lesson plans
TRANSCRIPT
VISIT TEACHPRIMARY.COM
Outstanding advice from the UK’s top education experts
LESSONPLANSINSIDE >>
CAN CHILDREN USESCIENCE TO DISCOVER THE
RECIPE FOR A PERFECTSANDCASTLE?
POINTthe tipping
Steve Bunce creates a cacophofireworks display to acacophony of sound
Robert Watts’ lesson plan on exploringjuxtapostion through collage
Sue Nicholls’ catchychants will develop
childrens’ understandingof pulse & rhythm
BANGINGTUNES
10
YOUR FACEORMINE? TIMES
A victorian suitcase that hasn’tbeen opened for more than100 years will bring out the
historian in your pupils
FREE!
RAPSRiveting
changing
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A Victoriansuitcase that hasn'tbeen opened formore than 100years will bring outthe historian inyour pupils, says
RichardMcFahn...
Using the familiar setting of houses and homes, this lesson -highlighted as outstanding practice in Ofsted’s recent Historyfor All report - gets to the heart of one of history’s keyconcepts: change. Knowing that things haven’t always beenthe same as they are today is a vital way to help youngerchildren begin to understand how and why changes happenor do not happen. This lesson could be taught in one longchunk, or divided up. You decide.
Today you will learn...> By touching and feeling some old Victorian objects andguessing what they were used for
> To decide which objects go in which particular room in aVictorian house
> To learn the different names used for objects and thedifferent types of room in a Victorian house
Starter activity Immediately capture the
children's imagination by telling
them that you recently went to
visit your grandmother. You
talked to her about life when she
was a girl. She went into the attic
and bought down something
even older: a large suitcase full
of objects from her great
grandmother’s house, which
you have brought in to
show everyone!
Raise the level of excitement
by telling the children that you
haven’t looked at any of the
objects in the case. Ask the class
if they would like to help you?
CHANGING
If you contact your
local museum they
often have schemes
to lend such
objects and
artefacts. If not,
you can easily pick
an old suitcase up at a
second hand shop – the
artefacts you can use
depend on what is
available, but
recommended are
artefacts connected to
Victorian washing, i.e.
washboards, irons and pegs and
any artefacts connected to
Victorian kitchens.
KS1 LESSON PLAN:HISTORY
Main activities
1AnalysingartefactsSlowly take one object
out of the case at a time.
Ensure they are wrapped in
soft paper. Not only will this
protect them but it will help the
children understand that we
should respect the past and its
remains. Hand the object
around fully wrapped, ask the
children to feel the object,
describe what they can feel
and guess or infer what the
object is and what it was used
for. Can they work out which
objects belonged in which room
of a Victorian house? It might be
worth recording on the board the
children’s inferences and
thoughts. At this point, unwrap
the object to see how close the
children’s guesses are. Use
directed questions to guide them
and take their thinking deeper.
Do the same with the rest of the
objects, between 10 and 15 is the
correct amount – but don’t spend
too long here as you don’t want to
lose the momentum or the sense
of excitement..
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History Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 04/10/2011 15:51 Page 1
2Guided tourIt is now worth showing animage or a reconstructionof a Victorian house that
clearly depicts the different typesof rooms. Can the children decidewhich room each of your objectsbelongs to? (You can use this linkto allow your class to ‘visit’ aVictorian house and gain a senseof the past geffrye-museum.org.uk/learning/walk-through-a-victorian-house/walk-through).
Explain that the class is going towork together to create a displayentitled, ‘Victorian homes andhouses’. Ensure that you highlightand stress the key words, objectsand rooms that you are going toask different children to researchfor the display in part three.
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> Get the children to create a
happiness graph (happy/sad
on vertical axis, time along the
horizontal). Introduce new
inventions such as the
washing machine, place it on
the horizontal axis at the correct
time and get the children to work
Follow up and assess THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU FOLLOW UP THESE ACTIVITIES WILL DEPEND ONTHE STRUCTURE YOU HAVE CHOSEN. FOR EXAMPLE YOU COULD:
3Group workNow you can differentiate
your work according to
ability. Divide the children
into three or four different groups.
Ideally you will have two teaching
assistants to help you.
Group 1: can work out how the
Victorian washing process worked in
the scullery. The best option would
be for a small group to go outside
with a teaching assistant and use
artefacts to work out the order of the
ABOUT THE AUTHORRichard McFahn is a School Improvement Adviser inWest Sussex. He also runs a website(historyresourcecupboard.com), which provides fullyresourced lessons and advice on history teaching.
> Have you ever asked your parents or grandparentswhat their lives were likewhen they were children? > What type ofrooms do youthink they mighthave had in aVictorian house? > What objectsmight have beenused in a kitchen100 years ago? > How differentare houses todaycompared to theVictorian one? > What wouldmake a gooddisplay aboutVictorian homesand houses?
out how happy each one
would make its owner.
> Create a museum display with
artefacts and labels for a Victorian
house. Explain that children can
only use five objects. Which
objects would they choose
and why?
washing sequence. But you could
also use images on cards of a
wash tub, dolly, mangle,
pegs, iron etc.
Group 2: some of your lower
attaining children can work with a
teaching assistant. You will need
to beg or borrow a Victorian doll's
house here. Can they work out
which objects go in which room?
Place the objects in each room,
and then the group can create
some well chosen labels for the
names of the different rooms and
some of the objects.
Group 3: your middle ability
children could work on reinforcing
what they have learnt about the
different Victorian rooms, perhaps
by creating a guidebook to a
Victorian house. Their
understanding could then be
extended by exploring the
difference between the functions
of a Victorian house and a modern
house. You could match up old and
new objects on cards and identify
the similarities and differences
between each one.
Group 4: your more able children
could use books to research more
about the kitchen objects. They could
draw and label and write captions for
each item. Can they provide dates for
each item? They can then arrange the
objects, or captions, into chronological
order. This will help them understand
technological change.
At the end of the group work,
encourage each group to describe
what they have been doing and what
they have learnt about a Victorian
house and its functions. Try and
connect each group’s ideas together
to build a bigger picture. Use the
image you used of the Victorian
house earlier to emphasise this.
A huge thank you must go to
Michael Maddison, history HMI for
Ofsted, who kindly agreed to allow me
to use and adapt this lesson from his
report, History for all, and the teacher
who planned and taught this lesson in
front of an Ofsted inspector. Well done
you! If you want to read this report it
can be found here
(ofsted.gov.uk/resources
/history-for-all).
A Victorian Discovery Visit at anEnglish Heritage property.
english-heritage.org.uk/education
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History Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 04/10/2011 15:51 Page 2
94
Can children use science todiscover therecipe for a perfectsandcastle, asksSue Martin?
Children love to play with sand and their experience in sandpits or at thebeach means they will probably have built a sandcastle. If they haven’t, theymust be given the opportunity! If they have, they will know that it is importantto get the ‘right type’ of sand to make a good castle – by that, of course, wemean a good mix of sand and water: too wet or too dry and the sandcastlewon’t work. Getting it right can provide a great opportunity for a funmaterials-based science investigation.
Today you will learn...To develop your investigative skills: planning; obtaining and presentingevidence; considering evidence and evaluating; and practising yourmeasuring skills. The aim of the investigation is to determine how much water should beadded to dry sand to make a sturdy sandcastle.
