Post on 31-May-2020
• Discusswiththechildrenwhethertheyfeeltheyhavetimetostopandstareattheworldaroundthem.Whatthingsenablethis?Whatgetsinthewayofappreciatingtheworldaroundthem?
• ExplainthatthewholeschoolisgoingtohaveanopportunityaspartofElmerDaytogooutintotheenvironmentandenjoytheirsurroundings,thenrespondtothiscreativelybackintheirclassrooms.
• Tellthechildrenthatworkfromeachclasswillbechosentocontributetoawholeschoolcelebrationaboutthewonderoftheirlocalenvironmentandtheirinteractionswithit.
Part2:PlannedActivityforeachclass,yearorphasegroup:
• Aftertheassembly,re-readthestoryofElmer’sWalktoeachclassbackintheirclassrooms.Explaintothechildrenthattheyaregoingtotakeawalkinthelocalenvironmenttoallowthemtimetotakeintheirnaturalsurroundings,observingbuildings,localfeatures,creatures,plants,naturalobjectsandeventsthattakeplace.Youmaywishtoarrangeaspecificvisittoaplaceoflocalinterest,suchasapark,woodlandarea,river,seasideetc.iftheseareeasilyaccessible.
• Allowtimeforthechildrentomakeasimplenotebooktotakewiththemontheirtravels,wheretheycanmakesketchesortakenotesaboutthethingstheyhaveobservedontheirwalk.Takecamerasiftheseareavailableforchildrentousetorecordpointsofinterest.Modelthisbyrecordingyourownthoughtsasyouwalk.Aschildrennotetheirobservations,encouragethemtothinkaboutthefeelingsthesethingsinvokedinthem.
Part3:Encouragingchildrentorespondtoobservationscreatively:• Comebacktotheclassroomanddiscusswhatthechildrensaw,heardandexperienced.
Downloadandlookatphotographstaken,sharesketchesandobservationsintheirnotebooksandtalkaboutthingsthatwereofparticularinteresttoparticularchildren.
• Nowlookathowtheycouldsharethingsthatcaughttheirwiderinterestwithothersandprovidetime,space,materialsandopportunitiestosupportthechildrentocreatetheirworkindependentlyoringroups.Thetablebelowgivesawiderangeofideasandsupportiveresourcesthatmayinspirechildren:
PossibleCreativeOutcome
SupportingResources Materialsandopportunitiestofacilitate
Editandshareafavouritephotographandcomeupwithatitleforit
• Youngwildlifephotographeroftheyear:http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/wpy/gallery/2018/young.html
• RSPCAyoungphotographersaward:https://young.rspca.org.uk/ypa/galleries
• StreetSeencategoryoftheYoungDigitalCameraPhotographeroftheYearcompetition:https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/street-seen-young-dcpoty-street-photo-contest-2213/overview/
• Digitalcamera• Laptop/tablet• Editing
software/app
• TheGreatOutdoorscategoryoftheYoungDigitalCameraPhotographeroftheYearcompetition:https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/the-great-outdoors-young-dcpoty-landscape-photo-contest-2212/overview/
Paintordrawsomethingthatcaughttheirattentioninmoredetail
• TheGallerypageontheNationalOpenArtChildren’sAwardpages,scrolldowntoviewthegallerytogivechildrenideasofwhattheymightcreate:http://www.nationalopenart.org/gallery.php?filter=children
• ThegallerypagesontheWorcesterBoschArtcompetitioncouldalsogivefurtherinspiration:https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/environment-2020/childrens-art-competition/winners
• Variousartmaterials;softpastels,oilpastels,brushpens,watercolours,starteracrylicpaints
• Cardorpaperappropriatetothechosenmedium
Writetheirownpoemaboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced
• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeofthenaturalworldonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/natural-world
• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeoftheurbanenvironmentonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/urban-environment
• PoemsthatrevolvearoundthethemeofplacesonCLPE’sPoetrylinewebsite:https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline/themes/places
• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting
Writetheirownstoryabouttheirwalkoraboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced,e.g.astorythatcentresaroundabee,astorysetinaforest,thecity,bytheseaetc.
