Pumpherston and Uphall Station CPS Blog
A place for news, information and sharing learning from PUSCPS
As part of Digital Learning Week P4 have been learning to create bar charts using Excel from data gathered about types of housing. This linked to our Interdisciplinary Learning Topic on our local environment through maths and technology. The children have explored different ways to record data, they have carried out surveys and then used the data to create the bar charts using Excel.
Some examples of our Excel bar charts.
Yesterday Primary 4 went to Dynamic Earth for their class trip. They had lots of fun on the tour and in our Destination Space workshop where they learned about all of the people who are responsible for making space travel possible for the astronauts. There were also some fun experiments to help them to understand some of the processes.
This week the children participated in a STEM design challenge to create a sundial from readily available resources. Each member of the group had a specific role to play e.g. recorder, quality checker, team representative or resource manager to ensure that everyone played a part in the process. Groups had the opportunity to browse the available resources and then discussed their ideas of how to create their sundials. They then created their sundials before presenting them to the rest of the class, stating how they came up with their ideas, how the sundials would work and also discussing what they would do differently if they had to build them again. The children asked Miss Burton to judge their finished sundials. They answered questions based on the success criteria to help her to decide.
At the beginning of the term we created artwork in the style of Charles Rennie MacIntosh, linked to our Scots focus, using the MacIntosh Rose as part of the design.
We have now moved on to abstract art, which uses line, shape and colour, exploring the work of Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky. The children have been finding out about the artists and creating abstract art in a similar style.
Today the children have been using shapes to create their own abstract artwork which they will colour next week.
In Primary 4 we used the Thinkuknow online resources to explore internet safety. We watched the cartoons and discussed the choices that the characters made in a variety of situations where their choices caused their safety to be compromised. We also explored internet safety from a Health and Wellbeing perspective, discussing the positive opportunities for learning and development, enjoyment and developing social connections and contrasting these with the effects on socialising, good sleep, diet and exercise. This is aimed to encourage safe, positive choices and healthy behaviours and attitudes to their online activities.
L.I. To write a poem.
S.C. I can write an original poem, using Roald Dahl’s work as a model.
As part of our book study of George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl, the children have been comparing and contrasting poems by Roald Dahl and William Shakespeare. They analysed the poems to look for alliteration, onomatopoeia, repetition and rhyming patterns, and colour coded each in order to compare and contrast.  Then, using Roald Dahl’s work as a model, they applied the literacy skills they had explored to create their own original poetry.
The children also had fun dressing up for the occasion.
The book we have been studying is George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl. The children have explored the techniques used by Roald Dahl in poetry and compared them to William Shakespeare. They then used tone, pace, volume and gesture to present the poems to a class audience in small groups.
https://vimeo.com/298598146
Success criteria:
I can sing with others keeping in time and in pitch.
I can listen to more complex rhythms and copy them conveying my thoughts e.g. clapping, tapping on my body.
Primary 4 have been very lucky to have lessons with Miss Geoghegan from The National Youth Choir of Scotland (NYCOS). Miss Geoghan has been using songs and games to teach the children about time, pitch and rhythm. This is helping the children to develop their skills and confidence in performing in an active and fun environment. The children have been very keen to take part in the songs and games and are looking forward to their next lesson.
Primary 4 explored their rights and decided which ones they thought were most relevant for their class charter. They then talked about what the pupils and the adults would have to do to ensure that these rights were respected. Finally, they shared ideas for how the charter could be presented in our class. Everyone agreed that Eve’s idea of displaying it on a Smartboard with everyone watching it would be a great idea. Here is our display.
During DYW week pupils had many opportunities to learn about a variety of occupations that may encourage and inspire them to consider these professions in the future. Pupils learned about motorbikes, aquaculture, midwifery, engineering, hairdressing, STEM activities and applied science. Pupils particularly enjoyed the applied science activities.
