Category Archives: Literacy

Shape the Future competition – improving the lives of women and girls worldwide

School should be aware of the upcoming second Shape the Future competition which will be launched on the 28 April 2014 across the UK. The competition will be open to all UK schools and will ask young people (aged 11-16) to outline and present on their priorities for improving the lives of women and girls worldwide. Following a judging panel, the winning pupils will be invited to attend and present their ideas at a global summit hosted by the Prime Minister in July.

The themes of this short group project fit into subjects across the curriculum, including Modern Studies, RME, Geography, History, English and PSE as well as lending itself to a context for inter-disciplinary learning.  A dedicated ‘Shape the Future’ website will provide teachers with a range of resources to guide pupils through the competition.

Education Scotland has provided a Learning Journey considering aspects of gender equality which will be a helpful resource to schools.  Last year Promoting  Diversity and Equality: Developing Responsible Citizens in 20th century brought to the fore exemplars of good practice and resources to assist in taking forward approaches to diversity and equality.

On 7 May Game On Scotland and Education Scotland  have organised a conference for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games: Promoting Equality and Diversity it will reflect on the three core values of the Commonwealth Games Federation, humanity, equality and destiny.  The conference will provide delegates with a speakers and workshops focused on values education in a global context as well as the inclusion of all.

Glow TV – Divided City by Theresa Breslin: New Musical Version for Primary Schools

28 April 2014, 11:00

Register: http://bit.ly/1jYpnfR (Glow log-in required)

Join Theresa Breslin and Elly Goodman of the Citizens Theatre as they offer a unique insight into the history of bringing this iconic book to the stage. Pupils and teachers will get the chance to ask Theresa and Elly questions about the play and the book and to find out more about this ground-breaking project. The Citizens Theatre has now staged three large scale musical theatre productions of Theresa Breslin’s Divided City, adapted for the stage by Martin Travers with an original score and songs by Claire McKenzie. More information about this Glow TV event is on the Education Scotland Learning Blog.

For full details of this and other events, please log in to Glow and view the current schedule: (Glow log-in and password required).

The 50 Word Fiction Competition – Can you write a story in just 50 words?

Can you write a story in just 50 words? Each month Scottish Book Trust provide a prompt to get you started, but where the story goes from there is entirely up to you. The competition now includes an additional category for Young Writers. This category will include stories by writers under the age of 18. All stories will be judged by the same panel and both winning stories will be published on the Scottish Book Trust website.

Click here for more information on how to enter: The 50 Word Fiction Competition

Inspired by my Museum, International Writing Competition

An encounter with a museum can be a life-changing experience, a realisation of the past or an inspiration for the future. If you have a poem, short story or reportage inspired by a museum you have visited, tell us and your words could be selected for publication.

http://www.sampad.org.uk/learning/opportunities/competitions/

It could be the space, architecture, design, an object or objects in the museum or even the museum/exhibition curator who has inspired you.

  • Further to the overwhelming response to the launch of the competition, we have now extended the age limit so that any writer from anywhere in the world from the age of 16 upwards can take part.
  • Entries can be up to 400 words.
  • Only ONE entry is allowed per person
  • LAST DATE FOR ENTRIES IS MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2014

120 Words for Perth and Kinross

2014 is set to be a fantastic year in Perth & Kinross and across Scotland. With the Year of Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, 2014 will be full of amazing events, activities opportunities and memories. With our website, 120 words, we want to capture a record of 2014 in Perth & Kinross whether you live, work or visit the area.

120 Words 1200 people 12 months We’d like you to get creative and describe what you’ve done, what you’re doing or what you want to do in 120 words, upload it to our website and share it. You can even add a wee photo too! Our website will launch at the end of November 2013 and we’d like as many contributions as we can get. You can submit as many times as you want (in 120 words!) over the year and to help inspire you we’ve created 12 themes for you to write about.

You can upload your contribution to www.our120words.org.uk at the end of November or please fill in the submission form email it to us and we’ll upload it for you. Over the next 12 months we’ll build a picture of 2014, keep checking back to see what’s been posted and what people have been up to.

