Created on: 22 Dec 2020 | Last modified: 21 Apr 2023
HWB Focus: Mental and Emotional HWB, Relationships
Week 1
Look back at the changes which we have all had to make as a result of the pandemic over the last year. Take some time to consider what things or which people have inspired us and helped us to stay positive. You might want to look at some of the people who have worked to help others, e.g. key workers and how we were all united through clapping for the NHS and the stories of the rainbows. What did they mean to us and why were people putting them in their windows? This clip might help as a starter for parents/carers https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51953553 or https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-52008155/families-decorate-windows-with-rainbows-to-cheer-people
Alternatively, you might want to look at the story of Captain Sir Tom Moore. This clip of him reading from his book ‘One Hundred Steps’ - One Hundred Steps - YouTube – might help to start discussions on what he did to help others during lockdown from his home.
To set these discussions in context and to help the children learn about more about whey we need to keep our distance and self-isolate at certain times, you might want to use https://live.firstnews.co.uk/ or https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround#more-stories-2
Time to be reporters – ask the children to interview their family members to find out how they are feeling, what they have found most challenging about life over the last year as well as what has inspired them and made them feel more positive. Have they had to do this or anything similar before in their lives?
Report back on their findings – this could be by video clip, through art (perhaps a cartoon sketch of their family in isolation), in a poem or a short written piece. They may also want to compile a family album, showing some of the fun things they have done over the last year and to capture the feelings of family members over the period.
Time to help – invite the children to choose one thing to help a member of their family. This might be doing the dishes, tidying their room, playing with a sibling or phoning a grandparent to check in on them. Then ask them to think about how helping out made them feel?
Using the discussions about the rainbows, invite the children to find out some interesting facts about the artist Kandinsky. This website might be helpful - https://kids.kiddle.co/Kandinsky . And to explore some of his famous pieces of art (some images can be found here - https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kandinsky+for+kids&qpvt=kandinski+for+kids&FORM=IGRE)
Invite the children to create their own Kandinsky styled picture or to replicate one of the artist’s own creations.
If children are interested in finding out more about rainbows and the science behind how the light travels, the following links provide some materials on reflection and refraction - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zk2pb9q/resources/1 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zqg3cdm .
Children may wish to investigate whether they can create their own rainbows by using water and light. Can they capture their findings in a photograph?
Week 2
Looking after yourself – ask the children to think about how they are feeling and offer a practical tip to stay healthy. This week you might want to try focusing on one worry which they may have and suggest strategies to relieve this. These websites might help - https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/games/balloon/ or https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
Link in what we know about the virus with some science around the lungs – how do the lungs work? The following websites will help with this and provide a quiz at the end https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/rsmovhtml?WT.ac=en-k-htbw-main-page-f or https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zv9qhyc/articles/zdfs47h
Time to take the challenge and invite the pupils to design their own set of working lungs. The materials they will need are– straws, three balloons, a clear plastic bottle (e.g. empty juice bottle), sellotape and scissors. Don’t give the answers until they have tried to complete the challenge – the learning is in the making. Ask them to take a picture of their models and share this with others and their family. (This is the link to the answer in case someone finds this tricky - https://schoolscienceexperiments.com/simple-science-experiments-for-class-6-lungs-model/ or https://www.science-scom/breathing-making-a-fake-lung/)
Now invite the children to use their lungs to create art at home - using blow painting or bubble painting - https://artful-kids.com/2012/02/02/paint-with-bubbles-3-ways/
Look at some images of paintings by Jackson Pollock: (https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jackson%20pollock%20paintings%20images&qs=MM&form=QBIR&sp=1&ghc=1&pq=jackson%20pollock%20paintings&sc=8-25&cvid=1300F016F6984BAAB75FABA659CB2EEC) Can the children create their own Pollock using one of the techniques above?
Finally finish with a fun poem. Invite the children to choose one of their favourite poems. You might suggest one that is related to the science topic - ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if you didn’t have a nose’ by Roger McGough: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/85/3b/76/853b761281b7749445ba10c705f338ce--poems-for-children-childrens-books.jpg
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