This week, we have spent some of our topic time looking at the popular iPad game 'Temple Run'. We have used the game as a writing stimulus, thinking about the setting and the character. We have planned our own adventure story in the style of the game and have used our Big Writing session to produce a final piece of work. Lesson 1 In our first session, we played the game and thought carefully about where the game could be set. We decided that it was most likely set in a temple somwhere in a far away jungle or rainforest. To find out more about this, we used the excellent webiste www.oddizzi.com and found out a bit more about jungles and rainforests around the world. Here are just a few examples of the research we completed courtesy of Jamie M, Alicia and Brooke: Lesson 2 In our second session, we returned to the game to take a closer look at the main character and to revisit the setting. We thought carefully about what the main character is like and the type of person who would find themselves in a far away temple, searching for treasure. To record our thought and prepare us for writing later in the week, we create an image using the app 'Skitch'. Our image showed our thoughts on the main character as well as additional ideas for the setting. Lesson 3 For our third Temple Run lesson we began to pull our ideas together and plan for writing our own Temple Run themed adventure story. After watching a short video montage of Indiana Jones action clips, we used PicCollage to create our own story plan. As you can see from some of the examples below, plenty of imagination has been used and I am sure our stories will be an excellent read. Lesson 4 "Examples of our writing. Here are just some of the fantastic openers from our very own Temple Run themed stories. Alicia Deep inside the abandoned jungle in America, enormous green leaves cover everything. A beautiful multi-coloured parrot rummages about in the leaves looking for left over exotic fruits. The weather is as hot as someone holding lava. Fortunately, the huge green leaves covered the huge temple that was inside the waterfall. The temple was golden. Hidden doors to keep the gold safe and traps waiting for their next victim. Tia Lost inside the Indian jungle, the trees stood up taller then ever. At the hear, leaves falled down swiftly like the wind was guiding it. The baby elephant sucked the water up its trunk then dived down and played in the water. The sun glazed down, everything looked like gold. It was like a hot volcano about erupt was burning my skin. Hidden beneath all the trees stood an ancient temple made by our ancestors gleaming in the sun. The old shining stairs had inscriptions covered in, nobody could read it. The temple roof was falling in however it was still gleaming like mad. Rachel Lost in the feather jungle, the mud was as squelchy as sinking sand and as thick as dirty water. Beautiful peacocks fluttering their rainbow wings in the soft blowing breeze. However, rain poured down your spine as if it were a waterfall, despite there being humongous dens in the trees covering your soft hair. Deeple in the centre of the jungle, stood a golden temple as pretty as the queens crown. The stone door enchanting you and giving you a hint of what beautiful gold and silver could have been hidden at the very point. Soon the silky curtains blew in the wind they were covered in luscious jewels. As well as this, the gold temple was covered in lovely pink blossoms and emeralds like the icing on a cake. References:
For more fantastic ideas, many which have been used here, check out these other excellent blog posts: http://mrparkinsonict.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/using-popular-ipad-games-as-stimulus-in.html?m=1 http://inthetwelve.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/begging-borrowing-stealing/ ShowMe is a handy App that allows you to turn the iPad into a virtual whitebaord. Using the on screen controls, users can quickly add images or their own annotations to the screen which can then be recorded, narrated over and played back when they are required. Here are just some suggestions for using ShowMe in class. Virtual whiteboards: With a class set of iPads, ShowMe can be used during whole teachng in the place of the much more traditional whiteboards. One advantage to this is that the children can record their methods during main teaching and play them back to themselves as a visual prompt during independent working. A handy reminder of how they should be setting out their work / solving problems. (The pens can't conveniently run out either) Virtual Support: ShowMe can also be used as a means to support individuals, or groups or children, who need support when a teacher or support assistant are unavailable. For example, during main teaching where more able children could really benefit from a greater challenge than what the rest of the class is being taught or for an individual (or group) working at a different level or pace to others. Or simply when you are unable to spread yourself as far as you would like. An example of this is shown below. In a Year 2 class, a group of children were much more able and talented in mathematics than their peers. It was simply not appropriate for them to take part in some of the main teaching strategies. Therefore they needed a greater challenge. However, as with many challenges, the children needed some support, to guide them with what they were doing. Through using ShowMe, the children were able to be left with problems to solve that were an appopriate challenge. They were given a short explanation to remind them how to approach the questions and were then left a single iPad (works well in single iPad classrooms) with a video explanation of what to do. The children were then able to replay the methods they needed to use to reinforce what they should be doing. Another example of using an iPad app to support children or groups can be seen in a post on BookCreator here: http://5tanfieldlea.weebly.com/1/post/2013/10/book-creator-creating-digital-books-ibooks.html The two examples below are screengrabs from ShowMes explaining finding change using a number line and grid method for multiplicaton. Both used in Year 2. Peer Support:
In a similar manner to above, it is also nice for the children to be able to explain what they have been doing to help support others as well as way of reinforcing their understanding. These can then be shared on the class blog, which children could refer to to assist with homework activities (particularly if the method isnt something that their parents will have used at school) Some examples: Fact Families http://1tanfieldlea.weebly.com/1/post/2014/02/jessicas-show-me.html Explaining Grid Method http://5tanfieldlea.weebly.com/1/post/2013/09/brook-and-roan-explain-grid-method.html Multiplying Decimals http://5tanfieldlea.weebly.com/1/post/2013/09/drew-and-rachel-explain-multiplying-by-decimals.html Today we are researching Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Use these web links to help you with your research: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/the_gunpowder_plot http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/guy/history.htm http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/15351828 PLAY THE GUNPOWDER PLOT GAME http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/launch_gms_gunpowder_plot.shtml |