situated in Govan near the historical heart of Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry and now walking distance from many interesting modern tourist and entertainment venues. Pupils chose to depict some of the buildings they can see in our area, in their picture for the project. You will be able to see The Riverside Museum (Transport Museum) and the Armadillo, a concert hall, which can be seen across the river from Govan. One pupil decided to include a typical Glasgow tenement, as this is still the mainstay of the housing, in the centre of Govan, on the way we walk down to the riverside. The tower of the Science Centre, which is on our bank of the river, has been included. Pupils felt the “Squinty” Bridge (the Clyde Arc) had to be in the picture, as it is one of the most recent ways to cross the Clyde. There is a picture of one of the Rotunda buildings, which used to stand at the end of an old access tunnel under the river used by the men working in the shipyards in years gone by. There was chat about a new proposed footbridge, which might make walking from the school to the Riverside Museum easier in the future, but disappointment it was not there yet - although we did find out that currently there are 72 bridges over our river.
We looked at the Atrato on maps and found out about where it was in the world, so the next thing we did was look at our own River Clyde. Most pupils were only familiar with the section nearby and had not thought of where it came from and where it travelled to. We talked about how the River Atrato was being poisoned and what may live in and around that river. We then learned about some of the animals in our river and how they change as the river moves towards the sea. Pupils chose some of their favourites to put into our picture. You may be able to pick out, a minnow, a brown trout, a dogfish, some seals and two seagulls.
Lastly, pupils included some of their thoughts and messages of solidarity with the people of the Atrato River. These messages include:
- Hope , Hope , Hope!
- Stop destroying habitat!
- Help the River People!
- If some struggle, we all struggle!
- Stop Polluting!
- Stand Together!
- Scotland Loves Colombia!
- World Brothers and Sisters!
- Make the World a better place for everyone!
- Stand with our Colombian Brothers and Sisters!
Thanks to Mrs Rasinski and Ms. Daly for guiding this group.
