(PDF) Living.Learning.Together: Year 6, Unit 4: Working at ...

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding: Key Stage 2, Year 6Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider CommunityUnit 4: Working at HarmonyComplementary Units: Speaking Up for Me Check It Out First! Decisions! Decisions!

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The main theme of this unit is to experience listening as an important communication skill. Listening is particularly important when people are experiencing change in their lives, and change happens in all our lives at some time. The activities suggested focus on encouraging listening skills and helping to develop empathy.

Harmony

Classroom EthosMutual understanding is process based. The main focus is on developing attitudes and skills. For example, in this unit children develop self-awareness, listening, cooperation and empathy. Everyone’s experiences and opinions are valued and respected. Right answers are not sought. Everyone is given the opportunity to express their views and tell their stories. That is how we learn to understand each other.

Teaching approaches

Fair PairingFair pair children using other learning and teaching topics, for example have two piles of cards: one showing shapes and the other using words to describe the shapes. Ask the children to pair up by matching the words on one card to the shape on another. For example, an outline of a circle is matched with the word circumference; or, an angle of 35° is matched with the word acute (see Resource B).

Fair GroupingFair group the children using other learning and teaching topics. For example, if you are doing a local study in the Cushendall area, organise groups of four by making four cards for each of the following words: Lurigethan, Charlie McAuley, Tieveragh, Layde, Dall, Glenballyemon, and Glenariff. Mix up the cards and allocate randomly within the class. Alternatively, write a short description of each place or person and have the children sort themselves into the groups, naming the place or person described on their cards.

Working with OthersYou may decide to Fair Pair and Fair Group the children once each week or twice each month. Having the children work with others in this way helps their mutual understanding of each other and is well worth the time it takes to organise.

Working at Key Stage 2

Initiating, developing and sustaining mutually satisfying relationships:- recognising the benefits of friends and families;- finding out about sources of help and support for individuals, families and groups; and- considering the challenges and issues that can arise at home, at school between friends, and how they can be avoided, lessened, or resolved.

Moving towards Key Stage 3Personal Development Key Concept: RelationshipsPersonal Development Key Concept: Self-awareness

• I can show that I am listening. • I can repeat what someone says to me in my own words.• Other people think I am a good listener.• I can suggest how other people might be feeling.• I can express how I am feeling.• I can tell other people politely when someone or something is annoying me.• I know that life brings changes.• I know that some changes will feel good and others will feel bad.• I am learning ways of coping with change.

Progress in learning

Initiating and developing mutually satisfying relationships:- knowing how to be a good friend; and- understanding that they can take on some responsibility in their family and friendship groups.

Building on Key Stage 1

Home Economics Key Concept: Home and Family Life

Key Experiences in initiating, developing and sustaining mutually satisfying relationships

Learning intention:

Key Questions for your Planning BoardThese are a range of questions that you and your class can use to plan the unit.The Planning Board is a work in progress, and as questions are answered others can be asked.

Key Stage 2, Year 6 Strand 2: Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community Working at Harmony

2

What do we know already?

What do we want to find out?

Where can we find out more?

How will we begin?

How are we going to arrange our classroom?

What do we need?

What can we bring?

Who can come to visit our class?

Who are we going to tell?

How are we going to tell people?

Who can help us to learn more?

How will we show our learning?

What do we have?

Understand the factors that contribute to mutually satisfying relationships

Learning together

What can we do?

What do we need?

What can we make?

Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities by the end of Key Stage 2

Self-management

Evaluate what has been learnt and compare approaches with others;

Make links between learning in different contexts;

Become more self-directed by working independently or with a group;

Learn ways to manage own time;

Seek help from a variety of sources;

Work towards personal targets identified individually or jointly with the teachers; and

Be more confident in the knowledge of personal strengths and weaknesses.

