Whole School Topic Maps and the Cornerstones Curriculum

One of the main focal points linked to the establishment of a new curriculum was the aim to help every child reach his or her potential.  Providing an enriched and stimulating environment is essential and every day we come across examples of teaching excellence.

We see the efforts of many teachers to introduce a range of teaching styles and to really enthuse and motivate their class.  Thanks to the support of the senior leadership team, teaching professionals can set out to develop children emotionally and help them to prepare for adult life as well as embracing an appreciation of lifelong learning.  Hence the renewed focus on helping the children to experience personal, social, health and emotional development.

Helping Young People to Become Lifelong Learners

Helping learners to gain an appreciation of lifelong learning.

Picture credit: Press (Frankfurter Buchmesse)

The Cornerstones Curriculum

A lot of schools have chosen to adopt the Cornerstones curriculum.  This topic based curriculum reflects the requirements of the National Curriculum in a structured and organised manner, helping pupils to remain engaged and to apply skills and knowledge.  Often a whole school topic map will be planned, usually running on a biannual cycle.

Learning about rocks and fossils is now part of the science curriculum for Lower Key Stage 2, whilst evolution and natural selection subjects are found within the science subject areas for Year 6, so Everything Dinosaur’s workshops have a very broad appeal.  In addition, teachers of younger children find dinosaurs as an ideal term topic area, following on from children’s fascination for dinosaurs and providing an opportunity to develop and improve skills learnt to enable them to reach their full potential.

A Dinosaur Term Topic Can Really Help the Development of Young Minds

Lots of literacy and numeracy activities displayed.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Cross Curricular Approach to Learning

The Cornerstones curriculum allows the teaching team to tailor the content and delivery of the teaching scheme of work to meet the needs of individual pupils.  It is essentially, a cross curricular approach to learning, hence when we are delivering a dinosaur themed workshop to Lower Key Stage 1 for example, we like to be briefed on the learning outcomes that the teaching team require.  In this way, we can cover key aims and help to reinforce learning, as well as providing plenty of numeracy, literacy and IT based extension exercises.

Cornerstones has four main areas of learning:

• Engage
• Develop
• Innovate
• Express

Interlocking Stages – Supporting Learning

During each of these interlocking stages, children have the opportunity to develop and improve skills learnt to enable them to reach their full potential.   We are often amazed at just how much knowledge children demonstrate during our school visits, for example, during our last fossil themed workshop, children were eager to tell us all about some marine reptiles that they had been learning about.

In the “Engage” element, pupils have the opportunity to kick-start a topic area with a memorable, thought provoking, first-hand learning experience.  Everything Dinosaur’s dinosaur workshops in schools are often used as a provocation to help give the term topic a good start.  Our dedicated teaching team will be undertaking a number of these provocations over the next two weeks as schools start a new dinosaur and fossil themed topic area at the beginning of the second half of the autumn term.

In the “Develop” element, children improve their knowledge and understanding in relation to their topic.  They develop and practice new skills learnt and have time to explore and create in relation to their term topic.  Many of the extension ideas we provide to teaching teams allows children to build on their pre-knowledge and to apply this and newly acquired knowledge to a range of scientific themed exercises.  All these extensions are aimed at helping to reinforce learning.

Everything Dinosaur and the Cornerstones Curriculum

For further information about Everything Dinosaur’s outreach work: Contact the Team at Everything Dinosaur.

When it comes to the “Innovate” section, we like to see pupils applying the skills and knowledge they have learnt in real life, palaeontological contexts.  An example of this is challenging a Year 6 class to debate whether cloning a Woolly Mammoth would be a good idea.

Thoughtful and Provocative Debates Related to Climate Change, Extinction and the Ethics Behind De-extinction

The science of de-extinction by Beth Shapiro.

Picture credit: Princeton Press

During our workshops, we like to give children the opportunity to explore real problems.  This helps to inspire them through learning and allows them to see how classroom teaching can be applied to real scientific conundrums.

Finally, we come to the “Express” section.  This provides young learners with the opportunity to become performers, experts and to inform others.

Everything Dinosaur Team Members Advising Teaching Teams

Demonstrating what they have learned can come in different forms, from a school assembly presentation related to mass extinction to writing and performing an expressive dance piece that depicts the extinction of the dinosaurs.  We advise teachers to have a dinosaur and fossil themed “learning wall” for this type of term topic.  This permits the class to showcase and celebrate their achievements as they have studied the topic.  A dinosaur museum set up in the classroom can provide a useful focal point for showcasing the work undertaken.

Come to the Dinosaur Museum!

