Category Archives: Interdisciplinary Learning

English & Literacy, Events, Primary 5, Reading IDL 2016

Novel Natters with Nana and Papa

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Last week Primary 4 and 5 started George’s Marvellous Medicine, their new IDL context for learning. As this will have reading as a key curricular focus, and the story follows the characters of George and his Grandma, we would like to invite our Grandmas, Grandpas and other relatives of the older generations to join us in a ‘Novel Natters’ session on Monday 21st November at 2pm. This will be a lovely opportunity for the children to read pieces of their own work to their Grandparents…we just hope that you are all a lot nicer and friendlier than George’s Grandma!

We look forward to nattering to you then.

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Anytime Anywhere Learning, School News, Technologies

Education Scotland Case Study

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Education Scotland visited our school to ask pupils and staff about digital learning in our school. They created a video which you can watch by clicking here. Well done to our Technical Troopers for explaining our journey.

“Education should prepare young people for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems of which we are not yet aware.” Richard Riley

In Mid Calder Primary School, we share this vision and we believe that in providing learners with a rich range of learning experiences in the digital and physical world we are developing a range of skills, knowledge and attributes to enable them to be confident and competent in the world of learning, life and work.

West Lothian’s investment in infrastructure has provided us with the flexibility of an Anytime Anywhere Learning (AAL) wireless network which allows connectivity for school and personal devices alike. This has enabled learners to be partners in their learning, offering a range of personalisation and choice opportunities whilst promoting Health and Wellbeing through the recognising of their rights and responsibilities.

Through our case study we hope you recognise the positive impact embedding digital technologies into the life and ethos of our school has had on our school community.

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English & Literacy, Primary 5, Reading IDL 2016

Read All About It!

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Learning Intention: We are learning to skim and scan for information.

P5B have been using the First News newspaper to develop our reading skills this week. We learned about the skills of skimming for gist and scanning for specific information, then applied these skills when taking part in a news quiz. We were read a set of questions related to articles in this week’s First News edition and had to skim and scan to locate the answer as quickly as possible. We have also been learning how to ask and answer a range of questions about a text through our new IDL context, George’s Marvellous Medicine.

 

English & Literacy, Expressive Arts, Primary 7, Reading IDL 2016, Uncategorized

It’s all about the acting in P7/6!

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‘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

 

English & Literacy, Reading IDL 2016

P4b’s Marvellous Character Descriptions

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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.

English & Literacy, Expressive Arts, Primary 7, Reading IDL 2016, Uncategorized

Primary 7 are “acting” up a storm!

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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!!

English & Literacy, Primary 3, Reading IDL 2016, Uncategorized

Primary 3 have had a Whizzpopping week!

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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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Curriculum Areas, English & Literacy, Interdisciplinary Learning, Primary 1, Primary 2, Reading IDL 2016

P2/1 Plan their New Topic

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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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