Thinking, problem solvingand decision-making

Show the ability to use memory strategies to deepen understanding;

Identify and order patterns and relationships through a range of strategies such as grouping, classifying and reclassifying, and comparing and contrasting;

Make and test predictions, examine evidence and make links between possible causes and effects;

Discriminate between fact and opinion and question the reliability of evidence;

Managing information

Be able to ask deeper and wider questions to clarify a task and to plan and set goals;

Begin to challenge conventions and assumptions;

Be able to classify, compare and evaluate information, and to select the most appropriate methods for a task;

Develop methods for collating and recording information and monitoring progress on a task; and

Have a sense of audience and purpose.

Working with others

Become more independent in social and interpersonal skills;

Show that they can work in different roles in a group and take responsibility for appropriate tasks;

Be willing to help others with their learning;

Understand and learn to respond to feedback; and

Work with peers to reach agreements and begin to manage disagreements.

Understand more than one point of view;

Examine options and weigh up pros and cons;

Try alternative problem solving solutions and approaches; and

Use different types of questions systematically and with purpose.

Being creative

Pose questions that do not have straightforward answers and seek out problems to solve and challenge the routine method;

Use all the senses to stimulate and contribute to ideas;

Experiment with different modes of thinking (for example visualisation);

See opportunities in mistakes and failures;

Learn from and build on own and others’ ideas and experiences;

Value other people’s ideas;

Experiment with objects and ideas in a playful way;

Make ideas real by experimenting with different ideas, actions and outcomes; and

Begin to develop value judgments about the merits of their work.

3

AngryEmpathy

Frustrated

RespectNervous

Across the Curriculum: Connecting the learning

4

Being sensitive to others’ feelings

Language and Literacy Mathematics and Numeracy

Listening attentively and giving feedback

Democratic decision making while using mathematical language

Emotions UnderstandingAcceptance

Working with Others

Words and phrases I will hear and use Glad

Rejected

Activity 1Taking time to listenExisting listening skills are built on and further developed.

Activity 2Listening for feelingsChildren begin to interpret how someone may be feeling.

Activity 3Rory’s teamChildren find ways to express their own needs within a relationship.

Activity 4Coping with changeStrategies to cope with change are developed.

Learning activities

Confused AppropriateNegotiate

5

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Learning activity 1: Taking time to listen6

CORE CONCEPT

We all need to work on our listening skills to better understand what people are saying when they are talking to us. We need to think not only about the spoken word but also about tone of voice, body language and what is not said in order to increase our depth of understanding. Listening is the basis of good relationships, mutual understanding and effective communication. Clear communication is important when others are trying to receive the correct message.

POINTS TO NOTEYear 6 listening skills build on those developed in Year 5, so you may wish to revisit Year 5 Living. Learning. Together. activities in order to familiarise yourself with and remind the children of good listening skills. As in previous years, it is important that you be sensitive to the children’s differing listening abilities and encourage their development. Some children may be shy and find it difficult to participate in the activities. Others may have hearing difficulties or come from cultures that have different values or attitudes to ours. Others may find it difficult to interpret feelings.

Also, when we try to understand what others are saying, it does not mean that we have to agree with them; it just means that we try to understand fully why they think what they do. Then we can begin to interpret the feelings associated with what is being said.

Finally, the speaker is responsible for what he or she says, but the listener is responsible for what he

or she hears. The listener needs to clarify what is ‘heard’ by asking questions (see Year 5 Green Unit 4, Resource B). Above all, this is as much about listening to the children and developing your own skills as it is about developing the children’s skills! The activities are not intended to be followed sequentially but canbe developed throughout the school year as your children’sskills develop. Listening strategies can be used across the curriculum.

WHAT YOU NEED- Letter to Parent(s)/Carer(s) (Resource A)- Fair Pair Cards (Resource B)- Guidelines for Listening (Resource C)- Three simple picture outlines (alternatively, see Primary Values p251)

WHAT TO DO- Review - Something that Happened to Me- Guidelines for Listening- Communicating Clearly

SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERIA

We will demonstrate good listening skills.We will give clear messages when we talk to others.

Something that Happened to Me

Guidelines for ListeningAs a class, draw up a Class Listening Contract. You may decide to remind children of Learning Activity 3 in the Year 5 Green Unit. Alternatively, use Guidelines for Listening (Resource C) to initiate discussion. The children could design and represent the contract as a flow chart or poster.

