Creative Teaching & Learning

Light and Dark Cross Curriculum Project

A series of cross curriculum project plans to support the creative teaching of the light and dark topic for Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1, 2 and beyond.

Many subjects in the National Curriculum include the study of light and dark – the most obvious being science. However the topic can be effectively used as a foundation for literacy, numeracy, art, history and RE lessons. In RE specifically, the topic of light can effortlessly lead into an investigation into various Festivals of Light, such as Hanukkah and Diwali.

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      string(434) "... same air‘Togetherness’ statement, e.g. sinking or swimming together‘Living’ individually – a temporary state.‘Survival’ together – a permanent state.llllENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan68 Creative Teaching & Learning n Volume 1.2ENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan‘Fair’s Fair’Leon GarfieldGold Star ..."
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      string(5637) "cultures, Yet we share the same home –Our EarthBorn on the same planet, Covered by the same skies, Gazing at the same stars, Breathing the same air,We must learn to progress together, Or miserably perish together, For we can live individually,But can only survive collectively Children used the pattern of the poem to create their own ‘Survival’ poems:Writing Frame -Verse OneWe are…(common ground statement)We may…(differences, eg clothing)We may…(differences. eg. Language)We may …(differences, eg. Beliefs)We may…(differences, e.g. Culture)Yet……………(‘we are all in this together’ type statement)Verse TwoCommon ground in the natural worldBorn on the same planet……same skies……same stars……………same air‘Togetherness’ statement, e.g. sinking or swimming together‘Living’ individually – a temporary state.‘Survival’ together – a permanent state.llllENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan68 Creative Teaching & Learning n Volume 1.2ENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan‘Fair’s Fair’Leon GarfieldGold Star for: Author’s style – easily imitated,issues raised.IssuesRich and PoorFair –UnfairResponsibility and SharingKindness – crueltyHonesty – deceitSocial inequality and injusticeHeroes – Jackson; Lillypolly.Brief SynopsisAs part of our study of the Victorian Age, Garfield’sbook raises issues, as the title suggests, offairness, or the lack of it, in Victorian society.It is a short and simple story and its beauty liesin the author’s rich language and style. He hasused a number of ‘literary devices’, outlinedbelow, to paint the picture.Set in Victorian London, it is the story of streetorphan Jackson who survives alone by runningerrands for whoever will pay him with food ormoney. One cold, snowy, winter’s night, he issitting on a doorstep eating his wages – a pie, when he is approached by an enormous and fearsome dog.On his collar is a large key. Jackson, believing the dog to be lost, accompanies him in search of the door thekey will fit.LiteracyText marking to identify aspects of Garfield’s style.Alliteration: e.g. ‘sat and snarled’ ‘guzzled and growled’Repetition: e.g. ‘Dreadful weather, as hard and bitter as a quarrel. Dreadful weather, with snowflakes fightingin the wind and milk freezing in the pail.’ These devices were incorporated in the children’s personal writing.Simile: Garfield’s own specials , e.g. ‘What a room! As long as a street, nearly’. ‘…as big as the night’ ‘…eyeslike street lamps’. Children created their own collection of original similes.Negatives: e.g. ‘Not a light, not a glimmer, not a twinkle even. An old dead door with a letterbox as thin as amiser’s mouth.’ Children wrote their own descriptive piece using negative words to convey an atmosphere offear.Amazing, Atmospheric Adjectives: e.g. dark, dead fearful, bleak. Children made their own AAA bank of wonderfulwords.Prepositions for description: e.g. below, beneath, beyond ,beside. Using prepositions, children wrote a descriptionof an imaginary bleak house.The children were introduced to style analysis in this simple text and consequently were able to transfer the skillto analyse the styles of other, more challenging texts later on.lllllllllllllENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan ENGAGING HEARTS AND MINDS l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt Plan69Volume 1.2 n Creative Teaching & LearningStreet ChildBerlie DohertyWinner of the Carnegie MedalGold Star for: Empathy, historical content, issues.IssuesSocial injusticeKindness-CrueltyPrejudiceBlindness to the plight of othersGreedHeroes: Jim, Dr. Barnado.Brief SynopsisThe Victorian theme continues in this novel: the shame of the vulnerableabandoned on the streets, while Britain was expanding its empire andcommerce during the Industrial Revolution.After being evicted from their home, Jim Jarvis’s widowed mother dieson the street and he is taken to the workhouse. 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Creative Teaching & Learning

