AnonyMouse_26037 Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 I've just been finishing off my planning and am having one of those 'am I doing this right?' moments. I have a medium term plan which is very simple - an objective for each area of learning for each week and then I note any particular festivals/events we'll be doing in that week. I have an overall theme for the half-term but then each week plan for those objectives depending on what interests the children are showing. Sometimes it ties in to the overall theme sometimes it doesn't for example last term they were so into fire fighters/engines etc. then it was Christmas that we never got around to the 'official' theme of journeys. This term it's linking a little better so far - the theme is Around the World, we explored our village so far and have made a big pictorial map for a display. This coming week we're going to be looking at Australia - one of our children has just come back from visiting family there. My main UW objective is exploring the differences between environments and I'm uninspired by what I've come up with. Looking back over previous week's planning I feel that my adult-led activities seem to be lots of talking rather than doing and I'm just not sure I'm getting the right idea. Would any of you mind sharing what your adult-led activities for UW/EAD might be this week? I feel like I'm missing the point somewhat and seeing what others have in mind might reassure me - of course it might panic me completely too but I'll take that risk!
Guest lou73 Posted January 20, 2013 Posted January 20, 2013 what about some aboriginal art? linked to Australian animals. You could look at different Australian animals and compare to those found in England, then show the children some aboriginal art which I think uses dots (paint and finger dipping) and ask the children to produce their favourite animal? could be their pet? therefore they are exploring and producing for themselves, exploring paint and using a specific technique..... You could maybe look at didgeridoos and listen to the sounds they make...then make one (cardboard tube) and then decorate with finger dipped paint.....have a didgeridoo band and a parade. Singing some well known songs...... Hope this helps?
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted January 21, 2013 Posted January 21, 2013 what does this child already know about australia? do the other children know anything? does anyone have anything from australia?....once you know what they know....then you know what they don't know.....then you know what to teach! i think things like this have to start with a bit of conversation and then you know where to go with it. (animals/environment/great barrier reef/ fires/koala's/where in the world/time season difference/ snakes spiders/ im a celebrity!!!! etc etc)
AnonyMouse_26037 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Posted January 21, 2013 Thank you for the replies. I've been mulling this at the back of my mind all day (in between pondering the problem of how to stop snow going down the tops of wellies and making wet feet). I think I've been tying myself in knots trying to be objective rather than activity led - I can think of lots of lovely Australia related activities. Finleysmaid thanks for the reminder about questioning to start with. I do do this at the start of a topic then on a weekly basis to develop it but I don't think I've been specific enough - I've been focusing on the 'Around the world' aspect and I think it would have been better to make a decision about a starting point. So, thinking (way) ahead my next theme is 'Long, long ago'. Would you suggest asking them for example 'What do you know about castles?' or would you start with 'What do you know about long ago?' then picking on something they mention and focusing in greater detail on that? Sorry for all the questions, it's just helping to clarify things a little for me. We have having very pleasant afternoons I just don't feel they've been moving the children on very much.
Guest Posted January 23, 2013 Posted January 23, 2013 I have just looked at Wales long ago with my reception class (our topic is around the world on a magic carpet) so we begin with where we live and look at maps and what they know about Wales and what they would like to know and one question brought to the table was 'what was Wales like a long time ago?' So I created an 'old' box full of distressed and some original photographs, old toys, miners lamp and other old Welsh artefacts. The children found the box outside (I wonder how it got there...!) and came in saying look we've found an old box - which started the conversation about how do you know its old - whats inside etc and it became a great spring board and they jumped into all sorts of research they have created their own 'coal mine' in the sand pit and the coal in our investigation station has come in great use this week building snowmen! Also this links in with Pie Corbetts writing for real the children were so excited by the old box they decided to write and tell the head teacher etc Hope this helps!
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