NEWS.
Clean-up campaign
The David Bellamy award aims to recognise the work of pupils and the school’s cleaning team to minimise their environmental impact. Entries close at the end of October. For details, see www.bics.org.uk.
Stories of the world
Forty-two stories, from Hans Christian Andersen to Far East fairy tales, feature on The Story Spinner DVD series, aimed at pupils from reception to Year 6. For details, go to www.thestoryspinner.co.uk
Rick Riordan live
Rick Riordan, creator of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, is doing a live webcast, 2pm-2.45pm on Tuesday, November 2, and will answer viewers’ questions. See www.rickriordanvirtuallylive.co.uk
SCIENCE
What the lesson is about
Based on the Rudyard Kipling short story How the Camel Got Its Hump, it is part of a six-lesson plan on interdependence and adaptation aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils.
Aims: pupils will -
- know how animals and plants in different habitats are suited to their environment.
Getting started
Read the short story How the Camel Got Its Hump (available on the link below). Ask pupils if they think the reason given in the story is the real reason why camels have humps. Make sure no one believes the hump is full of water and explain that it is really for storing food. Show them annotated drawings of a camel and a polar bear (also available on the link), highlighting some of each animal’s characteristics, such as a camel’s splayed feet and a polar bear’s greasy fur. Ask the children why they think these features are useful for the animals’ habitat. What would happen if the animals did not have them?
Taking it further
Introduce the concept of adaptation. Discuss further examples, such as bats developing excellent hearing to compensate for poor eyesight. Give pupils a picture of a habitat and ask them to create an animal that could live there, labelling its features to show how they are suitable for that environment.
Where to find it
The complete six-lesson plan was originally uploaded by primaryteacherlady and can be found at www.tes.co.ukadapt-and-survive
PE
What the lesson is about
This uses the book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen to introduce pupils to moving in a variety of ways. It is aimed at early-years and key stage 1 pupils.
Aims: pupils will -
- be taught to move in a variety of ways;
- think about the way we move our body;
- think about why we need to exercise.
Getting started
Get pupils to warm up by walking, hopping or skipping around the hall. Now sit them down and discuss which animals make heavy steps. Choose an example, such as an elephant, and ask pupils to move in and out of spaces like an elephant. Do the same with animals that make light steps. Now read the book and discuss how the family had to move through obstacles. Read the first page and ask pupils to walk in their normal way. Tell them to freeze as if they were playing statues. Read page two while children are “frozen”.
Taking it further
Discuss how you would walk through long grass. Try other examples and ask pupils to demonstrate. How can these movements be improved? Ask pupils to find a partner and walk through the grass looking for one another, holding hands when they meet.
Where to find it
The lesson was originally uploaded by NGfLCymru and can be found at www.tes.co.ukbear-hunt-movement
RE
What the lesson is about
This is part of a series looking at important people in different religions. It is aimed at key stage 1 pupils.
Aims: pupils will -
- know that Moses is important to Jews;
- learn about some of the Ten Commandments and their relevance today.
Getting started
Read the story of Moses (available on the link below). Explain that Moses is an important person for Jews. Explain how he received the Ten Commandments and that they were rules for how the Israelites should treat each other and live peacefully together.
Ask children to think about why God sent Moses the commandments. Look at some of the commandments and discuss whether they are still relevant today. Do we still need to follow them, and if so why?
Taking it further
Give the children a piece of paper shaped like a tablet and ask them to write rules about how they should behave on a school trip. Encourage them to use “You should not ...” as a sentence opener.
Ask pupils what would happen if they did not follow the rules at school or on a trip. Which of the Ten Commandments could we use in the classroom, and why?
Where to find it
The set of six lessons was originally uploaded by kulsuma_b and can be found at www.tes.co.ukmoses.
