The afternoon preschool pupils enjoyed another session in the Primary 1 class. They have been listening to the story, Oliver’s vegetables and drawing a picture of themselves in a garden. They can discuss many plants and bugs found in our gardens.
Category Archives: Curriculum Areas
Djembe Drumming
https://youtu.be/fHvFb_MgF0E
BYOD Glow Meet
To celebrate Digital Learning Week, today some of our Technical Troopers took part in a Glow Meet with Williamston Primary School to share our progress with Bring Your Own Device so far. Both schools shared how they have been using BYOD to enhance teaching and learning, and it certainly inspired our thinking and gave us some great ideas about what we could do next. Some of the pupils in Williamston have been using online tools to create their own profile pictures for their Yammer accounts, which has inspired P5 in Mid Calder to do the same.
Thank you to the pupils who gave up some of their lunch time to share some of the great examples of learning through digital technologies happening in both schools.
Anytime, Anywhere Learning: Socrative
Yesterday, Primary 5 used Socrative to demonstrate our learning about space and our Solar System. We completed a ‘Space Race’ which involved us being put into teams and racing to answer 25 questions all about what we have been learning about through our IDL context, Project Planetarium. We were able to track our progress on the SMART Board, which definitely encouraged us to be quick and accurate with our answers.
Today we expanded our use of Socrative, using it to demonstrate our knowledge of fractions during a mental maths warm up. We had to answer a range of different styles of questions including multiple choice and true or false. We’re looking forward to exploring other ways we can use Socrative in our classroom.
Named Person Presentation
Mission 4: Astronaut Adventures
Mission 4 arrives at project Project Planetarium this week and it was all about Space Missions!
Part 1:
We used Twig on Glow videos to investigate how the news reported Neil Armstrong landing on the moon compared to Tim Peake at the International Space Station. We recognised that videos have changed over the years, for example videos now are clearer, coloured pictures, sharper images and have zoom. We also noticed how Tim Peake used Social Media to share his adventures in space via Twitter and a Video Log, this is something they could not do during Neil Armstrong’s mission.
Part 2:
Each Home Team are currently researching 2 space missions each. We made notes under the following headings:
- Name of the Mission
- Date of the mission
- Important information about the mission
We skimmed and scanned a selection of websites and books to find out the relevant information. We had to use key words to research using different search engines. We used Yammer to make a list of useful child friendly websites that we could use – this was so we could help each other. We will use this information to make a timeline of missions.
Part 3:
We have been learning about the job of a astronaut. We used books, videos and websites to discuss:
- The role of an astronaut
- The experience you need
- The skills/ qualities you need
We found out that you need to have a qualification in Science or Technologies, and that is was useful to have a knowledge of different languages. We will use the information we found out to write a job advert for an Astronaut.
We also have been trying to build our own spacecraft – watch this space!
Talking about Tenths!
We are learning to understand what a tenth means.
- I can describe and record tenths in a variety of different ways and can locate them on a number line.
- I can create and identify tenths of shapes & can find tenths of numbers.
In Primary 4 we have been learning about tenths in a range of ways. We know that a fraction means equal parts and that we can use our knowledge of the ten times table to help us find a tenths.
We were set the challenge of drawing a tenths number line. We used each others mistakes to get it write in the end, remembering that ten tenths is the same as 1 whole. Then we took it in turns to call out fractions and find them on the number line. We recognised that five tenths are equivalent to one half.
We used coloured counters to make a tenth number line in class, this helped us recognised that tenths are 10 equal parts.
Pizza fractions helped us to find a fraction of a shape.
We used Sum Dog to help us develop accuracy of our 10 times tables and and we also completed written tasks to find tenths of a number and shape.
Helping at home:
- Ask us our 10 times table.
- Ask us what is one tenth of a number, for example: ‘What is one tenth of 120?’
Orienteering Club
For the last 4 weeks, the orienteering after school club have been having great fun learning all about the different knowledge and skills needed for orienteering. This week, we brought all of these skills together to take part in a space themed orienteering challenge using QR codes to help us. We split into teams and, by using our growing map reading skills, we navigated our way around the school to locate 10 different markers. At each marker, we had to answer a space quiz question by scanning a QR code and using the URL link to find the correct answer. When reflecting on the challenge, we thought we had used our listening, memory, sharing and teamwork skills. We also had to use our sense of direction, as well as our ICT skills.
Creating Craters
This week, Primary 5 have been learning about how craters are formed. We learned all about the key features of asteroids, comets and meteoroids, and the differences between each. We know that a meteoroid that survives falling through the Earth’s atmosphere and hits the Earth’s surface is known as a meteorite, and, if these are big enough, they can cause craters. The Moon is scarred with millions of impact craters as it doesn’t have an atmosphere to protect it. We experimented witch creating our own craters using a tray filled with flour to represent the inner crust of the Moon and cocoa powder to represent the outer crust. We dropped ‘meteorites’ onto our surface from different heights, then measured the depth and diameter of our craters, recording our results. Next week, we will transfer the data we have collected into a graph using Purple Mash to help us to analyse and compare our findings.
The Great Deserted Island STEM Challenge One
LI. We are learning to construct a model using measurement, area, force and motion, scientific process and properties of shapes.
SC. We can plan, design and build a hut that will with stand a small wind storm
SC. We can work together to share ideas.
SC. We can adapt and change our plans as required.
SC. We will test and evaluate our design as appropriate.
This week P2 have been trying to help Sir Harley Houndstooth III survive on the deserted island by constructing a hut that he could use to shelter in away from the tropical storms. We worked in teams and each team built our own hut. We learned lots about the skills we need to work effectively as part of a team such as, good cooperation, good listening skills and effective use of time. After we built our huts we then tested them to see if they would survive the storm (using a hair drier.) We discussed what a fair test is and decided how to make the test fair. We are very happy to report that none of the huts fell over but most of them moved and we recorded how far then moved in centimetres. Each team then set group targets for what good team work will look like and sound like for the next challenge.
Next week we will be helping Sir Harley Houndstooth III by building a bridge we will keep you posted on how we got on.