Download the submission form here: 120 Words Submissions Form – public editable

Thanks for your entry! When complete, please return this form to

Henriette Laidlaw, Perth Museum & Art Gallery HELaidlaw@pkc.gov.uk

Glow TV: Authors Live

The Making of Katie Morag with Mairi Hedderwick

28 November 11.00

http://bit.ly/I6gpyv

Mairi Hedderwick is bringing her most famous character, Katie Morag to Authors Live. Evoking the spirits of island life, Mairi will be telling her favourite Katie Morag stories, giving you an exclusive insight into what it is like to see Katie Morag being brought to life for CBeebies and telling you how the landscape and your surroundings can inspire what to write and draw.  Suitable for Nursery – Primary 3 or 4-7 years.

Animation Competition 2014

Red Kite Animation and Edinburgh Museums & Galleries have launched their Animation Competition 2014.
Deadline for Entries: end March 2014.
The competition is open to any schools or youth groups in Scotland who are invited to create an animation based on an imagined backstory about any object in the Edinburgh Museums & Galleries collection.
You might find your inspiring object at the Museum of Childhood, the Writer’s Museum or any of the other 12 venues and then imagine how it might have been used or what happened in its history.
The winning animations from the 2013 competition are currently in an exhibition at the City Art Centre on Market Street in Edinburgh. The exhibition is on the first floor and runs through until 12th January 2014.
Download the following documents here:
Competition poster – Competition Rules
At a glance rules – At_a_Glance_Rules 2014_HEADED
Rules in full – Competition Rules

Game on Scotland – Glow TV events

GOS – Literacy Learning Zone

29 October 2013, 10.00

http://bit.ly/16uUlGC

Game On Scotland and the Literacy team of Education Scotland will present an exciting hour of challenges and fun around the Commonwealth Games. In conjunction with a teacher form West Dunbartonshire learners will engage in a number of stimulating activities using the Games as a context. The session will be interactive and no preparatory work is required. The target audience for this event is pupils Levels 2 and 3.

Find out more about this Glow TV series on the Game on Scotland blog

Inspired? Get Writing! Creative Writing Competition 2013/2014

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/education/competitions-3740/inspired-get-writing-creative-writing-competition-20132014

Enjoy writing but need that little bit of inspiration and a goal to get started?

Why not enter this year’s National Galleries Inspired? Get writing! competition? You can write in prose or poetry about anything that has inspired you from our permanent collection: drawings; paintings; prints; sculpture; photography; installation. There are five categories for school pupils and adults. Four volumes of Inspired? Get writing! have been published, featuring winners from previous years, so you can check out the standard. For full details download the rules. There is also a resource pack which you might find helpful.

There are 5 categories:

•           Under 12 years

•           12 – 14 years

•           15-18 years

•           Adults prose

•           Adults poetry

Entries should be submitted by Friday 17 January 2014.  Results of the competition will be announced by Thursday 17 April 2014.

Game on Scotland – official education programme of 2014 launched

Game on Scotland is the official education programme of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and its legacy. It aims to provide inspiration and learning and teaching opportunities related to Glasgow 2014 and other momentous events happening throughout Scotland in the coming years.

The Programme uses the Games as a context for learning, allowing for the delivery of many experiences and outcomes within CfE and providing opportunities for the development of skills for learning, life and work.

Game On Scotland aims to support teachers, school leaders and education managers in creating stimulating learning experiences for young people from 3-18 using the Commonwealth Games as a context for learning.

The Game On Scotland website hosts a wealth of learning and teaching resources, interactive media and background information on the Games; it aims to help practitioners:

  • create stimulating learning experiences
  • develop learners’ skills and knowledge across the curriculum
  • find and share learning and teaching ideas across a global network
  • get involved in a variety of Games-based education projects
  • explore opportunities to connect with learners, practitioners and schools across the globe.

To find out more and to get involved visit:

http://www.gameonscotland.org/about/index.asp