Starter activity Ask children to share ideas about
sand (where we find it, what it’s
used for, etc) – with each other, in
small groups and with the whole
class. They may tell you facts or
just share experiences – give
credit for all their ideas and
responses.
Tell the children that you are
going to make a sandcastle. Fill
your ‘bucket’ (a plastic container
such as a large yoghurt pot will
be fine) with dry sand, pat it down
and swiftly upturn it onto a tray.
Watch as the sandcastle rapidly
collapses – look disappointed!
Ask the question, “I wonder why
it won’t hold together?” The
THE TIPPINGpointchildren are likely to say that the
sand is too dry or needs water.
Add far too much water to
make a good consistency of
sand and try to build a new
castle. Too much water tends
to lead to sand left behind in
the ‘bucket’ or the castle falling
apart. From these outcomes,
pose the question, “I wonder
how we can find out
scientifically how much water is
needed to make the sandcastles
turn out well? Let’s investigate.”
The children will probably be
brimming with ideas of how
they can make a good castle. Let
them share ideas. Ultimately you
will need to channel their ideas
KS1 LESSON PLAN:SCIENCE
into comparing castles made
with sand and a variety of
water quantities.
Main activities
1Prepare for the test KS1 children will
probably need guidance
on how to carry out a fair
comparison. The children
should all have the opportunity
to make sandcastles – this is
easy to achieve in small groups.
Yoghurt pots or plastic cups are
ideal to use in the classroom.
Provide each group with a tray
on which to make their castles.
To measure accurate quantities
of water, syringes work really
well. Give the children a chance
to practise filling syringes with
specific amounts of water, e.g.
2ml, 5ml, 10ml, etc. I have set up
Science Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 26/08/2011 15:53 Page 1
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2Carry out theexperimentDepending on the ageand experience of the
children, guide them towardsmaking castles with the samequantity of sand each time(controlled variable) andprogressively more water(independent variable). You willneed to do a test run in advanceof the lesson to check the amountof water that works for yourquantity of sand/castle size. Youmay start with just a fewmillilitres of water.
For each castle, the childrenshould fill the plastic containerwith dry sand and pour it into thebowl. A measured quantity ofwater is then added and stirredthoroughly into the sand. (Handsare ideal for mixing purposes – beprepared with cloths, wipes or
bowls of water to avoid tripsback and forth to the sink.)This mix is then put backinto the plastic container,patted down and turned outonto the tray. It may be nice
for the children to take apicture of the ‘castle’
produced.
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> Discuss the results achieved –
there may be a very definite
ideal, but it is more likely that a
range of water quantities will
work well. However, there will
also be some that are too dry and
some too wet. Share results
between groups to see if there is
consistency. This investigation is
quite open and can lead to really
good science discussion.
Follow up and assess TAKE TIME TO ANALYSE YOUR RESULTS
3Record the resultsIdeally, this procedure should be repeated with different quantities
of water – the range should be between castles that are too dry
and those that are too wet. The castles could be turned out next to
each other on the tray to make direct comparisons and photos taken to
show the results. If the quantity of water added is systematically
increased, e.g. 2 or 5ml at a time (depending on castle size), it is easy to
identify how much water is in each castle if written records are not made.
Using a digital camera to snap results is always useful, as it is inevitable
that a castle will be inadvertently knocked down!
ABOUT THE AUTHORSue Martin is a Teaching Award winner and DeputyHeadteacher at Talbot House Preparatory School inBournemouth. Previously, Sue was Head of Physics atParkstone Grammar School in Poole, Dorset.
>How much watermade a goodsandcastle? Canthere be toolittle/too much?>What does thewater do? Childrenapproach sciencetasks with theirown ideas aboutwhat’s happening.We ignore theirpreconceptions atour peril! Let thechildren talk abouttheir ideas and use questions toguide themtowards a betterunderstanding. Wewould not expectKS1 children tounderstand howsurface tension inthe water pulls thegrains of sandtogether, but youcan talk about thegrains sliding overeach other whenthe sand is dry and‘sticking’ morewhen they arewet. With toomuch water, thegrains can slidemore easily again.
this investigation
at different levels with
children from 3-7 years and found
that some in each year group know
immediately how to fill a syringe,
whilst others have no idea. Make
sure all the children have this skill
and can measure a specific amount
before they start their investigation.
This activity can be a lot of fun for
young children in and of itself.
> Can other substances be used to
replace water? Let the children
suggest and try other substances to
mix with dry sand to bind the
particles together. Consider
whether the children follow a
systematic approach to measuring
out their suggested substances
(they could choose a non-liquid and
would need to find a different way
of measuring the quantity used).
Science Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 26/08/2011 15:53 Page 2
100
Starter activity Try this echo rap with KS1
children. There's no need to
display or memorise lines, the
children just copy the leader to
achieve a satisfying, instant
performance. Echoing
encourages focused listening and
the actions are given as
instructions (the imperative
voice), making a valid link to
literacy.
Hello to you!(Taken from The Song Stack and
reproduced here by kind
permission of Music Education
Supplies – mesdirect.com. Some
actions are described – the rest
are given in the text.)
Hello to you! (arms outstretched with index
fingers pointing round the circle)
Move your shoulders: one, two! Now stamp your feet! And clap on the beat! Hands stretch up high!
RIVETING
Wiggle fingers near the sky!Give a smile, give a grin!Turn around and spin!Well done, everyone! (thumbs up!)
Our music’s begun! (open arms to include everyone
in the gesture)
Main activities
1Write your own rapsTry writing raps with KS1
pupils in shared writing
lessons. Make pairs of rhyme
cards on contrasting colours,
e.g. ‘sure’ on yellow, ‘floor’ on
red, then introduce some
modelled opening lines for the
children to extend and develop:
Sue Nicholls’ catchychants will develop
children'sunderstanding of
pulse and rhythmand create
memorable linkswith literacy and the
wider curriculum...
Raps are hugely popular with primary pupils and are so easyto incorporate into the curriculum. The term ‘rap’ as used inprimary schools embraces many styles of chant and verse, but most will follow a pattern of paired rhyming lines,i.e. rhyming couplets. They offer opportunities for cross-curricular work, most obviously in literacy, because ofthe bond with rhyme, syllabic stress, metre and poetic form, but can also be harnessed to great effect in everysubject area. Raps belong in the musical domain because of the strong underlying beat (or pulse) which anchorsthe lines of text, giving a strong driving momentum; and the rhythm, dictated by the syllable patterns. Raps provide an attractive format for vocally inexperienced practitioners because they require no actual singing, yet they incorporate many musical features.
Today you will learn...To explore a range of raps, incorporating pulse (strong beat) and rhythmic accuracy To recognise and use rhyme patterns and manipulate syllables to maximise effectTo construct your own rap material using models and rhyme banks To add movement and actions to enhance performance
raps
Hey everyone!Let’s have some fun,So bend your kneesFold your arms and squeeze!...