Ask the children to start to practise their listening skills in the everyday situations in the classroom and in the playground. These situations might include a misunderstanding, a disagreement, when someone feels something is unfair, when someone has great news, etc. The children will best learn this skill when you and the other adults in the classroom model good listening skills and seek to facilitate, rather than instruct, in the above situations. Review the contract regularly and change as necessary.

Begin by asking the children the following question: Have you ever had a bad misunderstanding because you didn’t listen carefully or because somebody didn’t listen carefully to you? Ask the children to share those instances with the class and to explain what their feelings were. Remind them to think carefully about the words they use so that they don’t mention a person’s name. Ask them to share by saying: Someone said _____ or Once when someone told me to _____ . There will be no judgement of what happened. You just need an example. Encourage them to concentrate carefully and to give the facts of what happened. Explain that sometimes when we are trying to give the facts of a situation, it helps not to use adjectives. Then, use the following questions to prompt class discussion:

- How can listening carefully help friendships? - When somebody is not listening to you, what can you do to encourage them to listen?

Give the children a few minutes to note down individually what they know about listening skills. Then, fair pair the children (see Resource B), and ask the pairs to share their notes and to refine their lists. Ask each group to contribute a suggestion. Finally, compare and discuss each suggestion so that you and the class can evaluate their current understanding of listening skills. Use the following questions to help prompt discussion:

- What has everyone learned?- Listening well is sometimes difficult to do? Why?- What are some reasons why people don’t listen? - What can we do about these reasons?- What’s wrong with not listening when someone is talking to you? - How can not listening create difficult feelings between family or friends?

Communicating ClearlyGood communication is important for good listening. Collect three pictures showing a simple shape, stylised animal (for example a cat, pig, bird) or building (for example a house). See Primary Values pp250-251 for examples of stylised animals.

Begin by showing the class a sample stylised image. Explain that the activity will be for them to instruct someone on how to draw an image without using expressions such as ‘like a leg’ or ‘like a handle’. Instead, they must use clear communication and instructions like: ‘Draw a circle with a diameter of 5cm. Inside this circle, 1 cm from the base of the circumference, draw another circle with a diameter of 2cm’.

Then, do the activity once as a class. Ask another classroom adult or two volunteers to leave the room. Then, show the rest of the class a new picture you have chosen. Invite the adult or volunteers back into the classroom, and ask the children

Review

to start giving the instructions (one instruction at a time). The adults or volunteers then draw the picture according to the instructions.

The class should not see the resulting picture until they have given all their instructions. Afterwards, they may give further instructions until it is completed satisfactorily.

Discuss helpful and unhelpful instructions and the need to be specific. When everyone is clear about the task, let the children work in pairs, each completing a different drawing. You can use geometrical drawings to extend the children’s mathematical language skills, but remember that the main purpose of this exercise is to extend their communication skills!

Later, you can repeat this exercise using a different picture, but this time encourage the listeners to ask questions to clarify their understanding as they do the drawing.

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Learning activity 2: Listening for feelings


We will demonstrate listening skills and identify feelings associated with what is being said/not said. We will understand and talk about the importance of being empathetic.

CORE CONCEPT

Listening for feelings is an important aspect of listening and encourages the development of empathy.

POINTS TO NOTETo introduce this exercise, consider having a brief discussion about a magic market and what might be bought there. Listening to what the children ‘buy’ will give you a greater insight to their thoughts and feelings. You may need to consider how to adapt the activities for those who find the interpretation of feelings difficult. Many children will only be able to practise these skills at the simplest level, but you and the classroom’s other adults can guide them by consistently modelling the skills. It is an ongoing concept and is not confined to this year, this unit or just children.

WHAT YOU NEED- I’ll Be Late (Resource D) or Brendan Needs a Friend (Resource E)- Initial Feelings 1 (Resource F)- Initial Feelings 2 (Resource G)- A selection of pictures or the children’s favourite photographs

WHAT TO DO- Circle Work- Story- Discussion- Circle Work- Picture Activity- Class Discussions and Debates

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listenCircle Work

Sit the children in a circle. Ask a volunteer to finish the sentence: I went to the magic market and I bought _____ . The next child then repeats the sentence and adds on an extra item.

