Discover rich veins of learning beneath the Earth’s crust, venture into virtual learning environments and take a stroll with an iguana – just some of the many suggestions from Russell Grigg and Helen Lewis...
U IS FOR UNDERGROUND
em>Why bother?
Throughout history, people have being going underground. In prehistoric times, they started to live in caves. Many still do in parts of China and Tunisia. Miners also dug down to reach the best flints to make axes and knives. The hunt for valuable minerals underground continues. Oil, gold and coal have transformed society. Going underground also provides security – treasure and prisoners have often been kept safe in vaults. During wartime, the underground provided a safe haven: many people survived the bombings of the Second World War in airraid shelters. Both Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler had underground command centres. Caves have also been used as shrines and places of worship in many religions. Today, we could not function without the underground piped services of telecommunications, gas, water and electricity. The underground is also home to a multitude of creatures ranging from the naked mole rat (perhaps the ugliest beast on the planet), to the avaricious aardvark, capable of eating 50,000 termites in one sitting!
em>Resource ideas
In finding out about the past, use such popular films as The Croods or The Flintstones as a leadin to discussing famous cave art such as the Lascaux paintings discovered in 1940 by a group of boys in France. Use textured surfaces such as woodchip wallpaper and ‘paint’ with chalk and charcoal to create art work. Use Aboriginal cave art as a starting stimulus for exploring indigenous cultures, painting with fingers rather than brushes. If studying the Victorians, read extracts from interviews with ‘trappers’ and other children who worked in the coal mines as part of the evidence submitted to the Employment Commission in 1842. The London Transport Museum also provides resources relating to underground shelter during the Blitz of World War Two. In science, ask children to research the life of different creatures. Moles and earthworms spend almost all their lives underground. Many animals such as bats and bears live in caves, and children can research the weird and wonderful creatures that live in darkness as an introduction to adaptation. The class could make a wormery. In design and technology, explore innovations such as the Severn Tunnel or modern ‘earthsheltered’ homes designed to conserve energy. Entice children to read a book in a home-made cave, complete with torches and (teddy) bears.
em>Tips for success
Try to arrange a visit to a relevant underground site such as Churchill’s War Rooms, Wookey Hole (Somerset), and the National ShowCave Centre for Wales (Dan-y-Ogof).
V IS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS (VLES)
em>Why bother?
Virtual learning is on the rise. Virtual schools are a reality for some children, for instance those in the care of some authorities. VLEs such as Blackboard or Moodle are online systems increasingly popular throughout education, especially in colleges and universities. Primary schools are slowly catching up. VLEs allow students of all ages to access, store and create a range of learning resources including images, films and stories. Becta, the former government-supported ICT agency, suggested VLEs have enormous potential for primary schools in providing anytime, anywhere access, and improving motivation to learn. In one European project called FearNot, young children learnt how to handle bullies by creating synthetic characters that responded to different scenarios. For teachers, VLEs allow the sharing of lesson plans, resources, homework ideas with parents, and online discussions held with learners. VLEs are far more than a means for teachers to organise resources online. They can stimulate professional collaboration where distance is no barrier.
em>Resource ideas
Begin by simply inviting children to access the VLE to view messages or pictures. Then encourage them to have a go at interactive quizzes. Introduce them to discussion forums, such as an online book club and provide opportunities to contribute freely. Stress the importance of e-safety. Provide an open forum task or weblinks and encourage children to respond to peers’ contributions. Create a diary – perhaps for observations about pets/ new babies/ a teddy that goes home with different children, and encourage regular contributions. Empower children to choose their own selfdirected activities by providing a range from which they can choose. Use the VLE as a shared planning tool with children, to gather ideas and questions before starting a topic. Invite learners to create their own simple resources for sharing with different audiences. Expand the VLE to other key audiences such as parents and governors, e.g. newsletters, homework ideas, dates of key events.
em>Tips for success
Seek independent advice from the ICT local authority adviser or IT department of a teacher training university on the setting up and maintenance of a VLE.
W IS FOR WALKS
em>Why bother?
According to The Independent (15 January 2013) only 25 per cent of children walk to schoolcompared to 86 per cent in 1971. The inclement weather, fear of accidents and convenience of the motor car are among the reasons for this decline. But walking brings many all-round benefits in an age when children are getting fatter and less healthy. Walking reduces stress levels and allows children to spend time chatting with each other, as opposed to listening to adults. They need this time to talk, ask questions and work things out themselves. The slower pace of walking, when compared to travelling in the car or public transport, gives children the opportunity to see at first hand flowers, plants, spiders, buildings, vehicles, street furniture, signs and much more. Finally, children need to learn about managing risks and how to look after themselves.
em>Resource ideas
A learning walk can focus on a particular theme, e.g. finding numbers, dates, signs or letters. It can have a curriculum slant – what very old things or what shapes can we find? Arrange ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ walks. Limit the walk to…100 steps. What can children notice after every 10 steps? Build up a walking timeline. Think about alternative ways of walking, e.g. strolling, sauntering, meandering, hiking, wandering, trekking, tramping. Ask children to design a walk for a blind person or a parent with a buggy. Plan a sensory walk around the school. Plan walks for different locations, e.g. woodland, shopping precinct, seaside and compare sights and sounds. Use poems and stories as a stimulus for walks, e.g. The Gruffalo, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt or Walking with my Iguana by Brian Moses. Hold a catwalk and other fashion parades. Discuss footwear suitable for different walks – up a mountain, along the beach. Arrange a Litter Walk. Find out about penguin and other animal migratory walks. Refer to historical examples of walks (Scott of the Antarctic, Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps, Mao Tse- Tung’s Long March) and contemporary walkers, e.g. Sir Ian Botham’s charity walks, or Ffyona Campbell, the first woman to walk around the world.
em>Tips for success
Participate in national events such as the Walking Bus or Walk to School Month (October), organised by Living Streets.
The authors are grateful for the contributions of Rachel Eggleston (Robert Mellors Primary), Allison Wellbourn (Asterdale Primary), Emma Talbot (Grace Dieu Manor School), Jayne Ward (Arnold Mill Primary ), Natalie Guilfoyle and Julie Ballard (both at Leighton Primary).
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