Come to our dinosaur museum! Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We wish everyone well with the start of the second half of the autumn term.  Onwards and upwards with learning, whatever curriculum the school is following.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur Website: The Website of Everything Dinosaur.

Displaying Children’s Dinosaur Topic Work

Year 1 children at Lowton St Mary’s CE Primary have commenced their autumn term topic entitled “Why are humans not like dinosaurs?  The children have not learned about prehistoric animals in school before, for the teacher too, this is a new topic, requiring careful planning to help cement the learning targets already achieved in Reception and to prepare the children for more directed learning tasks targeted on developing confidence with literacy and numeracy.

A Dinosaur Themed Topic

A question at the heart of the topic, provides the teaching team with a focal point on which to centre the scheme of work for the term.  In this instance, the question asking about the differences between people and dinosaurs links into one of the key areas of the English national curriculum for Lower Key Stage 1, that of learning about our bodies.

The Focal Point for a Dinosaur Themed Term Topic – “Why are Humans not like Dinosaurs”?

Why are humans not like dinosaurs?

Picture credit: Lowton St Mary’s CE Primary/Everything Dinosaur

A “Wow Wall”

A number of display areas have been prepared around the well-organised classroom to showcase the children’s work.  This can provide a focal point for the children and allows good examples of writing (fiction and non-fiction), to be prominently displayed.  During a visit to the school, to conduct a dinosaur themed workshop with the class to act as a provocation for the term topic, our fossil expert provided further advice as well as some handy extension resources to support planning of the topic areas.

One suggestion was to introduce the story of Mary Anning (1799-1847).  This Georgian lady found a number of important fossils around the cliffs of Lyme Regis and the tongue twister “she sells sea shells” is connected with her.  Mary also provides a fine role model for girls, in what otherwise might be viewed as a boy focused topic.

Mary Anning – A Famous Fossil Hunter from Dorset (southern England)

Helping to learn all about scientists.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Dinosaur Museum

Many teachers dedicate an area of the classroom for a dinosaur museum, this allows craft ideas such as fabric and clay models or salt dough fossils to be displayed.  This permits the teaching team to support an area of curriculum learning related to exploring the properties of everyday materials.

During our visit we met one little boy who explained that he had some fossils at home.  With permission, these items could be brought into school and put on display in the museum, this allows the teacher to explore with the children what might be needed to keep the fossils safe, how might the fossils be displayed?  When creating a dinosaur museum in a classroom environment we like to ask the class what sort of rules their museum should have.  Thinking about the rules for good behaviour in the museum links into the PSHE elements (personal, social, health and economic values), that are encouraged by Ofsted.

The children considering appropriate behaviour in their museum can help them to understand and develop knowledge, understanding, attitudes and responsibilities with regards to their own behaviour in the class generally.

Different Materials Used to Make a Prehistoric Animal Themed Display

Different materials used to make a prehistoric animal themed display.

Picture credit: Lowton St Mary’s CE Primary/Everything Dinosaur

A Dinosaur Themed Topic “Wow Wall”

The prehistoric animal themed display, the “wow wall” as we like to call it, was comprised of a number of different materials.  This was a clever way of helping the children to explore textures as well as the properties of materials.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Milk Carton Woolly Mammoth

Here’s a simple craft idea for teachers, home educationalists and museum staff who want to teach about Ice Age prehistoric animals.  A plastic milk carton can be turned into a Woolly Mammoth model.

A Milk Carton Woolly Mammoth Model

Making a Woolly Mammoth out of a milk carton.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Woolly Mammoth Model

This is a simple and fun to make Woolly Mammoth model and would be a great activity for Key Stage 1 or Lower Key Stage 2 children to try.

What You Will Need to Make a Milk Carton Woolly Mammoth

• Empty plastic milk cartons (washed out to remove any milk residue)
• Pair of round ended scissors
• Pencil and black highlighter pen
• White card or paper
• Paints

Taking your milk carton, carefully cut it into half, using the handle as a guide.  The handle will form the trunk of your Mammoth so cut the handle first then cut around the rest of the carton about two centimetres lower down the carton.  This will ensure that your Mammoth’s trunk will be raised off the ground.

What You Need to Make a Milk Carton Mammoth

Tools required to make a milk carton Mammoth.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Milk Carton Woolly Mammoth Model

Once the milk carton has been cut, then simply cut two tongue-shaped slots on the widest part of carton, these will make the legs.  Use a pencil to sketch out where the cuts will be made and then go over the pencil line with the black marker pen to give you a distinctive shape to follow as you cut.  Finally, cut a third tongue-shaped slot on the back of the carton, this slot will help to form the back legs.  If you want, you can cut a small “V” shape at the top of this slot, you can then bend this plastic out to make the Woolly Mammoth’s little tail.