Continue this for six or seven children, with each child including the items suggested by previous children. Repeat so that every child in the class gets an opportunity to participate in this activity, but adjust

the number to ensure that every child can succeed and none is embarrassed by not being able to remember the items. Elicit from the children the important aspects of listening that they used during this activity. Ask them what they do when they are really listening (being quiet, concentrating, careful listening, looking, ignoring distractions, remembering). Remind the children about the Class Listening Contract.

Story

Read one or both stories (I’ll Be Late or Brendan Needs a Friend) with the children. Ask the children to listen carefully to the story and, in particular, to the feelings of the different characters in the story. Use Resources F and/or G to enable each child to note their initial thoughts about the people involved in the story, how the characters feel and what the characters might need to help with their feeling. Rather than guide the children as to the people to identify in the story, let their choice indicate their skills in empathy. List the feelings they identify in the story.

Discussion

Use the following questions for discussion

I’ll Be Late:- Why did Jane not notice that her dad was in bad form?- How did her dad show the way he was feeling?- Could she have behaved in a different way?- Did Sarah listen well? If not, what stopped her?- How might Sarah help the situation now?Ask the children to identify those people they wrote about and to

discuss what they thought they needed. Ask them to give reasons and relate this to their own experiences if they wish.

Brendan Needs a Friend:- Why did Brendan want to go home with Jim and Tom?- How was Brendan feeling?- In what way did he show his feelings?- How do you think Jim felt when he heard about Brendan being bullied?- Did Jim listen well? If not, what stopped him?- How might Jim help the situation now?Ask the children to identify those people they wrote about and to discuss what they thought they needed. Ask them to give reasons and relate this to their own experiences if they wish.

Circle WorkPass the speaking object around and invite each child to complete the sentence: When I’m listened to I feel _____ . Encourage them to talk about their own experiences of listening to a friend who had a problem or being listened to when they, themselves, had a difficulty.

Picture Activity

You will need a selection of eye catching pictures, for example the work of an artist that you are studying in Art and Design. Display the pictures so that everyone can look at them and choose one which appeals to them in some way. Fair pair the children and give each pair four or five minutes to talk about their picture with their partner (two minutes per partner). At the end, ask each child to explain to the rest of the group what his/her partner liked about the picture. Alternatively, ask the children to bring in a favourite photograph and to discuss with a partner why they chose it.

You may decide to allocate a total number of minutes to each pair for discussion without offering any reminder to ‘change over’. This gives each person in the pair responsibility for the allocation of time. Each pair will need to decide for how long each should talk and to take mutual responsibility for ‘changing over’. Each person also needs to decide what to do if the other person overruns his/her time allocation. Giving such implicit responsibility further develops empathy.

Class Discussions and DebatesUsing a class discussion or debate format, both formal and informal, ask the children to summarise what the previous speaker has said before they can speak themselves. Use the ‘speaking object’ as used in Circle Time to contribute to a more equal distribution of speaking time and to encourage listening.

The listening skills of all of us are at differing stages of development. These exercises are not designed to embarrass or denigrate those who find listening, interpreting associated feelings or remembering difficult. For those who find remembering difficult, encourage them to initially make brief notes. This can create confidence. However, as talking is an oral activity and listening skills are being promoted, you should encourage the children to develop their memory skills along with their listening skills. When they learn to think more about what the speaker is saying and less about what they want to say in response, they will find it easier to remember what the speaker is saying.

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Learning activity 3: Rory’s team


We will understand and discuss how family and friends can influence our thinking.We will demonstrate how to make our views known in a difficult situation.

CORE CONCEPT

We can all be influenced by family and friends, and sometimes this can lead to problems.

POINTS TO NOTEAt this stage of development, children spend an increasing amount of time in the company of diverse groups. Their growing freedom brings more responsibility and the need to make important decisions about what they do.

