Eccleston Primary School Creativity Project 2007 08 Creativity

Eccleston Primary School Creativity Project 2007/08

Creativity Project 2007/08 • The creativity project involved both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children and all staff. • The objectives for the project were to raise standards in writing across the curriculum, and the development of key attributes and skills. • The project was initially going to be for one term. • Due to its success, we now use this cross curricular approach to planning each term, encompassing as many curriculum areas as is feasible without forging tenuous links.

Creativity Project 2007/08 Wider resources Throughout the project we used loans and drew on the expertise from the museum and library services. These services have to be planned to be used in a way which is both sustainable and replicable.

Creativity Project 2007/08 Core and Foundation Subject Focus Key Stage 1 - Toys project, linking Science, Design Technology and History Key Stage 2 - Egyptian project, linking Literacy, History and Art

Creativity Project 2007/08 Key Skills and Attributes Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 Creative Thinking Information Processing Reasoning Motivation Social skills Enquiry Problem Solving Self Awareness Motivation

Science Forces & Movement Numeracy Shape. space & measure Pushes & Pulls • Make kites- measure string, use different shapes • Sorting toys • Make pop-up puppets • Pushes/pulls can make objects speed up, slow down, change direction • Nets • Investigations • Measure distances travelled in appropriate standard/non-standard units • Suggest questions about measurement • Prediction • Checklists for instructions eg bossy verbs, sequencing • Comparison of Modern toys to old toys • Questioning skills Number • partitioning into tens & units • Big book “Toys” & artefacts from museum service loan • counting objects from toy shop • Sort toys into old/new- chronological order • Role play- dolls house /furniture TOYS Literacy • How to make a kite booklet • What do children already know about old toys? • Describe artefacts • Draw conclusions- what happened? Why? • Instructions for various sets of using toys History DT QCA unit- Winding Up • Examples of toys with pulleys/winders • How toys move- museum loan and visit museum curator • Draw & label winding toys • Report of visitor’s visit to school • Look at and make models from kits • Recount of trip to judges lodgings • Use nursery rhymes as focus for making own model using winding mechanism • Finished products • Report in Newsletter • Oral source- visitor- question about the past • Trip to judges lodgings - report in Newsletter PE- Dance • Toyshop- toys come to life when shopkeeper leaves • Tambour- Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite • Use different body parts/shapes singly and in a combinations • Sequencing a dance

History Literacy • Chronological understanding of Ancient Egypt • Stories with historical settings • Character descriptions • Observe artefacts and make inference & deductions • Speaking & listening- telling stories • Record information • Review chosen book • Classify information in various ways • Produce story mountain & write own version of the story • Questioning skills • Instructions- mummification EGYPT Display • Life in Ancient Egypt • Research & record information • Jigsaw (talk for writing) Art and Design Clay • Investigate artefacts • Draw containers/models • Look at shapes/design/materials • Design own object/container • Manipulate clay to form object Jewellery • Investigate Egyptian jewellery • Colours • Shape • Questioning skills- how did they make colours? • Design jewellery with evidence from above • Make jewellery Printing • Investigate artefacts/ materials • Objects • Look at pattern, shape • Design own border patterns • Construct geometric pattern • Print border pattern

Science Electricity • Common appliances in the home • Circuits Sorting and using materials • Materials within the home, eg bricks, glass, plastics • Investigations, fair testing Literacy Poetry Nonsense verse Geography • Mapping skills • Journeys • Field visit into local arearoutes, road layout, street furniture • Types of houses Homes Class assembly Display • Individual, group and class poem based on Jeremy Joe History • Questioning skills- historical artefacts, museum loan • Investigating artefacts eg dolly tubs, carpet beaters • Role play- posser, other artefacts • Compare and contrast homes now and then • Identify similarities and differences • Describing own home • Field visit into local area, age of buildings • Newsletter • Adjectives • Speaking to an audience Poems from personal experience • Wrote poems about different types of homes eg. castles, house boats, cottage DT • Design and make a house • Skills- cutting windows, hinges, tabs, shell structures • Evaluation of finished product PSHE • Safety in the home • Road safety

Creativity Project 2007/08 Evaluation of the Project • • • Plans and work have been scrutinised, and show evidence of cross curricular links and a focus on the development of skills. Children are given more opportunities for cross curricular writing. Moderation of writing and tracking evidence show an increase in standards of writing. Written work shows evidence of children’s improved enquiry skills, and there is an increased use of a range of sources of information. Discussions with children show evidence of some improvement in questioning skillsthis will be an ongoing focus for school improvement. Children stated how they have enjoyed being able to handle and work with a range of artefacts. They have a greater awareness of links between subject areas, and are able to use skills in a range of contexts. All staff have been involved in monitoring the success of the project. Practice is becoming more embedded, particularly in Key Stage 1. Staff plan together, producing mind maps showing cross curricular links and identifying opportunities for cross curricular writing. This has developed staff confidence. Parents have been involved in the project from the outset, supporting work at home, coming to class assemblies, enjoying work in books and on display throughout school, and reading about the project in a our weekly newsletter.

Creativity Project 2007/08 Issues • Whole school curriculum planning needs to be reviewed so that links between subjects are strong, not tenuous, to make the project worthwhile and real for children. • Introduction of the project would have been more manageable in one Key Stage or one year group initially.

Creativity Project 2007/08 What Next? • We will continue to use this approach to planning of a skill based curriculum • Continued use of the museum and library services • Links with other organisations, providing visitors into school and visits into the community to support work in school • Further development of cross curricular writing