Creative Teaching & Learning

Democracy Cross Curriculum Project

This democracy citizenship scheme of work introduces students at upper KS2, 3 and 4 to different forms of government and their underlying values. The unit introduces students to the ‘big’ themes of politics through an experiential, narrative and dialogic approach.

This democracy citizenship scheme of work introduces students at upper KS2, 3 and 4 to different forms of government and the values underlying them. The unit introduces students to the ‘big’ themes of politics through an experiential, narrative and dialogic approach. Through a talk based approach, students critically explore the ideas underlying government.

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      string(379) "... arguments. However, they were unable to access the wider importance of limiting freedom of speech on the functioning of democracy.    MAKING YOUR OWN COUNTRY l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan 59Volume 1.1 n Creative Teaching & Learning We decided to dedicate time to teaching clearly about what democracy is –distinct to ..."
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      string(5795) "  MAKING YOUR OWN COUNTRY l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan 58 Creative Teaching & Learning n Volume 1.1 Making your own country In this project pack, Kerrie Sharron explains how helping year seven students invent their own country teaches them about government systems. Here, she plans three lessons – where the country is invented in a state of anarchy, a military coup establishes a dictatorship then an underground resistance begins. In the full pack – featuring eight lessons – a revolution is staged, and the country finally becomes a democracy. The full pack will be available to buy from Imaginative Minds ltd later this year. T his Democracy Unit is a KS3 citizenship scheme of work introducing students to different forms of government and the values underlying them. The unit introduces students to the ‘big’ themes of politics through an experiential, narrative and dialogic approach. Through a talk based approach, students critically explore the ideas underlying government. In this unit, student’s invent their own country – which then goes through stages of development. It experiences anarchy, dictatorship, revolution and, finally, has the potential to emerge as a democracy – depending on how the student’s build their system of government. Through this experiential approach, the unit produces an incredibly sophisticated level of debate surrounding the core values of democracy – freedom, stability, individuality and rule of law. It’s remarkable to see a class of 11 year olds embracing these difficult concepts! Project overview: Democracy and other forms of government Key question: How, and by whom, should we be governed? Setting: Fictional country created by students in the first lesson. Product: An ‘ideal’ system of government for Country X. Main coverage: Citizenship, literacy Introduction and background The unit was developed as an introduction to the secondary citizenship curriculum. We wanted to give students a grasp of the key themes underlying democracy and government – allowing students to develop the tools necessary to debate issues arising in the political sphere. When my colleague and I took over the citizenship department in a London school, we saw that, up to GCSE, students were struggling with issues relating to democracy or dictatorship. Some year 11 students, although politically engaged on issues of interest, were unable to describe democracy. This meant they couldn’t understand why ‘rights’ and ‘freedoms’ are such pivotal concepts – nor accountability, rule of law, protection of human rights, right to freedom of speech or expression and association. We found that without a basic understanding of why these concepts are important to the functioning of democracy, students were unable to put a value on them, and were unable to develop the sophisticated level of reasoning needed for political debate. This created a ceiling, and discussion remained one-dimensional. For example, in a class debate about the Mohammed cartoons published in a Danish newspaper a few years ago, students in my classes were able to debate passionately and informedly about whether the cartoons were morally right or wrong. They argued that we should or should not have freedom of expression, and reasoned their arguments. However, they were unable to access the wider importance of limiting freedom of speech on the functioning of democracy.    MAKING YOUR OWN COUNTRY l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan 59Volume 1.1 n Creative Teaching & Learning We decided to dedicate time to teaching clearly about what democracy is –distinct to learning the British parliamentary system of government. I also decided that it was important the students were exposed to other forms of government – to understand features of democracy, in the context of systems without rights and freedoms. I wanted the students to have theoretical tools to understand contemporary politics in other countries, and to give them space to develop their own ideas about the ideal way to govern a country. By exploring the processes, mechanisms and values that underlie democracy, this unit also meets the requirements of the 2008 Citizenship Order – which requires that students understand: “Freedom as part of democracy; fairness and the rule of law as part of justice; power and authority; and accountability. Pupils should understand that accountability happens at many levels”.1 The unit also addresses the requirements of the PoS that students participate in democratic activities – including voting and campaigning. The secondary aim of this unit is to introduce students to topical political issues and to use their newly acquired theory to understand them. The unit explores anarchy in Somalia, a series of dictatorships (including Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Fidel Castro in Cuba) and issues surrounding refugees. Learning through story, learning through talk This resource was influenced by the idea that people learn through narrative. ‘Forms of government’ can be a dry, institutional topic. To unravel how parliament reflects powerful beliefs, I felt the learning needed to be grounded in a story. This builds on Kieran Egan’s work, who argues that humans make sense of things through story. He argues that the rational and imaginative parts of our minds are interdependent – knowledge requires emotional engagement to have meaning2. This unit is structured by the class creating its own country. The class then lives a story of events that happen to their country. Through newspaper"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Project plan: Making your own country