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Tell the children that they are going to hear a story about the influence a group of friends had on a young person. Then, read Rory’s Team with the class. Afterwards, ask the children to name some of the feelings experienced by the people in the story. Use the following questions to initiate discussion:- What do you think was going through Rory’s mind when the older children laughed?- Why did Rory wish that he supported a ‘better’ team?

As a class, use Resource I to compare and contrast two football teams. Ask those who do not support either team to comment constructively on the similarities and differences discussed by those who do support them. For example, see Class Discussions and Debates in Learning activity 2.

- Is this a good way to choose a team to support? Why? Why not?- When might using a strategy like this be useful?

Rory’s Team

WHAT YOU NEED- Rory’s Team (Resource H)- Compare and Contrast (Resource I)- Choices (Resource J)

WHAT TO DO- Rory’s Team- Feelings- How Do You Tell Someone that You Don’t Want to Do Something?

Ask the children to imagine how they might feel if they were asked to leave their group of close friends because they wanted to do something different than the group. Highlight the importance of friendship. Ask the children to discuss what they would lose if they could no longer belong to their group of friends. Has anyone an example of this? How did it work out? Record their responses in a Circle of Feelings on the board. The following is an illustration of this:

Feelings

Pose the following questions to the class:- How do you think Rory felt when the tickets arrived?- What options did Rory have?

Make a class list and group similar suggestions together until you have at least four or five possible options. Using Resource J, assign one option to each group. Ask them to explore the strengths and weaknesses/pros and cons of their given option. Then, ask each group to share their option with the class as well as the pros/cons that they identified. As a class, decide a possible course of action for Rory.

You can use the following questions to explore the topic further:- Will family always come first?- Will friends always come first?

Writing

Give each group time to write a short role play and to enact their story. The role play should be about a real or made-up situation where an individual wanted something different than the group and felt pulled between family and friends, or between two school clubs, for example music and sport.

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rejected

sad

alone

annoyedangry

upset

left outIf I could no longer

belong to my group of friends, I would feel.....

lonely

How Do You Tell Someone That You Don’t Want To Do Something?

Learning activity 4: Coping with change

SUGGESTED SUCCESS CRITERION

We will identify how life brings change.

CORE CONCEPT

Change is a normal feature of life.POINTS TO NOTEIf we accept that change is normal and we develop some coping strategies, then we have a better chance of coping when faced with difficult changes. Living.Learning.Together. is not a counselling resource. If after using the activities you feel that a child has been adversely affected by change, follow the school’s procedures for providing additional support to that child.

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WHAT YOU NEED- Circle Time: Changes (Resource K)- Circle Time: A New Child in the Class (Resource L)- Changes in Our Lives (Resource M)

WHAT TO DO- Changes I Liked- Discussing Changes- Circle Time - Changes I Didn’t Like

change

Discuss changes in nature and positive changes that have happened in the local community. Discuss changes that have happened in school. Discuss the feelings that everyone may have had at the prospect of change and the advantages that are now evident. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the situations discussed. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice-versa?

Then, ask each child to think of one change in his/her life and why it was they liked the change.

Changes I Liked

Ask the children to talk to a parent or, with their permission, a neighbour or older relative. As a class, devise a questionnaire that explores what changes their chosen person has seen. This could be in the area of food, work, roles within the family, school, behaviour, entertainment or holidays.

Prepare the children for the fact that some people may have had very sad changes in their lives. Expecting children only to relate to ‘happy’ times is not realistic and does nothing to develop coping strategies for sad times in their own lives. It also suggests that it is ‘wrong’ to be sad.

Questions to explore via the questionnaire could include:- What was the biggest change that happened in the life of this person? - How did the person feel? - How long did it take the person to come to terms with the change? - How did the person cope? - Did anything help the person to cope? - How does that person feel about the change now?

Discussing Changes

Use the Circle Time activities presented in Resources K and/or L to discuss changes that the children have experienced.

Circle Time

It is particularly important to give parents the opportunity to speak to you about this part of the Unit. It is also important to be particularly sensitive to children who are new to the class, come from another culture, have recently experienced changes in their medical condition, have suffered bereavement, etc. This may be the only opportunity for a child in the class to talk about a situation that has been difficult and to have class members listen and try to empathise with the child.

