Harvest Sharing

Last Friday The Biggies took part in the School Harvest Assembly. As well as collection food for food banks we made bread to go along with the soup made by the younger children. We used Juliet’s recipe and the bread turned out really well.

We also shared some of our learning so far. The class discussed what to include and we settled on Wolves, Coding and Monsters as our topics.

The children then went into groups and discussed what they could say on these subjects, wrote their own scripts and made a slide to go along with their words. I pasted some of the reports they wrote below along with images from their presentation slides.

The class all did a great job, from deciding what to do, writing scripts, producing slides & talking.

Wolves

Now here is some fun facts about wolves, did you know wolves don’t howl at the moon they howl to communicate, wolves are apex predator that means they are top of the food chain. Wolves has two layers of fur, the inside to keep them warm and the outside to protect them from the bad weather.

Alexia
Slide used in Presentation. several pictures of wolves and a blured document.

First we brainstormed using post-its on the things we could talk about, our included: eye of the wolf book, wolf faces and information texts.
On Friday I felt nervous about talking in front of the parents.
I think my voice was clear because that is what my gran said.
Next time I am presenting to others I will try look up that the parents when reading.

Lexi

Last Friday the class presented to our parents and friends on our learning. My group talked about wolves, When talking in a group we need to think about, speaking clearly and all words should be understandable.
On Friday I felt good at first, but when it was my time to speak I got really nervous.
I Think it was really cool to be there and talk in front of all the parents, because they were there to listen to us and have a good time.
Next time I am presenting to others I will try to slow down a little bit.

Chloe

Monsters

We have been doing some research about wolves. First we we used Safari to find some websites. We used more than one site to check the information. The whole class gathers all the information on a big board. We wrote notes to help our writing. It was interesting and fun.

Noah
Presentation Slide

We then wrote text for different sections, I wrote:
We were working on our scissor action extenders. First we used 6 pieces of card and put them together with split pins. Then we drew and cut out our monster heads and bottom jaws and finally coloured in our monsters.

We practised in class. To help me speak I thought about starting with a nice and clear voice.
On Friday I felt happy and nervous. I think it went well.

Xander

We practised in class. To help me speak I thought about starting with a clear and nice voice.
On Friday I felt nervous at the start because I had a lot to say but I got through it.
I think I did a good job and I’m very proud of myself.

Tony

Coding

Screenshot of Scrach coding the bee game and some of pupils and teacher in Beekeeping suits

We then wrote text for different sections, I wrote:

We have been making a bee game because we have a bee man coming to our school every week. He comes to our beehive for a hour or less. He brings bee suits so we can come. So we thought of making a been game ,had some problems like when the bee wouldn’t move or the flowers wouldn’t disappear when they got to the end of the screen. But we fixed the problems so now we the bee can move, the flowers can disappear. Because we changed the code of the flower and bee.

Jason

We then wrote text for different sections, I wrote:

Recently we have been working on a bee game on scratch. Scratch is a programming web site and there is also a scratch junior for younger ones. You drag code blocks to create lines of code. There’s to many code blocks for me to explain them all but you can listen to the others for more information on our bee game though. But be for the others speak, I need to tell you some basic code blocks, move your number of choice, rotate your number of choice and one for scratch only, next costume.

Gene

We practised in class. To help me speak I though about speed, clearness, looking at the audience and speaking loudly.
On Friday I felt a bit nervous but when I spoke I was a bit less nervous.
I think it was a good experience that I will remember.
Next time I am presenting to others I will try to talk a little bit clearer and louder.

Robert

Last Friday we had our harvest assembly and presented to our parents and friends about our learning. My group talked about coding on scratch and micro bit. When talking in a group we need to think about being clear, looking up at our audience and not holding the microphone too close to our mouths.
First we brainstormed and wrote on post-its things we would talk about, ours included what scratch is, our bee game and the introduction or reintroduction to micro bits.

Juliet
Screenshot of slide showing micro:bits and the micro:bit cod editor.

Scissor Action Extender Monsters

We had our first session in the MakerSpace this week. We had to follow some instructions to make a Scissor Action Extender Monster.

After making their monsters the Biggies then made some short green screen movies using their monsters, you can see them at the end of this video:

Although the monsters seem simple and the videos were very short we learn or practises a lot of skills:

  • Communication, listening to instructions, asking good questions.
  • Practical Skills
  • Problem Solving, almost everyone made mistakes!
  • Digital Skills
    • Taking stills and video
    • Using the green screen
    • Editing videos, adding green screen overlay & audio
    • Recording audio
    • Using WordPress to add our videos to our e-portfolios
  • Literacy Skills, we wrote about our learning.

The Wolves of Banton

We have been reading The Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac in class. This has lead to some research and the start of some writing.

We also too an idea from Darrell Wakelam and made our own 3D Wolves. This allowed the Biggies to use their practical and creative skills.

We might add some more detailed images once we have named our wolves.

This Years Biggies

We have got the first few days of Primary 5-6-7 under our belt now. One of the first activities we did this was to make pictures from our faces. These are made with the sketchBook app. As well as a fun activity it also helps us learn a bit of using layers in a graphic application. This is a very useful digital skill.

A Class Logo

We also used our design skills to think of a logo for the class. We use this on our blog, teams and on digital versions of our work. You can see it has been added to the new header on the site.

It was a hard job choosing which one to use. The class vote was a tie, so I consulted other members of staff. That was difficult until Mrs McLeod came up with the great idea of combining a couple of designs. I think all of the class should be very proud of their work.

Buzzing with the bees

On Wednesday it was the Biggies turn to work with Meik and the beehive.

First we got suited up: Trousers inside wellies, Fully zip head mask, no gaps, gloves.