Cross curriculum project plan - Engaging hearts and minds

14 Jun 2010

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      string(400) "... smell rain coming!Why are storm clouds dark? Because they have high ice crystal content, light has trouble passing through them, making the clouds appear dark.Existing subscribers to Project-Based Learning Resources, download all Project Plans and activities from the links below.Weather Literacy Project Plans:Literacy Project 1 ..."
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      string(3184) "days with only 30 per cent normal rainfall, a ‘dry spell’ is reclassified as a drought. During a drought more and more moisture is taken from the air as water literally ‘dries up’. If the drought lasts a long time, and plants begin to die tings get even worse. As the plants die and soil dries, large areas of land can turn to dust. The opposite of a drought (sort of) is a flood. When water falls onto or covers the land in the form of rain, or there are high tides or rising levels in rivers, some is absorbed into the land and some evaporates into the air. Any water that is not absorbed or evaporated is left on the land. This water is called surface run-off and, when there is a lot of surface run-off and nowhere for it to go, floods can be caused.Did you know?A tornado’s spinning speed can reach up to 300 miles per hour.The biggest snowflake on record measured 8 inches in width.The biggest hailstone recorded weighed 2¼ pounds.A bolt of lightning can strike the Earth with a force of 100 million volts.Poplar trees flip up their leaves when air pressure is low and rain is imminent.Some scientists believe moisture (impending rain) makes your nose more sensitive – so some people can smell rain coming!Why are storm clouds dark? Because they have high ice crystal content, light has trouble passing through them, making the clouds appear dark.Existing subscribers to Project-Based Learning Resources, download all Project Plans and activities from the links below.Weather Literacy Project Plans:Literacy Project 1: Weather comprehension (Key Stages 1 and 2)Literacy Project 2: Describing the weather (Key Stages 1 and 2)Literacy Project 3: Poetic weather (Key Stages 1 and 2)Literacy Project 4: A cloudy word search (Key Stage 2)Literacy Project 5: Words and pictures (Key Stages 1 and 2)Literacy Project 6: Weather forecasts (Key Stages 1 and 2)Weather Numeracy Project Plans:Numeracy Project 1: Rainy maths games (Key Stage1)Numeracy Project 2: Weather problems (Key Stage 2)Numeracy Project 3: Numbers in words (Key Stage 1) Numeracy Project 4: Tempting temperatures (Key Stage 2)Numeracy Project 5: Probability (Key Stage 2)Numeracy Project 6: Thermometers (Key Stages 1 and 2)Weather Science Project Plans:Science Project 1: Extraterrestrial weather (Key Stage 2)Science Project 2: Sensational seasons (Key Stage 2+)Science Project 3: Plants and the weather (Key Stages 1 and 2)Science Project 4: The water cycle (Key Stage 2)Science Project 5: Atmospheric science (Key Stage 2)Science Project 6: Lightning strikes (Key Stages 1 and 2)Non-subscribers:Click here to subscribe to the Creative Teaching and Learning service and gain access to these resource packs.Purchase the above project plans by subject for £15.00 each (incl. VAT – simply follow the links above), or alternatively,purchase the entire packfor a one-off fee of £42.00.Related Articles/OrganisationsMet Office EducationNational Geographic"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

