Category Archives: Primary 7

Drama in P7/6

LI: We are learning to use a range of drama conventions to explore themes such as hopes, fears and desires.

SC: I can discuss what an issue might be.

I can say how a character might be feeling.

I can demonstrate how a character might be feeling.

Last week we used role play to explore issues as a starting point for our story writing.

Children worked in small groups and each group were given a scenario card. The children then had to think about and discuss the characters involved in the scenario, how they might be feeling and how they might demonstrate their feelings through what they say, tone of their voice and their expressions. Once the individual groups had developed their scenes we all got together to perform our drama for the rest of the class. Each group did extremely well in demonstrating their feelings and thoughts through the conventions of drama and the other children were able to guess what the issue was. I’m sure we have a few budding actors and actresses in our class.

Our drama lesson will now help us when we start to write our story about our chosen issue.

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Primary 7 IDL Learning

Learning Intention:

We are learning to develop our understanding of what the role of the Scottish Parliament is and what is meant by democracy.

Success Criteria:

  • I can say what democracy is.
  • I can participate in a group challenge to promote values.
  • I can develop my understanding of how a parliament works.
  • I can identify the different roles of people in parliament.

Primary 7 have begun learning about the Scottish Parliament as part of our IDL context for learning. We took part in a group challenge which was designed to help our understanding of what democracy is.  One group had a leader who made all of the decisions for the group, dismissing people who did not participate to their liking and used only their own design ideas.  The next group asked all members of the group to make and contribute decisions, whilst voting on the best solution throughout the task  – all members of the group designed and worked together at the same time with a common goal.  The final group split in two parts and delegated work and roles to different group members, each making contributions but sticking only to their individual roles.

What an interesting session we had!  Each group went about their task in very different ways and each had a very different experience – this led to some interesting discussion about the different types of governments around the world and how they can be run.  Pupils were able to apply some of their knowledge about WW2 leaders (our previous IDL context for learning) and current news topics during the discussion, drawing upon current world political problems, asking challenging questions throughout.

Bring Your Own Device Update

This week, the Technical Troopers met to discuss the use of Bring Your Own Device in MCPS to find out what is going well and what can still be improved. As we are still in the trial phrase of Bring Your Own Device, we have decided to allow children in P5-7 who have a signed BYOD contract to use their own device during Free Time Friday. The Technical Troopers brainstormed the benefits and possible problems that could occur with this, and also discussed the possible consequence of the contract being broken during Free Time Friday.

We decided that all of the details outlined in our Responsible Use contract will still stand. This will be reviewed regularly to ensure that our pupils, staff and devices remain safe. You can see a copy of our Responsible Use contract here. If you would like your child to engage with Bring Your Own Device, copies of the contract can be obtained from the class teachers in P5-7.

In addition to this, and following on from our taster session from Google at the end of last term, we have recently purchased a set of 10 Virtual Reality headsets. These can be used with most smart phones using the ‘Expeditions’ app. Google Expeditions takes children on virtual trips all over the world, allowing them get up close with historical landmarks, dive underwater with sharks and even visit outer space! This is an exciting new use of Bring Your Own Device that we are looking forward to exploring.

Mid Calder celebrates Robert Burns in style!

On Friday 20th January, pupils from across each class demonstrated their Scots skills by participating in our annual Robert Burns assembly.

Two pupils from each class recited their poem in front of the audience, led by our House Captains.  We learned a little information about Rabbie Burns himself and we were treated to a real celebration of Scots culture, when girls from P6 and P7 performed some Highland dancing.

Niamh Sher, Cailin McKenna and Zach Paris will now go forward to represent Mid Calder Primary at the West Lothian Burns Recital competition later on this term.

ALL boys and girls who took part were a real credit to themselves – their use of Scots language was outstanding and dedication to learning their poems off by heart was fantastic.

Thankyou to our judging panel, Mr MacFarlane, Mrs Bokhari and Mrs Mackenzie had a tough job choosing a representative from Primary Five to Seven.

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Primary Seven get buddying!

Primary Seven pupils enjoyed their first buddying session with P1 pupils on Wednesday afternoon.

The focus for the afternoon session was developing Literacy skills – pupils from P2/1 were up leveling their sentence work in their fabulous stories about an ice castle.  P1 spent some time completing paired reading with their buddies to practice reading skills.

This was a fun session and Primary Seven are looking forward to their next visit in two weeks.

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Learning Letter P6/7

Dear Parent/Carer,
Welcome to Term 3 in Primary 7/6. Last term we held an amazing show, ‘Alice in Wonderland’. All of the children were very
excited about this and our final show was amazing. Thank you for all of your help towards making this special for the children. We can’t wait to go and see ‘Alice the Musical’ performed at the Playhouse shortly. This term the children are looking forward to learning about democracy and how society works, this will accumulate in class elections and each class will have a class president. P7 have started some transition work with Dr Cherry from W.C.H.S where they have been learning some technical drawing skills and will shortly visiting the High School to make a spatula.
Dates for up and coming events:
Wednesday 25th January – ‘Alice the Musical’
Monday 21st February – Visit to Scottish Parliament
Monday 6th March P7 – The Risk Factory

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Learning Letters P7

Dear Parent/Carer,
Welcome to Term 3 in Primary Seven. We are looking forward to a very busy term, focusing and concentrating on lots of hard work and effort into our Maths, Reading and Writing. We will be using our context for learning in our IDL to engage with current social and political news, studying and investigating Scotland in the year 2017. This will culminate in an exciting trip to Edinburgh to visit the Scottish Parliament, to learn about democracy.
Mrs Ross

Dates for up and coming events:
Alice In Wonderland theatre trip: 25th January
Risk Factory trip: 6th March
Scottish Parliament trip: 21st February

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P7/6 All things Scottish!

