Hello to all the P5B blog readers, it’s Mr Atkinson here! As you will know this year I am doing NCCT for primary P5B with a focus on developing Crookfurs Inquiry Based Learning approach so I wanted to give you an update of what we have been doing.
In our first Learning Journey – Energy Sources and Sustainability, we revisited the definitions of renewable and non-renewable energy sources and discussed examples in our lives of when we may use them. The class researched and plotted locations onto maps of Scotland of where a variety of energy sites are. We also participated in heated debates about the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources which allowed the children to demonstrate their understanding and it led to them constructing compelling arguments. Amongst all of this we visited the Glasgow Science Centre to attend an energy workshop and Mrs Dowse, a parent of P5, spoke to the class about her experience of working in this sector which led to lots of questions! We also briefly explored the different types of energy stores and transfers by completing chains and diagrams of real-life examples. Finally, as part of our end of Learning Journey showcase, the pupils worked in groups to build sustainable cities and they drew and labelled a picture of Crookfur Primary being powered by renewable energy sources for the Renewables Challenge.
We then moved onto learning about some of the META Skills and explored how these can be used both in school and at home. The META Skills lessons helped the pupils to recognise what Creativity and Curiosity may look like!
Our second Learning Journey – Upstream Battle, was supported by the organisation Keep Scotland Beautiful. We watched a live lesson from Arrochar where the presenters shared with the class the journey of litter from land to sea and how it can affect the environment. To help illustrate the problem we visited Capelrig Burn where we found litter and a trolley in it. The children also created a map and tracked the journey of 28,000 plastic bath toys that fell overboard from a ship to show how items move across the sea. We have also been learning about which items are biodegradable and the class were shocked to read about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. After this the pupils categorised the different types of litter that can be typically found in oceans and researched the condition of a couple of Scottish waterways. Then the pupils typed up ‘blogs’ reporting on major incidents that have damaged marine life. The class also recreated the process of ocean acidification which they had been learning about. The results of putting shells into vinegar, water and a combination of both were recorded in a science report. We also had a visitor from Viridor which is a recycling, renewable energy and waste management company. They shared with the pupils what their role involved and how the organisation works with different local councils. Finally, the pupils worked in groups and constructed their sculptors/models for the Keep Scotland Beautiful marine litter art competition, some of which can be seen on the schools Twitter/X account. This week we submitted our entries and are now awaiting feedback. Again, thank you for the donations of materials!
We are now focusing on learning the new META Skills of Communicating and Collaborating and investigating how they can be used to solve situations. The pupils applied these skills when they acted out being late for a work meeting about designing a new product. By listening carefully to the conversation around them and asking further questions they eventually discovered what the purpose of the meeting was.
Mr Atkinson