Before you begin, explain what the lesson is about so that they have the opportunity to express any concerns. Then, ask the children if anyone would like to talk about a change he or she didn’t like. It may help to have the children respond to the sentence stem: I didn’t like it when _____ . In some cases, it may also be appropriate to ask the children to talk about ‘someone

Changes I Didn’t Like

close to me’ or ‘someone I know’ rather than name specific people in a whole class situation. For those children who are willing to share, ask them:

- What did it feel like? - Who were you able to talk to? - What if anything helped the situation?

From the discussion, develop a list of strategies and of people or organisations that can help in difficult situations. These might include a teacher, bereavement organisations, Childline, Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People or the Citizens Advice Bureau. You can also look in local and national newspapers for organisations that help families, young people and children. Finally, invite visitors from appropriate organisations to talk to the class.

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Resource A

Letter to Parent(s) /Carer(s)

Learning activity 1 : Taking time to listen

14

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding Green Unit

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15

Resource BLearning activity 1 : Taking time to listen

16


Fair Pair Cards

17

Resource BLearning activity 1 : Taking time to listen

18


Fair Pair Cards

Square Parallelogram Octagon Right angledtriangle

Cylinder

Hexagon Pentagon Cuboid Isoscelestriangle

Equilateral triangle

Rectangle Acute angle(less than 90°)

Obtuse angle(bigger than 90° but less than 180°)

Semi-circle A circle with a radius

Circumference CircleA shape with

four right angles

Reflex angle(bigger

than 180°)

A solid shape with eight

corners and six faces

In this four sided shape, only theopposite angles

are equal

A solid shape with two

circles and one rectangle

Cone Trapezium

A four sided figure with

only one pair of sides parallel

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Resource CLearning activity 1 : Taking time to listen

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Guidelines for Listening

STOPStop whatever you are doing inorder to give the person who is speaking your full attention.

LOOKLook at the person – do not stare.Let the person see that you arepaying attention to him/her.

LISTEN Try to hear not only the words ofthe other person, but also whatthe speaker’s body is saying.

Suggestions in Year 5

Look at the person who is talking.Listen without interrupting.Ask questions about feelings and facts to make sure you understand.Nod your head or speak quietly to show you understand.Check with the speaker to make sure you have understood what was said by repeating what you heard in your own words.

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Resource DLearning activity 2: Listening for feelings

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I’ll Be LateSarah was late for her friend Jane’s party and was rushing around the house getting ready. She heard her father drive up outside and thought, “Great, I will be able to get a lift over to Jane’s house.” Dad came through the door slowly. His head was bent and he was looking at the ground. His briefcase seemed heavy. tick tock

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3

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Sarah rushed over to him and said, “Dad, can I have a lift to Jane’s house? I’m late already for the party.” Her Dad looked up and said, “Where is your mother?” Jane didn’t know. She burst in, “Dad, you have to give me a lift to Jane’s house or I’ll miss the party.” Her Dad said, “Could you get me a cup of tea first?”

Later when Jane was home she heard her parents talking in the kitchen. Her Dad was sitting with his head in his hands. She wondered why he was looking so dejected. Her mother had her hand on his shoulder and was saying, “Maybe it will not be as bad as you think.”

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Dad, you have to give me a lift to Jane’s house or l’ll miss the party

Resource ELearning activity 2: Listening for feelings

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Brendan Needs a Friend

It was first break time and Jim was playing in the playground with his friend Tom. They were having a great game when Jim’s cousin, Brendan, who was looking a bit worried, interrupted them. Brendan was in Year 5 and Jim was his hero. They got on well and played a lot together when the families visited each other at the weekend. Brendan asked Jim could he go home from school with him that evening. Jim felt a bit annoyed at the interruption but said yes. Later at lunch time, Brendan came over again and reminded Jim to wait for him that evening.