• FictionbooksonCLPE’sCorebookswebsitethatrevolvearoundthethemeofnature,suchas:
o Tadpole’sPromisebyJeanneWillis,illustratedbyTonyRoss(AndersenPress)
o TheTreebyNealLayton(Walker)o OnaMagicalDo-NothingDaybyBeatrice
Alemagna(ThamesandHudson)o TheSecretofBlackRockbyJoeTodd-
Stanton(FlyingEye)o TheBeeWhoSpokebyAlMcCuish,
illustratedbyRebeccaGibbon(ThamesandHudson)
o TheFoxandtheStarbyCoralieBickford-Smith(ParticularBooks)
o BelongingandWindowbyJeannieBaker(Walker)
• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration
o ThePromisebyNicolaDavies,illustratedbyLauraCarlin(Walker)
o HildaandtheBirdParadebyLukePearson(FlyingEye)
o TownisbytheSeabyJoanneSchwartz,illustratedbySydneySmith(Walker)
o VarmintsbyHelenWard,illustratedbyMarkCraste(Templar)
• AuthorsreadingstoriesonCLPE’sPowerofPictureswebsitesetinnaturalenvironmentsorwithcharactersthatcouldbefoundinnaturalenvironments,suchas:
o Shh!WeHaveaPlanbyChrisHaughton(Walker):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/haughton-chris
o CrocandBirdbyAlexisDeacon(RedFox):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/deacon-alexis
o WildbyEmilyHughes(FlyingEye):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/hughes-emily
o Grandad’sIslandbyBenjiDavies(SimonandSchuster):https://clpe.org.uk/powerofpictures/davies-benji
Writesonglyrics,composemusicoradancethatreflectssomethingtheysaworexperienced
• Exploremusicthatreflectseverydayexperiencesofbeingoutdoors,suchas:
o ‘Dandelions’byEnnoAareo ‘WaterRipples’byEnnoAareo ‘Seaside’byDevendraBanharto ‘Herecomesthesun’byTheBeatleso ‘TheWater’byJohnnyFlynnandLaura
Marlingo ‘TheWhiteHare’bySethLakemano ‘TheStreetsofLondon’byRalphMcTello SelectedsongsfromHaushka’sA
DifferentForestalbum
• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentolistentoormaketheirownmusic.
• Arangeofmusicalinstruments
• Spacetopracticeandperform
Writeapersonalrecountoftheirexperience;this
• Copiesoftheschoolnewsletter.• Examplesofrecountarticlesfrompublications
suchasTheWeekJuniorandFirstNews.
• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingand
couldtaketheformofadiaryentry,awrittenoraudioblogpostfortheschoolwebsite,anarticlefortheschoolnewsletter
publishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration
• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentopublishtheirwritinginauthenticways
Somefactualwritingaboutsomethingtheysaworexperienced;thiscouldtaketheformofanon-chronologicalreport,avideooraudiopresentation,amagazineornewspaperarticle
• InformationtextsonCLPE’sCorebooksWebsiteaboutnaturalelements,suchas:
o AFirstBookofNaturebyNicolaDavies,illustratedbyMarkHearld(Walker)
o JustDucksbyNicolaDavies,illustratedbySalvatoreRubbino(Walker)
o BecauseofanAcornbyLolaMandAdamSchaefer,illustratedbyFranPreston-Gannon(Chronicle)
o TheAcornandLittleBeebyEdwardGibbs(BF&F)
o GrowingFrogsbyVivianFrench,illustratedbyAlisonBartlett(Walker)
o Moth:AnEvolutionStorybyIsabelThomas,illustratedbyDanielEgnèus(Bloomsbury)
o ALittleGuidetoTreesandALittleGuidetoWildFlowersbyCharlotteVoake(EdenProject)
o AWalkinLondonbySalvatoreRubbinho(Walker)
o ABeetleisShybyDianaHuttsAston,illustratedbySylviaLong(Chronicle)
• Filmanddigitaltextsthatfocusonthenaturalworld:
o BBCEarthwebsite:https://www.bbc.com/earth/uk
o BBCSpringwatchwebpages:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qgm3
o CBeebiesOurPlanetclips:
• Arangeofwritingmaterialsfordraftingandpublishingwriting,artmaterialsforillustration
• Accesstotablets,laptopsorMP3playerswithappsthatallowthechildrentopublishtheirwritinginauthenticways
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9ny/clips
o NationalGeographicKidswebsite:https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
o RSPBForKidswebpages:https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/
• ExamplesofarticlesfrompublicationssuchasTheWeekJuniorandFirstNews.
Part4:SharingandPublishingchildren’sresponsesWhenthechildrenhavehadchancetocreatetheirwork,exploredifferentwaysthatthiscouldbesharedwithawideraudience:
• Ifyourschoolhasasocialmediaaccount,youmaywishtoshareexamplesofthechildren’swork,viaTwitter,InstagramorFacebook.Using#StopAndStare#ElmersWalkandtagging@AndersenPressand@clpe1willallowyoutoseetheworkdonebyotherschoolsandbepartofthewiderElmerDayCommunity.
• Organiseawholeschoolevent,suchasanassemblyorexhibition,wherechildrenhaveanopportunitytopresenttheirworktoawideraudience.Therecouldbedifferentzonestoshowcasedifferenttypesofresponses;aphotographygallery,apoetrypresentationorperformancespace,displaysofwritingorartwork,tabletsorlaptopswithchildren’svideoresponses.Inviteparents,carersandthewiderschoolcommunitytoviewtheexhibition.
• Setupspaceintheschoolnewsletteroronaschoolorclassblogforchildrentopresenttheirworktothewidercommunity.
• Createacommunaldisplayofexamplesofworkfromeachyeargroup,classorphase.
TheseresourceswerecreatedinpartnershipwithCLPE.CLPEisacharityworkingtoimproveliteracyinprimaryschools.Findoutmoreabout
ourtrainingcourses,freeresourcesandhigh-qualityteachingsequences.Visit:www.clpe.org.uk
Elmer’sWalkbyDavidMcKeeispublishedbyAndersenPressISBN:9781783447541