Tag Archives: Social Studies

Paper Bag Challenge

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The Paper Bag Challenge

As part of our Fairtrade project, had an afternoon of very hard work,  trying to imagine what it must be like to have to work really hard, in poor conditions, with hardly any pay. In areas of Kolkata, lots of children the same age as our class and younger, have to do this for hours every day and seven days a week. It is one of the reasons why Fairtrade is so important, to help families in this situation and make sure that children have access to an education.

Our class groups were paid for every 10 bags that they made and there was a rush to make as many as possible. Once we found out how much we had earned, we could have a look at how much food, rent, medicines etc cost and how much we could afford.

The groups worked really well together, but wouldn’t want to have to do this all day, every day!

RSPB Schools Birdwatch

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Today Glen Tyler came to help us to complete the annual school grounds survey. We went out in four groups during the morning. We walked around the school grounds and then recorded what we had seen and submitted the results online. We also looked at last year’s results for the UK and Scotland. They were slightly different.

We saw house sparrows, starlings, a blackbird, herring gull and two mallard!

French Food

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This afternoon we had a great time trying a few traditional French foods, that our Cannes pen pals eat. We tried baguettes, Camembert, Brie, Boursin, blue cheese, green and black olives, croissants, chocolate crepes and profiteroles .

Tryphena, Joanna, Mirrin and Faith helped to set everything out and kept everyone fed!

It was great to see lots of the class trying new foods and even enjoying them!

Topic Planning

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Last week P6/7 started to plan the next two sections of their French topic. We found out about what everyone already knows, watched a few short videos about France and then using our skills planner, decided what we could do next.

Each group planned what they are going to include for their group and each group member decided what they are going to do each week. We’re really looking forward to finding out and presenting all the information.

Rainforest Study

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We have been learning all about rainforests this term. We’ve learnt lots of interesting information and facts about the rainforests and we’ve learnt that they give us medicines, foods and oxygen.  We made posters about destroying the rainforest, and we also made board games about saving the rainforests to teach other people some facts about it. We looked at all the different animals in the rainforest and sorted them into which countries they came from. We  loved learning about rainforests!

We also made posters about the indigenous people that live in a variety of rainforests across the world.

 

 

We were shocked to learn that rainforests are still being destroyed unnecessarily. In groups we chose to find out more about one of the reasons rainforests are still being destroyed. We made information posters to share our findings with the rest of the class.

Rainforest Games

In groups we designed and made Rainforest board games with lots of fun information and facts . We had lots of different ideas and can’t wait untill other classes  play them!

Here we are with the games we made.

 

WW II Veteran Visits Primary 6/7

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Geordie and his grandson Michael with their appreciative audience.

Primary 6/7  spent a fascinating afternoon in the company of WW II veteran Geordie Mainland as he recounted many of his wartime experiences, including the vital role he played in helping to survey the Normandy beaches in the lead up to the D-Day Landings on 6th June 1944.

Geordie was accompanied by his grandson Michael who gave a presentation of photographs taken during their recent visit to Normandy. It was the first time Geordie had returned to Normandy since the conflict and it had been a moving experience for them both as they visited the beaches, monuments, museums and war cemeteries- all reminders of the true cost of War.

As we have been studying WWII the children were thrilled to have the opportunity to hear a first-hand account of preparations in the lead-up to  D-Day and what it was really like to be part of it.

Eve, Ally, Bertie and Cerys all said how enjoyable and interesting the visit had been.

Carys thought it was really fascinating and moving that he had actually been involved in the Normandy Landings.

We would like to say a huge thank you to both Geordie and Michael for taking the time to share their fascinating memories, knowledge and experiences with us.

Jacob and Fearghas drew an excellent detailed drawing of the D-Day Landings to present to Geordie in thanks for his visit.

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Below the Hill during WWII

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On Thursday 27th September, Neil Cruickshank came to talk to P6/7 about the development of Sumburgh Airport and the surrounding area during WWII. It was an excellent presentation by Neil, full of interesting and surprising information, supported by a fascinating collection of wartime photographs. The children were surprised to learn that Sumburgh Airport began life as Sumburgh Links and that the first planes landed straight onto the grass.

We learnt that Shetland was of great strategic importance during WWII and that in November 1939 3 Gloster Gladiator fighters (Faith, Hope and Charity) were sent to Sumburgh to defend Shetland and the Fair Isle Channel. Sumburgh became a R.A.F. station and work began on building tarmac runways. There were many interesting visitors to the aerodrome including Beaufort fighters, Spitfires and  a De Havilland Mosquito which landed here on its way back from a raid on the Gestapo Headquarters in Oslo.

Neil told us many sad accounts of wartime crashes in and around Shetland including three Canadians who lost their lives when their damaged Bristol Blenheim reconnaissance plane crashed-landed at Grunay in the Out Skerries (20th March 1944).

After morning break we all set off by bus, accompanied by Mrs Leslie, to see some of the wartime remains still visible today on and around Scholland.

We saw remains of the huge line of ‘tank traps’ which were part of the first line of defence.

Above right is all that remains of an anti-aircraft gun post.

The Virkie school (above left) was used a a hospital during the war and local children had to use the previous school which was built in 1800s.

The Virkie  school in WWII is now used as a store. We tried to imagine what it was like back in the 1940s and the children who went there.

We walked up the old army road alongside what was Goat Camp  which housed soldiers and airmen during the war- there was even a barber, chemist and post office there.

We had a super time seeing lots of interesting things left behind from WWII, including the floor tiles in Dr Aitchison’s house-all that is left of his house which was demolished because it was in the flight path of the newly built runway.

A highlight for many was seeing one of the last machine-gun turrets remaining in Britain, which used to rotate 360 degrees, and now lies rusting in a field.

All of us in P6/7 would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Cruickskank and Mrs Leslie for an excellent morning. We all learnt a great deal about World War II in the Sumburgh area.