The Milk Carton Woolly Mammoth Begins to Take Shape

Woolly Mammoth takes shape (milk carton).

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Once the legs and tail have been cut out, simply paint the carton a sandy, brown colour to mimic the shaggy Mammoth coat.  Add the eyes, (draw on the tail, if you have not cut out a “V-shaped” slot at the back), and add the five rounded nails on each foot.  You can mark the area of the ears as well.  Remember, Woolly Mammoths had relatively short ears compared to those of modern elephants (an adaptation against the cold).

Build Your Own Herd of Woolly Mammoths

Build your own herd of milk carton Woolly Mammoths.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Adding the Tusks

To finish off your Woolly Mammoth cut two small holes either side of the trunk and then slot in a piece of white card or paper to make the tusks.  Don’t forget to bend the tusks upwards a fraction and there you have it, an easy to make milk carton Woolly Mammoth, a super craft idea to support teaching about Ice Age animals and life in the Stone Age.

Different sized milk cartons can be used to make different sized members of your Mammoth herd.

For models and replicas of prehistoric animals including Woolly Mammoths: Papo Replicas of Prehistoric Animal Models.

Manor Primary and Dinosaurs

Friday was yet another busy day for the young learners at Manor Primary School (Coseley, West Midlands).  The three Reception classes had embarked on their first ever term topic and to cap an exciting week, the children were visited by one of the dinosaur experts from Everything Dinosaur.

Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals

With three workshops to deliver over the course of the day, the teaching schedule was quite tight, but within minutes of arriving our team member had settled in and prepared the spacious dance hall in readiness for the first of that morning’s dinosaur workshops.  There was plenty of time prior to the arrival of the children to conduct a briefing with one of the Foundation Stage teachers.  This helped establish learning objectives and intended outcomes for each class workshop.  In addition, our dinosaur expert was given the opportunity to view some of the excellent preparation that had been undertaken by the teaching team in this Ofsted rated “outstanding” school.

RLC Class Children Had Thought About Dinosaurs Prior to the Workshop

Reception children think about dinosaurs. What can they tell the teacher?

Picture credit: Manor Primary/Everything Dinosaur

First Time Dinosaurs

This was the first term topic for the three Reception classes, the autumn term marking the transition from the Nursery programme onto the more structured learning associated with Foundation Stage 2 on the national curriculum.  It was also the first time that the teachers had covered dinosaurs with their charges, our handy phonetic pronunciation guide was greatly appreciated, we know how challenging some of those dinosaur names can be!  The extra resources that we had provided were well received and there was even an opportunity to inspect the organised and tidy classrooms prior to the start of the school day.

As a teaching school, providing support and training to other schools in the area, Manor Primary sets high standards for both pupils and staff.  Emphasis is placed on developing confident, enthusiastic learners and the stimulating activities that the children had been focused on in the first few days of this term topic provided plenty of evidence of a thoughtful and well-planned scheme of work.

Clay Fossils

Some of the children had made clay fossils, whilst others had been constructing dinosaur teeth.   One class had been excavating their very own set of dinosaur bones in the classroom sand tray.  Dinosaurs and fossils as a topic certainly gives plenty of scope for exploring the properties of materials as well as for creative, imaginative play.

For prehistoric animal toys and games: Prehistoric Animal Toys and Games.

RAB Class Had Been Making Their Own Dinosaur Land

A creative play area with a dinosaur theme in the Reception class.

Picture credit: Manor Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Drawing Challenge

Plenty of space had been set aside in each of the three Reception classrooms to allow the children’s work to be displayed.  We challenged the children to have a go at drawing their very own dinosaur, but we also wanted to see plenty of labelling of the dinosaur’s body parts.  Could they label the dinosaur’s head?

Lots of pre-knowledge was demonstrated by the children, they certainly know their dinosaurs, but our workshops also focused on developing vocabulary as well as exploring the differences between people and prehistoric animals.  Plenty of good listening in evidence, which was quite remarkable given the fact that some of these enthusiastic palaeontologists have only just turned four.

RKM Class Take Up Palaeontology in the Sand Tray

Digging for dinosaurs with a Reception class.

Picture credit: Manor Primary/Everything Dinosaur

Diverse and Varied Dinosaur Themed Activities

The children certainly have access to diverse and varied dinosaur themed activities.  All learning styles seem to be well catered for.  We hope that our novel way of demonstrating the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex, part of the extension resources that were provided, helps the FS2 children to appreciate that some dinosaurs were very big indeed!  Or were they massive, giant, huge, bigger – just some or the words the children came up with when we examined fossils and challenged the children to describe some of them.

Discover Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.