The Weather Cross Curriculum Project

6 Aug 2013

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      string(403) "... a nurse.  What do you wantto be?Market day in Serti.A typical tourist chalet in the park.Story: Mohammed of Gashaka52A RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanTeaching Thinking&Creativity 53Teaching Thinking&CreativityA RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanActivity four: Life in GashakaPurpose The children learn more about ..."
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      string(5653) "leader, the Imam, teaches us how to writethe Koran, the holy book of Islam, in Arabic. (Arabic isa foreign language to us ’ we speak Fulani.) We writein black ink on wooden boards. It is very important forMuslims to learn this holy book and I really enjoy theKoranic school. We all sit in a circle with a big fire tokeep us warm and to see by.This is the rhythm of our lives. We don’t often leavethe village, but I go once every two months to Serti withmy mother and sister to sell our crops. I can carry aboutsix kilos of guinea corn on my head. It is 18 miles toSerti, and it takes about five hours to walk there.On the way, we have to cross two rivers – the Gamand the Cam-Cam. In the wet season, we use a canoeto paddle across – in the dry season, we just wadeacross. There used to be a bridge, but it fell down andwe haven’t got the money to repair it.  In Serti westay with relatives for a couple of days. Then we trekback with the things we have bought on our heads.The only other time we might go to Serti is if someoneis sick. We don’t have a doctor in Gashaka, so if weget really sick, and our own medicines don’t work, wehave to go to the hospital.As well as being a farmer, my father is a gameguard for the Gashaka-Gumti game reserve. His job isto patrol the reserve and protect the wild animals fromhunters. He has a special green uniform and a gun.Sometimes he is away for two or three weeks at a timeworking. He also has to make sure the Fulani people, whohave cattle, don’t bring them into the reserve to graze.They often cut down the forest and set up illegal farms.If he finds them in the forest, he has to chase themout.My father used to work in Selbe, another village, fiveand a half thousand feet up in the mountains – a twentymile trek. I’ve never been there, but when Aishatuwas seven, she used to trek up there with our motherto visit. One of my brothers and one sister got sick upthere. They died because it was too far to get to thehospital. I’m glad we live in Gashaka now.The money my father earns buys us the things weneed that we can’t grow ourselves. It buys us clothesand shoes, and salt and palm oil for cooking. We alsobuy paraffin to light our lamps to see by at night –because it gets dark at about 6.45pm all year round.When he’s not working as a game guard, my fatherhas a lot of work to do on the farm. We don’t have atractor, so there is a lot of heavy work digging the soilto prepare it for the crops. We grow some of our cropson ridges, which are really hard work to build. This iswork for men and women ’ it’s too hard for children.My father is a very good farmer and he sometimesexperiments with new crops. This year he planted somecocoa plants to see how they do. If he is successful, hewill sell the cocoa in town so it can go to the factory tobe made into chocolate. I’ve never had chocolate, butI’d like to try it.In December, one of the jobs for the men in thevillage is burning off the grasses which have reachedover seven feet high – otherwise we can’t move abouteasily. Before burning, some of it is cut for makingmats, thatching the roofs of our houses or for weavinginto fences.Sometimes I go into the forest with my father. Once,I saw a python! It was about twenty feet long and itlay on the ground curled up in a big circle. I was reallyscared, but pythons won’t hurt you if you ignore them.There are lots of wild animals living in the forest. I’venever seen hippos, but I know they like to play in thehippo pool.Once a year, because we are Muslims, we observeRamadan. This is when all the healthy adults ’fast’(that means they don’t eat or drink) between sunrise(at about 6.45am) and sunset (at about 6.45pm).Ramadan lasts for a whole month. It reminds us howlucky we are to have food and drink, and to rememberhow it feels to be hungry and thirsty.Children don’t have to fast, but when I am twelve, Iwill start practising by fasting just one or two days.The best time of the year here is Eid, when wecelebrate the end of Ramadan.  Everyone gets newclothes and three days off work just for playing andcelebrating. I like playing football with the other boys inthe day. In the evening, we roast a sheep and havea big feast. Then everyone sings and plays music anddances. I am learning to play a drum.If Eid is the best time of the year, then the worsetime is when the Harmattan comes. The Harmattan is adusty, dirty wind from the Sahara desert. It creates ahuge cloud that blocks out the sun. This happens everyDecember, January and February.When I grow up, I want to be a teacher in theschool. Aishatu wants to be a nurse.  What do you wantto be?Market day in Serti.A typical tourist chalet in the park.Story: Mohammed of Gashaka52A RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanTeaching Thinking&Creativity 53Teaching Thinking&CreativityA RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanActivity four: Life in GashakaPurpose The children learn more about eating, work, leisure and religion in Gashaka.Resources Activity sheet 2A – one between four. This sheet explains the activities to the children. Activity cards 2B and 2C – photocopied onto card and cut up, one set between four. Activity sheet 2D, DIET – two copies per child. (The children will record information about Mohammed’s family’s diet, then their own family’s diet.) Activity sheet 2E, WORK AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES – two copies per child. (The children will use one sheet to record work and leisure in Gashaka, and the second to record work and leisure in their families.) Activity"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

