Year 8 learning in Humanities

Y9 learning in Humanities

As part of our Humanities unit on creating their perfect country, “My Utopia” our learners spent last week looking at what makes a society. They brainstormed in groups, using our super white board tables, so that their prior knowledge was very visible for all to see. They then developed their understanding by asking key questions and doing some research to deepen their understanding. They then presented in small groups to the rest of the class before the deep learning took place in which they further explored the key elements that make up society, looking at a variety of examples from around the world before choosing the key features that they liked the best.

Ms Libby Ince, Y9 Humanities

Science Learning in the Megalab!

Moving into the new school building has given Science a new type of learning area - the Megalab. Learners are able to accomplish project and investigative work in our giant open lab space. They can work in a variety of different groups depending on the work they are doing at the time. Y9 are beginning the Green Technology Project and are beginning to think about what aspect of Green Science they wish to investigate. Year 8 have been working on Chemistry and doing a variety of experiments. Year 7 have been using the space to make various models for their Space project: models of planets, travel brochures describing their chosen planet or housing modules for planets such as Mars. The Year 13 IBDP students have also been using the space for their Chemistry experiments.

Have a look at the photographs to see how learners are using the Megalab space.

Ms Anne Caine and the Science Team

IB Learning Hub

Our IB Diploma learners are loving their new spaces. With different layouts, our teachers and learners can choose spaces that suit collaboration, group work, presentation or quiet individual work. The flexibility the spaces provide, give us so many new opportunities for different kinds of activities. Here we can see Chemistry learners in the Megalab space and English learners leading seminars. In Geography, learners are able to explore important concepts collaboratively by discussing ideas and annotating maps.

Ms Melanie Brown, IBDP Coordinator

HPE Lessons: The weird and wonderful way my body works

HPE learners have been focusing on a fun unit of work around the quirks of the human body. By having a lot of fun carrying out experiments they have learned a great deal about human anatomy, and many of them found out things they never knew they could do before!

Ms Stephanie Hughes, Deputy Head of School

Studying Humanities in the Learning Resource Hub

The Year 10 Learners from Ms. Sarah's Global Perspective class recently had a double session in the Learning Resources Hub with the Teacher Librarian, Ms. L. The lesson focused on understanding and fostering academic writing and academic honesty for their IGCSE coursework. There were four three points to the integrated lesson; these included the difference between summarising and paraphrasing, indirect and direct quotes, and signal phrases. A discussion was lead by the learners and the teachers about the difference between the summarising and paraphrasing and links were made to the requirements of Cambridge International Examinations in regards to submitted coursework. The learners then worked in pairs and were given multiple pieces of text and famous quotes to either summarise or paraphrase. The lesson moved into what a direct and indirect quote is and how to paraphrase these in writing. We also looked at the importance of using signal phrases to queue the reader when an important piece of information was being written about. We ended the session by allowing the learners to peruse the nonfiction section of the LRH and use some of the skills taught to locate information within the text. The learners were very focused, engaged and had a great attitude towards the lesson.

Susan Lussenhop, Teacher Librarian