Week 26
The first lesson of the week was art and we looked at different paints, which ones were good and which ones were bad. The first paint we looked at is free flow paint, this is not recommended as it is expensive, already mixed (so there is no chance to experiment) and the nozzles often stick. The second paint is tempera blocks; these are also not recommended as they are too messy. However the last paint we looked at is recommended, this is powder colour, it’s cheap, not messy and gives the children a chance to experiment with colour mixing. Also you can make the paint thicker and thinner simply by mixing different amounts of powder and water. A tip we learned was that by mixing in a bit of glue will make the paint really thick.
The only colours needed are black, white, blue, red and yellow; this is because all shades and colours can be made by mixing these different colours.
After having a go with the paints we tried out different brushes, we started with the hog’s hair brush. We then used the sable brush, with is very good for creating marks, details and patterns.
The second half of the lesson we looked at the use of artists work.
Landscape painting (Urban and Rural)
What kind of conversation can be discussed?
• Investigation of a rural landscape
• Cross curricular links to history
• Cross curricular links to literacy
• Depiction of movement within a painting
• The viewpoint taken by the artist
Discussion:
• Investigation of an urban landscape
• Brushstrokes – how the paint is applied
• How colours are overlaid one on top of the other
• Use of non naturalistic colours
• The depiction of water
Discussion:
• Investigation of an urban landscape
• The brushstroke – how the paint is applied in order to create very flat areas of colours
• Use of warm and cold colours
• Different shapes
Discussion:
• Creation of a fantasy environment
• Links between I.C.T and art
• Use of different tones of same colours
In D.T we started by talking about a ‘junk box’ for the classroom, this is a place to store all materials that could be used for D.T such as empty cereal boxes and empty yoghurt pots. We also talked about the 3 R’s, reduce, reuse, recycle.
We went on to talk about reclaim materials; they are cheap and usually very easy to get hold of. Also the use of making things from reclaim materials covers lots of things in the curriculum such as science and maths. However, it is important to check with health and safety when bringing in materials to make sure they are appropriate for the classroom.
In our module of R.E we just researched for our assignment, so it’s all just quotes and notes.
In our second R.E class, not our specialist class, we looked into Hinduism. There’s a lot covered here so will try my best to depict the lesson accurately.
We started the lesson by looking at some of the Hindu Gods, we talked about how Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are all names of the same God but there are approximately 330 million Gods, however Brahma (or Vishnu/Shiva) is the source of all these Gods. For Hindus, every home picks a certain god to worship, and each home has to have a picture or statue of the chosen God.
After looking at the Gods we looked at some of the traditions of Hinduism, these include the scriptures that were written in sand script, Karma (good things lead to good things and bad things leading to bad things), Samara (the cycle of rebirth), the concentration spot (on the centre of the forehead) and Moksha (ultimate goal of salvation). Moksha comes in 4 stages:
• student (learning)
• household (family)
• forest dweller (meditate and learn more about God)
• holy man (ultimate enlightenment)
The next part of the lesson we looked at the story of Rama and Sita and how it will fit in with attainment targets for a lesson. As R.E is not part of the national curriculum it has different guidelines known as Attainment Targets. These vary between places depending on religious backgrounds. I have a generalised list of the A.T’s I will put at the end of this entry.
KS1 Knowledge, skills and understanding
AT1 Learning about religion:
1. Children should be taught to:-
a. explore a range of religious stories and sacred writings, and talk about their meanings
b. name and explore a range of celebrations, worship and rituals in religion, noting similarities where appropriate
c. identify the importance, for some people, of belonging to a religion and recognise the difference this makes to their lives
d. explore how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed through the arts and communicate their responses
e. identify and suggest meanings for religious symbols and begin to use a range of religious words.
