Rowan
Spring Term: 2019-20
This term’s topics are Castles, Kings and Queens and Dinosaurs. Trips to the park, the supermarket and a castle are planned. The World About Me focuses on people who help us and spring. My Thinking and Problem Solving focuses on 2D/3D shape and time. My Citizenship focuses on my local community.
Fir follow a practical and creative EQUALS Semi-Formal (SLD/MLD) Curriculum. The aspects in this curriculum are below, and all apart from the starred ones are taken by the class teacher:
- My Independence
- The World About Me
- My Communication (Narrative)
- My Thinking and Problem Solving
- My Play and Leisure
- *My Citizenship
- *My Physical Well-being
- *My Creativity (Dance & Drama)
- *My Creativity (Music)
- My Creativity (Art)
- *My Forest School
Topic-based activities are used to create artwork that can be displayed and sent home with pupils. The topic is also used within other aspects, including call and response communication sessions, where pupils join in with familiar songs, lyrics and stories.
Fir engage in sharing, turn-taking and social games where they can interact with their friends and learn to communicate with each other. In contrast, Fir also explore lots of relaxation and cognitive breaks, using massage, outdoor activities and even yoga to relax.
Fir spend a lot of time outside exploring their environment, and really enjoy swimming and PE, where sensory circuits, team-building games and outdoor ball games are explored.
My Independence
This term, learners will be looking at health and safety in the kitchen and making basic food and drinks. Learners will look at healthy living and healthy eating. They will learn how to make shopping lists for essential ingredients and food, exchanging money at the supermarket in order to buy what they need. The learners will focus on moving around the school safely. They will develop an understanding of getting dressed and undressed and being private when getting dressed around others.
The World About Me
This term, the focus will be on the weather and spring, focusing on key festivals and events during these times of year, such as Bhodi, Holi and Mother’s Day. We will look at different types of weather and what to wear. Learners will visit the park to observe changes throughout the year. The learners will also focus on people who help us, discussing the various jobs that different people do. They will explore people who are important to them and learn about meeting and greeting others in an appropriate manner.
My Communication (Narrative)
Within My Narrative, our focus will be on Castles and Kings and Queens, studying stories such as The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Alice in Wonderland. Learners will work on ordering and sequencing the stories and describing key parts of them. Learners will take part in communication games throughout the term, embedding conversational skills.
My Thinking and Problem Solving
Throughout the term, we will be focusing on 2D/3D shape, time and arithmetic. Thinking and problem solving activities will be going on in all units, embedding problem-solving skills. The learners will be working out the times of the day that different lessons happen.
My Play and Leisure
This term, the learners will be focusing on free play, following rules and developing their turn taking skills. Learners will take part in small group games and board games. The focus will be on functional play, using specific toys for a specified purpose.
My Citizenship
During the first half of term, pupils will learn about Buddhism. They will learn about the life of Buddha through story sharing, game play and role play. They will learn about Buddhist temples as places of peace, tranquility and worship. Pupils will be immersed in music for tranquility and will recreate Buddhist gardens and art work through a variety of means. Pupils will learn about the Tripitaka through looking at books that have special meaning to them and considering why they are important to them.
During the second half of spring term, learning will focus on Christianity and the Easter Story. Each week we will focus on a different day of the story to allow time for pupils to explore the people and events that are important to the Easter story: Palm Sunday, The Last Supper, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection. Pupils will learn through story, game, role play and creative arts. Finally, pupils will look at some of the ways that Christians celebrate Easter in the modern day, through food, song and church services.
**My Physical Well-being
TBA
**My Creativity (Dance & Drama)
TBA
*My Creativity (Music)
The students will take part in some carousel lessons in which they try different instruments and learn the chords of a chosen piece of music. The students will choose their favourite instrument and put the instrumental parts together to create their own cover version. The module structure has two sections:
- Band carousel sessions
- Band work
My Creativity (Art)
This term, learners will be looking at sculpture. They will be making pieces of artwork related to our topics of Castles, Kings and Queens and Spring. We will be encountering and exploring sculpture using various 2D/3D shapes. We will be making 3D shapes based around our topic.
**My Forest School
TBA
**Animal Care
TBA
Carousel
Half-termly Carousel lessons
Spring 1st half-term – double Swim; Spring 2nd half-term – double Cookery
Computing
For the first half of the term, pupils will continue to learn about algorithms and instructions by exploring interactive activities. Some pupils will work with bee-bots to help them understand order, direction and instructions. They will predict moves and will explore simple debugging options. For the second half of the term, the group will make a simple animation on PowerPoint.
This term, pupils will explore animation and look at how animations are made before creating their own short animation clip. They will briefly plan their work, thinking about characters and background scenes. The group will then go on to use Stop Frame Animation software on an iPad to create the animation.