5 Apr 2010

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      string(4802) "internationalcharities and not for profit organisations looking toconnect with young people in a safe and responsibleway. These organisations have valuable lessons toshare with young people across a wide range oftopics; speaking with knowledge and experience.The classroom provides the ideal platform for thesecharities to introduce students to the world aroundthem.Nadia Robinson, commissioning editor in theBritish Red Cross education team said: “Creatingopportunities for children to gain an understandingof the world around them is fundamental to whatwe call humanitarian education. Engaging with ourmaterials provides a valuable opportunity for studentsto explore humanitarian and global issues, whileincreasing their confidence, ability and willingness tohelp themselves and others in a crisis”Topics are far-reaching; currently organisations are looking at encouraging a loveof nature with the WWF, questioning the role of robots in war with the British RedCross, and raising awareness of refugees from conflict with the Imperial War Museum.With resources available to support both students and teachers, it is important thatCreating opportunitiesfor children to gain anunderstanding of theworld around them isfundamental to what we callhumanitarian education.“”37Vol 3.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comLeadingLearningGlobal educationboth parties recognise the valuable opportunities that are made accessible for theclassroom through technology.Catherine Roberts from the Imperial War Museum is one representative whobelieves in the impact of technology:“We can share what is at the heart of our mission; enabling people’sstories and views to be heard by a global audience that can learn from theirexperiences to make a real difference for the future.”These charities can help provide ‘real experiences’ of the world, througha rich diversity of material, sources and topics. Competitions, blogs, real-life interviews are just a selection of resources and opportunities thatcan help draw students into activities, both inside and outside of theclassroom, providing a holistic understanding of the world aroundthem.Top tips for creating your global classroom:Access the numerous global teaching resources available online –these can help students tap into the issue effectively with interestinginsights.Take a variety of starting points for discussion or research. These couldinclude exploring basic human needs, environmental issues, exploring a varietyof cultures, democracy or global issues such as peace, war and poverty.Within your classroom, it is possible that a variety of ethnic backgrounds,cultures and languages are represented. Encourage children to explore each other’sbackgrounds by perhaps conducting mini-interviews, creating projects that involveresearching another country or culture and writing a blog about what they find.This not only encourages understanding, but tolerance and acceptability.Make the most of your school community. Encourage parents, or local communitymembers to come in and share their knowledge and lifestyles with the pupils. Whynot record these interactions to share with other schools online?Reverse the situation and explore local issues from a global perspective. Howwould children in other countries view the UK?Remember to ensure each young person has the environment to safely andconfidently express their opinion and to respect the view of others. This could be inperson, or perhaps through a blog entry if they are not comfortable speaking.Take part in competitions and challenges set by charities and organisations toencourage participation and an understanding of the topics.Set up your own school award ceremony. This encourages children to explore andresearch projects throughout the year in the hope to be the ‘best environmentalist’,or the ‘best global citizen’ etc.Consider linking your school to another one in a different country or culture tobroaden the pupil’s understanding, share ideas and help develop friendships.The My World Network from the British Council can help with setting up theseconnections across Europe. Find out more at www.radiowaves.co.uk/myworld.Cliff Manning, Director at Radiowaveswww.radiowaves.co.uk■■■■■■■■■Knowledge trails1) Educating children for a future – the global village – Looking at the need to educate ourchildren to work in an ever-evolving world alongside other nationalitieshttp://library.teachingtimes.com/articles/educating-children-for-a-future–the-global-village.htm2) Contemporary slavery – Cross curriculum project – A comprehensive project for Key Stages 2+connecting students with a hidden modern day evil to raise global awareness and prompt a proactiverepsonse."
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Leadership

