John Johnston

Respect

On Thursday Afternoon the biggies were working on the Shanari indicator Respect. We were thinking about Team Work, in particular how our problem solving and communication skills fit in.

The class were spilt into random groups and worked their way through several tasks. They did a great job, all scoring highly. Everyone could identify times they had listened and worked together.

We also had fun.

Lift the pot

K’nex Bridge

Jenga

Throw the Tea-Bag

Touch one colour each

A small load of rubbish

On Thursday, the day before our eco focus day we headed down to the MUGA and park to pick up litter. It looks like or hard work earlier had paid off. We found much less litter.

Scots poems

We have been reading and listening to some Scots poems this week. Yesterday we had a try at writing out own. Click on the thumbnails to read them.

Gracie n Cosmo by Kaitlyn McCulloch

Wee cats by Rhuraidh Gordon James

Islay by Grace

The broun troot by Lara

Rocks by Elise

Scots poem-The fruit in the fruit bowl by Hazel

TREES by Joshua Luka

Tons a Dugs by Skye

Connie by Caelan

Fush by Kristy

I asked the children to make a sprite in scratch that would draw a random rectangle every time it was clicked. Bonus points for asking what the Area was and then checking the answer. Lots of us managed to work out how to draw random rectangles, but Kaitlyn was the first one to get a working solution. She used lots of skills, using variables, comparison, repeats and operations! She show she was a problem solver and and independent learner.

The Green flag will give you a new question.

Some Scunners

We are looking at the Scots Language this week and the Biggies have been creating Scunners.

We got the idea from: Hunners o Scunners Scots in Schools

Hunners o Scunners means a lot of horrors, we created our own Scunner or Scots horror character.

We have not manages hunners, we are wee class and have a few folk off!

Christmas with the Biggies

Yesterday we had some challenges in the playground, make a sleigh, some decorations and a fairy grove.

Today some of the class worked in Minecraft on some the same tasks and a giant Santa:

Some of the Children worked more on their CodeClub Jazzy Jumpers:

And

The Banton Biggies Podcast Episode 5

The latest episode has been published on the Podcast blog:

BBP Episode 5

I am really please by the way the pupils worked on this episode. They took responsibility for writing, recording, editing and publishing the episode.

Everyone in the class had their say, they worked independently and cooperatively to record and encourage each other.

Get Schooled on Climate Change

During COP 26 the Biggies were invited to contribute to digital book, passed from school to school for COP26. The children had to explain where they though and were doing about climate change and who inspired them. That had to do this in digital formats, audio and video. As I expected the Biggies did a great job, using their creativity and digital skills. Everyone can view the ‘book’ online now.

It has been selected by the Book Creator team to add to their ‘Social Studies’ library. It’s sitting on the bookshelf alongside other examples & sample of various history, geography and other social science books made by students around the world.

Get Schooled on Climate Change

Click to read this book, made with Book Creator

https://read.bookcreator.com

Save The Sharks COP 26 Code Along Project

The Biggies joined in the @digilearnscot and @CodeClubScot COP 26 Code Along Project. We joined in a Teams call with Schools from across Scotland to create a game in Scratch. This week we added some finishing touches to the games and published them. You can play them by clicking the thumbnails below.

by Hazel

by Skye

by Alfred

by Rhuaridh

by Kristy

by User deactivated

by Grace

by Charlie John

by Hollie

by Lara

by User deactivated

by Rhuraidh Gordon James

by Kaitlyn McCulloch

by Elise

by Joshua Luka

by User deactivated

Butterfly Gardens

Yesterday the Biggies joined in with 3000 other children learning Scratch from an expert. This was part of @digiLearnScot and @CodeClubScot’s #COP26 ‘Code-Along’ you can click on the thumbnails to see the results.

The topic was around the importance of polinators like butterflies and beets.

This was a great refresh of our Scratch skills, covering random and forever loops.

You can see some of the children’ animations in action by clicking the thumbnails.