On Wednesday the Biggies spent the morning in Dow’s wood. A beautiful day.
On Wednesday the Biggies spent the morning in Dow’s wood. A beautiful day.
We are sure there is a right angle in here somewhere…
We started with some maths, finding or creating angles, right, obtuse and acute and sets of parallel lines. We too photos with out iPads and then labled them.
Adding captions to our angles
Next we worked on bearings and directions, using compasses to create instructions to follow to find ‘treasure’.
The chidlren were so engrossed in following instructinons we had to delay play time.
After a break the class settled down in very peasful surroundings to write & draw.
We also had time to find some wild life
WEveryone was astonished when it was suddenly 10 to 12 and we needed to walk quite quickly back to school in time for lunch.
The Biggies made a spring visit to Dow’s wood on Thursday afternoon. The sun shone and it was a lovely day. We started by gathering photos of mini beasts for our primary 1-2-3 pals. We will share that next week.
BeetleMillipedeFlat MillipedeSpeckled WoodBeetle on a pencil14 spotted ladybug
We also spent some time drawing the early bluebells, siting in the quiet and sun dappled slopes.
The Biggies had their first Trip to Dow’s Wood this year. Ice Hair, Adjectives & Land Art.
On Wednesday the Biggies had a trip to Dow’s Wood for some outdoor learning. The plan was to make some Land Art and gather some adjectives.
Our new pupil and Miss Baxter, who is working with the Biggies this term had their first trip to the wood so we had a look around first.
Eagle eyed Noah spotted some Ice Hair:
Ice Hair a rare find.
It is quite rare to find ‘hair ice’ in Scotland so I was quite excited. We also had a look at some hazel catkins.
On the way we gathers a few straight sticks and dead stems. We had been looking at some images and video of Land Art. This is art made from natural materials, that can be left in place after taking some photographs. We were careful not to damage any living things.
Working on Land Art
Most of the class were quickly absorbed in putting together some abstract shapes, some using their engineering skills to balance, and construct strange shapes. These things often go wrong, this class are becoming expert in making mistakes, meeting failure and pushing on to success.
Weaving a tangled webDelicate workMiss Baxter Joins inEngineering in actionLollypop treeMoss MountainThe Monster
The first thing we did in the woods was collect sticks and make art. We could work in partners or by our selves, I worked with Gene. The first idea I had was to make a circle but me and Gene couldn’t really get it very Sphere like. We tried making a stick out line first and filling it in with smaller sticks but that didn’t really work. Gene then had an idea of how to make a better one but we ended up making a monster on a giant mossy rock. Gene made a really cool stick line down for hair. I built the face out of muddy leaves and mud which made my hands freezing. But It was really fun.
Mud is the new Glue
Juliet
One morning we went to the woods. About half way through the trip, we made some sculptures next to the big rocks. I started making some gigantic but also wee structure, first I wanted to make a ball but I found out it was too hard to do it, instead I made Some pillars and connected them. I made it all with sticks. It was very hard but it turned out very well! It kind of looked a bit like a circle of pillars with one in the middle and a roof.
Robert
Me and Juliet built a sphere and a rock monster. First we built the sphere. It didn’t really look like one. We built it only out of twigs/sticks. Just a sphere. But I thought of a different way to build it. We didn’t build the different version because Juliet thought of and excellent idea. We built a rock monster on a mossy rock. It went tremendously. It went better than I thought. I’m still baffled that the twigs/sticks didn’t fall off. I had a lovely time working with Juliet.
Gene
This morning, we went to the woods. We made some art, we used sticks, rocks, and leaves, and maybe some moss. Me and my friend Alexia Were partners with each over. Luckily we both have creative minds. We started off putting a bunch of twigs together, and then we added the big sticks. Then Alexia’s strange but creative mind took over, she added hats to all the sticks! It was strange but it was also cool because it was a cup of an acorn, after a little while I asked Alexia about putting clear rocks in it and she put it around the centre we called these moon rocks. After that Mr. Johnston showed us other people ideas, after seeing Mr. Johnston’s we decided to do a leaf circle like him and then we were finished.
We are trying to visit the woods at least once a month this session for some outdoor learning.
The weather today was drizzle with some windy spells. So it was rain-suits on.
This morning we headed to the woods. We putted on waterproof clothing and went. Leaves were falling down on the way to the woods. Different colours of leaves. When we entered the woods it was muddy, filled with leaves and sticks. We were on a scavenger hunt looking for many different things. We had a list. After a certain point we stopped and had a break. We wrote interesting poems and heard them. They were nice. Near the end we did something about natural disasters. We had to save stick people affected by a flood and make a shelter for them. Then we headed back for lunch and on the way I found a big leaf.
Alexia
It was quite muddy and beautiful leaves where falling on the ground and our faces.
Lexi
As we travelled through the paths we had a bit of a scavenger hunt, this was supposed to lead to making some art at the end of the morning but we ran out of time.
