BARRHEAD schoolkids have been learning about the horrors of war by creating their own model trenches.

The First Year pupils at Barrhead High were handed the unusual task as part of their World War One topic, being studied in conjunction with Archaeology Scotland’s Heritage Hero Awards.

Youngsters created a planning sheet prior to constructing their trenches and then spent time building them, using different materials they had.

They have also had to explain the features of their trenches to the rest of their class.

Children even tweeted photos of their models to Heritage Heroes and each will receive an ‘explorer level’ certificate for taking part in the project.

Sara, one of the pupils who took part, told the Barrhead News: “I liked how flexible the learning was. We could create the trench exactly as we had imagined it to be and weren’t forced to create models a certain way that the teacher told us to.

“As we got to plan and design it ourselves, I really enjoyed the task.”

David Herd, history teacher at Barrhead High, added: “Planning and creating trenches offered an active approach to learning about World War One.

“Pupils were fully engaged throughout the process.”

Archaeology Scotland created the Heritage Hero Awards to recognise groups taking part in heritage projects.

The initiative is designed to improve self-confidence and wellbeing, inspire young people and increase awareness of how to access Scotland’s heritage and link up with local history groups.

Other projects have included looking at a Bronze Age burial site, a medieval castle and gravestones in churchyards.

An estimated 2,490 kilometres of trenches were dug on continental Europe during the First World War, mostly between one and two metres wide and three metres deep.