Create limelight moments by
using names in your raps:
Hey there, Fred,Get out of bed!Make your body jiveAnd copy Clive!
head - Fred bike - Mike
knee - Lee keep on - John
still - Phil jive - Clive
do - Sue crawl - Paul
whizz – Liz squeak - Razik
kick - Nick back - Jack
awake - Jake sashay - May
KS1 LESSON PLAN:
MUSIC
Adding actions endorsesthe musical concept of pulse(strong beat), improvescoordination and bringsenergy to the performance.Encourage children to inventmoves to give them greaterownership of the material.
sure/floor hand/band
click/flick groove/move
bend/end slide/glide
put/foot wave/rave
trip/flip high/try
Music Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 26/08/2011 15:34 Page 1
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2HI! MY NAME ISBRAD(Taken from TheManchester Singing School
books, reproduced bykind permission of theManchester MusicService primarycurriculum advisoryteam.)
This chant, writtenby Maurice Walsh, is a
real winner, demandingserious concentration in
order to place the clickscorrectly! Children should click
their fingers - or clap - at theasterisks.
Hi * * my name is Brad * *I’ve got a sister * she nearly drives me mad! * *Fiddle dee dum! * * Fiddle dee dee! * *If only she could * be good *She’d be as nice as me *
Hi * * my name is Joy * *I’ve got a brother * he’s such anaughty boy! * *Fiddle dee dum! * * Fiddle dee dee! * *If only he could * be good *He’d be as nice as me *
Hi * * I’m one of the teachers * *I’ve got a class * of ‘orrible littlecreatures!* *Fiddle dee dum! * *Fiddle dee dee! * *If only they could * be good *I’d take them all to McDonald’s for tea!
Once the words are familiar, askthe children to write new versionsusing other names and rhymes, e.g.
Hi * * my name is Alice * * I’ve got a friend * who owns a
golden palace * *
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> Organise a rhyme bank board,
asking children to research and
write rhyme pairs on Post-Its, to
add to the class collection.
> Experiment with simple repeated
percussion patterns to accompany
and drive the rap performance to
keep the pace steady.
> Write your own raps for different
topics and add actions.
Follow up and assess DISCUSS WHAT MAKES A GOOD RAP AND ENCOURAGE THE USE OF
MUSICAL VOCABULARY SUCH AS ‘PULSE’, ‘RHYTHM’ OR ‘PATTERN’.
3The Mummy Rap!(By kind permission of the partnership between Derby City
Young People's Directorate and the Museum Service: the
Flagship Learning Programme funded by Renaissance.)
This KS2 rap reinforces historical vocabulary and describes the
mummification processes. Add suitable actions and bandage some
volunteers to enhance your performance!
Chorus: (Step from side to side; arms crossed over the chest)
I’m a mummy, I’m a mummy and I’m all in white! You can only see an outline ‘cos I’m wrapped up tight!
I’m off to the afterlife, that’s a factSo special things are done to keep my body intact!A really good wash with water from the NileThe embalmers don’t hurry; this job takes a while. Chorus
Organs like my liver, intestines and lungsAre sealed in jars with special bungs!The brain’s taken out with a very long hookIt goes up the nose - p’raps you shouldn’t look! Chorus
I’m stored in Natron – salty stuffIt dries up the body so it won’t go off.Drying it out takes forty daysThen everything’s oiled for the final stage. Chorus
A bandage for every finger and toeThen legs and arms wrapped nice and slow!Amulets hidden in layers betweenCharms make the afterlife calm and serene. Chorus
ABOUT THE AUTHORSue Nicholls is a freelance music education consultant.She is a national Sing Up trainer and co-chair of theNational Association of Music Educators' EYFS andPrimary Focus Group.
Use raps to...> Impartinformation, e.g.topic work> Introduce orembedvocabulary> Introduceconcepts > Stimulatedialogue anddrama> Tackle revision> Retell stories,support narrative>Giveinstructions(‘imperative’voice)> Introduceassemblies> Approachsensitivesubjects (PSHE)
Music Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 26/08/2011 15:34 Page 2
We put on clothing to stay warm, so is dressing up Frosty going tokeep him cool or hasten his demise, asks Sue Martin?The next time there's a snow day, use the opportunity to do somegreat science investigations. Ask the students to find out whether ornot their snowmen will last longer with or without clothing. Theycould do an investigation in full scale or with miniatures. And if itdoesn't turn out to be a white Christmas, you can model theconditions using ice cubes and bring the fun indoors any time.
Today you will learn...> Children will be encouraged to develop their Sc1 investigative skills:‘Planning’; ‘Obtaining and presenting evidence’; and ‘Consideringevidence and evaluating’.
> They will also learn about ‘Changes of state’ (Sc3 2b, 2d) and ‘Thermalinsulation’ (Sc3 1b). The investigation aim will be to determine whether asnowman will remain frozen longer if it is insulated.
Starter activity As an opening activity, tell the
children you are going to set
them a challenge: they will each
be given an ice cube man and
must try to keep him from
melting for as long as possible. I
use a Lego ice cube tray to
produce icemen. Having a
character / fun shape makes the
challenge of keeping it from
melting more meaningful and
exciting, but of course it’s not
essential.
There are many other cheap
moulds to be found – dinosaurs,
fish, shells, hearts, etc. Make the
ice shapes in batches, turn them
out and store them in a freezer
bag until there are sufficient
numbers for the investigations.
To being with, give pupils just a
few minutes to think about how
they may want to stop their ice
character from melting. Be
prepared to let them use any
means they suggest (within
reason). Children may want to
wrap their ice, but equally they
SHOULD SNOWMEN WEARcoats?may choose to place it in a
particular location, put it into
water, etc. Try not to comment on
any choices made.
Once everyone is clear about
the plan, allow the children to
collect any materials required (a
container may be useful to
prevent too many puddles) and
then give out the ice cubes. As
soon as everyone is ready, start a
timer and allow 10 minutes
melting time. During this time, ask
the children to talk about
their choices – first in pairs,
then in groups and finally
ask the groups to share
their ideas with the whole
class. Once the 10
minutes is over, allow
the children to recover
the icemen and
compare the results in
their groups. Which
icemen were the most
intact? Which had
melted? Can they account
for the observed
differences?
KS2 LESSON PLAN:SCIENCE
84
Science Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 04/10/2011 10:34 Page 1
2Ensure a fair testDepending on the age and abilities of the students, either plan an
investigation together as a class or in individual groups. The
students need to identify key variables (size / shape / mass /
volume of ice / ambient temperature / materials for insulation / thickness /
layers etc.), how they will measure the changes to the icemen, and decide on
the time the ice should be left to melt. The earlier investigation should
indicate a reasonable time to allow. In measuring how the icemen change,
it's probably easiest to measure the change in mass. Each should be
weighed at the start and end of the desired timescale to determine how
much its mass changes during that time.
Each group could test a number of different insulating materials on the
icemen, or a different material could be given to each group, with the results
shared after the investigation, depending on time available for the class.
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> Ask the students to consider how
the results may be used to reach a
conclusion and answer the original
question. They should first
demonstrate an understanding
that insulation reduces the
rate of melting, i.e. it is
better for a snowman to
wear a coat. Secondly,
the iceman that has the
Follow up and assess TAKE TIME TO ANALYSE YOUR RESULTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORSue Martin is a Teaching Award winner and DeputyHeadteacher at Talbot House Preparatory School inBournemouth. Previously, Sue was Head of Physics atParkstone Grammar School in Poole, Dorset.
