Room One
Museum Trip May 2017

The children spent time learning about being a paleontologist.

They were invited to wear lab. coats and use magnifying glasses.

We learned about the dinosaurs that used to live in our part of the world.

The best part of the trip for many children was the opportunity to engage with the music.

Puppets.

For hundreds of years puppets have been used as an important tool for transmitting knowledge and are located in the fine distinction between entertainment and learning. They have been recognised as an educational tool for their ability to integrate art, communication and persuasion. I have long been interested in how the use of puppets can encourage shy speakers to share in a group and how they might give children the confidence to speak with more volume and for longer.

To observe whether this would work in my classroom I helped the children make their own puppets and we now use them regularly to practice speaking and listening.

Play readings

Some of the children have been enjoying reading, learning and practicing classic plays like the Three Billy Goats Gruff and other fairy tales. The children spend time rehearsing their lines and then present to the class. This is always fun for both players and audience.

 Dinosaur skin - what colour was it?

Using bubble wrap we made prints.

We thought that camouflage might play a part in the skin colour of herbivores.

The bubble wrap gives an interesting 'scale like' appearance.