Category Archives: Resources

Graphic novels / comics, Resources

The Tale o Tod Lapraik

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The Scots in Schools website features a collection of literature written in Scots or translated from standard English into Scots.

One of the stories is a comic version of The Tale o Tod Lapraik by Robert Louis Stevenson, which you can download to read in colour or black and white, or listen to as a n audio version (on a different website – see below):

“Robert Louis Stevenson’s horror story The Tale o Tod Lapraik is a masterpiece of prose written in the Scots language. Scots Hoose is delighted to present Gary Welsh’s world-class artwork in this exciting new comic version of Stevenson’s classic story of suspense and cruelty set in the Firth of Forth on the mysterious Bass Rock.”

http://www.scotsinschools.co.uk/secondary.html

Competitions, Films

Into Film – lists of films

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Into Film are an organisation for promoting film education to young people.  

During the coronavirus lockdown, IntoFilm are promoting a number of films available for free, free to stream or available via subscription services, and are also linking to activities related to those films.

The list is updated weekly so if you love film, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

https://www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/weekly-tv-highlights

And don’t forget Into Film’s Review Competition – more details here.

Resources, Television

BBC Schedule

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The BBC Scotland channel is showing educational programmes for the Scottish curriculum every morning, including Bitesize clips for primary and secondary and Authors Live.

You can get all the programmes and the television schedule here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04yy4wy

There are plenty of other BBC programmes for English, Welsh and Northern Irish education  that you might also find useful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/bitesize-daily-lessons-schedule/zdtwjhv?dm_i=3YNL,14KSB,2M90YY,3YWMB,1 

Wales

Books, eBooks, Literacy

Free eBook: The Book of Hopes

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The Book of Hopes: words and pictures to comfort, inspire and entertain children in Lockdown

This is a collection of stories, poems and illustrations from over 100 children’s authors and illustrators.

The Book of Hopes aims to comfort, inspire and encourage children during lockdown through delight, new ideas, ridiculous jokes and heroic tales. There are true accounts of cats and hares and plastic-devouring caterpillars; there are doodles and flowers; revolting poems and beautiful poems; and there are stories of space travel and new shoes and dragons.

https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/katherine-rundell-launches-the-book-of-hopes-a-free-childrens-book-by-over-110-authors-and-illustrators/

The book has been published online or free. To read it, please click on the link below

https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes/

Competitions, Creative writing

Carnegie Greenaway Writing Competition

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From https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/teachers-and-parents-get-your-kids-involved-with-the-alcs-ckg-writing-competition

We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2020 ALCS Carnegie and Kate Greenaway (CKG) writing competition, in conjunction with the CKG Awards shadowing scheme.

This year’s competition involves a challenge to young writers aged between 8 and 16 to think about their favourite books from a whole new perspective. We are asking them to imagine they have the opportunity to spend the day with their favourite character in a fictional land, while also thinking about the basic principles of copyright and linking creativity with ownership.

The Prizes

The winner will receive a tablet for their personal use, a selection of Carnegie and Greenaway shortlisted books and £500 worth of books for their school library. Two runners-up will also receive a selection of the Carnegie and Greenaway shortlisted books. Entrants must be signed up to the CKG shadowing scheme: details of how to do this can be found on the CKG website.

This year’s ALCS CKG writing competition closes for entries on Monday 14 September 2020. Find out how to enter here.

https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/teachers-and-parents-get-your-kids-involved-with-the-alcs-ckg-writing-competition

Authors, Books, Websites

Neil Gaiman

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Neil Gaiman is one of the best writers around and he has released lots of free material on his websites for young people and adults.

Parents, please be aware that Neil Gaiman often writes creepy material which may be scary for some children. Others will love it 🙂

Mouse Circus is his site for young people, and currently includes full reads of the fabulous books, The Graveyard Book and Coraline.

There are also four short stories printed in full for reading and a whole load of activities and downloads based on Neil’s writing.

http://www.mousecircus.com/

Grown ups aren’t forgotten either, and there are all sorts of interesting things on the adult part of the website, with free short stories, video clips,   audio and other excerpts from his books.

https://www.neilgaiman.com/Cool_Stuff