Category: Explore

Blue Carbon in Falkirk: STEM Box

Welcome to the Blue Carbon in Falkirk STEM Activity Box

Inside the Teacher’s Guide below you will find all the information you need to deliver a jam-packed STEM lesson with a hands-on activity, local heritage links and future career inspiration for your pupils! The learning materials included are best suited to pupils aged 8-14 years.

You can use the resources any way you please! In addition to the core lesson and activity there are plenty of optional extras, extension ideas and links to external resources to use at your disposal.

1) Teacher’s Guide – Blue Carbon STEM box

2) Digital Board Friendly Version to use alongside your Teacher’s Guide

 

Click here to watch an overview and introduction to ‘Blue Carbon’, video made and narrated by Marcelina Lekawska, detailing the ‘Blue Carbon’ and how to protect it. Originally produced for a Falkirk Science Festival workshop in 2021:

https://vimeo.com/636076877

Click here to watch a guided video of a local Blue Carbon heritage site, conducted and presented by Professor William Austin, when exploring the Saltmarshes and the work of researchers RSPB Skinflats. Film Originally Produced by Schedule D Productions:

https://vimeo.com/635377136

Click here to watch a detailed introduction to the importance of Saltmarshes by the RESIST Project. Produced by Cambridge Filmworks and Voice over by Julia Lee

Click here to watch an instructional video made and narrated by Marcelina Lekawska, detailing the ‘Teabag Experiment’ used by scientists and the wider community to compare decomposition between a saltmarsh and regular soil environment. Originally produced for a Falkirk Science Festival workshop in 2021:

https://vimeo.com/636071628

Click here to watch an interview of Professor William Austin, conducted by Marcelina Lekawska, detailing the career path and work of a scientist, researcher and academic within the world of Blue Carbon. Originally produced for a Falkirk Science Festival workshop in 2021:

https://vimeo.com/636077203

Additional links:

Click below to learn more about Blue Carbon projects around the world:

https://www.blueforestsolutions.org/projects

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/our-work/our-projects/living-seas/blue-carbon/

https://www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk/projects/conserving-restoring/skinflats-saline-lagoons

https://www.abpmer.co.uk/services/habitat-creation-and-restoration/

https://www.teatime4schools.at/en/

https://www.thebluecarboninitiative.org

Additional information on STEM box contents:

Blue Carbon STEM Box Contents

 

Click on this link to download in Word format the Blue Carbon STEM Box Risk Assessment

 

Westland Soil Data Sheet

 

Weighing Scale DATA SHEET

Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Picture Books

You Can Be Campaign – Book Audit | Zero Tolerance

The You Can Be Book Audit is a chance for ELCs and nurseries to win £100 worth of books by taking part in an audit of their book collections. The idea is to bring greater gender balance and challenge old-fashioned gender stereotypes that can be harmful to children and stop them achieving their full potential.

Check out the link above for more information and book ideas.

We have also put together book recommendations that challenge the gender stereotypes:

Go to this Sway

 

Early Years Picture Book Group

Inclusive Stories

Our last round of books focused on LGBT+ families and inclusive stories. All children deserve to see their own lives represented in the stories we share and books are a fantastic way to build empathy and understanding of others.

The discussion was very positive and one of the most interesting points raised  was that the LGBT+ family books were just accepted by the children as books about families in general and that we, as adults, can put our own preconceptions onto books. The children didn’t see a label, they just saw families and children like them.

My Friends and Me by Stephanie Stansbie is wonderful as it shows a whole range of different families: LGBT+, single parents, foster parents, step families and many more.

Ketchup on your Reindeer by Nick Sharratt

Another absolute winner from the brilliant Nick Sharratt. With split pages so the children can make up their own crazy story combinations. The children adored sharing this book with each other—a real Christmas cracker!

 

 

Too Much Stuff by Emily Gravett

Children loved this gentle story about consumerism, advertising and the desire we have to accumulate ‘stuff’.  When the magpies lay eggs they feel they need to get lots of things to make their family perfect when all they really need is each other. Heart-warming and sweet with beautiful illustrations.

Up Next

We are very excited as our next focus is STEM through stories and the group are working with RAISE Falkirk to develop resources around the books.