A tip: Don’t push face mesh onto face cause a bee could sting you!

If a bee gets in the mask you stay calm and squish it with your gloves. 

At the hive we learnt about bees. We pulled the frames out to check on the bees and make make sure the queen was there. 

What we learnt

Meik told us a lot about bees, this is some of what we remembered:

  • The different colour of the cell things on the frames you could tell the flower the pollen was from 
  • If there was a new queen the queen would get some of the hive and swarm 
  • You need to destroy the queen cells 
  • If you take the queen away for 2 or 3 minutes and bring her back they will kill her and raise a new queen 
  • They try to clean the queen after she’s in the cage on the hive 
  • Only smoke calms the bees 
  • There is a strap around the hive so it doesn’t blow over. 
Juliet
  • We pulled out all of the frames to see the buzzy bees 
  • To make honey bees take nectar the digest it vomit it up then an other bee takes in and vomits it up till it makes honey!
  • He destroys the other queen been eggs so that they don’t develop to bees and take away the other bees to start a new nest 
  • The nectar that is in the middle are different colours because it is from different flowers
Chloe
  • Only one drone mates with the queen.
  • The queen mates once in her life.
  • Different colour of cell – different flower.
  • The paint on the queen depends on how old she is.
  • Drones don’t do anything but eat the food.
  • Bees eat the nectar and vomits it up, another bee eats it. It keeps going until honey is made.
  • The hive is really clean, you could eat your food out of it.
  • If a new queen is born the queens swarm.
  • Bees dance to communicate. 
Olivia Rose
  • Different coloured pollen depending on the plants
  • The queen will be killed if left for only 2-3 mins
  • The queen bee cells grow on the side of the honeycomb
  • The drone bee cells grow on the centre of the honeycomb
Harry
  • I learned that the queen does not control the hive
  • I learned that the different colours of pollen cells can tell you what flower was used.
  • I learned that bees vomit into each others mouths to make honey
  • I learned that they have to destroy the queen cells to make sure no more queens are born.
  • I learned that bees dance to communicate.
Rory

Outdoor Learning day June 2024

Photoblitzer

The first thing we did was Photoblitzer. At it’s core, photoblitzer is a website that Mr. Johnston gave all of us. The web page had a small list of photo ideas, then we had twenty minutes to take pictures going along with the list.

Nathaniel

Capture the flag

playing capture the flag

Next we had a game of capture the flag in the playground. This is a new game for the Biggies and went down really well. Lots of running, laughing and thinking.

After our photo blitz challenge we did a game of capture the flag, I had never played it before but it was really fun. Mr. Johnston split us into two teams team red, & team yellow. My group started off as team yellow, my team had me, Olivia, Lexi, Alexia, Rory & Tony. In the first round most of them came sprinting and I tug Juliet, Harry, & then Xander. Team yellow won the first round

Chloe

Dow’s Wood

After the interval we headed down to Dow’s Wood. We started by searching the wood for new creatures to add to our collection at the Banton Beasties. This is a new site that well will make public soon. We found quite a few interesting ones and a few more got away.

One Beastie was not very welcome. We were attacked by swarms of midges. This made our other activity in the woods more difficult than usual, we stopped to spend some time writing and drawing. It is a credit to the Biggies that they got some done!

In the woods, a thick tree canopy shades mossy rocks. 
In the woods, big blue flys lurk uncatchable. 
In the woods, midges bite continuously and with no mercy. 
In the woods, ferns are everywhere.
In the woods, there is no escape from midges.

Juliet 
King of the Forrest
For he is king of the forest 
He has a centurion of bugs
For he is king of the forest 
There’s a smile on everyone’s mug

For he is king of the forest 
He cares for the children 
For he is king of the forest
He has a crown of ferns 
Placed on by a hern 

Nathaniel
The Nature Poem

Deep down in the woods,
Through the lush leafy forest
At the heart of the woodland,
This is how it starts.

Xander

Pendulum Painting

We constructed some painting pendulums in the playground in the afternoon. This was messy but fun and gave some interesting results. The next day we took our art, edited it in Snapseed to boost the colours. We then but it on a virtual gallery wall and added ourselves as a visitor.

Natural Sculpture

We have been searching the playground for different creatures, and today had a go at making some of our own.

Inspired by work done in the Biggies in 2018:

And by  A garden alive with art: all-natural insect sculptures 

We searched the playground for natural materials and created these amazing insects.

Earth Day in the Woods

We celebrated Earth Day a little early on Friday last week. We went to Dow’s Wood. We went firstly to see what sort of living creatures we could find. We also spent some time just sitting quietly by ourselves drawing or writing. The idea was to spend some time appreciating the world around us.

Creatures

A 3x3 montage of creatures found in Banton. A flatwork, a snail, a slug, a millipede, an earthworm, a millipede and a earwig, creatures in a plastic box, a pilot ground beetle, a spider.
We found a variety of invertebrates, in the undergrowth and under logs and rocks.

We are building up a collection of creatures we can see in Banton. We will classify these and find out about their lifecycles.

Drawing & writing

Deep in the heart of the forest, lied an oak tree. This tree however, was
different from all the others. Not tall or with fine bark or posture.
Instead covered with disease.
One of the oldest trees you’d think would be colossal compared to the others, not short and plump, even surrounding trees, far younger, would be taller.
It was widened with deformed bark that form a distance, looked soft and fluffy, however when touched was solid.
At the bottom was kale-green coloured moss, this feature however was ordinary among oaks, unlike deformed bark.

Rory

Tae Mother Nature, I like the wee beasties you hide
Tae Mother Nature, I like the wind you blow fae other countries
Tae Mother Nature, I like the moss it’s like a cushion
Tae Mother Nature, make the tree go high and the breeze go low

Tony

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