The History of Britain workshop
Following the performance, Years 3 and 4 took part in a History of Britain workshop on Thursday afternoon.
The workshop started with everybody warming up their bodies, faces and voices.
Then the children went on to create statues out of each other. The challenge was to theme their statues on historical figures that they learnt about from the play. This included Winston Churchill, Thomas Farriner, Cavemen, Romans and Vikings. Which historical characters can you spot in the pictures below?
The statues then formed a museum, with the artists stepping away. We discussed rules for our museums:
- One child said: ‘Statues have to stay still!’
- Another added: ‘No talking if you’re a statue!’
- To everyone’s amusement, one statue asked: ‘Is it OK to breathe?’
The pupils were then put into groups of six and were challenged to make a freeze frame of a given time in history that they witnessed during the morning’s performance.
Harman explained: ‘A freeze-frame is like creating a portrait with ourselves.’
The first freeze-frame was to recreate Queen Boudica warring with the Romans.
The next freeze-frame was to show scenes from the Victorian times. Children were specifically fascinated with the forced jobs children had to do at this time.
When asked, Sam said: ‘I wouldn’t have liked to be alive during the Victorian times as I wouldn’t like to work in a dangerous factory. I might lose a limb!’
Brilliant acting, Year 3 & 4! Well done!
The History of Britain performance
On Thursday, Key Stage 2 were treated to a performance from Hobgoblin Theatre Company: The History of Britain.
The journey started 800,000 years ago where we were introduced to ‘super hairy man’. We learnt that these men hunted with flint.
Then came the Ice Age, 120,000 years ago. This was when the land we now call ‘Britain’, separated from Europe to become an island. We found out that this was when the English Channel was created. We learnt people continued to hunt with flint tools and this was when the boat was invented.
The journey continued to 4000 BC, the Stone Age. This was when Stonehenge was created. Farming and clay pottery both became an organised trade in Britain.
We zoomed forward to 800 BC, where people built hill forts, began to trade with Europe and make jewellery.
60 AD saw the Romans control of Britannia for 70 years. Queen Boudica revolted against the Romans.
Did you know Colchester was the capital of Britain at this time?
Then, it was 878. We met King Alfred and the Vikings…
We learnt that there was a lack of a British army and ships to fight the Vikings invading Britain at this time. Did you know King Alfred’s decedents went on to unite all the British tribes under one King?
Fun facts:
1. Vikings didn’t actually have horns on helmets!
2. Many Viking words influence our language. Wednesday, Thursday, market and street are all Viking words!
We flashed forward to 1066: the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror brought Britain out of the dark ages. Children learnt that William came from Normandy of France to beat King Harold in battle.
We sped forward to 1348 and saw an interview with an early victim of the plague. The victim said he was infected as he was preparing for the feast. A flea from a rat, stowed away on the ship, had carried the disease to Britain.
We learnt that the symptoms of The Black Death included a high temperature and vomiting. Victims died within a couple of days. Soon, half of the population of Britain died.
The play then went to 1215, when the Magna Carta was introduced. Children learnt that this was when an official parliament was formed and people in charge of the country had to listen to he opinion of the people.
We then traveled to 1558 and met Queen Elizabeth I.
The children learnt that the Great Fire of London took place in 1666, in the form of a well-known cookery show! Children saw how the fire started in a baker’s oven and spread, engulfing a large portion of London.
Can your child remember where tea, initially shipped to the UK, was from? How did it travel to the UK?
Can they remember the vocal warm up tongue twister?
During the Victoria times what major form of transport was invented?
The play ended with an appearance from Winston Churchill. We learnt that Churchill was voted as the most important British historical figure as he was the Prime Minister during the Second World War.
Well done, Key Stage 2! Fantastic audience participation.
Reflection
LO: Reflect and Remember
What does reflect mean?
To reflect think deeply or carefully about.
synonyms:
think about, give thought to, consider, give consideration to, review, mull over, contemplate, study, meditate on, dwell on, brood on/over, agonise over, worry about, chew over, puzzle over, speculate about, weigh up, revolve, turn over in one’s mind
As part of our 8Rs for learning, today we thought about reflecting.
What does it mean to reflect? “Take some time to sit and think.”
What can you reflect upon? “I can reflect on the choices I make.”
Does reflecting help you to think about your next steps? “Yes, because I can change things.”