Maggie Burns, Librarian

Learning Resource Service

lrs@falkirk.gov.uk

Sharing books on-line

Over the coming weeks, Kelpies (imprint of Floris Publishers) will be adding to their bank of resources with videos of creators sharing their own stories as well as activities, discussion points and learning resources for children of all ages. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for details of the latest additions, and check out their YouTube channel.

You will find a complete list of all available resources in the Features for Teachers section of the blog.

If you are looking for a way to continue class reading or storytime, please visit the website here

 

#FalkirkReadingTeachers Book Group Reviews

https://sway.office.com/IRT1xngbeioesEsE?ref=Link

The Learning Resource Service runs two book groups for teachers and early years practitioners in the Falkirk council area. They aim to:

 

  • increase teacher knowledge of quality children’s books
  • support teachers in creating a reading culture in their classroom
  • provide opportunities to talk about children’s books
  • identify books that support different aspects of the curriculum
  • ensure that the books we promote to children are diverse and inclusive
  • have fun!

 

If you need some reading inspiration or want to find out about good reads for your pupils then click on the link above.

 

 

The RED Book Award is 15 years old!

The RED Book Award celebrates its 15th anniversary and to mark this achievement, the wonderful shortlist focuses on a BAME theme:

Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby 

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

My Name’s Not Friday by Jon Walters

The authors joined the young people in each Falkirk Council secondary school at the digital Award Ceremony on Wednesday 19th May 2021. Due to the restrictions of Covid the award ceremony could not be face to face however despite this, the Award Ceremony was very enjoyable and featured creative interpretations of each of the shortlisted books by the young people and a very interesting Q & A session with the authors before the winning book was revealed.

The ceremony was attended by all the shortlisted authors and the S2 RED classes from 6 of our secondary schools. The authors gave us interesting and insightful guidance on writing, there was dancing and there were prizes awarded for best alternative ending and front cover designs of the shortlisted books.

Congratulations to all the authors for reaching the RED shortlist.

AND THE WINNER IS…

Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin.

 

Author of the Week: Sally Gardner from the National Literacy Trust

Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue MoonRead and listen for free Sally Gardner’s Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon, illustrated by Nick Maland. An enchanting story by a much loved author about Betsy K Glory, the daughter of a mermaid and an ice-cream maker, who meets the mysterious Mr Tiger and they have a giant challenge: a moon to turn blue, berries to collect and wishable-delicious ice cream to create. The sort that makes wishes come true.

You can also watch an exclusive video with Sally to hear all about her The Tindims of Rubbish Island stories, discover Sally’s top three children’s books and enjoy Questions & Answers to find out more about Sally.

Read, listen and enjoy here

 

The Book of Hopes

Scrapbook of Hopes banner2

The Learning Resource Service promoted The Book of Hopes when it was published last year, it is a wonderful book to comfort and inspire children. Edited by the well known and loved author Katherine Rundell, it contains contributions from more than 100 writers and illustrators, including Lauren Child, Anthony Horowitz, Greg James and Chris Smith, Michael Morpurgo, Liz Pichon, Axel Scheffler, Francesca Simon and Jacqueline Wilson. The publisher, Bloomsbury, have kindly made the on-line book available free during this lockdown.

There are some brilliant activities and ideas that have been produced based on the Book of Hopes as well as a challenge to spread hope, inspiration and a love of reading in your school and local community with a chance to win prizes!

Children’s Mental Health Week

cmhw-2021-logojpg

The theme of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is Express Yourself.

Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity, through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film.

Free resources for children and young people are available to explore what it means to Express Yourself and can be easily adapted for use in school, for home-schooling, online lessons or independent learning.

Great Picture Books read by the people who created them!

Illustration from Grandad's Island by Benji DaviesFrom Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies

Click here for video resources for 11 author/illustrators, freely available on the CLPE YouTube channel and enjoy listening to 11 picture books read aloud by the authors/illustrators.

An amazing resource perfect for lockdown for parents and children to listen to.

Enjoy!

Benji Davies shows how to draw grandad from Grandad’s Island.

Also you will find some fantastic illustrators here showing how they create their characters, brilliant to draw along to.

Free primary teaching materials and resources from the

Power of Pictures project

The Power of Pictures helps primary school teachers to develop their understanding of the craft of picture book creation and illustration as a way of raising children’s reading and writing. Enjoy using the specially developed free teaching resources for all age groups.