>What is athermal insulator?(A material thatdoes not let heatflow through iteasily. Differentmaterials havedifferentinsulatingproperties.Materials that trapsmall pockets ofair make goodinsulators, e.g.polystyrene,bubble wrap, foamsponge.)>Why shouldinsulation beuseful to asnowman? Snowmelts when heatfrom the Sunreaches it. Theinsulation reducesthis heat flow sothe snowmanmelts more slowly.> What factorsaffect theeffectiveness ofthe insulation?Consider type ofmaterial/thickness/layers, etc.
smallest change in mass has the best
insulation surrounding it.
Students should be able to
present the results in a bar chart and
rank the insulations in terms of their
effectiveness. Encourage students
to look at the materials and consider
similarities in the best insulators –
they may see that many good
insulators trap small pockets of air.
85
Main activities
1Make predictionsPose a question for the
investigation: 'Should a snowman
wear a coat and if so, which
material would be best to use as a coat
for a snowman?' Discuss how groups
could set up an investigation to answer
these questions. Assuming that snow is
not available to use, first consider how
ice can be used as a suitable alternative
to snow and whether conclusions
drawn from the results can be applied to
snowmen. Ask the students to make a
suitable hypothesis or prediction –
focus on the need to wear a coat and
also the best coat to use.
3Start the clockIn each case, the iceman
should be weighed, wrapped
and the timer started. After a
set time, say 10 minutes, the iceman is
unwrapped and weighed again. A
number of icemen could be timed
simultaneously in a group situation.
One iceman should be tested
with no insulation to
produce a ‘control’
result. This will
enable the class
MATERIAL
to conclude whether some insulation
(a coat) is better than no coat at all.
The results from the insulated
icemen should enable the class to
decide which material is the best
insulator or coat material for
a snowman.
Results may be gathered
together from groups to create
a table, e.g:
MASS OF ICEMAN AT START OF INVESTIGATION (g)
MASS OF ICEMAN AT END OF INVESTIGATION (g)
CHANGE IN MASS OF ICEMAN (g)
No insulation
Bubble wrap
Sponge cloth
Kitchen roll
Etc.
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Science Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 04/10/2011 10:44 Page 2
Steve Bunce creates a spectacular fireworks display to acacophony of sound, without setting fire to the classroom...
KS1 LESSON PLAN:ICT
92
With Bonfire Night approaching, these activities, which combine music, poetry and ICT, canbe used to create a virtual firework display in the classroom. The lesson starts with areminder about the different types of fireworks and how a display can be set to music. Thechildren will then record themselves reading a Bonfire Night poem before adding soundeffects to this. Finally, they will use software to create a fireworks themed pop music track.
BANGINGtunesToday you will learn...
> to use online simulations to create a virtual fireworks display > to create and record fireworks sounds and rhymes using online tools> to record and playback fireworks rhymes using song creation software
Main activities
1RememberRemember Share the rhyme for the Gun
Powder plot with the children
and chant it together:
Remember, remember
the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot,
We see no reason,
Why gunpowder treason,
Should ever be forgot!
Ask children if they understand
all of the words? Which words
rhyme? Would they like to record
themselves reading the rhyme?
Even better, would they like to add a
backing track and become pop stars?
Most computers have ways of
recording voices; for example, you
might use Windows Sound Recorder.
Standalone microphones, such as the
Easi-Speak (tts-group.co.uk), are also
very useful for capture and playback.
Sounds can be recorded online, too.
Using Vocaroo (vocaroo.com), the
children can chant into the computer
microphone and listen back to their
recording straight away. (You may get
a small warning screen requesting
access to your microphone. Select ‘OK'
to continue.) The finished recording
can then be downloaded or emailed.
Starter activity Start with a fireworks display to
capture the children's attention.
Using the Disney Fireworks
website (disney.co.uk/disney-
create/fireworks) you can create
you own display with a variety of
fireworks: fan, big bomb, parasol,
Roman candle, supernova and
Catherine wheel. You can also
introduce the idea of setting a
display to music by selecting one
of three different backing tracks
(or no music) from the toolbar
towards the top right of the screen.
You could prepare a fireworks
display before the lesson or use the
pre-recorded demo display (select
the video camera icon at the
bottom right-hand side). Watch
the simulation full screen for the
best effect.
Ask the children at what times
they see fireworks (at celebrations
such as New Year, the opening of
the Olympics or Bonfire Night). Do
they know the date of Bonfire
Night? Is it the same date every
year? Why do we celebrate Bonfire
Night?
This could lead to an introduction
to the Gunpowder Plot. You can
also find a KS1 firework safety
pack, which contains details of the
story, rhymes and advice, here:
ICT Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 30/04/2012 11:00 Page 1
2Snap, crackle and popThe children can now create
and record sound effects to
represent fireworks. For instance, what
does a Roman candle sound like? Can
the children make that sound?
In the first activity, children made
single track recordings. Now they can
have a go at recording multiple tracks
using software such as Audacity
(audacity.sourceforge.net) or Myna
(aviary.com/tools/audio-editor); both
of which are free.
Ask children to think about the
recordings they make. Why do they
think their noises sound like
fireworks? How could they improve
their sound effects?
Many free sound effects are available
online. With support from the teacher,
the children could listen to firework
sounds to help make their own
impressions more realistic. Two
example sites are:
>freesound.org/browse/tags/fireworks
>soundjax.com/fireworks
_sounds-1.html
There's also an opportunity for using
percussion instruments and other
improvised sounds, e.g. when twisted,
bubble wrap makes an excellent
crackle.
Working in groups, children can create
their audio fireworks displays and
record them.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORSteve Bunce is VITAL's ICT CPD leader for the NorthEast and Yorkshire & Humber at Open University.VITAL is all about supporting teachers and schools todevelop their use of ICT professionally (vital.ac.uk).
> Remembering -can you namethree types offirework?> Understanding- why do peoplecelebrate BonfireNight?> Applying - canyou tell someoneelse how to recordtheir voice?> Creating - canyou create a newpoem for the firesafety code?> Analysing -why do peopleneed a fire safetycode?> Evaluating -how could youmake yourfirework soundsmore realistic?
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> In the lesson the children have
enjoyed recording and listening to
themselves chanting and making
fireworks noises. To conclude, we can
display fireworks safety advice
(bbc.co.uk/schools/events/bonfire_
night/worksheets.shtml).
> Which instruction do the children
think is most important? Could they
Follow up and assess create a simple chant or poem to
warn other children? Could they
record it using one of the methods
we have mentioned?
> To finish, playback the recording
and create a fireworks display to
accompany it using the on screen
fireworks web page
(maylin.net/fireworks.html).
3Roman candle in the windTo create our fireworks song we can use a fun piece of software called
Microsoft Songsmith (research.microsoft.com/en-
us/um/redmond/projects/songsmith). It is free to use for a total of six
hours (a duration of actual use, not the time from installation). When children
chant the fireworks poem, Microsoft Songsmith will generate a musical
accompaniment to match the pitch of their voices.
Children could begin with the Remember, Remember rhyme or use Irene Yates'
poem, Bonfire Night that's included in the fireworks safety pack mentioned
earlier. It starts:
In the night-time darkness,
In the night-time cold,
Did you spot a Catherine wheel
Raining showers of gold?
