Creative Teaching & Learning

Project Based Learning – Materials – Full Plan

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      string(5672) "chains.Activity: The places where a plant or animal species naturally lives and grows, or characteristics of the soil, water, and biologic community(other plants and animals) that make this possible, are called habitats. There are millions of different species of plants and animalsthroughout the world and each one has a preferred habitat. Distribute a copy of the task sheet opposite. Explain to the class that they aregoing to decide which plants and animals prefer which habitat. Once the class has decided which plants and animals belong in which idealhabitat, they are then asked to show an understanding of food chains.Plenary: The world’s different environments are packed full of different food chains. As an extension activity, ask the pupils to pick ananimal in a rainforest, desert or mountain and research how they would fit into a food chain. Ask the pupils to then draw their food chain,noting the name of the animal the food chain is for. For example:GRASS ZEBRA LIONDifferentiation: This activity should be suitable for pupils of all abilities. As an extra activity for more able pupils, ask them to find thedifference between food webs and food chains and find out about some common food webs.49Name: Date:Teaching & Learning SCIENCE Lesson plansThis page may be photocopied for use only within the purchasing institution. March/April 2005 Teaching & LearningDraw lines to match up the following plants and animalswith their ideal habitat.Within a specific habitat, plants and animals will feed off each other. Theywill be part of a food chain. Do you know what a food chain is? Numberthe statements below to show what happens in a food chain.The plant uses energy from the Sun The herbivore is eaten by a carnivoreThe plant is eaten by a herbivore The carnivore is eaten by another carnivoreIn the box below, draw a chart that shows the food chain of an animal.Remember to include plants, water, prey, etc.Food chain ofScience Lesson 4 – Habitats and food chainsTeaching & Learning SCIENCE Lesson plansCactus plantThe ArcticCoralTropical reefDeciduous treeAmazonian rainforestPolar bearDesertTree frogGarden pond in the UKToadWoodland in the UK50 Teaching & Learning March/April 2005Science Lesson 5: Antarctic adventureAims of the lesson: To understand that some materials are good thermal insulators.Activity: Ask the class to think about how they keep warm at night. Then ask the class to imagine what it would be like to sleep in Antarctica.Antarctica (the South Pole) is very different to the North Pole. The North Pole is nothing but ice – there is no land underneath – whilstAntarctica is a huge frozen continent. The ice is an average of 2,300 metres in depth and the weight of the ice-cap is such that, in someplaces, the land has been pushed back into the Earth’s crust to a depth of up to 2,500 metres below sea level. With all this ice, the continentis one of the coldest places on Earth, even though with its lack of rainfall it is actually classed as a desert! Explain to the class that no humancould survive all night on Antarctica unless they were in some sort of heated shelter, and even within the shelters we would have to wearthe right clothes and sleep in insulated sleeping bags.Sleeping bags are excellent ways to keep warm at night. Tell the class that they are going to investigate what materials are suitable for usewithin sleeping bags. Give the pupils four pieces of soft fabric and help them to staple or pin the pieces together along three sides to makea small bag. Explain to the class that they are going to investigate what sort of materials they need to place between the upper two layersand lower two layers to keep the inside of the bag warm. The pupils can use wool, paper, silk or plastic to see which one keeps the insideof the bag warmest for the longest time. To assess how warm the inside the bag is, each pupil should be given an empty film camera pot ofwarm water tightly sealed. This can then be placed inside the bag. Then, as each different material is tested as a possible ‘insulator’, thewater’s temperature can be used to gauge how ‘insulating’ the material actually is. The pupils should focus on making careful measurementsof the temperature of the water at regular intervals and also in recording their results. The pupils also need to decide how often they aregoing to take the pot of water out of the bag and for how long, and note this with their results.Plenary: As an extension activity, the children can research some of the new types of materials that have been specially invented byscientists to cope with extreme temperatures.Differentiation: This activity should be suited for pupils of all abilities. However, less able children could focus on testing only one type ofmaterial and see if it keeps the pot of water warm or not.Science Lesson 6: Rainforest wonderAims of the lesson: To investigate how different plants found in a rainforest have adapted to suit their environment.Activity: Tropical rainforests are the richest source of plant life on earth. There are so many different kinds of plants there that not all ofthem have been recorded yet. Rainforests are also perfect places for growing plants. Average temperatures are 70 to 90 degrees and thereis plenty of water. 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Creative Teaching & Learning

