Category Archives: Curriculum Areas

Number Talks in the Snow!

Today we had a number talks with a difference! Miss Burton took us outside into the snow/frost, she gave us a calculation and we had to write it down in the snow and write the answer. When we came back into class we showed the photos on the SMARTBoard and we had to explain what strategy we used to add 9. Some of us counted on 9, some of used a friendly number – we added 10 and then subtracted one and some counted onto the next 10, and added the remainder. Then we discussed which strategy was the most efficient. We had lots of fun!

Anytime Anywhere Learning is coming to Mid Calder!

This week the Pupil Council and Technical Troopers took part in some very exciting discussions about Anytime Anywhere Learning (AAL). AAL is when we have a wifi network where we can connect handheld devices to the internet. The first stage of AAL is when we connect our in school devices such as iPads to the network, the second stage is bring your own device (BYOD) that is when we have the opportunity to bring our own devices into school.

We are currently at stage one.

The Pupil Council and Technical Troopers have a lot of research to do before we are allowed to bring our own device to school, this will begin will a consultation with pupils and parents … so watch this space!

This week during our Junior Leadership Team meeting we discussed the benefits and issues of bring your own device. Next time we will look at the issues and see if we can think of solutions. If you have any thoughts on bring your own device please leave a comment below.

 

P.5/4 Scots Poetry

P.5/4 are busy learning some Scots poems at the moment. To help you to do this at home, click on the links below to download them. There are three for the P5s to read and three for the P4s. Everyone should choose one that they would like to learn.

To show that you are Winter Ready and can access the school blog in case of a school closure, please comment below with which poem you are going to learn!

Primary 4 Scots Poems

Primary 5 Scots Poems

We certainly measure up in Primary 5!

Learning Intention:
We are learning to estimate and measure items and then check to see how close I was – Length (MNU 2-11b, MNU 2-11a)

Success Criteria:
I can use the vocabulary and metric units of length
I can select and use appropriate equipment to measure the lengths of different items considering how accurate I need to be
I can choose and use suitable units to measure the lengths of items, converting when appropriate, and can present my answer
I can compare my measurement with my estimate to see if my answer was sensible

In our class maths lessons, we have been learning about different ways of measuring things, why you would measure and the instruments you can use to help you. This week, we focused on measuring length and created a list of the key vocabulary we might use, including longest, shortest, width, height, distance, centimeters, meters, millimetres and more… In our teaching group, we looked at the value of estimating and how this can help us, then we were given objects to guess the length, width and height of. We checked our answers using a variety of measuring instruments and even used decimal points when recording the measurements in meters and centimeters, or centimeters and millimeters. In our game group, we were challenged to measure different body parts, for example, the length from the tip of our thumb to our pinkie, or from one ear to the other. We also demonstrated our knowledge of measure using Sumdog, an activity that we can also work on at home.

An extra challenge: can you measure the length of some of the objects around your house and comment with your findings below?

P7/6 Burns Poems

It is that time of year again when we celebrate the birth of one of Scotland’s greatest poets, Robert Burns. In Primary 7/6 we have been asked to learn one of the poems in the link below. There are 3 options for P7 and 3 options for P6. We will be reciting our poems in class next Wednesday (21st January), with two class representatives being selected to perform at the Burns assembly. The assembly will take place on the 22nd January. So get your best Scottish accents on and make Robert Burns proud.

Primary 6 burns poems

Primary 7 Burns Poems

 

To show that you are Winter Ready and are able to access the blog if the school is closed,  please leave a comment with your name and what poem you will be reciting.

Good Luck!

P6 are bletherin’ braw Scots!

 

Primary Six are currently learning all about Robert Burns’ life, his poetry and how to interpret Scots language.   WS-BurnsPic

We have been using Scots dictionaries to investigate Scots vocabulary and have been comparing it to the English translation.  We are also currently writing a poem in class, inspired by the poem, “Look.  What can you see?”  We are developing use of descriptive language and using a repetitive pattern.  We are looking forward to developing and editing our products can displaying them proudly around our class.

