UEL PGCE group 2011-2012 discussion
Pre- programme reviews
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PG3100 (Learning outside the classroom) assignment
Hi Alison,I have previously done lots of work in museums, galleries and other heritage sites and therefore was planning to use one of the wonderful sites London has to offer. I was thinking perhaps the National Portrait Gallery as they have a fantastic schools program which I am already fully aware of. They also have free online teaching resources which use cross curriculum activities well. As the Gallery has so much to offer I think I could use any number of books (fact or fiction), linked to either specific people or a period of time such as Tudors or Victorians.
What do you think?
Hannah
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I have previously done lots of work in museums, galleries and other heritage sites and therefore was planning to use one of the wonderful sites London has to offer. I was thinking per..."
This would fit in very well with either period. Victorians could be good as you could bring in RE through looking at the concept of service and loving one's neighbour in relation to reformers (see the Hackney agreed syllabus for KS2 here http://www.learninglive.co.uk/teacher... ), and look at the Victrian empire through portrayal of Victoria as Empres of India. If you have a look at the historical novels and search: Berlie Doherty has written on both Victorians and Tudors.
Hi Alison - I've decided on the museum at 19 Princelet Street in Spitalfields. As part of my degree, I went on a trip here and was blown away! A visit to this museum would also provide opportunities for cross-curricular links with Philosophy, Citizenship, History and RE. I'l be looking for children's lit dealing with immigration, refugee experiences, multiculturalism and racism to complement a trip there. Are there any books you would particularly recommend on these topics?
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An absolutely brilliant book. Judith Kerr's
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Floella Benjamin's Coming to England, and Gaye Hicyilmaz's books are all fantastic. Bernard Ashley has also written some wonderful, but quite harrowing, books about immigration- so look at the yeargroup. The same applies to Hicyilmaz's trilogy of books about a Roma gypsy girl's family arriving in Portsmouth. Also, Benjamin Zephaniah's poetry is often very useful when discussing the experiences of living in Britain as a black person, and there are a lot of recordings of him reading- I'm not keen on people "putting on" a black British accent.
Alison wrote: "Roisin wrote: "Hi Alison - I've decided on the museum at 19 Princelet Street in Spitalfields. As part of my degree, I went on a trip here and was blown away! A visit to this museum would also provi..."That's really helpful, plenty to go on there! Thanks Alison.
Hi alison, i was thinking of planning a visit to a local fire station as this will keep costs down, however im not sure if im on the right track?
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That would be great! What age range are you thinking of, and which curriculum areas?
Alison wrote: "Mel wrote: "Hi alison, i was thinking of planning a visit to a local fire station as this will keep costs down, however im not sure if im on the right track?"That would be great! What age range..."
I was thinking age 6-7yrs ks1, and the cirriculum areas that this could cover might include literacy, history, science, art possibly drama? I was thinking that maybe i could link it with the great fire of london and possibly look at a book in relation to this topic?
Hi Alison, I think I will plan a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest. I think it would suit a Year 4 class and would link up with their History and Science lessons. I hope I'm going along the right lines.
Hi Alison,I've been thinking about Hampton Court Palace as the place for my trip. This would tie heavily into the history of the Tudor's, however, I didn't see any mention of the Tudor's on the recommended reading list? From memory of my school days, I remember covering the Tudor's in years 5 and 6 but if this has changed I will reconsider my trip idea! I also think Hampton Court would be great for Art/Textiles and Drama as well as History. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated!
Many Thanks,
Sophie Mc
Hello, I'm planning my school visit to Kew Gardens as the grounds have always inspired me, the gardens are in a beautiful setting for children to explore and marvel in. Kew links to many different areas of teaching, with references to Art and Design & Science.I was thinking to maybe use the book 'Ellie the Evergreen' - an imaginative story for children about the sadness of a tree who felt she was very different to the other trees which everyone loved, but as the seasons changed her time came and she was marvelled at by others. this story shows use of morale showing children that we are all different, but just as the seasons change so do we and our time will come as we patiently wait.
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Sophie wrote: "Hi Alison,
I've been thinking about Hampton Court Palace as the place for my trip. This would tie heavily into the history of the Tudor's, however, I didn't see any mention of the Tudor's on the r..."
Hi Ruby, Kew Gardens is a great place to visit, and a book explaining the changes of the seasons would be a great resource. I'd suggest when looking at the practicalities, you would need to consider travel time, costs and whether they would be manageable for all families.