On opening Microsoft Songsmith, select ‘New song’ and you will be presented with
a choice of genres. My children liked the ‘Bluegrass’ style, but there are many
others with which to experiment. You can adjust the speed of the music – we
found that a tempo of 60 bpm worked well. Press 'record', wait for the introductory
bars to complete and Songsmith will tell you when to start. Chant the poem and
try to match the words to the beat of the music. Once complete, press 'stop' and
listen; an instant soundtrack is created to accompany the words.
You may have to experiment with the volume and the pace of the chanting to
get the best results. However, many pop stars have to re-record tracks over and
over, so it is important for the children to realise it is not an easy task.
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Remember the 1972 Olympics? Perhaps you don’t,but I certainly do. I was seven years old at the timeand obsessed with three things: sport, maths andart. With its combination of athletic achievement,record-breaking statistics and dynamic visuals, theOlympics was the perfect event for me. I spent muchof 1972 drawing diagrams of running tracks,compiling lists of champions and running around amakeshift Olympic arena in the back garden. Thosewere the days.
But there’s a particular visual element of the 1972Olympics that lingers in my memory more than anyother. One innovation of the games was a brilliantlydesigned set of wordless images, or pictograms,each of which symbolised a particular area ofsporting activity. The pictograms each representedhuman figures, reduced to circles and rectangles butdrawn in such a way that the nature of the activityrepresented was perfectly clear to the viewer.
These pictograms were so effective atcommunicating essential information in a dynamic,engaging way that they have exerted a stronginfluence on subsequent signage used at the games.forty years on, design studio Someone has created anew set of pictograms for the 2012 games (try typing‘London 2012 pictograms’ into n search engine).
KS2 LESSON PLAN:ART & DESIGN
Today youwill learn...
> to make observationaldrawings of each other indynamic sporting poses
> to reduce the drawings totheir essential visual elementsto create pictograms thatrepresent Olympic events
> to extend your work intocollage and ICT
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Using a few simple lines and shapes, childrencan create powerful and instantly recognisableimages, like those imprinted onRobert Watt's mind from the1972 Olympics...
Starter activityThe beauty of pictograms lies in
their simplicity. Many 20th
century artists explored ideas
around reducing the visual
world to its simplest elements:
Mondrian, for example, began
his career by making intricate,
detailed drawings of trees,
before gradually reducing their
forms to the squares and
rectangles of his later abstract
work. In this creative project,
children will follow a similar
journey with their own
poseST
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artwork, learning how the
simplest of shapes can
effectively communicate ideas
and actions. They’ll begin by
experimenting with
observational drawings of each
other enacting poses that
evoke the exciting movements
of Olympic or Paralympic
events, drawings that will then
be used as a springboard for
further experiments in collage
and ICT.
Start by showing the class
some examples of everyday
road signs that feature
pictograms, and draw their
attention to the way the actions
of the figures are
communicated without words.
Ask children to suggest
reasons why pictures are
sometimes more effective than
words for communicating
information - some will
understand, for example, that
drivers on a busy road have
little time to read instructions
on a sign but are quick to ‘read’
the information contained in an
image. This notion of ‘reading’
images is central to the
practical work the children will
make.
Introduce children to Olympic
and Paralympic pictograms – the
1972 originals or the
contemporary versions are easily
found online – and explain that
they will be making their own
pictograms, representing a range
of sporting events. Remind
children that the audience for
these pictograms will be
international, so each event will
need to be captured in a clear,
simple, distinctive image.
Art n design Lesson plan Qx8_Teach Primary 08/11/2011 10:27 Page 1
Main activities
1Observationaldrawings Begin by asking children to
adopt action poses inspired
by their chosen sport. Some
choices will be more popular
than others, so you might need
to do a little extra promotion for
certain events – and try
providing a few props for sports
such as archery. Children
should work in pairs or
small groups and decide
which pose best
represents the chosen
sport, before beginning
observational drawings of
each other.
At this point, encourage
children to simplify their
drawings as much as possible.
Stress that they need not include
eyes, noses and other features -
instead, encourage children to
look for regular shapes such as
squares, rectangles and circles.
You could also emphasise the
importance of proportion:
children should try to ensure the
relative size of each section of the
body is fairly accurate.
A great way to encourage
children to look closely at
proportion is to ask them to make
drawings of wooden mannequins
that can easily be twisted into
interesting action poses. (Another
advantage is that they tend not to
complain about being asked to
maintain awkward poses for
several minutes!)
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> Extending the collage activity
from scissors and paper into
screens and pixels is an exciting
and engaging way to develop
the project. Even the simplest of
painting programs will allow
children to construct regular
shapes such as circles and
rectangles on screen:
combining several of these to
create pictograms of sporting
stars is a relatively
Follow up and assess
ABOUT THE AUTHORRobert Watts is the Programme Convener for the MA Art,Craft and Design Education course at the University ofRoehampton, London, and the co-author of Teaching Artand Design 3–11, published by Continuum Books.
> Assemble acollection of signsthat use images tocommunicateinformation.Which do youthink are the most original or effective, and why?> If you were todesign a set ofpictograms fordisplay aroundyour school, what might theylook like?> People often saythat a picture isworth a thousandwords. What doesthis mean, and doyou think it’s true?
straightforward process.
The process is particularly
interesting if you have access to
software such as Adobe
Photoshop Elements, which
provides the option of working
with layers of images. Place one
shape on each layer, then
experiment with copying each
layer and moving it around the
screen to adjust the pose of
the figure.
2Paper collages offigures in motionChildren will now use
their observational
drawings as inspiration for some
striking collages of figures in
motion. Provide scissors,
magazines and glue sticks,
together with a selection of round
and rectangular objects that can
be drawn around (though older
children could practise
constructing rectangles and
circles using rulers and
compasses). Explain that they
need to find blocks of colour in
the magazines from which
rectangles and circles can be cut.
Once children have
assembled a collection of these
shapes, ask them to work
together to create collages of
figures in sporting action. Images
of the Olympic and Paralympic
pictograms can provide
inspiration, but encourage
children to develop their own
ideas beyond those they can see.
Place the pieces on paper and
experiment with arranging
and rearranging them into
different compositions.
When children are happy
with the composition of their
figures, they should paste them
into place on large sheets of
paper. Each individual piece could
then be combined with others
to create an impressive whole-
class artwork.
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Art n design Lesson plan Qx8_Teach Primary 08/11/2011 10:28 Page 2
Collage is one of the most fascinating processesused in art and design, one guaranteed to engagechildren across the primary age range. Foryounger children, collage can be as simple as cuttinga shape from one piece of paper and sticking it toanother. As they grow older, however, childrenbecome more ambitious as they realise they can usecollage to create complex compositions that bothextend their thinking and challenge theirpreconceptions.
One reason why many children are initiallydrawn to collage is that it requires relatively fewtechnical skills. As children progress through KS2,they become increasingly aware of ‘who’s the best inthe class’ at drawing or painting, and those who lacka little confidence can easily become discouragedand disillusioned with art. Collage is a processconcerned more with imagination than technicaldexterity and, as such, it can be an effective way toengage those children whose interest in art isstarting to decline.