AT2 Learning from religion:
1. Children should be taught to:-
a. reflect on and consider religious and spiritual feelings, experiences and concepts, such as worship, wonder, praise, thanks, concern, joy and sadness
b. ask and respond imaginatively to puzzling questions, communicating their ideas;
c. identify what matters to them and others, including those with religious commitments, and communicate their responses
d. reflect on how spiritual and moral values relate to their own behaviour
e. recognise that religious teachings and ideas make a difference to individuals, families and the local community.
Breadth of study
3. During the key stage pupils should be taught the Knowledge, Skills and Understanding through the following religions, themes, experiences and opportunities.
Religions and beliefs
a. Christianity
b. Focused religion: Judaism
c. a different religious community with a significant local presence, where appropriate
d. a secular world view, where appropriate.
Themes
e. believing: what people believe about God, humanity and the natural world
f. story: how and why some stories are sacred and important in religion
g. celebrations: how and why celebrations are important in religion
h. symbols: how and why symbols express religious meaning
i. leaders and teachers: figures who have an influence on others locally,
nationally and globally in religion
j. belonging: where and how people belong and why belonging is important
k. myself :who I am and my uniqueness as a person in a family and community.
Experiences and opportunities
l. visiting places of worship, focussing on symbols and feelings
m. listening to and responding to visitors from local faith communities
n. using their senses and having times of quiet reflection
o. using art, and design, music, dance and drama to develop their creative talents
p. sharing their own beliefs, ideas and values and talking about their feelings and experiences
q. beginning to use ICT to explore religions and beliefs as practised in the local and wider community.
KS2 Knowledge, skills and understanding
AT1 Learning about religion:
1. Children should be taught to:
a. describe the key aspects of religions, especially the people, stories and traditions which influence beliefs and values
b. describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected to, beliefs and teachings
c. identify and begin to describe the similarities and differences within and between religions
d. investigate the significance of religion in the local, national and global communities
e. consider the meaning of a range of forms of religious expression, understand why they are important in religion, and note links between them
f. describe and begin to understand religious and other responses to ultimate and ethical questions
g. use specialist vocabulary in communicating their knowledge and understanding
h. use and interpret information about religions from a range of sources.
AT2 Learning from religion:
2. Children should be taught to:
a. reflect on what it means to belong to a faith community, communicating their own and others’ responses thoughtfully
b. respond to the challenges of commitment both in their own lives and within religious traditions, recognising how commitment to a religion is shown in a variety of ways
c. discuss their own and others’ views of religious truth and belief, expressing their own ideas clearly
d. reflect on ideas of right and wrong and their own and others’ responses to them
e. reflect on sources of inspiration in their own and others’ lives.
Breadth of study
3. During the key stage the pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through the following religions, themes, experiences and opportunities.
Religions and beliefs
a. Christianity
b. Focused religions:- Hinduism, Judaism, Islam
c. a different religious community with a significant local presence, where appropriate;
d. a secular world view, where appropriate.
Themes
e. beliefs and questions: how people’s beliefs about God, the world and others impact on their lives
f. teachings and authority: what sacred texts and other sources say about God, the world and human life
g. worship, pilgrimage and sacred places: where, how and why people worship, including at particular sites
h. the journey of life and death: why some occasions are sacred to believers, and what people believe about life after death
i. symbols and religious expression: how religious and spiritual ideas are expressed
j. inspirational people: figures from whom believers find inspiration
k. religion and the individual: what is expected of a person in following a religion or belief
l. religion, family and community: how religious families and communities practise their faith, and the contributions this makes to local life
m. beliefs in action in the world - how religions respond to universal issues of human rights, fairness, social justice and the importance of the environment.
Experiences and opportunities
n. encountering religion through visitors and visits to places of worship, and focusing on the impact and reality of religion on the local and global community
o. discussing religious and philosophical questions, giving reasons for their own beliefs and those of others
p. considering a range of human experiences and feelings
q. reflecting on their own and others’ insights into life and its origin, purpose and meaning
r. expressing and communicating their own and others’ insights into life through art and design, music, dance, drama and ICT
s. developing the use of ICT, particularly in enhancing pupils’ awareness of religions and beliefs globally.