Sophie, The Tudors are still in the History curriculum: remember that the suggestions on the children's lit task are purely indicative. There are some great historical novels for children set in Tudor times, such as
Rosemary Sutcliff's The Armourer's House (now sadly out of print), John Pilkington's Elizabethan Mysteries (if ordering from the library, make sure it is one of his children's books you're ordering as he writes the Thomas the Falconer books for adults) and Treason.
Thanks Alison, I realise it is quite a way out and travel time would be fairly long, so maybe slightly impractical even though it really is a lovely place. Do you have any other suggestions of gardens closer maybe? I want to incorporate art and design, I was first thinking of the V&A and then found this place http://www.ligca.org/ - however its closed down which is un-fortunate as it hit on areas I would have loved to address.
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You could visit http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/ which has beautiful gardens linked to period rooms.
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I've been thinking about Hampton Court Palace as the place for my trip. This would tie heavily into the history of the Tudor's, however, I didn't see any mention of the Tudor's on the r..."
Also, if once you look into it Hampton Court Palace journey time from East London would be too costly and take too long, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/... in Hackney is a Tudor house with history very closely tied in to East London.
Thanks a lot Alison, I shall take a little wander there this weekend!
I was considering the local museum at Valence House in Dagenham. There are loads of local historical periods to explore and the museum itself is part of it. They have an excellent display in regards to the first and second world wars and how local people dealt with the blitz. I was considering this for a year 3 class.
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Great idea, Alan. Have a look at the History curriculum; there is a specific requirement to teach Local History, and a topic of Dagenham through the ages would make a visit to the museum very relevant. http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-sta...
Hi Alison, I was thinking of a trip to Brooks Farm as an educational visit. The kids in my family really enjoy this trip all the time-they are my inspiration. I was considering focusing on variation of animals/species, habitats and life-cycle. I am not a hundred percent sure on a book, it is likely it will be an animal book. Do you have any ideas please Alison? I am not really sure what age group I am considering, I need to give that some thought too.
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I was considering focusing on var..."
Hi Bianca, there are some great books about farms for children. The classic Rosie's Walk, Farmer Duck, The Little Red Hen (this is a traditional tale, so there are lots of versions of it). For older children, Dick King Smith and Michael Morpurgo have written lots of books set on farms, and lots of the group have reviewed them. You can search for books in the group. Farms are great for geography as well, looking at land use and also mapping.
Thank you Alison for your help-this will be very useful. I will definately have a look at the group listings for more ideas.
Hi Alison, Thanks for your comments. I will definately have a look at your suggestion!
Hi everyone, some great ideas for places to visit and learning outside the classroom, but I'm stuck and at a little disadvantage as I only found out about the site yesterday and didn't have access :(I think I know what is expected from the assignment. An idea would be the British Museum, Holborn?? It's a place I've been to many times, with my son and his school. I could travel by public transport (so no fare expense except for the adults going along and the exhibits are free). And to keep it simple aimed at Yr4/5, to learn about Ancient Egypt (History), where Egypt is located (Geography), Hieroglyphics (Language?), Draw Pharaohs and their Pyramids (Art) and maybe a little geometry using the shape of the Pyramid (Maths)?? I've looked at their site and they do school visits with Primary school resources to aid the visit, which is great. I think its an amazing place to go and learn.
Have I got this right? I'm not sure of books, ideas anyone? And feedback on my idea would be really appreciated. Thanks :)
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Hi Roxy, that sounds fabulous. Don't try to visit the entire museum in a day; stick to one site. Think carefully about the tenuousness of links: look at any possibilities for using Design and Technology and 3D art; don't try to fit Maths in if it doesn't go naturally! The children's report writing about the trip involves literacy, of course. Have a look out for Ancient Egyptian myths and legends, and
The Plot on the Pyramid could also be a good book to read to the children.
Alison wrote: "Roxy wrote: "Hi everyone, some great ideas for places to visit and learning outside the classroom, but I'm stuck and at a little disadvantage as I only found out about the site yesterday and didn't..."Hi Alison, thank you for your reply. I wasn't sure I was going down the right path but thats much better now. I can see how the whole museum would be a strain on children and so Ancient Egypt is all I would do. I suppose too many subject areas would also be a little much and concentrating on a few specific ones also ones that naturally fit in is best. Will be here soon if i need further help or just to check back on what I'm doing.
Hi Alison, i went on a year 1 school trip to the Tower of London. The topic was about castles, which i saw could used for many subject lessons. Apart from history the kids explore the architecture, which was used for Art and DT where they built their own castles out of cardboard boxes etc. This also slotted in with maths and shapes (albiet very loosely based).
