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!
Dreams
Dreams are one of those things in the world that I find hard to explain. Your dreams can take you back into your past, submerge you in the present or also transport you into worlds not yet seen. Some are immensely realistic and some are utterly surreal. But what are dreams? Are they visions of our imagination? Are they a reflection of our day? Are they our mind's way of unwinding or making sense of the world? Whatever the answer, they are a fascinating thing to explore. Today's blog is delving into the world of dreams...the world of possibility. We hope you enjoy!
English / Art
Playful poetry
Designing dreamcatchers
A dreamcatcher is a protective symbol, used to protect people from nightmares and bad dreams. Many believe that a dreamcatcher acts like a spider's web, trapping the bad dreams or nightmares while allowing the good ones to filter through.
We began the session by talking about dreamcatchers and looking at some photos them. We discussed how they were designed, with beads and feathers and webs to snare and trap potential threats whilst you are sleeping.
We then had a go at drawing our own dreamcatchers. The boys wanted to influence their dreams through the design. Archie (middle below) wanted a spider's web that would not allow any nightmares to pass. He questioned there being a circle in the centre as he felt this would act as a window for evil to pass through. Joshua (right below) just wanted his dreams to be filled with the Christmas spirit. I tried to explain that this was not perhaps the concept of the dreamcatcher, but he was adamant that this would be what hung above his bed to channel his dreams so I couldn't argue. Mine (left) is somewhat more traditional. Have a go at drawing your own dreamcatcher - it is amazingly therapeutic!
We then made a list of categories that we may experience in our dreams. These included:
sounds
smells
tastes
pictures / visions
feelings and emotions
music
memories
wishes / desires
lies
fears
destinies
significant events (e.g. halloween / Christmas / birthdays/ etc.)
magical places
real places
animals / fantasy creatures
For those of you familiar with Pie Corbett's poem entitled The Dream Catcher, the following activity takes inspiration from that. I have put my own spin on it to give the boys a strong scaffold to support their poems.
Introduce the children to the following simple model. In the example below, we are exploring sounds. Each stanza, change the category for a new focus.
The dreamcatcher caught
name a sound you fear and add detail (e.g. strangled screams)
add in further detail or action (e.g. tormenting innocent souls)
but it welcomed
name a sound you love (e.g. laughter)
add in further detail or action (e.g. dancing on a spring breeze)
The stanza would read:
The dreamcatcher caught
strangled screams,
tormenting innocent souls,
but it welcomed
laughter,
dancing on a spring breeze.
Here are our dreamcatcher poems:
The Dreamcatcher
The dreamcatcher caught
strangled screams,
tormenting innocent souls,
but it welcomed
laughter,
dancing on a spring breeze.
The dreamcatcher caught
barren lands,
void of life,
but it welcomed
fresh shoots,
stretching to sun-dappled skies.
The dreamcatcher caught
the scorpion's sting,
the black widow's bite
and the cobra's venomous spit,
but it welcomed
the cat's precious purr,
the cricket's click
and the sky lark's sweet song.
The dreamcatcher caught
the endless sleep,
the silent worlds,
but it welcomed
family and friendship,
glasses charged in celebration.
The dreamcatcher caught
sins of greed and jealousy,
charged with malice,
but it welcomed
tears of happiness, falling freely
into pools of pleasure.
© Jamie Thomas 2020
The Dreamcatcher
The dreamcatcher caught
a baby's mad cry
that explodes in your brain,
but it welcomed
Christmas carols
resonating through church passageways.
The dreamcatcher caught
curtain-like ghosts,
howling like dementors,
but it welcomed
Father Christmas
with his snowball-white beard.
The dreamcatcher caught
the tooth of a sabre-tooth tiger,
as sharp as an axe,
but it welcomed
a parrot's colourful feathers,
as bright as a rainbow.
The dreamcatcher caught
a haunted house
full of cackles,
but it welcomed
Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
by Joshua
The Dreamcatcher
The dreamcatcher caught
the screech of a chair
dragged across a cold, stone floor,
but it welcomed
secret songs of happiness
that spread laughter.
The dreamcatcher caught
accidents awaiting me,
full of danger and pain,
but it welcomed
paradise - a chocolate world,
delicious and sweet.
The dreamcatcher caught
a lion's hunger,
a cobra's venom
and a great white shark's tooth,
but it welcomed
a cat's soft miaow,
a dog's fluffy fur
and a rabbit's floppy ears.
The dreamcatcher caught
caves full of spiderwebs,
secretive and creepy,
but it welcomed
strawberry fields,
ripe and juicy.
by Archie
Art / DT
We could not resist the opportunity to make our own dreamcatchers. To do this, all you need is a paper plate, some pens/paints, a hole punch, some wool and any beads/feathers you may be able to find.
Here are Joshua, Archie and Finley's creations:
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 on Monday where we exploring:
5 Sentence Stories
My thanks to Pie Corbett, Julia Strong and the Talk for Writing team for inspiring many of the ideas explored in this blog.
This blog is copyright. All materials herein, texts and supporting resources are copyright to Jamie Thomas & Talk for Writing. They may be used to support children/staff/parents in home-learning ONLY and not for commercial gain or for training or sharing widely, in their original form or any variations. They must also not be shared online or on any social media platforms without prior permission.