Poems of all sorts
We stopped at the big rock pile among the oak trees and talked about different forms of poems. This included a couple of types we had not written before. Then the children found some quiet spots and did some writing.
We gathered back at the rocks and read the poem out as loud as we could over an increasing wind.
Tanka snow Snow White soft cold Falling with the wind Covering the wild grass No ears to listen to birds
Tony
Oh! look a crow look! look! What ?what happened CRASH!!!!!!!!
Calum
Look what I found A fish swimming I wonder if a cat will find it? MUNCH!!!!!
Noah
The woods – acrostic poem
The woods is a place of beauty Having fun in all weather sun, rain, snow, rain Everyone finds one thing to remember about the woods
With friends or family Old and young Old and young in joy it Days go bye and the woods changes So go to the woods
Juliet
Look what I found poem Look what I found a A stick Moss and shaped Next to the rocks I wonder if it will break?
Billie
Look what I found? A rock Staying still Sitting on the grass Wow! It looks amazing
Xander
Tanka Leaves Multicoloured, thin, wavy Sailing off trees No eyes to see where they’re going
Look at what I found Look what I found Moss Growing and sitting still On top of old cranky rocks Will it ever stop?
Alexia
Look what I found Moss Growing and still On a old tree Does the tree like it?
Lexi
Concrete Poems Juliet
Stick People in Danger
After the poetry session we had some snacks, being careful with our litter then headed over to School Wood.
We have been learning about Natural Disasters in class, when we got to School Wood we found some tiny stick people who had been flooded out of their homes. The Biggies were challenged to create some shelters the right size. Some of the refugee sticks got together others made solo efforts.
We discussed the features that the class had created to help the sticks have warmth and shelter.
We also built dens for two refugees and we could team up with other people. (The refugees are fake small sticks). Our class built dens for them because a flood hit their homes. We needed to build dens that were flood proof, wind proof, safe, warm and some other things for them. We did all of this in this paragraph because our topic is natural disasters.
Gene
But the thing I liked the most was building houses for the little people also known as refugees who were in a flood. We did it because our topic was natural disasters. They were made of wood they were also tiny. We had to build them a house it was hard I had 4 sticks. I also put-put walls on it and added I fire place, a bed, and an umbrella to keep their fire wood dry.
On Monday the Biggies spent a morning in Dow’s wood.
We looked around for autumn colours, measured the ages of some oak and beech trees, kept our eyes peeled for plants and creatures we could put in a food chain. We also had time for quiet writing and drawing.
We saw an owl going through the trees, found spider web galore and walked a couple of miles. We covered some maths, literacy, our IDL topic about Food Webs and more. Lots of learning & fresh air.
RosehipsLooking up through the oak trees.Raindrops on grasstiny fungiA garden spiderA Hazel Nut
Pupil thoughts
I enjoyed everything and I don’t have a favourite because I found everything very enjoyable. I had a lovely trip to Dow’s wood that day and I would love to go again. I learned about the size of an oak and another tree that I forgot its name. I drew, wrote, had my snack and a lot more.
Gene
I liked most of the stuff that we did, the measuring trees were a bit hard though. It was hard because we had not tall people (we were all small) We had a small paper notebook with us and we did activities in it like we made a colour list, we measured trees as you know, we wrote on blank pieces of paper you could do, a story, a poem, a picture poem. All that sort of stuff we also drew. We also had to find 3 interesting and cool leaves.
Chloe
Autumn Colours
I learned how different trees spread their seeds. For example a Hawthorn tree spreads its seeds through animals eating them. I enjoyed walking where the old train track used to be because there was a really good view of trees and there was so many colours. We did some measuring of trees, writing and some art work of things we could see.
I really loved it because I enjoyed how we did our colour list and we measured the trees. We collected 3 leaves and we stopped for snack time. We sat in a quiet space and we wrote and drew. Then we went back to school just in time for lunch.
We walked talked and sat on rocks. We also wrote and did more walking and drew.
Writing & Drawing in the Woods
Some Food Chains
Back in class we though a bit about food chains & webs.
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
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.
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
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
Some of the Biggies headed down to Dow’s Wood for a picnic lunch today. We had a relaxing time eating in the woods dappled with sunshine. Food was eaten, trees climbed. A woodpecker drummed around us in the treetops.
We started the day by going to the woods to gather a bit of firewood and different things to test as tinder.
The woods have changed quite a lot since our last visit, the grass & bracken is a lot higher. Down by the Gladstone we saw a woodpecker and later on a frog.
Back in school we tried different items as tinder with our flies and steels. not much success. The only thing that really caught was some bog cotton we had picked on our previous visit.
Next we mixed up some dough to cook over the fire later on in the day.
We then explored a new App Seek by iNaturalist , which helped us identify plants and animals in the school grounds.
In the afternoon we rolled out out dough and wound it round some twigs, while the dough was rising we set up the fire pit.
