All posts by Miss Clark

Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 at Mid Calder Primary School

Over the last two weeks we have been celebrating Fairtrade Fortnight by taking part in various activities, competitions and experiences. The children have embraced learning about Fairtrade and enjoyed sharing their learning.

Each class was assigned a Fairtrade product to find out about. Have a look at what each class got up to!

Nursery

We have included a picture of our floorbook, comic life and pictures of the children exploring the fairtrade items Mrs Murphy had brought in from the Fair Tradewind shop in Linlithgow. After seeing the worry dolls the children asked if they could make their own worry dolls.

Primary 1: Bananas

P1 learned about Pablo the Banana. He taught the P1’s about what Fairtrade means and also about the journey of the banana. We then designed our board games for the competition.

Primary 2 and 3: Coffee

P2 learned about coffee and other Fairtrade products. They were able to colour and label Fairtrade products from around the world and then draw a Fairtrade product that they have seen or tried.

Primary 3 learned about what Fairtrade is and why it important before researching their Fairtrade product, coffee. We used the netbooks to find out interesting facts and shared them with a partner. As we have been learning about fact and opinions in our reading lessons, we then using the Glow tool Forms to create a fact and opinion quiz about Fairtrade.

Primary 4 and 5: Brazil Nuts

P4 and P5 learned about the Brazil Nut. We found out about the story of the Brazil nuts by:

  • Finding out where and how Brazil nuts are grown and gathered
  • Looking at the rainforest and the factors needed to grow Brazil nuts
  • Talking about Fairtrade and how it can help Brazil nut gatherers to get a better deal

Primary 6: Tea

P6 had a great time  looking at a tea planting community in Malawi as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. We learned about how Fairtrade pays their workers fairly and also provides money to benefit the whole community. Pupils worked in groups to decide how money should be spent within a community (e.g. Food, water, healthcare, education etc). They had to decide which needs were most important- a difficult decision!

Primary 6/7: Footballs

Primary 6/7 took part in their own competition to ‘Design a Fairtrade football’. The Fairtrade Junior Leadership Team had a look at the fantastic designs and picked 1st, 2nd and 3rd place! Have a look at some of the designs:

 

There was lots of other fun things happening around the school too!

Nurture group: Baking with Fairtrade products

The nurture group worked with Mrs Kellner to make a Fairtrade banana loaf. They had lots of fun following the recipe, measuring the ingredients and mixing everything together! A delicious smell filled the corridors of the school and it tasted delicious!

 

Fairtrade breakfast: Bananas and Chocolate!

This week during breakfast club the children had the opportunity to taste Fairtrade bananas and chocolate. The boys and girls enjoyed dipping their bananas in the rich dark chocolate and it was smiles all round!

 

Fairtrade competition

The Fairtrade Junior Leadership Team launched a competition to design a Fairtrade board game. Lots of children across the school entered the competition and the JLT had a difficult decision trying to pick a P1-3 and P4-7 winner. They played some of the games to help make their decision. Winners will be announced next week! Have a look at some of the fantastic competition entries!

Visit from Lush Livingston

Lush in Livingston kindly offered to hold an assembly for the school to talk about their fresh handmade cosmetic products and give pupils the opportunity to purchase some of their fantastic range! However, due to the untimely Spring snow the visit has been re-scheduled. We will update you with this visit soon!

Primary 4 make Roman mosaics!

This week Primary 4 have been finding out about Roman mosaics. The children looked at mosaics and tiling found in Roman homes and architecture and observed the different colours, patterns and shapes they could see. Have a look at the boys and girls in action:

We are learning to make Roman mosaics.

  • I can observe and discuss the different colours, patterns and shapes found in Roman tiling/mosaics.
  • I can create my own tiling/mosaic design.

Station 1: Triangle mosaics.

Station 2: ICT – Make an online mosaic.

Station 3: 2D shape mosaics.

Station 4: Dot to dot mosaics.

Station 5: Cut paper mosaics.

Primary 4 Winter Ready Activities

Primary 4 Winter Ready Activities

Literacy

  • You wake up to find the snowman you built last night has come to life! Write a story about what happens next!
  • Practise writing this week’s spelling words in the snow!
  • Write a personal diary of your adventures during the snowy days.

Numeracy

  • Practise writing your times tables in the snow.
  • Draw a wintery picture and hide your times tables in it.
  • Design a board game using times tables or division.
  • By using recipes to make a cake or meals, follow instructions regarding weighing and measuring of ingredients. Take a photo of your dish and write a paragraph about how you made it.
  • Count and record how many snowballs you can make in a minute. Can you beat your score?

Social Studies

  • Choose a Scandinavian country, research and create a fact file. Compare their weather to ours here in Scotland. For example how do they cope in wintry weather? Does their daily life change in the winter?