A River Child

16 Dec 2009

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      string(5653) "work in Selbe, another village, fiveand a half thousand feet up in the mountains – a twentymile trek. I’ve never been there, but when Aishatuwas seven, she used to trek up there with our motherto visit. One of my brothers and one sister got sick upthere. They died because it was too far to get to thehospital. I’m glad we live in Gashaka now.The money my father earns buys us the things weneed that we can’t grow ourselves. It buys us clothesand shoes, and salt and palm oil for cooking. We alsobuy paraffin to light our lamps to see by at night –because it gets dark at about 6.45pm all year round.When he’s not working as a game guard, my fatherhas a lot of work to do on the farm. We don’t have atractor, so there is a lot of heavy work digging the soilto prepare it for the crops. We grow some of our cropson ridges, which are really hard work to build. This iswork for men and women ’ it’s too hard for children.My father is a very good farmer and he sometimesexperiments with new crops. This year he planted somecocoa plants to see how they do. If he is successful, hewill sell the cocoa in town so it can go to the factory tobe made into chocolate. I’ve never had chocolate, butI’d like to try it.In December, one of the jobs for the men in thevillage is burning off the grasses which have reachedover seven feet high – otherwise we can’t move abouteasily. Before burning, some of it is cut for makingmats, thatching the roofs of our houses or for weavinginto fences.Sometimes I go into the forest with my father. Once,I saw a python! It was about twenty feet long and itlay on the ground curled up in a big circle. I was reallyscared, but pythons won’t hurt you if you ignore them.There are lots of wild animals living in the forest. I’venever seen hippos, but I know they like to play in thehippo pool.Once a year, because we are Muslims, we observeRamadan. This is when all the healthy adults ’fast’(that means they don’t eat or drink) between sunrise(at about 6.45am) and sunset (at about 6.45pm).Ramadan lasts for a whole month. It reminds us howlucky we are to have food and drink, and to rememberhow it feels to be hungry and thirsty.Children don’t have to fast, but when I am twelve, Iwill start practising by fasting just one or two days.The best time of the year here is Eid, when wecelebrate the end of Ramadan. Everyone gets newclothes and three days off work just for playing andcelebrating. I like playing football with the other boys inthe day. In the evening, we roast a sheep and havea big feast. Then everyone sings and plays music anddances. I am learning to play a drum.If Eid is the best time of the year, then the worsetime is when the Harmattan comes. The Harmattan is adusty, dirty wind from the Sahara desert. It creates ahuge cloud that blocks out the sun. This happens everyDecember, January and February.When I grow up, I want to be a teacher in theschool. Aishatu wants to be a nurse. What do you wantto be?Market day in Serti.A typical tourist chalet in the park.Story: Mohamed of Gashaka50A RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanTeaching Thinking&Creativity 51Teaching Thinking&CreativityA RIVER CHILD l Cross CurriCulum ProjeCt PlanMy name is Mohammed Danda Ladan and I am tenyears old. I live in the village of Gashaka in the stateof Taraba in the country of Nigeria – which is in Africa.My village is in the mountains on the edge of the gamereserve Gashaka-Gumti. I live with my father, my mother,my father’s second wife and my six brothers andsisters.I am the eldest son. I have two elder sisters. One isfifteen and she doesn’t live with us any more becauseshe got married this year. The other, Aishatu, isthirteen and she is in charge of all the children in ourfamily. She cooks all our food and does all our washing.Everyone in our family has jobs to do. I get up veryearly and I go with Aishatu to the river to fetch water.When we get back, we have breakfast before we go toschool. Breakfast is usually maize porridge. I sometimescook breakfast if Aishatu is very busy with the otherchildren, or pounding the maize into flour.After breakfast we go to school at eight o clock.The school has just opened in our village and it hastwenty-two students. We have one teacher who is fromour village. He went away to train to teach the schoolwas closed while he was gone. Our school has a grassroof and open sides. We dont have any walls or desksor chairs or any books yet, but the teacher has ablackboard and some chalk. We stay at school all morningand then have lunch. After lunch I go to the fields towork.Farming is very important to our village. It is howwe get food to eat and crops to sell at the market.Everyone is involved in farming. My jobs include weedingthe crops and scaring away the birds and monkeys whichcome to steal the food. The baboons are the worst. Theyare so greedy and there are so many of them, all thechildren are kept busy scaring them away.I have other jobs as well. Twice a week, us childrengo onto the savannah to collect firewood, which we bringback and pile near the house. We need the wood tocook food and to stay warm in the cool evenings. Oneof my other jobs, which I really enjoy, is fishing in theriver. I fish using a net which we make with cotton ornylon bought from Serti, our nearest town. I am alsolearning how to spear fish. Only men and boys fish in ourvillage, which we bring back to cook. If we have a reallygood catch we smoke the fish to preserve it, but mainlywe eat fresh fish.Another time we have a lot of fun is when we drivethe cane"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Mohamed of Gashaka

1 Jun 2012

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