Resources - Primary - News

1st October 2010 at 01:00

Passing through

The Dundee Science Festival from November 1 to 14 aims to promote science as an aspect of culture, enhance awareness of science learning opportunities and promote lifelong science learning. The programme has events for all ages, while the Dundee Science Centre's How to Make the Perfect Poo looks at how food passes through the digestive system and runs from October 2 to 31. See

Understanding intercultural developments

Cilt, the national centre for languages, is running a one-day course on developing intercultural understanding in primary schools. The course takes place in London on Wednesday, October 20. See

Maths update

Education consultant Derek Haylock has published a fourth edition of Mathematics Explained for Primary Teachers, widely used on PGCE courses. It has two new chapters and is fully updated.


What the lesson is about

This is the first part of a unit covering 15 lessons about shapes and number facts and is aimed at Year 1 pupils.

Aims: pupils will

- visualise and name common 2D shapes;

- be able to describe the features of common 2D shapes.

Getting started

Tell pupils to picture a rectangle in their head. Ask them to describe it to you so you can picture it. Get them to imagine a square. How many edges does it have? Is the rectangle different to the square in any way? Repeat this with a circle and a triangle.

Give the class a set of 2D shapes. Sit in a circle and ask them to sort the shapes according to their names. Instruct pupils to sort them according to whether they have straight or curved sides. Play I Spy to get the children to look around the classroom to find examples of shapes.

Taking it further

Spread cut-out shapes around the playground or hall. Tell the pupils you are thinking of a shape with three corners - can they see the shape you are thinking of? Ask them to bring it to you. What can they tell you about the shape? How do they know it is a triangle? How do they know it is not a square? What is the same or different about two shapes?

Where to find it

The original lesson was uploaded by Gwendelyn and can be found at


What the lesson is about

This looks at part of the body by identifying the differences between a human and a doll. It is aimed at Year 1 pupils.

Aims: pupils will

- know that humans move, feed, grow, use their senses and reproduce.

Getting started

You will need two dolls - a boy and a girl. Show the dolls to the class and ask pupils the difference between a doll and a child. What does the child do that the doll does not? Ask the children what they have done since they woke up. What have they done that a doll could not do? Get them to talk to their partner and collect the answers.

What are they doing that a doll cannot? Write a list on the board, stressing moving, eating, growing and the senses. Ask if anyone has a brother or sister. Do dolls have babies, or mums and dads? Do dolls change?

Where to find it

The lesson was originally uploaded by indigo97 and can be found at


What the lesson is about

This uses Scene de Plage by Degas to look at French vocabulary associated with the beach. It is aimed at Year 5 pupils who have already learnt words for colours.

Aims: pupils will

- learn new vocabulary associated with the beach;

- practise the aueau phoneme.

Getting started

Ask each group to bring five objects of the colour you call out. Show Scene de Plage (available on the link below or the National Gallery website) and introduce vocabulary: la mer, le sable, le ciel, le bateau, la plage, une baise, une falaise, une grotte, des coquillages, des rochers and des cailloux. Show close-ups of the picture (available on the link below) and ask the pupils to identify parts you describe. Use flashcards to repeat the new words.

Taking it further

Highlight the sound of bateau. Do other words have that sound? Ask pupils to repeat the sound, adding different consonants - it does not matter if they are not words; you are only practising the sound.

Where to find it

The lesson, with a PowerPoint showing Scene de Plage, close-ups from the picture and soundfiles, was originally uploaded by runaway and can be found at

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