Project Based Learning - World Environments - Full Plan

22 Aug 2017

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      string(343) "... their attentionWe began with Year 6 and what emerged from that experience was a proceduraland pedagogic model that we have continued to use as the project has matured.Three or four twilight meetings take place in which the teachers co-plan with theiryear colleague an enquiry-based project that will ..."
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      string(5786) "teachers were keen to try this in the classroom – even at that early stagethey could see the relevance of LVT to their teaching.The second stage was to examine the role and effectiveness of the LVT toolsand methodology in the classroom. How good is this approach in promotingcollaborative group work? How effective is it in helping to generate the talk thatis necessary for the collaboration to happen?Enquiry-based learning projects were designed which demanded discussion,collaboration and negotiation based on an impactful stimulus and clear objectives.The learning sequences were planned to deliver in terms of promotingcommunication, collaboration, synergy and meta-learning. The details look likethis:CommunicationGenerating good group talk to explore the problems and come up withsolutions.Providing the right stimulus and starting point for discussion.Allowing the children to appreciate that talking in this way is learning in orderto achieve the objectives.CollaborationPromote working as a group – as opposed to merely being in a group.Supporting the cohesion needed to approach the complex tasks effectively.Assessing the effect of the LVT methodology on these processes.SynergyRecognising that the quality of the work at the end of the project is a functionof having worked together effectively.Communicating about the end product.Meta-learningChildren articulating their understanding of the issues above.Evaluations drawing out of the children – their reflections on the process aswell as their appreciation of the products of the sessions.Grabbing their attentionWe began with Year 6 and what emerged from that experience was a proceduraland pedagogic model that we have continued to use as the project has matured.Three or four twilight meetings take place in which the teachers co-plan with theiryear colleague an enquiry-based project that will take place over two consecutivedays and the curricular and thematic objectives that it will address. This allowsfor the development of the teachers’ own understanding of the workings ofLVT in the context of the delivery of the curriculum, the context of classroompractice and how the learners will be able to use it as their own planning anddevelopmental tool at various points in the project. The detailed plans are drawnup and the resources made.We have used many exciting ideas for enquiry. These include:nnnnnnnnnn“It emergedthat teacherswere keen totry this in theclassroom– even at thatearly stagethey could seethe relevanceof LVT to theirteaching.” 29Volume4.3n CreativeTeaching & LearningThinking skillsAmazing animals on an earth-like planetSurviving on and escaping from Elephant Island, an ice-covered mountainousisland off the coast of AntarcticaSurviving a plane crash in VenezuelaSurviving on and escaping from a tropical, deserted islandSurviving a tsunamiLost in the savannahThe crazed megalomaniacTravelling in timeDisasters in a strange cityAfter a detailed whole-class briefing and demonstration of the LVT method,the children are given a powerful, attention-grabbing themed resource packthat contains:Stimulus material (visual, written, factual) – the context of the enquiry orproblem to be solved.Details of the tasks that need to be performed – these include the decisionsthat have to be made by the group in terms of their management of the projectand the achievement of the objectives.A list of tasks – for example:Construct an agreed plan of actionAgree allocation of tasksProduce written and drawn material that will contribute to a posterConstruct a posterScript and shoot a videoPresent the poster to another group or another class.Plans and resources for current phases of the project can be seen and freelydownloaded from www.steveslearning.com/primarycreativity.htm.nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnhttp://www.steveslearning.com/primarycreativity.htmThinking skills30Volume4.3n CreativeTeaching & LearningUp to now we have structured the projects using eight sessions over two full andconsecutive days for each iteration of the project. This allows for time-consumingtasks, such as the construction of the poster and the scripting and shooting ofthe video, to be completed effectively and in sufficient depth. There is time forconsidered planning, there is time for re-takes of the video. The time allows forthe groups to cohere, build up a degree of synergy and for the children to developthe roles within the groups. Within this loose structure, there are opportunitiesfor the children to discuss and discover, disagree and decide. Children haveappreciated the looser than normal weave of the days.Immediately after the project, the teachers and the children are asked tocomplete an evaluation form. We look particularly at those children who haveperformed in a different way than would have been expected based on priorknowledge. This information is useful in the planning of the next phase. It alsoprovides an opportunity for reflection on how the project has impacted uponthe learning of each of the children.More than a two-day projectThe third stage is to incorporate LVT as a regular feature into the work of eachyear group. The LVT approach has now been used in projects for three yeargroups – Years 4, 5 and 6. In each of these projects, I have had close hands-oninvolvement at all stages. As we move on to the next phase, there are goingto be teachers planning and running their own LVT projects independently. Theschool is now in possession of the materials that we have created togetherand these can be used and modified in future. The process map shown onthe second page of"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Linking thinking