It was a lovely September day and the sun was shining. The teacher was doing a topic about autumn. She told the boys to collect as many samples of the fruits of autumn as they could find that evening

and let them out of school on the dot of three so that they had plenty of time to look. Jim and Tom loved wandering in the woods, and they were impatient to be off. Tom said he knew where they could find loads of conkers, beech nuts, acorns and haws. So off they ran home to tell their parents that they were going searching. While they were in the woods, Jim remembered Brendan.

Later that evening after supper, Brendan’s dad arrived at the door. He was looking cross and worried. He sat down and told Jim’s parents that some bigger boys were bullying Brendan on the way home from school each day. They would wait until he was on his own and then pick on him. Today they had hit him, knocked him down and thrown all his books around.

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Resource FLearning activity 2: Listening for feelings

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Initial Feelings 1

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9I’ll be late

Person

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Feels Needs

Resource GLearning activity 2: Listening for feelings

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Initial Feelings 2Brendan Needs a Friend

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Person Feels Needs

Resource HLearning activity 3: Rory’s team

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Rory’s TeamRory supported Bolton Wanderers. He had done so since he was five years old. His dad came from Bolton and his grandmother still lived there. He’d never been to see his team playing and he rarely saw them on television. That was the problem. They weren’t a very successful team and they weren’t very popular either. In fact, apart from his dad and himself, Rory didn’t know anyone else who supported Bolton! But every Saturday evening Rory sat with his dad and listened to the football results.

Sometimes if Bolton was playing one of the bigger teams, he would see highlights from the game - it was usually United or City putting five goals past the Bolton keeper! But once in the first round of the cup, Bolton beat Liverpool 3-0. Rory and his dad cheered and cheered when they heard the result.

Then they were beaten in the next round. Rory and his dad kept a scrapbook every season. They cut out articles from football magazines and match reports from the paper. Rory’s Uncle Simon, who was a Bolton fan too, sent him programmes from the matches that he attended.

At school, Rory’s classmates supported Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. They were the most popular teams. Two of the girls supported Chelsea and the twins, Martin and Liam, supported Newcastle. When Rory was in Year 5 he wore his navy and white scarf to school. The other children asked him whose colours they were. They all laughed when Rory said he supported Bolton Wanderers. After

that, Rory rarely joined in when they talked about football.

In Year 6, Rory wished he supported a better team. He really liked Liverpool. Two of the Republic of Ireland team played for them. Eoin and Conor, his best friends, supported them. Rory wondered what Dad would say if he told him that he didn’t want to be a Bolton Wanderers fan anymore. He thought about asking his parents to buy him the Liverpool strip for his birthday.

Just before his tenth birthday, Uncle Simon wrote to say he had tickets for a match in two weeks’ time. He sent plane tickets for Dad and Rory, too. Dad was really excited.

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Resource lLearning activity 3: Rory’s team

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Compare and Contrast

A. B.

Similarities

Differences

How are they the same?

How are they different?

What do you notice?

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Resource JLearning activity 3: Rory’s team

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ChoicesHow many options can we think of ?

What can we do?

Pros Cons

Is this a good choice?

Give a reason for your answer35

The choice we are considering is:

Resource KLearning activity 4: Coping with change

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Circle Time:ChangesSuggested Success Criteria

Children will reflect on change in their lives.

Sentence Completion

Ask the children to complete this sentence stem: When something changed in my life I felt _____ .

(When a Feelings vocabulary list is kept in the class and added and referred to regularly, children will be more confident in trying to clarify a feeling and in finding the best word to express their feeling. Otherwise, they will find it difficult to think of feelings other than sad or angry when they could have used: anxious, nervous, worried, furious, etc.)

Information Sharing

Changes in Our Lives (Resource M) uses change situations to enable children to:- find out who in the class has also experienced a situation; - have the opportunity to discover that they are not alone in their situation; and- realise that if they are alone in a situation, they are not odd; they are just different and that’s okay.Give out Resource M and ask everyone in the room to complete their sheet. Explain that they must approach other children and ask them questions to identify one situation that that child has experienced. They should have each person they find sign the relevant quadrant.

