Category Archives: 2.1 Curriculum

Expressive Arts- Music 4 (3 hours)

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Cross curricular learning in Music;

Cross curricular learning has great importance and allows new materials to be enriched within more than one subject, enhancing knowledge and skills across a wider curriculum.  Here, i will create links between music and other curricular areas.

FOCUS- Comprehension

One of the most important, symbolic links is through Literacy.  One of many examples of how this interlinks is through studying lyrics of a song.  A well-known song to the class, which may have been studied as a class, is the perfect opportunity to pick apart and unravel to introduce relevance, meaning and develop literacy skills.  By analysing lyrics to a song, the class are able to comprehend the meaning to each line and verse and create a clearer visual of what the song is expressing.  The class can split into table groups or mixed groups and given a verse each.  With poster paper in the middle of each table, the class have the chance to depict each word and explore its meaning and why the artist may have chosen that word.  They can illustrate this with pictures to help portray the meaning too.  The class will then collaborate and draw in all their analysis and together form the story to the lyrics of the song to work out where, why, when and how the author has created this piece.  Another connection with literacy would be through creating a sound picture or story based on their class novel.  A class novel should be engaging and gripping.  If the class are enthused and attached to the novel, this task will be enjoyable.

FOCUS- Awareness/ fitness/ fine motor skills

Another subject which interlinks is P.E/Dance.  The teacher can plan a sequence of lessons surrounding previous knowledge of rhythmic notation lengths which can be experimented with and manipulated through P.E.  With a loud instrument, the teacher can create different varying lengths of music which orders a clear instruction to the children; e.g jump, run, skip, walk. This will develop their fine motor skills within p.e and allows the children to enhance their fitness levels.  This can be developed and enhanced through instructions becoming small dance routines and eventually a real piece of music can be added and a collaborated dance can be created as a class.

FOCUS- Around the World

In Geography, the cross-curricular themes and activities would involve: Slavery and spiritual songs, folk music from different countries, exploring patterns, performing a song from Kenya.  This links to geography through locating different countries on a globe, the class collaboratively can use the IWB so identify areas and countries which may vary in musical tradition.  E.g The USA, Hungary, Ireland, and Mali.  The children would use this activity to prepare their following learning which is to recognise the differences in music and end with creating their own piece of music, either individually or in groups to present back to the class- a piece which represents them, their home, their environment and their childhood.

FOCUS- Weather

Another subject link is Geography where weather can be interpreted into musical knowledge. The class will get into groups and must use expressive words to describe different weather types, eg pitter patter, rumble for rain, wind, thunder.  This allows the children to combine their prior knowledge of musical sounds and how to express them with their understanding and knowledge of weather forms by correlating them to create an image/sound.

FOCUS- Environment

My final subject link is through science, where the cross-curricular themes and activities would be using:  The poem The tree in season, by Robert Fisher.  This allows the seasons of the year to be rehearsed and combined with global warming and its current impact on the world.  It also involves the water cycle and the arctic and antarctic and the effect of global warming on these regions.  This can be assessed by the children creating solutions and ways to prevent this.  The links to science are, how a tree changes through the seasons, looking at parts of a tree, seasonal changes and how water can change state.

Clearly, music can be an interdisciplinary subject which connects with a range of other subjects.

Data Analysis Questionnaire TDT- Maths Assignment

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As part of our Tutor Directed Task, we were asked to explore data and analysis through a questionnaire.  We had to consider;

  1. What questions are you going to ask?

This could vary, we focused on what is your favourite flavour of crisps?

  1. How are you going to record people answers?

This opened up a larger discussion as differentiation is a huge factor.

In early years, you could begin by using tally marks.  This strategy opened up a number of considerations including understanding the actual concept of tallying, ensuring they are evenly spaced and using square paper to enable this.  This would progress into recording the information and data into a graph- preferably bar.  Again, this opened up a variety of factors to consider as pupils must understand the need for a title, to ensure the scale is appropriate and have the same increments, and have a horizontal and vertical axis.  The graph could have pre-made flavours ready for the pupils to fill in the data to prevent confusion or getting it wrong.  The early years could also work in a group collaboratively and share ideas.

This contrasts to the upper years who could use tally marks initially too.  They could then progress by recording their data in a line graph.  They could work through this activity individually to ensure they are capable of doing the work by themselves.  This would then create a discussion where groups could compare graphs.  Individuals could then continue to work with percentages and answer questions, for example- What percentage of pupils preferred flavour 1?  This would link in another concept of Mathematics as well as data.

 

As a group we discussed the progression from tables and graphs from the easiest to the most challenging.  This would be a good indication and guide to use for working with all levels of primary. Here is the list and order we came up will collaboratively:

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The experiences and outcomes;

MNU 0-20b-I can match objects,and sort using my own and others’ criteria,sharing my ideas with others.

MNU 1-20b- I have used a range of ways to collect information and can sort it in a logical, organised and imaginative way using my own and others’ criteria.

MNU 2-20b- I have carried out investigations and surveys, devising and using a variety of methods to gather information and have worked with others to collate, organise and communicate the results in an appropriate way. link to data and analysis and show the progression through the stages.

MNU 2-20b demonstrates a level of investigating which further shows a link between Mathematics and Science as in Science a massive factor is the problem solving skill.  Furthermore using skills in investigating which connects the two subjects together.

 

This concept of data and analysis can be used throughout all levels of primary as long as the correct level and differentiation is used and organised to the benefit of the individuals.

Film Studies brought into the classroom

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I chose Film Studies as my elective in order to possess a broader horizon on the making and analytical perpective of films.  Through the course of my elective i hope to gain a sound knowledge of film and will use this in the classroom where necessary.

I feel film and relevant clips can be used to an advantage through teaching as it can be a visual tool to engage the class prior to the lesson. It is a chance to settle the class and allow them to engage with the lesson to follow.  Short clips can also be used to back up evidence or teaching points throughout the lesson. The clip can be used for higher order questions where the pupils can follow the clip thoroughly and take notes on the important points.  Furthermore, leading to discussion points and class debates where pupils can use their thinking skills.  It can also be a helpful tool for visual learners as they are able to visualise the learning.

Film Studies is a broad topic and one in which i find fascinating.  As a class, pupils are able to learn about the sound, position and lighting, to the genre, themes and editing.  Post watching films or clips can also lead to active learning through role play.  Pupils can get into small groups or partners and reinact a chosen scene in order to link into Expressive Arts through Drama.  They can also create comic strips on the scene or clip they watched further linking into Art and Design.  This allows the teacher to have an overview of how well the class listened and how well they understood the clip whilst being a cross-curricular link.

A critical skill used throughout highschool in language is critically analysing books, clips and poems.  Therefore using short clips and introducing an analytical aspect to the activity has the ability to help with smoother transitions into the language department from primary to secondary.  This is an activity for the upper stages, mainly primary 7, where they can learn how to spot different techniques and provide relevant feedback.

As my elective progresses i hope to add to this short article and provide further comments on future learning and development.