Globalising education

15 Mar 2012

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      string(304) "Welcome to this free special issue of Creative Teaching & Learning! As you may know, one of our key aims as a magazine this year is to bring our readers some of most exciting and innovative developments in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education. Inspiring young people in STEM is ..."
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      string(5561) "vehicle weight and frictionare both key to success. The typicalweight of prototype cars – minus theirdrivers – is under 45kg. An average smallfamily car in Europe weighs between1,000 and 1,400kg! âThe current efficiency record stands at3,771km – the equivalent of travellingfrom London to Rome and back on asingle litre of fuel!http://www.shell.co.uk/mtfschoolshttp://www.shell.co.uk/mtfschools11Special Issuen CreativeTeaching & LearningTheBright IdeasChallengeInterested in STEM and creativeteaching? Become a memberof the Creative Teaching &Learning Service todayRelease your pupils’ potential with: R The most exciting innovations inscience, technology, engineering andmaths teaching R Advice on teaching the new, morerigorous National Curriculum, includingthe new curriculum for computing R The latest developments in creativeteaching and technology, includingproject-based learning, flipped learning,3D printing and more R Strategies to develop young people’sthinking skills, from time-honouredapproaches to fresh, original ideasdeveloped by teachers on the ground R A growing library of cross-curricular project plans –with a new project every issue!Subscribe today and every teacher in your school will receive 12months’ access to the entire Creative Teaching & Learning library –that’s over 3,000 best practice articles and more than 20 cross-curricularproject plans on topics such as conservation, democracy, the humanbody, the Victorians, World War II and more.Subscribe online now!http://teachingtimesbookshop.co.uk/product/creative-teaching-and-learning/TheBright IdeasChallenge12Special Issuen CreativeTeaching & LearningCreativeTeaching & Learning Volume 5.3www.teachingtimes.com/zone/creative-teaching.htmCreative Teaching & Learning    Volume 5.2Making thinking visible inthe primary classroomSimple yet effective strategiesto promote high-level thinking inyoung childrenHow to plan for project-based learningA step-by-step guide topreparing a project from firststeps to final reflectionsInspiring thenext generationof engineersWhat exciting possibilities awaityour pupils in science, technology,engineering and maths?Recently in Creative Teaching & LearningComing up in 2016 n  Maths and literacy across the curriculumHow every teacher can become a maths and Englishteacher. Plus, we explore some of the most excitinginternational innovations in core and foundation subjectareas. n  Creating a vibrant curriculum for computingStrategies for teaching the content of the new computingcurriculum, with emphasis on that daunting newrequirement: coding n  Electrifying approaches to scienceSpice up your STEM teaching with ambitious whole-schoolinitiatives or simple, creative activities for the classroom –we explore both! n  Projects for the new curriculumCover the breadth and difficulties of the new NationalCurriculum with exciting projects on water, materials, theVikings, the Romans, the Battle of Hastings, and more! n  Linking learning to real life with project-based learningDon’t miss our brand new series of PBL project plans! Eachproject explores exciting real-world challenges such asstaying healthy, planning a party and protecting the planet.Writers you won’t want to miss! n  Guy Claxton explores simple steps to creating independent and adventurous learners. n  David Leat fights back against ‘objective-led teaching’ and explores ways to let children take the lead in driving learning forward. n  Debra Kidd inspires reluctant readers with a creative cross-curricular project on ‘the tiger who came to tea’. n  James Nottingham explains the Pit, his revolutionary strategy to stimulate deep thinking and resilience.And that’s not all! Improve your practice with information and advice from:Michael Barber  Robert Fisher   Chris WatkinsRobert E Slavin  Karin Murris   Peter WorleyKieran Egan  Hywel Roberts   David Pratt… And many, many more!Subscribe online now!Problem-based learning in scienceWas the reintroduction of wolves a good thing for YellowstoneNational Park? Ed Walsh brings secondary science to life with areal-world dilemma for pupils to explore and solve together.Blending maths and English across thecurriculumThe UK trails far behind other developed countries in terms ofliteracy and numeracy. Where are we going wrong? Lisa JaneAshes says it’s time to break down the barriers between subjectareas at secondary and get all teachers developing these key skills.Project inspireYour plane has crashed on a desert island. How do you survive?How does the community begin to evolve? Join pupils in theirstruggle for survival as part of one school’s thrilling project-basedlearning scheme.Unleash your inner Einstein!From Einstein to Edison, take a lesson from some of science’smost creative thinkers with this selection of strategies to promotethinking skills through STEM.Exploring history throughdramaFind out how, through dramaticconventions and visual resources,this teacher transported his pupilsback to the times of the Romansand the Celts to develop historicalunderstanding and enthusiasm.Powerful everydaylearning experiences? There’s an app for thatThirty pupils, thirty iPads… can it ever work? For Chris Waterworth,it has – and with amazing results. Here he describes the manyvaluable learning experiences in maths, literacy and more, madepossible only by his school’s one-to-one iPad"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

