Category Archives: Social Studies

Art and Design, Collaborative, Community, Expressive Arts, Fun, Global Citizenship, Health and Wellbeing, Listening & Talking, Literacy, Music, Social Studies, Technology

China

Primary 5.1 wanted to learn about different countries this term.

We listed the countries and had a class vote.  The outcome was that we would learn about China.  We were also given the opportunity to compare China not just with Scotland but with the countries we had chosen that did not win the vote.

We looked at China on a map and identified the cities and surrounding countries.

In literacy we used Wordsmith to read The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China and then write a report.

We used the VR headsets  to visit Great Wall of China and Chinese classroom.  This was great as I didn’t know the classrooms are so big and how massive The Great Wall  is!! Finlay

I liked seeing the lantern festival using the VR headets, it was really cool and a nice place to be at.  Liam

I loved listening to the music and learning the dances and we even choreographed our own Chinese fan dance.   Olivia

The story of Nian the Dragon was really good and learning how the Chinese Zodiac was created was very interesting.  Zaid

Our assembly was great and it was good fun and surprised the audience when the dragon came down the aisle to our drum music. Mia

I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience. LIT2.20a  I can extend and enhance my knowledge of digital technologies to collect, analyse ideas, relevant information and organise these in an appropriate way.  TCH 2.01a

 

We invited Mr Zhang in to talk to the class about Chinese culture.

I liked when he taught us how to say peoples names and he showed us the really difficult name for a certain type of noodle.   Cara

He taught us how to write a basic word and then build on that to make more words.  Will

Having someone who had grown up in Beijing, China coming to talk to us let us compare education in China to education in Scotland.  Sarah M

The further up you hold your chop sticks shows how rich you are.  He said this is because rich people have more food and have to stretch further across the table to reach the food. We also learned that it is rude to point chop sticks at anyone.  Jamie

We had a wonderful Mandarin teacher.

We learnt a song that Choi taugh us.  It was about greetings and family.  I got to perform the actions to the class, I felt nervous.  Thalia

The class performed an assembly to the school and to the parents.  We applied our learning and confidently performed this song with actions.  Joe

To take our learning one step forward we wanted to put the song Choi taught us so everyone knew how to say; hello, goodbye, mum, dad, family and I love my family in Mandarin.  Sophia

 

 

We were learning about pandas, the national animal of China and asked if we could draw our own.

We used line and tone to create our very own panda artwork.  Ben

We researched panda facts and I enjoyed using water pastels as this added colour and depth to our artwork. Zaid

I enjoyed drawing the pandas because I like sketching.  I developed my concentration and more creativity with my artwork.  Blair

After we painted our pandas we added panda facts to our painting.  I googled how to write panda in Chinese.  Daisy

The giant panda is the national animal of China.  Sarah S

The giant panda can peel and eat a bamboo stick in 40 seconds.  Oli

Giant pandas when they are born weigh less than an iPhone.  Oliver

We painted the yulan blossom in a China Ming vase because they are found in China and we were learning about China. Cara

I really enjoyed painting this and think I improved my artwork by adding golden tones to my branches.  Charlie

 

We got newspaper and glue and a baloon and made paper mache pigs.  When they had dried we got to paint them.  This links to our China learning contexts because it is the Year of the Pig.  Anna

I like making paper mache and my favourite animal is the pig.  This was tricky because we didnt just paint on paper we had to paint careful on a different surface which was 3D.  Daisy

We worked in pairs to make the pigs, you had to figure out how you would create your pig.  We took turns holding the pig while another glued or painted it.  It was messy but I think they turned out really well!  Millie

We got to choose how to design our pigs – I loved painting them.  Olivia A
I enjoy eating a diversity of foods in a range of social situations.  HWB 2.29a

The food was deliciousand it was a nice treat to taste some food that originates from China.  Lucy

It was nice to taste Chinese food and I liked the prawn crackers – I love them!  Chris

The spring roles were the nicest!  James

I liked all of the stuff. I had dumplings, spring rolls, noodles, prawn crackers, chilli sause and soya sauce – it was all good!  Arlo

Using the chop sticks was tricky at the start but the more I tried I was able to do it!  I could even pick up noodles at end!  Marci

 It was really difficult to use the chop sticks but I kept on trying and I was able to pick up everything.  I liked the design at the top of my chop sticks. Sienna
Collaborative, Community, Expressive Arts, Fun, Health and Wellbeing, Listening & Talking, Outdoor Learning, Problem Solving, Social Studies, Technology

The Battle of Bannockburn

Primary 5.1 had a fabulous time in Stirling today!

Our learning context is Scottish Wars of Independence and our trip brought it all to a conclusion.