This week we have been busy in primary 7/6 learning all about Scots language. In our reading groups we have been learning to identify Scots, to do this we have been looking at some Scottish poems. We identified Scottish words from a poem and,using the Scottish dictionary, we found out what they meant in English. We had a lot of fun thinking about what Scottish words we already knew and were surprised by the amount we came up it. We transferred these skills when  writing our ‘Oor Wullie’ comic strips. We have also been doing some pencil drawings where we had to complete the face of Robert Burns. We were given a copy of half of his face and had to draw and shade the remainder, it was quite hard but they all look fantastic.

Rosie Finningham P7.

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Burns Poems/Winter Ready

In P7/6 have been learning our Burns poems during our quick start every morning, we have also been identifying Scots language and how this is different to some of the words that we use today.

As mentioned in class, can children please comment ‘Winter Ready’ and the poem that will be reciting below, to let me know that, in the event of any adverse weather, you are able to access the blog.

Many thanks – Miss Anderson

P6 – Breakin’ Rainbows

He wis jist a wee lad
dibblin in a puddle,
glaur fae heid tae fit,
enjoyin haen a guddle.
He micht hae been a poacher
pu’in salmon fae the beck.
He coulda been a paratrooper
swamp up tae his neck.
Oneywey, he wis faur awa,
deep wandered in his dreams.
It richt sobered me tae mind
dub’s no whit it seems.
An while ah watched an grieved
the loss that maks a man a mug,
alang the road fair breenged his Maw
an skelpt him roon the lug

To a Mouse

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,

O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!

Thou need na start awa sae hasty,

Wi’ bickering brattle!

I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee,

Wi’ murdering pattle!

 

I’m truly sorry Man’s dominion

Has broken Nature’s social union,

An’ justifies that ill opinion

Which makes thee startle

At me, thy poor, earth-born companion

An’ fellow-mortal!

 

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;

What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!

A daimen-icker in a thrave

‘S a sma’ requet;

I’ll get a blessin wi’ the lave,

An’ never miss’t!

 

Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!

Its silly wa’s the win’s are strewin!

An’ naething, now, to big a new ane,

O’ foggage green!

An’ bleak December’s win’s ensuing,

Baith snell an’ keen!

 

Thou saw the fields laid bare an’ waste,

An’ weary Winter comin fast,

An’ cozie here, beneath the blast,

Thou thought to dwell,

Till crash! the cruel coulter past

Out thro’ thy cell.

 

That wee bit heap o’ leaves and stibble,

Has cost thee monie a weary nibble!

Now thou’s turned out, for a’ thy trouble,

But house or hald,

To thole the Winter’s sleety dribble,

An’ cranreuch cauld!

 

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,

In proving foresight may be vain:

The best-laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

Gang aft agley,

An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain,

For promis’d joy!

 

Still thou are blest, compared wi’ me!

The present only toucheth thee:

But Och! I backward cast my e’e,

On prospects drear!

An’ forward, tho’ I cannot see,

I guess an’ fear!

 

P7 Red Red Rose

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands 
o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve!
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

To a Louse,

On Seeing one on a Lady’s Bonnet at Church

 

Ha! whare ye gaun, ye crowlan ferlie!

Your impudence protects you sairly:

I canna say but ye strunt rarely,

Owre gawze and lace;

Tho’ faith, I fear ye dine but sparely,

On sic a place.

 

Ye ugly, creepan, blastet wonner,

Detested, shunn’d, by saunt an’ sinner,

How daur ye set your fit upon her,

Sae fine a Lady!

Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner,

On some poor body.

 

Swith, in some beggar’s haffet squattle;

There ye may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle,

Wi’ ither kindred, jumping cattle,

In shoals and nations;

Whare horn nor bane ne’er daur unsettle,

Your thick plantations.

 

Now haud you there, ye’re out o’ sight,

Below the fatt’rels, snug and tight,

Na faith ye yet! ye’ll no be right,

Till ye’ve got on it,

The vera topmost, towrin height

O’ Miss’s bonnet.

 

My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,

As plump an’ gray as onie grozet:

O for some rank, mercurial rozet,

Or fell, red smeddum,

I’d gie you sic a hearty dose o’t,

Wad dress your droddum!

 

I wad na been surpriz’d to spy

You on an auld wife’s flainen toy;

Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,

On ’s wylecoat;

But Miss’s fine Lunardi, fye!

How daur ye do ’t?

 

O Jenny dinna toss your head,

An’ set your beauties a’ abread!

Ye little ken what cursed speed

The blastie’s makin!

Thae winks and finger-ends, I dread,

Are notice takin!

 

O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us

To see oursels as others see us!

It wad frae monie a blunder free us

An’ foolish notion:

What airs in dress an’ gait wad lea’e us,

                And ev’n Devotion!