Category Archives: Curriculum Areas

P6’s Playscripts

P6 have been showing great effort and creativity this week whilst writing their own playscripts.

Learning intention – We are learning to turn a scene from a story into a playscript.

Success criteria – I can include the following features of a playscript in my writing:

  • Scene number
  • Scene title
  • Stage directions to set the scene
  • Stage directions in the present tense
  • Character names
  • Speech
  • Consistent use of capitalisation, underlined text, brackets and colons

In preparation for writing our own playscripts, we read lots of examples and highlighted their main features. We discussed how stage directions were used to set the scene and show actions. Also, we looked at how dialogue was set out differently to a story. We applied all of this knowledge to writing our own playscripts with every pupil choosing a well known story to adapt. Once we had finished our writing we spent a long time assessing each other’s work, picking out evidence that met each success criteria. It has been an enjoyable process and has enhanced our experience of reading and performing the script for ‘Alice’ the musical.

It’s all about the acting in P7/6!

‘Alice’ the musical is well under way and in preparation for this P7/6 have been looking at play scripts and how they differ from stories.

LI: We are learning to identify the differences between a play and a story.

SC: I can identify stage directions

I can identify dialogue.

I can confidently discuss the differences.

Pupils have been looking at a story and how this could be changed into a script. Children had to identify dialogue and stage directions then had the opportunity to write their own dialogue and stage directions and act this out in front of the class. I can safely say, we have a very talented bunch in P7/6.

All of the upper area are working very hard at the moment to perfect our performances  for the show in a few weeks time. We are very busy making props and scenery and everyone is involved. We look forward to sharing our talents with you soon.

Miss Anderson

 

P4b’s Marvellous Character Descriptions

Learning Intention: We are learning about the key features of a character description.
Success Criteria:
– I can discuss the key features of character descriptions and can highlight these on given examples.
– I understand what a simile is, can give an example and highlight a simile in a piece of text.
– I can plan a character description for George/Granny from George’s Marvellous Medicine using ambitious vocabulary and similes.

P4 have started their novel based IDL Topic on Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine this week. In writing, we have been looking closely at character descriptions and what key information authors include in their stories to help us build up a picture of the characters in our imagination. We worked in pairs to highlight key character information from different pieces of text and then used this to help us plan our own individual character description of George or Granny.

Primary 7 are “acting” up a storm!

This term’s IDL focus, linking Literacy and Expressive Arts, is all about getting musical and creative with Alice in Wonderland.

In our Literacy lessons we have been learning about playscripts as a genre and how they differ from a traditional story text.

Learning Intention:

We are learning to identify the features of a playscript.

Success Criteria:

I can identify the purpose of a playscript text.

I can confidently discuss the differences between a fictional text and a script.

I can explain what stage directions, dialogue and actions are, relating them to how an actor would use them in real life.

We have begun working on Alice the Musical, our wonderful production, and are all busy learning lines, dance routines and movements and of course, tuning our voices to be able to sing the tracks.  We look forward to sharing our show with you and showing off all of the different talents we have in Mid Calder Primary!!

Primary 3 have had a Whizzpopping week!

Frobscottle!

This week Primary 3 looked at recipes. As our topic this term is The BFG we decided to write a recipe on how to make the BFG’s favourite drink, Frobscottle! We discussed the different ingredients that would be included in the recipe and came up with a set of instructions. We then followed the recipes we had written to make and taste our very own Frobscottle. Emma thought the Frobscottle was fantastic!

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P5a’s Roman Army

This week, P5a have been busy designing and making their own Roman shields.
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We studied different Roman Army tactics and practised organising ourselves into the different formations.
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We took our shields out to the playground and protected ourselves with different formations.

The Testudo (also known as The Tortoise)
“It looks like a shell” (Grace)
“No-one could shoot arrows or anything from above.” (Fraser B)
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The Testudo was harder than we thought it would be!
“There was not enough cover at the back.  The tall people had to crouch down.  If I didn’t crouch down, I wouldn’t have had any cover on my head.” (Jamie H)

The Orb
“We were all holding shields in a circle so hard for anyone to get in.  Some were facing the front and some facing the back so we can’t get attacked by our enemies.” (Jamie P)
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“It is safer inside.  It is more dangerous to be on the outside.” (Connor)

The Wedge
P5b’s Army arrived so P5a went into The Wedge formation.
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“It made people move out of the way and they couldn’t get past.” (Luke)

P5a then got in to a defence position to fight off P5b.
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“It is safe at the front under the shields as any weapon coming down will just bounce off the shields.”

P5a marched a victory lap around the playground!
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“The marching was funny.  We all had to step at the same time.  We had to keep pace to show we are coming together and we are all important.” (Olivia)
“We could be marching to go to war.  They do it in four file.” (Jack)

P2/1 Plan their New Topic

LI: We are learning to share our ideas to plan our learning

SC: I can share what I already know and what I would like to learn about a subject or stimulus.

SC: I can contribute ideas and suggestions about the types of resources and learning experiences I would like.

 

This week P2/1 have been planning their new topic, based on the fiction book Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. They took turns to choose an object or image from the ‘talking tub’, and discussed what they already knew about each object. For example, Rose told us that her dad is a police officer and even brought in his handcuffs and an old fashioned truncheon. She explained how and when these might be used by police officers. Sharing their prior learning helped them to sort and link each object on a 3D mind map. The children recorded some of their thoughts on strips of paper, and placed these where they thought was appropriate on the 3D mind map. We discovered some very interesting things from and about each other!

The children then discussed and decided lots of different things they would like to learn more about, and how they would like to learn them. They added black pen drawings of their ideas to the 3D mind map too.  As well as exploring the story and its characters and plot in more detail, they decided that they would like to learn more about the work of police officers and how they help to look after us. They agreed how they would like their small world and role play areas to be set up, and also decided some other resources they would like to find or make. For example, they would like the role play area to be set up as a police station, with a desk, telephone, maps and wanted posters, police hats and uniforms and handcuffs.

Everyone is excited to get started!

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