AoLE -
Spring 2024
We started the topic by asking our big question - What makes me Welsh?
It was a huge question that had many different opinions.
Are we Welsh because we live in Wales?
Are we Welsh because our families are Welsh?
Are we Welsh because we like the sports and Welsh cakes?
This is what we thought...
Where in the World is Wales?
Map of the world
One of the first questions children had was where in the world is Wales. Many children were not able to explain this so we used Google maps to explore the world. The pupils were asked to identify the 7 continents and to find out where we are in the world we are. We had to identify the seven continents and the oceans by answering quiz questions about the world! They established Wales was in the continent of Europe and part of the United Kingdom island .
Add my maps here
Then, we used Keynote and Maps to show where we are in the World!
Where in the World is Wales.movCollaborative Website - The Seven Continents of the World.
After discovering the names of the seven continents, we wanted to research them further. We used Google sites for this. By splitting into seven groups, we were able to research the continents in more detail; including topics like climate, population, life expectancy, currency and average income.
Dosbarth Arian's Collaborative Website
Click on the two links to explore our collaborative class websites and see how different they are.
The children researched the 4 countries of the United Kingdom and found facts about each one. The capital city, the total population, the national emblem and the country's flag.
We shared a physical map of Wales with the children and asked them to locate important physical features from the maps. They used co-ordinates to share important place names and specific locations of the mountains and rivers. They were able to use compass point directions to support finding key features on the map.
There are 7 cities in Wales. Our job was to research them and find out exactly where they are located in Wales. We worked collaboratively and then had to present our findings to the class. Some of us produced a website, others used slides, one group used Adobe and two groups produced a giant information poster showcasing each city. We had great fun and found out lots of information. Most of us in the class thought Wales only had two cities, Cardiff and Newport or Cardiff and Swansea. Look at our work to find out where they are and a little bit about each city.
St David's Day is a tradition celebrated in Wales and makes us Unique. We participated in a live Adobe Lesson and created our own St David's flag telling the story of our Patron Saint of Wales. we also created our own animations of the Welsh dragon on our Welsh flag. Click on the links below to see our completed designs.
https://new.express.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:bb76f58d-f117-4396-b8d7-3c13c2bedfb6?promoid=Z2G1FQKR&mv=other&category=search
Whilst exploring Wales we looked at all the things that made us Welsh. Things that were synonymous with Wales and made us feel we had a sense of belonging or cynefin.
Pupils work with symbols of Wales
D & T - TEXTILES
Making a cushion with a Welsh theme.
We explored different symbols to represent Wales and used these images for the design on our cushions. We are hoping to sell them in our Welsh afternoon after the Easter break.
Th children made a template of their design and used this to cut around the felt fabric.
The children joined the felt together by using a running stitch and filled their cushions with a soft toy filling. The end result is fantastic! The children have worked so hard on these!
Beautiful cushions Year 4 :)
ST FAGAN"S SCHOOL TRIP
Outside the museum
Inside the Cockpit
In the Cynefin gallery
At the lecture theatre
Our workshop at the museum was very informative. We were sent off in our groups to find evidence to support the following statements: Wales is a musical Country; Wales is the Same as England; Wales has been affected by war for thousands of years; Wales has a rich history of protesting; Being able to speak Welsh is not Important. When we were back in school we further explored each statement.
We loved exploring the Cynefin exhibit! There were so many great artefacts and it helped us ask more question like:
What Welsh events caused protests?
What is the Welsh Not?
What was school like in the past?
My Cynefin
After completing most of our topic we were again asked what our cynefin was. We chose how to share our work with others. What is your cynefin?
Welsh Not
After visiting St Fagans, we wanted to learn more about the Welsh Not. We learnt that in the past, children were not encouraged to speak Welsh like us! If pupils spoke Welsh in school, they would wear the Welsh Not around their neck. If you had it at the end of the day - you were punished with the cane!
Comparing schools from the past to the present.
Protesting!
We learnt about protesting when we went to St Fagans. After learning about the Welsh Not and the cane, we decided that we would like to create some protest posters as if we were pupils during that time. We feel that both of these were cruel to children and should never have happened!