The castle topic also coincided with fairy tales where the children were introduced different styles , versions and narratives of the same story. Within this the children also looked at things like speech and punctuation. And rememeber ing sequences of a story.
As a result the children were working towards completing their own handmade stories which included themselves as the main character but in a fairy tale-type setting.
Visiting such places could also emphasise things like local area and transport, which some kids might not have experienced.
Is this too much or too little. Or even too broad?
Do let me know and I will explore other avenues.
Amy
Beccy wrote: "I'll be planning a visit for a year 6 class to go to the Houses of Parliament for the assignment. The reasoning behind this, and my choice of literature, is that it would form part of a cross curr..."Hi Beccy, theres a book i studied when i was TA-in a year 6 class. The book they read was called Blitzed by Robert Swindells. They explored the historical side of the book, and went to a workshop where they were able to listen to survivors of WWII about their experiences.
For literacy they had to write a letter from different perspectives and express the emotions that the characters might be going through. Excellent for theasaurus using and adjective building.
Let me know what you think.
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i went on a year 1 school trip to the Tower of London. The topic was about castles, which i saw could used for many subject lessons. Apart from history the kids explore the architecture..."
I suggest that you check these details with Julie, but I'd say looking specifically at fairy tales set in castles, such as Rumpelstiltskin and Sleeping Beauty. You'd need to address travelling on public transport in your risk assessment!
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Blitzed is a great suggestion, Amy.
Yes. I have thought about the potential dangers and incidents that may occur. Ive started making a list of these things.I will look into the travelling costs too!
Thanks
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I will look into the travelling costs too!
Thanks"
Sounds like you're well on the way!
Hi Alison,After brainstorming , I've got my eyes set on planning an educational trip based on The Great Fire of London. Monument maybe? Pudding lane itself? Museum? As for the literacy aspect, I'm intending to read and use 'Historical Histories: The Story of the Great Fire of London' by Jill Atkins, which has been reviewed and recommended by one of my peers on this course.
Any suggestions/advice on whether this could be an idea or have I just completely missed the point?
Thanks in advance
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After brainstorming , I've got my eyes set on planning an educational trip based on The Great Fire of London. Monument maybe? Pudding lane itself? Museum? As for the literacy aspect, I'..."
That all sounds great. http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Expl... has information about the Great Fire. I'd suggest visiting and having a look at the area to check on the feasibility of each as a trip for KS1 children. St Paul's Cathedral (built after the Fire, of course) also has an education department with links to the Great Fire of London http://www.stpauls.co.uk/Learning-Edu...
Hi Alison, I was thinking of visiting the Science Museum and going into the Exploring Space section. In here they would learn about the history of the rocket and how it has evolved. It has links to science about space and gravity. Also, they can be asked to do drawings of certain rockets and so on, and describe them as a task which would also cover art and the describing section can be linked to english. Astronauts are also part of this section and children can later on be asked if they would like to be an anstronaut and why. This is just an idea right now, please let me know what you think. I would appreciate your advice.
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I was thinking of visiting the Science Museum and going into the Exploring Space section. In here they would learn about the history of the rocket and how it has evolved. It has links ..."
Hi Aliya, have you thought of the age range and any children's fiction to link it to?
Hi Alison, I was thinking KS1 but haven't found any books on it just yet. If you have any ideas it would be fantastic. Another idea was the zoo, i can link it to rainforests so it covers geography by looking at the environment for rainsforests and what the weather is like. I can try find some poems regarding rainforests and thus this links to literacy. Science would come in for looking at habitats and art can be tied in with drawings and posters that they can make about rainforests and zoo's.
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I was thinking KS1 but haven't found any books on it just yet. If you have any ideas it would be fantastic. Another idea was the zoo, i can link it to rainforests so it covers geograph..."http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/key-sta... The Earth and Beyond is a KS2 topic; it's great. The Time and Space of Uncle Albert and Black Holes and Uncle Albert are great books. Have a look at zoos too, of course; you'd have to consider inclusion aspects around the cost of trips, though.
Thank you so much Alison, I will definately have a look at those books. Yes, I thought cost might be an issue, so I was leaning more towards the Science museum as entry is free. In your opinion, do you think it has good cross curricular links and if it's a good idea?
Hello Alison, I was thinking of doing my trip at the museum of London aimed for the key stage 2 children where they have exhibitions and galleries on victorian times and a lot of information around the victorian era, something which could relate well with the history subject but also have elements of cross curricular subjects such as Art, music, literacy. What do you think of the idea?