CTL_Special Issue with Shell

17 Feb 2016

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      string(5664) "In 2011, I went to visit Singapore with a group called the National Leaders of Education. I had some preconceptions about the Singapore education system and expected to find earnest students and high-fliers following a strictly controlled national curriculum. During the visit, I observed both Primary and Secondary practice. My first surprise was when I watched a keenly fought game of basketball in a primary school and was stunned by their skills and expertise. I realised that I had been expecting them to focus almost exclusively on core subjects, maths, literacy and STEM, and had not considered that the same high expectations and expert teaching would extend to the sports field as well.My second surprise was that the children all seemed to be happy, in some ways happier than their UK counterparts, despite working in a pressurised environment. My observations were that their education system is underpinned by a holistic approach—similar to the principles of the Growth Mindset where hard work and dedication are viewed as the way to build talents and skills. This contrasts with Fixed Mindset, which we often come across where children are perceived as being inherently clever or lacking in ability and, while hard work may improve their scores, it will not change their innate ability to maximise their potential and to make a contribution in adult life. I came to realise that the Singapore schools I visited make a clear distinction between academic and non-academic education, and they teach both. There is an emphasis on developing personal values: respect, resilience, children taking personal responsibility for their actions. They teach them to process information, be critical thinkers, keep themselves safe on social media and to become self-regulating. This, of course, makes them more independent and self-reliant.I reflected on my experience and indeed went back for a further visit in 2013. Increasingly, I found that these values were just the ones we wanted to inculcate in children during primary school to prepare them for the next stage of their educational journey. Pursuing a values-based agendaOur trust’s name, CLIC, stands for ‘Changing lives in Collaboration’, and we are a Co-operative Trust. The values of the Rochdale Pioneers—honesty, openness, social responsibility, caring for others—shape our values and we look to develop behaviours such as self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, so these values are closely aligned to the ones I saw in Singapore.If children develop these qualities from an early age, they are well placed to cope with the stresses of growing up, so we focus on five key areas that will help our children take more control of their lives and look after themselves: To be safe—online and in the real worldTo understand the importance of good nutrition and exerciseTo develop the skills of critical thinking—questioning what they read and where it comes fromTo communicate effectively and build their oracy skillsTo be confident and resilient learnersPutting the values into action First and foremost, it is not all about policies. In fact, I’m quite sceptical of policies and prefer to focus on behaviours, reaching out and developing relationships rather than dedicating too much time to paperwork. We find Philosophy for Children offers a strong stimulus to get children to think about the big questions, such as what is freedom? Or, why did so many poor people die on the Titanic? We place an emphasis on democracy and discussion to prepare them so they can think for themselves.We have a child-centred approach and we make the values come to life in our schools. Our parents like our approach and they agree with us that in addition to academic success, we want children to manage their own mental health and to understand their contribution to climate change. One of our schools, Old Moat Primary School, has taken up the challenge of recycling with a Green Heroes project and after school club, and the influence is felt throughout the school as they have banned plastic cups and plastic straws, collected paper for recycling and encouraged parents to understand and share these values so they transfer from school out into the wider community. Climate change is very much on the national and international agenda right now and introducing these concepts to our children sets them on the path to understanding the topics they will come across in geography and science at KS3 and KS4, but also gives them lessons for their future life too.Across the Trust, children have been focusing on women’s rights, women’s careers and the contribution that women have made to the fields of science and politics. We have the Workers’ Museum on our doorstep, which has been a catalyst for understanding the impact of worker’s struggles, equal rights and issues of equality today.Growth through transitionLike all schools, we need to be mindful of making sure that the secondary schools our students move into are up to speed with the children in our care who will be joining them in September. We are delighted that Chorlton High School shares our values. They want children to be happy, successful and creative: ‘We nurture academic success alongside creativity and imagination throughout the school curriculum to help learners to secure the knowledge, skills and personal qualities they will need for future success.’It is important for us all to understand that when students get to secondary school, they will not be working on"
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Leadership

Creating a Values- Based Transition to Secondary School

11 Jul 2019

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