A key reason why children find collageinteresting is that it offers opportunities to createexciting juxtapositions. Juxtapositions occur whenone object or image is placed next to another,resulting in new images that can be unexpected,unconventional, often funny and sometimes scary.Juxtaposition can be a very quick and efficient wayof creating striking and memorable artworks, andit’s the theme that underlies the ideas presented inthis project, which itself juxtaposes traditionaltechniques with contemporary equivalents.
KS1/2 LESSON PLAN:ART & DESIGN
> to create collages thatjuxtapose images, resulting in
surprising combinations
> to use pencils or charcoal tomake observational drawings
that can then be collaged
> to extend your work into collageand ICT
Mixing up portraits can lead tosome unexpected, amusing oreven unnerving results inRobert Watts' lesson onexploring juxtapositionthrough collage...
YOU
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Starter activityThe origins of modern collage
date back 100 years to the
experiments Picasso and
Braque carried out in their Paris
studios (the term is derived from
coller: ‘to glue’). A century on,
collage continues to be a
medium that appeals to
contemporary artists. London’s
Saatchi Gallery may be famous
for Damien Hirst’s pickled shark
and Tracey Emin’s unmade bed,
but it’s also the place to find
some of the most interesting
and innovative artists’ work
ever made with paper and scissors.
Two such artists have inspired
some of the practical activities on
these pages. David Thorpe’s
atmospheric images of urban
landscapes are made from paper
meticulously cut into precise shapes,
juxtaposing flat areas of colour to
represent the visual world.
Meanwhile, John Stezaker’s collages
take us from landscapes to portraits,
with juxtaposed images of forgotten
movie stars from the 1940s and 50s.
These images are ideal for
introducing children to the creative
potential of collage.
OR MINE?face
Today you will
learn...
Art n design Lesson plan_Teach Primary 19/12/2011 08:48 Page 1
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> Encourage children to work
in small groups to gather a
selection of images of faces
from magazines. Each group
should then experiment with
placing the features in different
combinations before
selecting the composition
they are happy with and
Follow up and assess
ABOUT THE AUTHORRobert Watts is the Programme Convener for the MA Art,Craft and Design Education course at the University ofRoehampton, London, and the co-author of Teaching Artand Design 3–11, published by Continuum Books.
> When we placeone image next toanother, do boththe images lookthe same as theydid before? Or doesone change theother? > How do you looksimilar to yourpartner? How areyou different?What would theworld be like ifeverybody lookedthe same?> Do you ever seeexamples ofjuxtaposition inadvertising, or ontelevision? Try tocollect someexamples, andreflect on why youthink thedesigners havechosen tojuxtaposeparticular images.
pasting the features into place.
> A natural extension of the
double portrait idea is to carry out
the activity onscreen. Children can
open their initial pair of portraits in
an art and design software
package, then simply select a
section of one image and copy and
paste it over the top of another.
3Landscape collagesDavid Thorpe’s collages of urban landscapes have inspired this
activity, which offers opportunities to make some final
unexpected juxtapositions (saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists
/david_thorpe.htm). Load two images onto your PC that you want to
juxtapose in a collage. Place a thin sheet of paper over the PC screen and
trace the part of each image that you want to use. On paper, colour in
each of the images - try using dark tones to create silhouettes - and
assemble them onto coloured paper to create the finished collage.
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Main activities
1Juxtaposing photos Begin by introducing children to
collages made by John Stezaker
(saatchi-gallery.co.uk/
artists/john_stezaker.htm). Children
will immediately respond to the
images – they’re likely to find the
unexpected juxtapositions of facial
features amusing, unnerving and
intriguing and will quickly recognise
that they could easily create similar
images of their own.
If you’re carrying out the activity
with the whole class, it’s useful to
have a printed portrait photograph of
each child ready to save time. If you’re
working with a small group, however,
getting children to take photographs
and upload them to the computer is a
useful lesson in itself.
Children will need to work in pairs
for the activity, each with their own
portrait photograph. While they might
prefer to work with their close
friends, the finished images will be
more effective if they can work
alongside someone whom they
doesn’t physically resemble too
closely (it can be a good opportunity
for girls and boys to collaborate).
All children need to do is to slice
one of the portrait photographs in
half and place it on top of the other
photograph. It sounds simple, but in
order for the juxtaposition to be really
effective, they’ll find they will need to
experiment with a few different
arrangements before deciding which
is the most striking. Children might
decide, for example, that they would
like certain features, such as the nose
or mouth, to be shared equally. Even if
partners can’t quite agree on a
composition, they have the chance of
making a second variation using the
discarded pieces from the first.
2Pencil portraitsOnce children have
completed their
photographic collages,
offer them opportunities to
experiment with drawn portraits.
Working in twos or threes, ask
them to use pencil or charcoal to
make close observational
drawings of each other. These can
be scanned and printed if you
want to preserve the originals,
otherwise, each drawing can
simply be cut in two, with each
half juxtaposed against another. In
the example shown here, children
have experimented with cutting
irregular lines around the features
before combining the images.
Art n design Lesson plan_Teach Primary 19/12/2011 08:49 Page 2
1Playing tunedpercussion Y3 & Y4 Try this simple
instrumental accompaniment to
What can you see? on tuned
percussion. There are two note
clusters (or chords), C E G and D F
G, to be played on the beat, i.e.
twice per line on underlined
syllables. The three notes are
divided between three players.
STEP INTO A
Sue Nicholls hunts for musical inspiration inRousseau’s Tiger in the Tropical Storm..
Rousseau’s celebrated painting Tiger in the Tropical Stormhas been used by many primary schools as the focus for artand design led topics, but it's also a good starting point formusic activities.
Rousseau painted The Tiger in a Tropical Storm in 1891.Many critics dismissed his work as naive and childish, butPicasso, Matisse and Toulouse-Lautrec defended his style.The artist never actually visited a jungle, in fact and some
say that he sketched plants in Parisian parks to inspire histropical landscape. The picture is full of detail andatmosphere: lightning and torrential rain, waving brancheslashed by the wind and luxuriant plants that cover thejungle floor in lush green layers.
Our eyes are drawn to the hunting tiger, but we cannot seehis prey.
paintingKS2 LESSON PLAN:
MUSIC
Today you will learn...
Starter activity Y3 & Y4Display Tiger in the Tropical Storm
on the whiteboard and collect the
children’s reactions, thoughts and
any offered descriptive words
or phrases.
Divide the children into small
groups to make lists of things
seen in the painting e.g. trees,
shrubs, tiger, sky, rain… and use
these to create alternative lyrics
for line three in the song What
can you see? right.
> To sing and extend some jungle-themed songs > To perform jungle raps with percussion and vocal effects
What can you seeTune: Pease Pudding Hot,
starting on note C)
Leader: What can you see?
All: What can you see?
Solo group: We see a waving tree
All: So can we!
Y5 & Y6Tiger's about! is a song inspired
by Rousseau's painting. Sing it
with the class and aim for clear
diction, a strict tempo (no
hurrying) and a consistent, even
singing tone, particularly when
the tune goes higher.