Hi Alison,
Am planning my trip to the Epping Forest Museum and also to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre.This is a combined cross curricular trip.The Epping Forest Museum is otherwise known as Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and is a beautifully preserved Tudor lodge,It provides an opportunity for History,Drama,role playing(they have Tudor costumes for children to dress up in.)The nearby Visitor Centre is excellent for Science(Nature),Art,Mumeracy,gneral play and of course to appreciate the wonderful forest.It's very close to East London and it's a great chance for many children particularly from minority backgrounds to experience the Forest and its history.Any suggestions for books to recommend? Ed
Am planning my trip to the Epping Forest Museum and also to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre.This is a combined cross curricular trip.The Epping Forest Museum is otherwise known as Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and is a beautifully preserved Tudor lodge,It provides an opportunity for History,Drama,role playing(they have Tudor costumes for children to dress up in.)The nearby Visitor Centre is excellent for Science(Nature),Art,Mumeracy,gneral play and of course to appreciate the wonderful forest.It's very close to East London and it's a great chance for many children particularly from minority backgrounds to experience the Forest and its history.Any suggestions for books to recommend? Ed
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Am planning my trip to the Epping Forest Museum and also to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre.This is a combined cross curricular trip.The Epping Forest Museum is otherwise kno..."
If you're going to focus on Tudors for history at upper KS2, John Pilkington's Tudor Mysteries could be good. He's written books both for children and adults, so if you're ordering from the library catalogue or from an online bookshop, check it's the right ones! The My Story books (I hate the "books for boys" and "books for girls" idea) has some Tudor Royals stories http://www5.scholastic.co.uk/zone/boo.... Treason may also be good for upper KS2.
Hello Alison,From my understanding we will only need to visit the site prior to embarking on Part B of the assessment as the alternative placement is different. Is that correct?
As Bianca mentioned earlier I was also thinking of going to Brook’s Farm in Leyton http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/brook... as it is local and a fantastic resource for geography and science.
I was thinking about using Michael Morpurgo’s ‘A Visit to the Farm’ and Dick King-Smith’s ‘The Fox Busters’ as background and basically be talking and working around farms before going to the farm. In theory I am thinking of taking a reception class as I am in P2.
As far as I can see admission is free to Waltham Forest residents so cost would not be an issue as I imagine I would be taking a local school so Nursery Nurses and parents/carers could support us on the walk.
Am I on the right lines please, any advice would be much appreciated?
Many thanks,
Helen
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From my understanding we will only need to visit the site prior to embarking on Part B of the assessment as the alternative placement is different. Is that correct?
As Bianca menti..."
Hi Helen, if you have any questions about the specifics of the assignments, you really need to address them to the lecturers who teach on PG3100- I don't, so I'm not totally familiar with the assignment brief. However, you won't have much time to visit locations while you're on placement, so I'd do it beforehand.
I'd suggest picture books for Reception; I don't know that Michael Morpurgo book. Farmer Duck, Rosie's Walk similar would be good. Have a look at the Morpurgo book and see if you think that the pictures would be supportive enough of the language.
Thanks for your advice and I will certainly look at Farmer Duck and Rosie's Walk. I have emailed Julie Gariazzo as the course leader to find out more.Thanks again,
Helen
Hi Alison,I am planning a visit to the Imperial War Museum for my assignment but i'm torn between taking either year 3 or year 6 - at the moment I think I favour the younger age group. Could you recommend any literary sources for either age? Perhaps upon the theme of evacuation or life in Blitz torn London.
Many thanks, Cathy.
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I am planning a visit to the Imperial War Museum for my assignment but i'm torn between taking either year 3 or year 6 - at the moment I think I favour the younger age group. Could you ..."
Lion And The Unicorn would be a good book to talk about evacuation with Y3; it is beautifully illustrated and an appropriate level of language to read to Y3.
Hi Alison, I was wondering about a visit to the olympics site linking it to both P.E and History via the greek olympics? Maybe following up with their own mini olympics after..What do you think and also do you have any ideas of a book that's related?
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What do you think an..."
Great idea for a trip! I'll have to have a think about a book.
UEL PGCE group 2011-2012
Books mentioned in this topic
The Dinosaur's Diary (other topics)Rosie's Walk (other topics)
Dear Greenpeace (other topics)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (other topics)
Greek Myths (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Sven Nordqvist (other topics)Michael Morpurgo (other topics)
Dick King-Smith (other topics)
John Pilkington (other topics)
Michael Morpurgo (other topics)
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Thanks for the feedback and recommendations Alison. I will check with Julie when the course starts to make sure it is not too far out. I will also look in to alternatives around London in case that is the outcome.