Tag Archives: engagement

On Our Doorstep

Another Monday afternoon exploring our amazing local area. A walk in the Strom Road and down to the little beach to complete  todays task…….’what can you make?’

Some groups decided to do dam building…….

Others diverted the water flow into new channels….

the children came up with so many different ideas………..

There was also time to explore the shoreline and find out what lives there.

 

 

Obstacle Course to 30!

The best way to practice counting out loud is to have lots of fun while doing it. The primary 1 children built an obstacle course and took turns at being the leader and counting to 30, controlling everybody who was running around, under, through, behind, over obstacles.

The Crow and the Pitcher

The children loved the Aesop’s fable called the Crow and the Pitcher. The primary ones made crow puppets and used jugs and glass pebbles to retell the story. They loved being videoed on the class ipad and watching it back.

The primary 2”s wrote the story and then read it to a partner who acted it out using props. This is Conans story. He did a fantastic job of spelling and remembering to include all the important parts of the story in sequence.

Sorting Data

The children have been learning about tally marks and this has really helped improve their ability to count in 5’s.

The primary one’s collected flowers sticks and stones and created this pictograph together outside.

The children have loved carrying out surveys and asking each other questions.

The primary ones practiced sorting objects using different criteria. It could be by colour, shape or size.

They worked really well with a partner discussing how they were going to sort the objects and taking turns at different stations.

Colour in Nature

As part of our On Our Doorstep IDL we went to explre the areas nearby the school and find different colours of plants.

The children were vary careful and only picked what they needed to work in their IDL groups to create Colour in Nature pictures. They talked about and named different types of flowers and plants they found.

The results were beautiful…….and fun!

Dandelion Art

The children went out and looked at dandelions in the nature garden. They saw them at different stages of their lifecycles.

They looked at the dandelions using magnifying glasses to see the different parts and especially the little seeds. They watched the seeds float and fly around and learned about wind dispersal and self seeding.

They created these wonderful pieces using cut paper and paint.

Capacity Fun

The children have been learning about capacity. The primary ones have been great at working in pairs to measure different containers. They were great at estimating how many cupfulls it would be before they counted and checked.

The Primary Two’s compared different containers and measured them using non- standard units. Againthey were excellent at making estimates before measauring.

They then went on to learn about using litres and half litres. It was great to be outdoors for this as they loved measuring the big containers.

It was great timing for the oil delivery to the school as the children were able to see the dials and put this learning into a real life context. We had 5000 litres delivered.

Hills and Parks

As part of our IDL topic this term the children have been out and about again………

Today the children set off up the hill to explore and appreciate the amazing views which are just ‘On Our Doorstep’.

Once at the top they found ‘First Base’ and then they went into their mixed groups to complete their task. They had to find all the markers with letters on them and put them together to solve a puzzle.

It was great to see the children helping each other and working in their groups. There was time for a little rest at the ‘second base’ before heading back to school.

Going down the hill was much easier than going up.

Last Monday the children all went over to Strom Park. This time in their groups they used some sports equipment to practise some activities for Sports Day.

in their groups they had to decide what activities to practise and set it up themselves. It was amazing to see the inclusion of all pupils of mixed ages.

 

Outdoor Learning with Loose Parts

Great teamwork  from the children working together to create a ‘hot tub’ which became a ‘chocolate flavoured hot tub’ with the addition of some mud!

The children had a snack area and enjoyed sitting together outdoors in the sunshine.

Lots of engineering going on to make the water flow around bends and pour into different containers. Also  using the water as a force to push objects down the pipes and figuring out how to make the water flow faster and slower.

Children’s imaginations are wonderful….these vehicles were taking them all over the world and beyond!

And there is always time to do a bit of climbing amongst the trees. The children learn how to do this safely and are really good at helping each other.

Lifecycles

As part of our ‘Changes’ IDL learning the children loved the activities around lifecycles and metamorphosis. It all started with a visit to our school pond when we spotted several frogs.

The children worked in groups to create a 3D collage of a pond showing the different stages fo the lifecycle of a frog. it was lovely to see them collaborating and supporting each other with this.

The final ponds looked fantastic……..

As part of their  learning about lifecycles they discussed the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. It was so much fun learning this through drama.

These are the eggs!

 

 

Out of the eggs hatch the little caterpillars

 

 

 

 

The chrysalis/cocoon/pupa hangs while the caterpillar transforms inside.

 

 

 

 

The butterflies emerge from the cocoons, dry their wings and fly away.

 

 

 

Then they lay eggs!

 

Go Furt Fridays

Go Furt means get outdoors………It was a chilly 3 or 4 degrees on Friday morning but the children were still keen to get outside to build shelters and play together.

We will be heading out every Friday to make the most of our wonderful outdoor space at Whiteness. There is a shed full of loose parts which the children use to develop so many important skills including problem solving, cooperation, teamwork, etc.

It is fantastic seeing them having so much fun together and there imaginations are just the best!

World Book Day

It was great to see the children dressed up as all different characters or wearing their pyjamas to school last week.

It was also wonderful to see how enthusiastic they were about stories and books.

During Buddying time they got to share some of their favourite books with their buddies and draw some favourite characters together.

Red Nose Day

Today the children came to school dressed in red and learned a little bit about Comic Relief and the fundraising they do.

it was lots of fun playing games and doing activities that the p7 pupils had planned.

In the afternoon they watched as the p7’s got a soaking in the stocks followed my Miss McLoed and Mrs Colclough.

 

Kites STEM Challenge

The children worked in pairs to create a kite using a variety of materials. Lots of skills were being developed through this activity – for example collaboration, co-operation, problem solving, listening etc.

The wind was blowing so it was great to go and test the kites. The children soon found out that in order to fly the kites well they had to work together.

Numbers to 20

The primary 1’s have been completing lots of different games, puzzles and practical activities to learn about the numbers to 20.

They can count, sequence, order and sort all these numbers using lots of different materials.

They have also been learning about addition and subtraction, again with lots of practical resources and games as well as using technology.

 

The Wind and the Sun

As part of our topic the children listened to  the fable about the Wind and the Sun. They acted out the different parts of the story.

The primary ones made books sequencing the story.

The primary 2’s wrote the story, remembering all the different parts. Below are two examples of the p2’s writing. They all did so well.

Drumming with Joy

This term the children are enjoying African Drumming lessons with Joy.  Lots of concentration and confidence building going on in these classes.

As well as drumming the children learn about the drums and where they come from. There is also time for lots of games, dancing and singing during the lessons.

Measuring Rainfall

The children worked in mixed groups to make rain gauges to measure rainfall.

They then had to find a suitable position outdoors to place their rain gauge and dig a hole to place it in to keep it stable.

There was a lot of excitement around the pond as they all spotted our very large resident frog!

We will go out at regular intervals to check on the rainfall and record the results in class.

Book Bug Visit

It was great to meet Chloe who shared lots of songs, rhymes and stories with the children. They were all so excited and engaged and really enjoyed joining in and having a go with the puppets and actions.

The primary 2’s never received their Read, Write and Count bags before Christmas so Chloe sorted that and they arrived yesterday. We will look at them in class this week, and try out the resources and ideas and the children will them home at the end of the week.