Tigers about(Tune: Head, shoulders knees
and toes)
Striped
Tiger
Stalks his prey,
stalks his prey
Striped
Tiger
Stalks his prey,
stalks his prey
Rousseau conjures up a jungle thunderstormStriped
Tiger
Stalks his prey,
stalks his prey
> Simon plays note C (and D on
beats 3 and 7)
> Ruby plays note E (and F on
beats 3 and 7)
> Kosh plays note G all the time
Invite each group to perform
their verse while one player
keeps a constant strong beat
(pulse) on a tambour to
represent the tiger’s measured
prowl across the jungle floor.
5 6 7 8
C E G C E G D F G C E G
WE WAVING SO WE
1 2 3 4
C E G C E G D F G C E G
WHAT SEE? WHAT? SEE?
Music Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 21/12/2011 09:15 Page 1
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ABOUT THE AUTHORSue Nicholls is co-chair of the National Association ofMusic Educators' EYFS and Primary Focus GroupThese ideas presented here are part of a trainingworkshop for KS1 & 2. Visit suenichollsmusic.com
> Did the singingstay in tune? Didwe listen to eachother as we sang? > Did we keep intime and maintaina sense ofensemble with theaccompaniment? > Did thesubstituted lyricsmake sensewithin the songstructure? > How could weimprove thesongs; makebetter linksbetween verses?> Did the rapshave a strongunderlying beat(pulse)?> Was theexcitement andatmosphereconveyed throughthe rapperformances? > Should we askfor audiencefeedback?> Have wediscovered moreabout the paintingthrough ourmusicalactivities?
3Beastly raps Try making up a rap or
chant in the form of a
playground game, following
agreed rhyming patterns e.g.
Tigers Hungry!Tiger, Tiger
Under the tree
Tiger, Tiger
Hunting for his tea?
[Tiger] My tum’s empty
I need food!
‘Cos I’m hungry
2Composing jungle songs Y5 & Y6Make a class list of things
observed in the painting, adding
unseen creatures, plants and
items that would be found in a
tropical habitat e.g. insects, lianas,
spiders, snakes - including
adjectives. Sort these into groups
of one, two and three-syllable
words and phrases, e.g.
1) snake, trees, rain, sky, hot,
leaves …
2) shadows, insects, tropics,
stealthy, prowling…
3) in the night, hunts for food,
velvet paws, tearing claws,
waving trees...
Create new lines for Tiger’s about!
using the song structure, but
retaining the original line 7:
‘Rousseau conjures up a jungle
thunderstorm’.
Line 1: I syllableLine 2: 2 syllablesLine 3: 3 syllables [repeated] Line 4: repeat line 1
Line 5: repeat line 2
Line 6: repeat line 3
Line 7: Rousseau conjures up ajungle thunderstormLine 8: repeat line 1
Line 9: repeat line 2
Line 10: repeat line 3
4Musical experimentation Y5 & Y6Encourage pupils to take responsibility for developing and
performing this rap, incorporating musical elements - e.g.
dynamics (loud and quiet), tempo (pace), vocal texture (the two choruses
can be chanted together) and instrumental timbre - to create tension and
build atmosphere.
Encourage experimentation with solo and group voices, adding
improvised musical interludes, rhythmic patterns played on percussion:
world instruments such as the caxixi, chekere or binasara would really
complement the vocal work. Create new verses by writing alternative
versions of the changing line.
Tigers going hunting(*asterisks show clapped rhythms)
I’m in a bad mood!
I’m a snake
Under the tree
Tiger, Tiger
Don’t eat me!
[Tiger] My tum’s empty...
I’m a butterfly….
[Tiger] My tum’s empty...
I’m a crocodile….
[Tiger] My tum’s empty...
[Tiger] Can’t find supper
Under this tree
Nothing worth hunting
Nothing for tea!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Thanks to Philipa Toulson of
Folk South West
(folksw.org.uk) for this brilliant
song-writing idea.’
Prowling through the jungle
Over hill and plain
Searching through the bushesIn the driving rain
Chorus 1:Tiger’s going hunting
Tiger’s on the trail
Tiger’s going hunting
Tiger, do not fail!
Chorus 2:Thun-der * * overhead
Light-ning* * fills the sky
Jun-gle* * wet and hot
Tig-er * * passing by
Prowling through the jungle
Over hill and plain
Parrots squawking overheadIn the driving rain
Chorus 1:Chorus 2:
Prowling through the jungle
Over hill and plain
Insects buzzing in the grassIn the driving rain
Chorus 1:Chorus 2:
Prowling through the jungle
Over hill and plain
Velvet paws keep walkingIn the driving rain
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Music Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 21/12/2011 09:15 Page 2
them think about what they will
say to the class:
> What is the range called?Why did you choose to collect them?> What do you like about their design?> Which is your favourite?> Are there any others in thecollection that you don’t have?
Explain to the class that during
this lesson they will be learning
some new skills as designers
that will be really helpful to them
in this term’s D&T project –
whatever product they happen to
be designing and making. After
each volunteer’s ‘show and tell’,
ask the class to say what their
collection has in common? What
THINK
KS2 LESSON PLAN:DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY
Starter activity We all know that children in KS2
really enjoy the latest craze.
Some of these involve children
collecting products, such as soft
toys or miniature cars or ‘top
trump’ cards that belong to the
same range and have a number
of characteristics in common. A
few days before you plan to
carry out Extending the Range,
ask for volunteers who would
like to bring in their collection of
objects to show to the rest of the
class. It is important that what
they bring in has been designed
and made and belongs to a
recognisable brand. It could be
that a number of children own
one product from the same
range, such as a make of training
shoes or type of bracelet, and
might therefore work together to
prepare a presentation. It is
helpful to provide the volunteers
with some questions to help
fastToday you will learn...
> To look closely at a collection of products and say what theyhave in common
> To come up with quick ideas, using design criteria, for anotherproduct that could belong to the same range
> To evaluate your own and other children’s ideas, using design criteria
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Ironically, we sometimes come up with our mostimaginative ideas when we have the least amount of time tothink. The pressure of time forces our natural instinct andintuition to take over, so that ideas are more spontaneousand innovative. This may also apply to some of the childrenin your class who might surprise you with the quality oftheir thinking when working within tight time constraints.
A couple of years ago, the Design and TechnologyAssociation led a successful project with primary schools inShropshire called Butterflies in My Tummy. A major aim ofthe project was to provide activities for KS2 children tomaximise their risk taking and innovation when designing.The good news is that they are all freely available. Just go todata.org.uk, click on 'resource vault' then 'non-members',and scroll down the page until you see the link.
One of the activities, Extending the Range, is an excellentstrategy to have up your sleeve when you want children toquickly come up with ideas for what they could design andmake. During this activity, children are put in the position ofa professional designer and asked to consider an existingrange of products.
is it that shows they belong to the
same range? For example, with
soft toys, children might say they
are ‘all animals, furry, squidgy,
have different characters and
names, are funny to look at, can
be made to sit up or lie down’ etc.
Ask children to go through the
same process for each of the
collections they bring in and note
the children’s ideas on your
whiteboard. Drawing on their
brand awareness, the purpose of
this activity is to help children
suggest the shared
characteristics or design criteria
for each group of products.
