For anyone new to this blog, the idea is simple - each day my boys (Joshua - 9 and Archie - 8) choose a stimulus that drives the learning. We hope that you enjoy the blog and can take some inspiration from what we love doing - making learning as engaging as possible!
Wings
When I was the boys' age, all I wanted to do was fly. I dreamed of flying way up above the clouds, looking down on the world below. I often thought about how exciting it would be to be able to push off from the ground and escape whatever tied you down.
As a father, all I want to do is to give my boys the wings to enable them to fly. We hope you enjoy!
English
Playful poetry
Figurative techniques
As a lover of poetry, I am always delving into anthologies to look for the words that allow me to escape or think deeply. I find poetry a means of expressing myself, mainly because it is all about the words and the effect they have on the reader or audience. I also love the performance that lies behind poetry - the words with the voice. It is utterly liberating.
So, whilst delving into Pie Corbett's The Works Key Stage 2, I came across this little gem by the man himself. This is the inspiration of today's blog:
Wings
If I had wings
I would touch the fingertips of clouds
and glide on the wind.
If I had wings
I would taste a chunk of the sun
as hot as peppered curry.
If I had wings
I would listen to the clouds of sheep bleat
that gaze on the blue.
If I had wings
I would breathe deep and sniff
the scent of raindrops.
If I had wings
I would gaze at people
who cling to the earth.
If I had wings
I would dream of
walking the deserts
and swimming the seas.
© Pie Corbett
To get the boys thinking about the world of possibility, we began by making a list of all the amazing things we could do if we could fly. Initially, they stated more of the obvious things, so we re-read the poem and identified how Pie used the senses to open the world of possibility.
The Brainstorm
If I had wings, I could...
fly to the sun
fly to the moon
fly through the clouds
see the stars
visit planets
glide across countries
twirl in the wind
dodge trees / mountains
feel the wind through my hair
climb across anything
dodge the rain
taste far off things
listen to sounds in the sky
We also brainstormed a list of synonyms for the word 'fly':
Synonyms for fly
swoop, soar, swarm, swing, sway, glide, loop, loop the loop, tumble, zoom, swoosh, flutter, pilot, jet, take off, zip, buzz, dash, dart, dive, reach, speed, shoot
I then showed them how to create their own poem, using Pie's model as a scaffold. Once they tuned into the pattern, they too had the wings to zoom off and write their own versions.
Wings
If I had wings
I would soar across vacant skies
and savour serenity.
If I had wings
I would taste crimson sunsets
as they rest upon the horizon.
If I had wings
I would pilot hidden lands
and discover lost treasures.
If I had wings
I would twirl and loop
like a sycamore seed in the breeze.
If I had wings
I would sip cauldrons of culture,
fragrant and fiery.
If I had wings
I would listen to unanswered prayers
that ebb and flow
like a river of hope.
© Jamie Thomas 2020
Wings by Joshua
If I had wings
I would dodge the rain
that falls to the ground.
If I had wings
I would fly to the moon
and bounce like a trampoline.
If had wings
I would fly to the boiling sun
that stares down on earth.
If I had wings
I would fly to the North Pole
and see the penguins
that snuggle in a triangle.
If I had wings
I would fly to Antartica
and see the polar bears and caribou
and artic foxes that play happily.
Wings by Archie
If I had wings
I would loop the loop
like a helter skelter .
If I had wings
I would touch the rainbow
zooming down to the pot of gold.
If I had wings
I would soar like a rocket
darting through the fluffy clouds.
If I had wings
I would take off to the moon
and picnic in a crater.
If I had wings
I would glide across countries
and taste delicious food.
If I had wings
I would visit the stars
to look down to the deep, dark ocean.
If I had wings
I would dive round the clouds
like a speedy seagull.
If I had wings
I would flutter like a butterfly
and follow it round the garden.
Science / Maths
Scientific investigation
Prediction
This afternoon, we carried out a science investigation, looking at how the wing design on a plane can alter its flight. Having made lots of paper planes, we made our initial prediction:
We predict that the pointier the plane, the further it will travel. We think this because the pointier the design, the less air resistance there will be.
We then tested the planes. Here are some photos of the boys carrying out the investigation.
After that, we discussed our results. Here was what we found:
Our results show that there were two designs that flew the furthest. One of these was 'the javelin' and the other 'the arrow.' The javelin was very fast and aerodynamic, this means there was less air resistance. In comparison, the arrow had large wings and glided on the wind.
We then discussed out investigation and concluded that it was not a fair test.
Unfortunately, our investigation was not a fair test because we changed more than one variable. We should have kept everything the same apart from the design of the plane. If we were to repeat the investigation, we would make sure the same person threw the planes from the same place each time.
If you are enjoying this blog, please do share it and spread the word. Thank you to all of you who have got in touch and shared some of the outcomes from what you have tried - we love to hear from you.
Do tune in tomorrow where we exploring:
Crayons
My thanks to Pie Corbett, Julia Strong and the Talk for Writing team for inspiring many of the ideas explored in this blog.