Bounce into basketball
School Savings Club
The School Savings Club paying in sessions for this year are at 3.15-3.45pm on the following dates (the penultimate Thursday of each half term).
- 18 October
- 13 December
- 07 February
- 21 March
- 16 May
- 11 July
If you’re unable to attend in person, please hand in any money to be deposited to the office in a sealed envelope addressed to Mrs Tiffany.
If your child would like to open an account, please ask at the office.
There is an extra incentive for pupils in Year 3 as Leeds City Council will add £10 to your child’s account.
Road safety assembly
Anne, from Leeds City Council’s road safety team, delivered some great safety messages in our assembly this morning.
Can you remember the green cross code?
- Think!
- Stop!
- Look!
- Listen!
Mass park and stride
Thank you to all families who joined our mass park and stride this morning from Marks and Spencer. Special thanks as well to Leeds City Council road safety trainers, Dom Jacques and Living Streets representatives and especially Kerby for supporting this event to mark the start of International Walk to School month.
It was great to see so many families join the walk to school using Marks and Spencer to park their car rather than parking near the school gate.
Keep up those active journeys to school for a happy and healthy start to the day.
Start your day with an active journey
Today marks the start of International Walk to School month.
During October, we’re working alongside Living Streets to encourage families to travel in active ways to school. There are prize draws every week for children who have made active journeys to school (biking, scooting, walking or park and stride) with an added prize draw for those children who have made active journeys to school throughout October.
We realise that some families do need to come in the car to school so we are promoting Marks and Spencer car park (200 2 hour free spaces) as a place to park and then ‘stride’ the last part of the journey to school. This will avoid congestion at the school gate, improve health benefits to families and counts as an active journey.
Tomorrow, we will be working with Leeds City Council road safety trainers to deliver pedestrian training to Years 1, 2 and 3. Reception class will enjoy a class based safety session and Year 5 will be using the speed indicator device to check vehicle speeds in the 20mph zone outside school.
To start the day, join us for a mass park and stride meeting at Harrogate Road outside Marks and Spencer from 8:30am.
What? Mass Park and Stride
When? Tuesday 2nd October from 08:30am
Where? From Harrogate Road outside Marks and Spencer (200 free 2hr park and stride parking spaces)
Why? To encourage families to make active journeys to school and keep cars away from the school gates.
Who? Leeds City Council’s Road Safety Team, Kerby the road safety mascot, Living Streets representatives plus as many families as possible.
If you don’t come by car, join us on the route to school.
Assembly
Year 4 will be performing their assembly ‘Around the World in 20 Minutes‘ on Wednesday 03 October at 2.40pm.
We look forward to seeing you there!
All aboard
Our travels through time have begun. With a focus on transport through the ages, Year 4 started off their journey learning about chronological order. The children put together a time line of events through history.
Following this, we studied early humans and how artefacts found have given us clues as to how these people lived. This initiated a conversation as to how history has shaped the lives we lead today.
Year 4 confidently carried out some research into cave paintings. I was very impressed by some of the children’s prior knowledge.
“Blood was used to add detail and colour. Bones were hollowed out so ‘paint’ could be blown through them onto the walls,” commented Albie.
“They had to use their legs as transport and the animals carried heavy items,” stated Jessica.
Did you know?
Four boys searching for a lost dog discovered paintings at Lascaux, France in 1940. These paintings were created around 15,000 BC, which would make them about 17,000 years old.
What did the paintings mean?
We discussed reasons as to why cave paintings were created.
There are three theories that the prehistoric man might have painted animals on the walls of the caves.
- The cave man wanted to decorate the cave and chose animals because they were important to their existence.
- The second theory could have been that they considered this magic to help the hunters.
- Prehistoric man could have used the painting of animals on the walls of caves to document their hunting expeditions.
Methods of Painting
Prehistoric people would have used natural objects to paint the walls of the caves. To etch into the rock, they could have used sharp tools or a spear. The paint or color that they probably used was from berries, clay, soot, or charcoal. The tools used to apply the paint could have been made by attaching straw, leaves, moss, or hair to sticks. They might have used hollow bones or reeds to spray the color on, similar to an airbrush technique we use today.
When we had finished our research and discussion it was time to create our very own cave paintings. Using different media, the children selected appropriate resources to make their painting look as realistic as possible.
Stay posted as lots more paintings to follow.