19 Dec 2013

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      string(369) "... and action tomake their schools more sustainable for their own andfuture generations.Reference DfES (2007) Sustainable Schools for pupils, communities and the environment: an Action Plan for the DfES. April 2007. ■ HMSO(1999) Sustainable Development Strategy “A better quality of life. UK Government ■ Smith A (2003) Accelerated Learning ..."
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      string(4853) "environmentalproblems they will inherit. Furthermore, schools themselvesare resource-consumers and have environmental impacts,through the energy, water and materials they consume,and the waste they create. For example, the SustainableDevelopment Commission (2006) has shown that UKschools contribute over 10 million tonnes/yr of CO2 fromdirect and indirect sources. (Direct use of fuels togetherwith indirect emissions from transport to schools and themanufacture of materials consumed.) This comprises 15%of public sector emissions.The Government is encouraging a whole-schoolinvolvement in actions to reduce resource use. With energyand water bills rising and awareness increasing aboutclimate change, schools also want to address these issues.The infrastructure already exists to tackle waste andrecycling; there is a wealth of educational material available,from a wide range of organisations, on a wide range oftopics. What schools tell us they now need is a “handholding” process to enable schools to implement actionand the provision of tools to do this.■■■ The SUSSED ProgrammeIn response to this need, SUSchool has been developingthe SUSSED™ Programme – an activity-based carbonreduction programme for schools. This takes a whole-school approach, involving everyone from caretakers togovernors, catering staff, teachers, students and parents.It involves the school community in action to reduceenergy, waste and water use and hence reduce theircarbon emissions. It also provides educational materialsfor students and teachers to learn about the issues andsolutions. It is based on the s3 Ofsted framework forsustainable schools. The programme is being developedby SUSchool working with local schools and partnerswithin the energy network.The SUSSED™ programme is a curriculum-integrated‘hand holding’ exercise, empowering the school to go froma green aspiration to full implementation of measures.With the support of energy support staff, the schools auditthemselves, and assess their own carbon emissions. TheyReference41…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….are then independently verified and so achieve SUSSEDSCHOOL status.Schools will then be in a position to implementenergy efficiency measures and install renewables, whereappropriate.Some of the costs of implementation, such as energyefficiency measures, are quite low and can be funded bythe schools themselves, with advice from Energy Help staff.However, the costs of putting renewables into a school arehigh and can be prohibitive. There are Government Grantsavailable but these are limited and involve schools in a lot ofwork applying for them. To enable larger scale investmentto happen, SUSchool is partnering with The Carbon Line(www.thecarbonline.co.uk. )The Carbon Line is a social enterprise set up in 2006to help companies to be able to meet their corporateresponsibility targets. It does this by working with thecompany to reduce the carbon emissions they are producingand then to offset those they can’t. This is done by donatingequivalent amounts of money to nearby schools to addresstheir energy efficiency and renewable energy needs.A relatively small amount of money is used to fund theeducation programme and 70% of the monies providedgo towards energy efficiency and appropriate renewabletechnologies solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps,biomass etc. Clarson Goff, partners in The Carbon Line,handle all project management, planning issues andinstallations. Carbon Line projects are currently beingpiloted in London and Yorkshire with future plans to rollout nationwide.Through the SUSSED™ Programme Schools will besupported through the process of reducing their energy,water and waste costs and resource use and hence theircarbon emissions. Their students, staff and the widercommunity will learn what Sustainable Developmentmeans and will be involved in decisions and action tomake their schools more sustainable for their own andfuture generations.Reference DfES (2007) Sustainable Schools for pupils, communities and the environment: an Action Plan for the DfES. April 2007. ■ HMSO(1999) Sustainable Development Strategy “A better quality of life. UK Government ■ Smith A (2003) Accelerated Learning in practice. PubNetwork Educational Press. 2003. ISBN 1 855 39 048 5. The Sustainable Development Commission (2006) Schools Carbon Footprinting ScopingStudy – Final report. .www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/SDC-Education-and-Skills-Committee-Submission.pdf"
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Professional Development