 

It was scary when you were in the 3D room.  It brought things to life and arrows shooting towards you. It was like being in the battle.  Will

I spoke to someone who gave me some information about my battle that was coming up.  Jamie

Before the trip we researched William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Margaret Maid of Norway, John Balliol, Edward II, Alexander III and we made PowerPoints to share our learning.  Visiting Bannockburn gave us a better idea of what it was like during that time.  Thalia

It was very hard, stressful and tactical.  We had to decide where to move our soldiers and try to protect our king.  Team work and problem solving skills were necessary doing this.  Joseph O

I liked going outside to look at the monuments.  Zaid
We got to try on armour that the soldiers wore and I tried on the chainmail and it was really heavy. At Bannockburn we tried on chainmail and tried to do a cheer move to see how difficult it would be.

It was so much fun.  We got to try on armour.  I learned how heavy it was and don’t know how the soldiers managed to run on it.  It was cool we got to wear armour from this time. Olivia

Bannockburn was a lot of fun, I loved trying on the armour and we learned more about Scottish Wars of Independence.  Sarah M
Will wearing armour

I liked the 3D room and the battle room.  I was the queen and it was hard for me to work my way to Stirling castle.  My soldiers had to protect me and I lost.  The skills I was developing here were to trust your team and make decisions together.  Sophia

It was really heavy and the swords were life like.  Oliver

 
Joseph O wearing armour.

It was very heavy and it must have been hard to run wearing it.

I really liked the battle game because you got to move the troops and make tactical decisions of what to do.  James

Robert the Bruce monument with our battle faces on.

 

The suit was itchy but comfortable.  I was an archer.   I knew a lot but learned more about the battle of Bannochburn,  weapons and armour.  Oli

 

 

Zaid handling the crossbow

Jamie modeling a combination of armour, clothing and weapons

Oliver the soldier

Sophia wearing chain mail – it was so heavy!
Fun, Listening & Talking, Numeracy, Problem Solving, Science, Social Studies

Polar Explorer

We had a visit from Fraser, the weather man to tell us about his experiences in the polar regions.

He was showing us what you wear in cold climates. The best gloves to wear are the thinest ones because grip and for work projects.  Arlo

Fraser was showing us what you have to wear to cover your face so that snow doesnt get into your eyes, mouth and nose.  Millie

Wearing layers of thin things is warmer than wearing one thick thing.  Mittens are warmer than gloves because the body heat transfers through the fingers and keeps them warm.  Daisy

Looking at different parts of the world we could see what the world was made of, hot and cold climates.  Sophia

 

More animals go to the Arctic because when it is really cold the ice joins Canada and South America and a part of Russia and they can travel across the ice.  Joseph O

Time for an experiment!

I had to put my hand in ice and see how long I can hold it under the ice water.  I managed 45 seconds.  Then I had to cover my hand with butter.  I managed to hold it under water 1 minute 2 seconds.  The butter made it not as sore to hold your hand in ice so it kept it warmer.  Cara

It felt weird!

The butter felt soft and it stinks and when you rubbed your butter hands together it felt really warm. Blair

This is how the animals survive because it provides an additional layer of fat.  Joseph O

It was slippery when you had butter hands in the water but it did keep my hand a little bit warmer.  Olivia

It was really cold when I put my hand in the bowl.  I tried to look like it didnt hurt but on the inside it was really cold.  Joe W

We recorded our findings in a table and the results show that the butter hands held it in the water for nearly twice as long. Jessica

The reason for this experiment is that Fraser said the animals have fat that helps them survive and we dont have enough fat to do this. Siona

 

We are excited for his next visit!!

Collaborative, Health and Wellbeing, Listening & Talking, Outdoor Learning, Problem Solving, Social Studies

Outdoor Learning

Primary 5.1 were very enthusiastic about our Planet Earth context for learning. They thoroughly enjoyed working together to create shelter after deforestation had cleared the land and taken their homes away.   The children had an opportunity to survey the limited resources and had to work as a team to build a shelter.

 

We worked together to build this shelter we call home.
It was difficult because we did not have enough resources to go round.

 

We had to talk to each other, share and problem solve.
Social Studies

Vikingar

Jamie – I was dressed up as a Viking farmer.

Sophia – It was very fun and I was a Viking farmer’s wife. I married Jamie.

Sophia – To get married, you had to hold an oath ring and you would only be married for a year and a day. Then you get married a second time and you are married for life.

Blair – I dressed up as a woodsmith. We used wood to make Viking longships and longhouses.

Sienna – It was fun dressing up!

Oli – I dressed up as a trader’s wife. Traders are very rich! It was really fun and we got to learn new things about Vikings.

Finlay – To get divorced, we had to say “I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you”. It was fun!

Expressive Arts, Social Studies

Viking Clay Pottery

Fraser – It was VERY messy!

Joe – I had to put my thumb into the clay to make the hole for the pot. It felt weird!

Ben – It was fun!

Logan – We had to make pots out of clay.

Liam – It was fun and cool making Viking pots.

Jamie – We got our table messy! We got to roll the clay into a ball and then create our pot. We decorated the sides.

Sarah M – We had to write our name in Viking ruins and mould the clay to make a pot.

Zaid – We had to put our pot upside down and flatten it to make the pot.

Siona – It was fun making the pots.