Hi P7c readers, I wanted to update you on what we have been doing in our Learning Journeys since my last entry.

As part of our Countryside versus Concrete Jungle Learning Journey we revisited parts of plants and what they require to survive. Once having been explained how fertilisers affect the development of plants the pupils then researched different types organic and inorganic fertilisers. The class then created farming maps of Scotland and made a key to label arable, dairy and mixed farming areas.  We have also partnered with the University of Glasgow and taken part in their educational programme Sci-Seedlets. In this project we did a science experiment to test and compare how maize seeds grow when given water or salty water. This was to check whether sea water would make a good alternative option to watering plants as droughts are increasing in parts of the world. We observed the growth progress of the plants over a couple of weeks and at the end of the experiment we took them out the soil to study. The pupils noticed that the roots were smaller in the salt water container and concluded that salt water could be used to feed plants but their growth would be delayed. P7C have also investigated how land is used and visited the National Museum of Rural Life.  Whilst at the museum the pupils learned about how farming technology has evolved over the years, how maths is used to run a farm and even had a chance to ride a tractor! Inspired from this trip, the pupils have been looking at local maps and commenting on how the area around the school has changed due to the construction of commercial, residential and recreational buildings and with the development of transport links. They also completed tables comparing the differences between a Scottish clan settlement with a modern day town.  P7C then evaluated sources of differing opinions on how land should be used which involved identifying the purpose, main ideas and highlighting the supporting evidence. Equipped with this information the pupils were then challenged to collaborate in groups and create arguments on their chosen stance about whether Rouken Glen Park should be replaced with homes or not.

Our new Learning Journey, STAT Wars, has challenged P7C to reflect on their own carbon footprints. In teams, the pupils have been applying their Meta-Skills of communicating, collaborating, critical thinking and leading whilst researching a specific problem related to CO2 which was identified when they completed their carbon calculator on Excel. The groups have been investigating different sources to help them make notes and have turned some of their recorded information into graphs. Using the graphs, the teams have produced detailed presentations with accompanying posters summarising their expert knowledge of their carbon footprint focus which they will be sharing with the peers next week.

Today we visited P2 to tell our stories we have been working on. The stories all had morals and linked to our learning journey. Some groups made puppet shows and others made pop up books.

When learning about speed,distance and time we applied our skills to science experiment during PE. We calculated the speed of different actions such as kicking a ball or jumping a distance.

This week is Languages week. Everyday we have picked a language of the day. We have learned a greeting,please and thank you each day. So far we have learned some Dutch,Polish and Italian.

The theme this year is diverse voices,common ground.

For our learning journey comparing Brazil to Scotland we were looking at Samba music. We gave it a go ourselves and had a go at a range of instruments!

We were applying our circumference skills by measuring real objects. We used the formula to calculate each objects circumference then checked our answer with a piece of string!

Hello to all the P7C blog readers, it’s Mr Atkinson here! As you will know this year I am doing NCCT for P7C with a focus on developing Crookfurs Enquiry Based Learning approach so I wanted to give you an update of what we have been doing.

It has been exciting start to the year with the children utilising their new Meta Skills of leading, feeling, adapting and initiative in their sustainability design clothing challenge. First we explored the methods of paying for items in today’s society and then the children drew diagrams of the different stages in the manufacturing process. Equipped with this knowledge the pupils then formed teams and collaborated excellently to combine a variety of fabrics to produce a unique piece of clothing. To help them with this they created mood boards by using inspiration from their online research which included listing some fabric samples, drawing a logo, noting the colours they will use and deciding on a company name and slogan. The teams also applied their understanding of persuasion when writing engaging scripts about their items which they shared at the Crookfur’s P7 fashion showcase. The groups confidently modelled their creative designs to everyone in P7 and their presentation skills were very entertaining! I would like to express my thanks for everyone who donated clothing and materials to help with this project!

Over the last couple of weeks, we have been learning more about the Meta Skills. The class shared their experiences of how they act and behave when no-one is around to instruct them what to do which led to some interesting conversations about integrity.  We also explored what strategies we can use to manage anxiety and analysed how feelings can influence your performance in school and in your relationships. Following this, the pupils reflected on what mindset they need to have to be able to work at their best. Some of the other activities have involved thinking about changes such as how to make new friends, adjusting to new settings or dealing with a challenging situation like bullying. During the tasks the class discovered that using their critical thinking skills and initiative can help them to choose the best course of action allowing them to overcome some of these problems. When investigating what leading can look like the pupils identified that even leaders need to take advice from others. This was tested when the children worked in groups to present three differing pieces of advice to the class to help solve an issue. P7C then had to guess which advice was good, bad or utterly ridiculous which led to a lot of laughter!

We have been looking at sequences and patterns in Numeracy.

We noticed that Dominos look very similar to the tables we have been using.
We carried out a range of challenges using the dominos to create number sequences and patterns.

P7 have been focusing on an artist study on Tim Burton. We looked at a range of his art work and sketched some different features we liked. We then took these ideas to create our own portraits with charcoal and chalk. 🕷️

Through our space topic we had been looking at landing pods. Each group was given an egg to put into their landing pods focusing on preparing for impact. The children were allowed to use a range of materials to build fantastic structures that ensured their “astronauts” were safe. Each pod was dropped from 1.5 metres and almost all eggs survived. Thank you to everyone who supplied resources for our experiment myself and the children really appreciate it!