D&T Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 19/12/2011 12:04 Page 1
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> When observing Extending the
Range it is important to think
about how effectively children are
able to adhere to the design
criteria when coming up with
ideas. Compare this with the last
time they carried out a D&T project.
Think about how well they
responded to the pace of the
activity and the extent to which
they evaluated their own and other
children’s ideas in an objective way.
> In design and technology the way
to test how well children have
Follow up and assess
ABOUT THE AUTHORGareth Pimley is a freelance primary education consultant,specialising in design and technology and wholecurriculum development. For more information pleasecontact [email protected] or 01939 291103.
> What is therange of productscalled?> Who is themanufacturer?> Who are theyaimed at?> How do you useor play with them?> What do theyhave in common?> How did you feelabout otherchildren evaluatingyour idea?> How did you feelabout evaluatingother children’sideas?> How did you feelabout only havingfive minutes tocome up with your idea?
learnt a new designing skill is when
they apply it to design and make
products. Children could apply a
similar. approach to generating
ideas as part of their D&T project for
the term. Having evaluated a range
of existing products – which
depending on the project might be
toy vehicles, bags, money
containers or different types of
bread – the children then come up
with their own design criteria and
rapidly generate initial ideas for
what they could design and make.
81
Main activities
1Setting designcriteriaBefore the lesson, put
together a PowerPoint slide
with images of a collection of well-
known products that belong to the
same range. A little bit of research
on Amazon will help you to find out
what ranges of children’s toys are
particularly popular at the moment
for the age of your class.
Alternatively, you might opt for a
familiar brand of fruit smoothies for
kids, or training shoes from a
manufacturer that is popular with
children in your class.
As a whole class, explore the
range with the children. What are
they? What range do they belong
to? Who are they aimed at? Draw
out and list the features of the
products which they share, e.g.
branding, colourful, stylish,
fashionable, comfortable, funky,
cool, stylish healthy, fun, comical.
2Evaluating ideas Tell the children they are
designers with a mission:
to extend the range! Using
one Post-it per child, ask them to
individually generate an idea for
the next product in the range
using words and/or a quick
sketch. Put a time limit of five
minutes on the activity. Ask the
children to place their Post-its on
the whiteboard or a display area
so that all the children in the
class can see them. Give some
time for the class to look at and
evaluate the designs. Ask them
to decide which of the ideas
meets all the design criteria and
which ideas meet only some of
the design criteria and arrange
these into these two groups. You
might also ask individual
children to say which they think
is the ‘best’ idea for extending
the range, emphasising that this
means ‘best’ in relation to the
design criteria the whole class
originally came up with.
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D&T Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 19/12/2011 12:30 Page 2
Ask children to capture their personality in asingle photo and they will discover more aboutthemselves and others, says Roger Billing...
Today you will learn...> To understand that a single image can be planned andphotographed to show a person’s character and personality> To develop the ability to honestly share thoughts and feelings> To think about the composition of photographs, and how this canalter the mood of a picture> To develop descriptive writing through discussion and the use of athesaurus
Starter activity Introduce the children to
photographs taken by Annie
Leibovitz. A Google search will
produce some good examples,
but take care as some of her
photos include nudity.
Annie Leibovitz began her
career as a staff photographer for
Rolling Stone magazine where
she rose to prominence
throughout the 70s and early 80s.
She continues to photograph
famous people from all walks of
life and children will enjoy looking
at her portraits of well known
faces such as David Beckham,
Barack Obama, Brad Pitt,
Muhammad Ali and the Queen!
Ask the children to think of
words that can be used to
describe Annie's portraits. The
photos are visually striking and
so should produce some great
responses. Children are also
very media savvy and I often
find that their ability to talk
about the technical
components of a photo is quite
remarkable.
Now explain to the children
that they are going to plan and
take their own portrait photo.
Discuss how this is a chance for
them to show everyone else
who they really are.
KS2 LESSON PLAN:ICT
1Planning the portraits The children's first task is to draw up a sketch of what they
would like their photograph to look like. This is an important
part of the process and children should be given time to
experiment and develop any initial ideas, while teachers and other
staff act as supporters and questioners.
Children should be encouraged to think of words that describe
their personality and write these down around the edges of their
sketch – this will develop their self-awareness and assist with
your questioning.
coloursTRUE
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ABOUT THE AUTHORRoger Billing is deputy head at The Wroxham PrimarySchool. See photos from his Emotional Photographyproject here: roxhamschool.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/the-stunning-yr6-portraits-that-represent-them
When I took on a Y6 class in the spring term, I used this lessonto help me get to know pupils in a short space of time. Itinvolves planning and photographing self-portraits thatcapture children's distinct personalities. As well as giving youthe chance to familiarise yourself with a group of new faces, thelesson also allows children to find out more about one another.
You could try the activities in KS1, but I find it works best inKS2 where pupils find the creative combination of ICT, art,PSHE and English particularly engaging.
ICT Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 24/02/2012 14:41 Page 1
2Composing the photoChildren then move on
to think about the more
technical aspects of their
portrait, such as camera angle
and any special effects. Should
the photograph be a close up or a
wide angle shot? Would it be
better to be photographed from
above or below? Will they be
looking at the camera or looking
past it? Do they want the portrait
to be black and white, colour,
vignette (dark edges), or
perhaps they have an idea for a
different effect?
Children should include their
thoughts on the photo's
composition in a 'key info' box
alongside their sketch. This will
help to make sure that the final
picture matches what they
have envisaged.
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> With the portrait photographsprinted out, the children can startthinking about sentences that describetheir photo and personality. Introducea thesaurus and talk about using themost descriptive, powerful words -rather than sticking to the ones they
already know. The children can decidehow they want to write up theirsentences: either on the photo – likethe example (see fig.1) – or on a smallpiece of card, like you would find in anart gallery. > The photos can lead onto circle time
sessions, which can really help withany issues you might have in theclassroom, or in the playground. Italways amazes me how much detailappears in the writing that follows thephotographs, which is great forinspiring later writing in other subjects.
Follow up and assess
3Photographing and editingI have run this activity with £15 cameras and I have also tried it
with an £800 camera, it really doesn’t matter. The thinking
process involved in planning the photo is the most important
aspect of the lesson.
Children can work in pairs or small groups and take the photos
themselves. Alternatively, a teacher or TA may want to operate the
camera.
Before taking the photo, the photographer should talk to his subject
and check her original sketch to ensure the portrait matches her brief.
When the photo has been taken, make sure that the photographer
shares the image with his subject, asking the important question – 'is
this photo right?'
Once all the photos have been taken, it's time to add additional effects
using one of the many photo editing software packages – Photoshop,
Elements, Sumopaint or Gimp (free to download at gimp.org).
Depending on the age and ability of your children, they can either edit
and print the photos themselves, or you can do it for them.
When the photos are complete and the individual is happy with the
finished product, you can leave it there; or you can use the photos to
develop descriptive writing.
> What does thisphoto make youthink about?> What type ofperson do youthink this is?> What wordscould you use todescribe yourpersonality?> What cameraangle would bebest for yourphoto?> Would yourphoto be best incolour or blackand white?> How can youdevelop thelanguage in yoursentence?
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Fig.1
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ICT Lesson plan Qx_Teach Primary 20/02/2012 10:55 Page 2
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