Below are our Burns poems for our Burns Assembly on Friday 22nd January.  All pupils now have a copy of the poems chosen and should practice them at home, ready for our class recital next Tuesday.  Following this, two pupils will be chosen to recite at our assembly.

To make sure you are Winter  ready and are able to access the blog if in the event of the school closing, please leave a comment below to show which Burns poem you are learning and how you are getting on.

p6 burns homework

eBooks available for your child’s IT device from West Lothian Library Service

Following a report in December 2015 by the National Literacy Trust  looking at eReading and reading motivation in young people. The findings included that significantly, more pupils thought reading was cool after being involved in the eReading project.  To read the full report visit:www.literacytrust.org.uk/assets/0002/9076/The_Impact_of_Ebooks_final_report.pdf
Below is a link to a leaflet displaying some of the most popular eBooks for younger readers available from West Lothian Libraries.  Children need to be a member of the library to make use of this free service.

P1a New Term

We have had a very busy start to the new term in P1a.

Literacy

We have been working hard on reading and writing the Common Words.We use paper cups and bricks to build towers and word walls with the words we can read. Sometimes they get really high! We also play a game with words written on lollipop sticks. We take turns to pull out a stick, read the word and put it safely in our pile.  However, if we pull out the stick with the red dot, we have to put all the sticks we have back in the pot. When the sand in the timer runs out, the person with most sticks is the winner. We are beginning to  look at the next set of words now and these will be sent home soon, along with a new game to play!

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Numeracy

This week we focused on the numbers to 20. We practised reading and writing the numbers, counting forwards and backwards, saying the number after, before and between and counting groups of items. We made number sequences and put numbers in order from the smallest to the largest.

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IDL

We were very excited last term when Tim Peake blasted off to the International Space Station. Our interest and enthusiasm has continued, so we have decided to investigate Space ! First of all we looked at some space related objects and pictures, and shared our ideas with each other. Then we thought about what we would really like to learn more about, and we created some questions about Space. Together,  we made a 3D Mind Map to help us plan our Learning over the next few weeks. We are going to record our Learning in a big book which we have all signed, because we will all be the authors and illustrators of it!

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P1b Explore the Sun, Earth and Moon

LI: We are learning about the Sun, Earth and Moon.

SC: I can name and describe the shape of the Sun, Earth and Moon.

SC: I can sort the Sun, Earth and Moon by size.

SC: I understand that the Earth and the Moon rotate/spin.

SC: I can describe the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

SC: I can describe the Moon’s orbit around the Earth.

Primary 1b decided to explore Space this term after watching Tim Peake in the news before the Christmas holidays. Last week we used a 3D mind map to share and discuss what we already know and think about space. Then we decided what we would like to find out this term.

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Here are some examples:

“Planets go around the sun.” Daniel

“The moon spins around.” Brandon

“There’s a planet called Mars. It’s red and goes around the sun and I think it’s got volcanoes.” Isla MacKinnon

“Astronauts go up in space. Tim Peake is staying until summer and that’s a really long time.” Aimee

“How big is the sun?” Finlay

“How big is the Earth?” Lucas

“Why does the moon change shape?” Rory

“I want to learn about the moon spinning.” Kaitlyn

On Monday we decided to learn about the size, position and movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon. First we explored an interactive game to compare the shape and size of them. Lots of us had never heard of a ‘sphere’ before, so we agreed that we would like to learn more about 3D shapes soon too. After learning about the orbit of the Earth and Moon, we worked in groups of 3 using balloons to recreate the position of the Sun and the rotation and orbits of the Earth and Moon.

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It was quite tricky at first. We had to talk to each other lots to plan our movements and concentrate to make sure that we didn’t bump into each other. Here is a video of Finlay, Oscar and Rory, showing everyone how it’s done:

P1 – Explore Space from Home

P1 Winter Ready Activity

Log into your Purple Mash account (remember your username and password have been sent home). Click on the Home tab, then select the ‘My 2dos’ tab. Please click on Maths City 1 and then click on the red rocket. There you can explore a video and different activities related to space.

Please leave us a comment  on the blog to let us know how you got on. :)

https://www.purplemash.com/sch/midcalder-EH53