Category Archives: Literacy

Debating 2018

We came second!!!!!! Amazing work from our debating team.  having never made it past the first round, we were delighted to make it to the final!

The team we’re fantastic and debated the following:
Against – Banning the sale of energy drinks to U16 
Against – Banning school uniforms
For – Banning plastic straws
Mrs H set them a target of linking each argument to an article in the UNCRC and they succeeded .

 

 

MTV – Step Inside

P5-7 are making their thinking visible by using a routine called Step Inside.  They are using this routine to explore a range of jobs and professions.  They are asking questions like….

  1. What can you see? What do you notice?
  2. What do you know, understand or believe?
  3. What do you care very much about?
  4. What do you wonder? What questions pop into your head?

Term 3 Holistic Assessment

Festivals and Celebrations

P5-7  are coming close to the end of this term’s learning theme of ‘Festivals and Celebrations’.  It’s a hive of activity now as they apply all the skills and knowledge they have learned to complete a holistic assessment.   We planned the assessment together and the pupils are all devising advertising campaigns to promote a music festival they have created.

Posters have been designed…

Radio jingles have been written…

TV ads have been scripted….

Props are being made  ready for filming!

 

Enjoy……..there are certainly a few jingles that will stick in my head!

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Book Day 2018

A day is not enough….we need a week!

We are having a week of activities and Monday started with our Big Class and Wee Class reading buddies. 

The end of every day is teacher story time.  From children’s classics, such as Treasure Island, to modern favourites, like Harry Potter.

The big class are authors and illustrators!

We have loved receiving the ‘Reading in Unusual Places’ homework photos.

 

 

What a Drama!!

The Primary 7s joined other small schools at Minishant Primary yesterday to take part in a Drama Workshop.  They all had great fun experimenting with different ways to use their voices to engage and inspire their younger reading buddies.  They are good to go with the Book Trust shared reading project now.  Well done P.7s.

Dyslexia Rap……Get busy with Dizzy

Our talented pupils have made a video of their Dyslexia Friendly School rap.  We are working towards our SILVER award.

Get busy, know the shizzy, with Dizzy in the hizzy…..

*So you’ve got dyslexia!

That don’t mean you can’t go far.

Don’t dare think that you are dumb.

Find ways to make learning fun.*

 

What does dyslexia mean?

Words and letters aren’t as they seem.

Sometimes numbers too,

Decide to play tricks on you.

**

What can you do about it?

Give up, fold your arms and just sit?

Annoy others and grab and hit?

Stress out ‘cause you feel you don’t fit?

**

That’s not the way to go.

You have the right to learn and grow.

Let your teachers, parents and friends know.

‘Please help let my smarts shoooowww’

**

Use the tools all around the class.

When asked a question don’t always pass.

Take your time and have a think.

Your brilliance is on the brink.

**

Wear glasses if you need.

Cool coloured overlays can help you read.

Talk about how you feel.

It happens, it’s fine, it’s real!

**

We hope you enjoyed our rap.

Now I’m ready for a nap.

If you need help remember to shout.

Someone will help you out.

**

**

Dizzy is our new DFS mascot and is a very resourceful octopus!

 

 

 

Holistic Assessment – Term 4

P5-7 pulled many skills they had developed and knowledge they had gained to produce some fantastic presentations.

Pupils…

Worked in pairs to gather natural materials from our local beach and used the materials to create a collage. The collage was in the form of a mascot for plants. This mascot needed to have a name and the pupils had to explain why the mascot has certain features and attributes (character description). Pupils will had an opportunity to sketch a plan/design of the mascot before creating the mascot. Once they had created the mascot they continued to work together to write a poem (pupils choice – acrostic, rhyming, free verse, shape) The poem was delivered to the class by the mascot.

They used notes from previous research, activities and tests relating to this topic.

They shared the mascot and poem with the rest of the class and received peer assessment.

 

Learning Intentions

Convey what all living things do.

Research and present how plants reproduce.

Design and create a collage using natural materials.

Explain the reasons for my design choices.

Present information about plants though the medium of poetry.

 

Success Criteria

I can explain how plants reproduce.

I can explain the lifecycle of a plant.

I can combine natural materials to fulfil a design brief.

I can use my own notes from more than one source to select and organise information and to develop my ideas in order to help create my own text – a poem.

I can use relevant technical language that adds accuracy to my writing.

 

They had a design task….

Design Task:                                                                                                                Work in pairs to gather natural resource which will be used to create a plant mascot.   This plant mascot needs to have a name and you must write a poem for the mascot. The poem should include details of what a plant needs to grow and survive, how plants reproduce and what all living things do (MRS GREN).

Design your mascot by sketching a rough plan. Explain why you chose certain materials or for your mascot to have certain attributes.

 

E’s & O’s

By investigating the lifecycles of plants and animals, I can recognise the different stages of their development SCN 2-14a

I have the opportunity to choose and explore an extended range of media and technologies to create images and objects, comparing and combining them for specific tasks. EXA 2-02a

I can make notes, organise them under suitable headings and use them to understand information, develop my thinking, explore problems and create new texts, using my own words as appropriate. LIT 2-15a

Having explored the elements which writers use in different genres, I can use what I learn to create stories, poems and plays with an interesting and appropriate structure, interesting characters and/or settings which come to life. ENG 2-31a