The SUSchool project

14 Jul 2008

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      string(461) "... Prestructural – learning outcomes show unconnected information, with noorganisation underpinning it;2. Unistructural – learning outcomes show simple connections, although theirimportance is not noted;3. Multistructural – whilst learning outcomes show connections have been made,their significance to an overall meaning is missing;4. Relational – learning outcomes show full connections have been made ..."
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      string(408) "Many of the generic skills typically associated with “research” are integral to much of what we require of pupils in twenty-first century schools. They include problem solving, critical thinking, communication and time management. Yet, there is actually very little consensus in terms of how the word “research” is understood and even less in the way it is taught. Andrew Shenton suggests a strategy."
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      string(5716) "CreativeApproaches72Volume6.4&7.1nCreativeTeaching&LearningTeaching theresearch processMany of the generic skills typicallyassociated with “research” are integral tomuch of what we require of pupils in twenty-first century schools. They include problemsolving, critical thinking, communication andtime management. Yet, there is actually verylittle consensus in terms of how the word“research” is understood and even lessin the way it is taught. Andrew Shentonsuggests a strategy.The New Oxford Dictionary ofEnglish (1999) defines researchas “the systematic investigationinto and study of materials andsources in order to establish facts andreach new conclusions”. If we accept thisinterpretation then many readers will nodoubt quickly make connections betweensome of the elements inherent in it andteachers’ expectations when they setindependent learning assignments inschools. Still, given the lack of agreementas to what actually constitutes research,it is perhaps no surprise that there is a73Volume6.4&7.1nCreativeTeaching&LearningCreativeApproachessimilarly limited degree of common ground among educators with regard tohow the process should be taught. The situation is further complicated by otherbarriers that must be overcome if effective teaching of the research processis to be delivered.Some of the Available OptionsKelley1 makes a range of criticisms of the way young people are educated in ourschools. One of the most fundamental is what he calls a “fixation on subjects”.This problem is apparent in a range of contexts but nowhere is it more evidentthan when a learning programme needs to be devised to cover a skills-set thatdoes not fall squarely within a particular curriculum area. Research is one suchskills-set. Sometimes generic skills-sets are incorporated to some degree withinbroader frameworks but even here schools are left with the task of distilling therelevant material from the overall scheme. One significant option for teachingresearch lies SOLO TaxonomyIntroducing the SOLO TaxonomyThe SOLO Taxonomy was conceived by John B. Biggs and Kevin2 Collis aslong ago as 1982 but today it is especially associated with Pam Hook3, a NewZealand-based educationalist whose Web site (www.pamhook.com) providesa rich array of resources and presentations on how the SOLO Taxonomy canbe used. The undated guide About SOLO Taxonomy explains that SOLO is anacronym for the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome, and the Taxonomywas devised by Biggs and Collis after investigating the thinking of students ofmany different levels across a range of subjects. Overall, there are five stages,each of which is devoted to a form of cognitive achievement. Broadly, theyshow the learner progressing through phases that are characterised by surfaceknowledge, deep knowledge and, finally, conceptual or constructed knowledge.The five levels are outlined by Hook3 as follows.1. Prestructural – learning outcomes show unconnected information, with noorganisation underpinning it;2. Unistructural – learning outcomes show simple connections, although theirimportance is not noted;3. Multistructural – whilst learning outcomes show connections have been made,their significance to an overall meaning is missing;4. Relational – learning outcomes show full connections have been made andthere is a synthesis of parts to the overall meaning;5. Extended abstract – learning outcomes go beyond the subject, and links aremade to other concepts; the learner generalises.The SOLO Taxonomy and the Teaching of Research1. PrestructuralLet us start from the point at which the youngster has no awareness of“research”. The teacher may begin introducing the notion by covering itsessential features. Given that there is so great a divergence of opinion in termsof what is meant by research, such explanation may instantly seem problematic.One response would be for the teacher to locate a range of definitions andidentify from them a common core; we must, of course, accept that writersare likely to disagree on peripheral territory and where the specific emphasesof research should lie. A second priority for the teacher is to distil a sequenceof stages that are fundamental to almost any research project. My own studieshave revealed there to be six steps:a. initiate the inquiry, e.g. by formulating a suitable research question or isolatingan issue for investigation;b. plan the action to follow;CreativeApproaches74Volume6.4&7.1nCreativeTeaching&Learningc. begin implementation by acquiring the material for scrutiny, whether this beinformation from published sources, personally collected data or both;d. construct meaning from the gathered information/data through some formof analysis;e. record the findings for others, e.g. via an essay or report;f. consider and assess the final product in terms of the quality of the processesundertaken and the work that has been produced.(Shenton and Hay-Gibson)4Some of these phases involve the application of specific skills which, althoughfamiliar to the learner, will not hitherto have been seen in a research contextby them. Reading and writing, for example, are fundamental to much researchbut they will not be perceived immediately by youngsters to be key researchprocesses. Once they have been introduced to the above sequence, pupilsmay well, at this early stage, view each of the components in discrete termsand their knowledge of how they all combine to form a whole may be limited.Once the core principles of research have been established and the constituentparts isolated, it is important"
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Teaching the research process

14 Mar 2017