Art

  • Make a ‘Wintery Scene’ picture.
  • Design an outfit that will keep you warm in the winter weather. Add explanations of what it is made of and the special features it has to enable you to keep warm.
  • Design a fancy pair of winter wellies.

Technology

  • Build something in the snow that you can sit on or hide inside such as a seat or an igloo. Take a picture of your creation!

P.E.

  • Stay fit by playing in the snow!

 

Take pictures of any fun activities you do and remember to share these when you come back to school! Have fun!

 

Miss Clark

Fairtrade Fortnight

Good afternoon everyone,

With schools closed today I am sure you have been enjoying some fun in the snow! However, if you are looking to stay warm and keep busy indoors there are lots of fun Fairtrade activities to explore during Fairtrade Fortnight.

These websites are packed with lots of fun ideas and activities!

https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

https://schools.fairtrade.org.uk/resource/pablo-the-super-banana/

http://www.traidcraftschools.co.uk/schools-activities-and-games

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/explore-fairtrade

http://www.scottishfairtradeforum.org.uk/take-action/schools-and-nurseries/fair-trade-nurseries/linking-to-the-curriculum.html#.Wpgi5PnFLIU

If you take any pictures of any Fairtrade activities you do it would be great to share them on the school blog. You can do this by emailing your pictures to the school or tweeting them to @MidCalder_PS .

Take care in the snowy weather, stay warm and most importantly have fun!

 

Miss Clark

Primary 4 learn to use strategies for multiplication!

This week primary 4 have been looking at effective strategies for multiplication. The children have enjoyed sharing their strategies and deciding which methods they find the most efficient for different multiplication sums.

We even made learning posters to show which strategies we have learned. When multiplying 1 digit by 1 digit we can use:

-Arrays

-A bar model

-Repeated addition

-Equal grouping

-Empty number lines

P4’s Book Week

This term Primary 4 have been reading the book The Creakers by Tom Fletcher. We have enjoyed learning about The Creakers through Drama, Reading and Music. During Book Week, P4 enjoyed various activities linking to The Creakers. Check out our pictures below to see the children in action!

We made predictions about The Creakers after chapter 17, where Lucy heard the parents screaming in Creakerland! We then turned our predictions into reality by creating a short improvised piece of drama to illustrate this.

We learned how to use questioning stems to ask questions about the book. We then used ‘hot seating’ through drama to interview the author of The Creakers. We enjoyed taking on the role as the interviewer and as Tom Fletcher!

                 

P4’s Fantastic Christmas Party!

Primary 4 have been getting into the festive spirit this week and enjoyed their Christmas Party today. The children enjoyed playing games like ‘Egg’ Chaos Tig, Shark Attack, Christmas Corners and Splat! They particularly enjoyed taking part in the best dancer competition!

Our P4 party winners were-

Best Dancers: Carla McAdam and Jacob Hopper

Winner of Shark Attack: Olivia Niedzielska

Winner of Christmas Corners: Lewis Adams

Have a look at Primary 4 having fun and pulling off some fantastic dance moves!

P4’s Open Afternoon at Mid Calder Main Street!

This term P4 have been learning about businesses in Mid Calder to celebrate Mid Calder Primary School’s 40th Birthday! Each group chose a shop in Mid Calder to research. We took on challenges like:

  • Finding out about the opening times of our shop.
  • Creating an opening hours sign.
  • Conducting research on the internet to find out the prices of services and goods in our shop.
  • Making posters to persuade people to visit our shop.
  • Making a shop sign and logo.
  • Creating colourful and creative price lists using ICT.

We then used all our research and hard work to open up our shops in our very own fabulous Mid Calder Main Street!

Here are some photos to show the fun we had along the way!

Primary 4 invite you to see our Mid Calder businesses!

This week Primary 4 have been learning how to write an invitation to persuade someone in their family to visit Mid Calder’s open afternoon.

We are learning to write an invitation.

  1. *I can write to someone I know.

*I can use persuasive language to encourage someone to come to my event.

*I can include the date, place and time of my event.

*I can use a colon in the appropriate places.

Primary 4 will be sending out their invitations this week and look forward to their visitors coming to see their new businesses!

 

 

P4’s Amazing Dinosaur Assembly!

Primary 4 enjoyed presenting their Dinosaur Assembly today and had lots of fun sharing their learning from last term!

The boys and girls enjoyed:

  • Learning scripts and adding their own special touch to them!
  • Taking on different roles like dinosaurs and explorers.
  • Sharing facts with the audience.
  • Showing the audience how to sort dinosaurs into carnivores, herbivores and omnivores using a Venn diagram.
  • Talking about the different stages of the fossilization process.
  • Sharing their stories about ‘A dinosaur in my classroom!’.
  • Managing ICT equipment by becoming Technical Troopers.

Well done Primary 4 for bringing dinosaurs back to life!