Congratulations to all of our Year 1 – 6 classes! Our Topic Learning Showcase was a magnificent demonstration of the tremendous talent, hard work, knowledge and creativity of all involved. It was lovely to see so many family and friends come along to support the event and take part in the activities on offer. The children all really enjoyed the experience, both of sharing their knowledge with others, and also getting the opportunity to visit and learn from all the other classes too. An all-round success!
Thank you also to everyone who helped put together all of the amazing costumes – we were very impressed with your creativity, attention to detail and resourcefulness!
What is Topic-based Learning?
At Provo Primary we strive for each child to develop a deep interest in, and love for, learning. Topic-based learning allows subjects to be combined in a cross-curricular way. You will be familiar with our topic maps that teachers create and share with you, showing how different subject areas will be explored and linked. These are a starting point for topic-based learning, although they are inevitably tweaked to embrace children’s particular interests as the topic is explored more deeply.
Topic-based learning is not simply about learning and reciting facts. Through providing opportunities for interesting and enjoyable learning experience, knowledge and skills can be explored and learnt in a meaningful way. Different learning styles can be catered for, and a range of tasks provided to allow for a combination of group, paired and independent work. Opportunities for experiential learning through field trips are also very much a part of topic-based learning.
As children move through the school and different topics are explored, knowledge is accumulated, links in learning are made, skills become more sophisticated; independence and creativity increase. Children gain skills that enable them to learn to acquire knowledge and understanding and to apply them to different situations. We believe one of the most important skills is to help children learn ‘how to learn’. It is the skill of being able to make the right response to situations and how to act when you are faced with situations for which you have not specifically been prepared.
Skills also assist learners in becoming more interested, focused and prepared for a challenge. Home projects, in particular, allow children to focus on areas of interest to them within a topic, and encourage them to practise and demonstrate their skills, alongside learning new ones. Opportunities for these and other work to be presented and celebrated take place within the classes, between classes and with families and friends at Showcases like this.
In Year 1 – The Carnival of Animals:
In Year 1, we were invited to read children’s animal-filled journal entries, look at their Carnival of Animal information books, see their amazing papier mache animals and look around their class for more animal creations. We were encouraged to explore their word wall and our 100 chart, see their MindUP and Cool-off Corner, and ask a child to read a book from their levelled book bin. There truly was so much to explore!
In Year 2 – Traditional Tales
Year 2 presented completed and on-going work from their Spring term topics of Traditional Tales, Chinese New Year and George and the Dragon… so much learning and so much to share!
The tale of The Three Little Pigs… was amazingly performed in Spanish!
Inspired by the story of The Elves and the Shoemaker, there was a colouful display of their Design and Technology project which focused on designing and making their very own shoe.
The Chinese New Year display area was full of activity with everyone having the opportunity to make a lantern and to listen to some of the songs that the children had made up. performed and recorded.
Finally, there was a chance to look at some traditional tales that children had made up using the Puppet Pals app on the school iPads in their computing lessons.
In Year 3 – Ancient Egypt:
Donned in their finest Ancient Egyptian costumes, the Year 3 archaeologists invited us to come and discover some of the wonders of Ancient Egypt. We got to excavate hidden artefacts and heard about what they tell us about the past. The chance to decipher and write our own hieroglyphic message was fun and it was interesting to find out what happened to you if you were to be mummified! Choosing the heart that would balance the scales was a tricky challenge, along with discovering what organ was to go into which canopic jar? Visiting the surprise mummy in the Sarcophagus was certainly a moment not to be missed!
In Year 4 – Explorers and Exploration:
Dressed as a variety of explorers from many different time periods, Year 4 encouraged us to come and learn about two famous explorers – Marco Polo and Sir Francis Drake. There was also an Everest Exploration IWB quiz to complete on Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay and their journeys up Mount Everest.
The class had been looking at adventure stories this past half term and, using ‘Where the Wild things Are’ by Maurice Sendak as an inspiration, they had delved into the endless possibilities of a child’s imagination. On display were their amazing story posters.
Stories from different cultures had also featured in their Literacy – the explorers had brought lots of tales and folklore back with them. The children had prepared a series of pieces of work to show us how they had analyzed and adapted these to create their own stories. However, their stories had been taken apart and it was quite a challenge to put them back together!
In Year 5 – Space and Segregation:
Having spent the term learning about space exploration and human rights issues that took place in America in the 1960s, the Year 5, challenged us to test our knowledge of these historic events. Dressed in clothes of the era, they had prepared space quizzes to compete in and Design Technology Mars rovers and lunar probes to admire. There was also an opportunity to take part in a debate using MLK Junior’s persuasive style or to simply settle down to listen to some amazing diary recounts of Rosa Park’s struggle. Demonstrating the Year 5’s fantastic ICT multimedia skills, they shared presentations of people who they feel have made a difference to our world.
In Year 6 – World War 2:
In the Year 6 classroom we were taken back in time to the era of World War 2. We were given the opportunity to learn about the Holocaust through watching incredible Prezi and Educreation presentations and by asking questions to some Year 6 students dressed as news reporters of the time. There was lots to learn about life in concentration camps; female spies; the Blitz and many more important areas linked to this woeful time in history! Students, dressed up and acting as World War 2 leaders, took part in a hot seating activity, encouraging visitors to ask World War 2 leaders anything about their roles during this time period. The students addressed the questions in character, showing a deep knowledge of both their character, the events that took place and the decision they made. Finally, there was and opportunity to enjoy reading the students historical fiction pieces, to get creative making our very own gas mask and to explore the anatomy of the human body.
Multimedia and E-Safety
In school this term, our Year 1 to 6 classes have been exploring the theme of Multimedia as part of their Computing curriculum. Throughout KS1 and 2, children have explored how we use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content; what devices and software we can use and combine to accomplish given goals and how we can present information. As we visited each classroom, there were plenty of examples of activities and work that the children have produced using cameras, apps and PC software, all incorporated into their topic learning.
E-safety topics have also been explored as part of the Computing Curriculum. In these, the children have been encourage to think about how we need to use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; where to go for help and support, and what information we should keep private.
As part of their E-Safety learning, the Year 6 have been exploring the topic of Cyberbullying and learning skills to help them to make good digital decisions, preparing them for a future use of social media. On display in their room, these skills were demonstrated in real-life storyboard posters that they had made.