When each person has every square on their sheet signed by a different person, sit everyone down in a circle and discuss the following questions:- Was it difficult to ask other people a question?- Were any questions particularly difficult to ask?- Was it difficult to answer any of the questions?- What did you learn from this activity?

You can follow this with a discussion of the variety of changes that have been experienced; and changes that are not on the sheet.

Explain to the children that everyone experiences change(s) to varying degrees at some time in their lives. Some changes we like. Some changes we don’t like. Some changes we can avoid, and some changes we cannot avoid.

You could discuss other changes using the Think, Pair, Share approach. What would be the advantages/disadvantages of any of the following:- a family member winning the lottery;- a parent getting a job in another country;- getting a new brother or sister;- moving to a new school;- having a new teacher;- changing school terms from three to four;- starting the school day at 8.00am; or- working with another school where most of the children are of a different religion.

Closure

Close Circle Time by having the children complete the following statement: When change happened in my life, something that helped me was when ____.

Evaluation

Mixing-Up Activity Using Silent Statements

Ask the children to change places if they:- have ever gone to another school;- moved to a different home;- lived in a different town;- have a younger brother or sister; or- have had a change in their life in the past year.

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Always evaluate the Circle Time session so that what you heard or observed can inform your next session. Think of ways in which you can understand each child better.

Children can evaluate circle time by completing the sentence stem: Something I enjoyed/did not enjoy about this session ____.

Resource LLearning activity 4: Coping with change

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Circle Time:A New Child in the Class

Mixing-Up Activity

Ask the children to change places if they have ever:- moved house;- gone to a different school (for example playgroup); or- had a friend move away.

Information Sharing

Encourage other class members to offer suggestions for helping the new child to integrate. Ask them to start their suggestion with the phrase: Would it help if _____ ?*

Encourage the new child to respond with: Yes, I would like that. Thank you for suggesting it or No, I don’t think I would like that, but thank you for suggesting it.

Encourage them to create an Action Plan for the next week. Monitor and review it regularly.

Closing Activity

Allow the children to choose a game chosen from those previously played in Circle Time.

Evaluation

Welcome and IntroductionIntroduce the new child and welcome him or her to the class. Make a positive statement about something you have discovered about the child.

Sentence Completion

Ask the children to complete the following statements:- Something I would/do really miss about my (old) school is _____ .- Something that would make me feel better (if I had to go to a new school/in this new school) is ______ .

Adjust these sentences so that each class member, including the new child, can answer.

Suggested Success Criteria

Children will reflect on the effect of change.Children will understand each other better.

As this session focuses attention on the new child, talk to the child first and seek his or her permission.

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* Would it help if …? ideas are adapted from the Jenny Mosley Quality Circle Time model which is referenced in the Suggested Further Reading section in this Unit.

Something I learned from this session was _____

Resource MLearning activity 4: Coping with change

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Changes in Our Lives

Has moved house Has a younger brother

Wears glasses Has stayed in hospital

Has ever lost a favourite toy

Has parents who are separated or

divorced

Has joined an organisation or club

Has been to a different school

Has no brothers or sisters

Has had a family member die

You choose! Someone who ....

Lives with one parent

Has a parent who isn’t at home every night because of

their job

Has stayed away from home for at least three nights

Has a younger sister

Find someone who:

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notes

Fleischman, P. Weslandia (Walker Books: 2000) 978-0744577358

Wisniewski, D. The Secret Knowledge of Grown Ups (Harper Trophy: 2001) 0 06443753 1

Willis, J. Grandad and John (Walker Books: 2007) 978-1844288984

Browne, A. The Tunnel (Walker Books: 1997) 978-0744552393

Lears, L. Ian’s Walk: A Story About Autism(Albert Whitman and Co.: 2003)0 80753481 1

Ahlberg, A. ‘It’s a Puzzle’ from Please Mrs Butler (Puffin Books: 1984) 0 14031494 6

Parry Heide, F. and Van Clief, S. That’s What Friends Are For (Walker Books: 2003) 978-0744580600

McNaughton, C. There’s an Awful Lot of Weirdos in Our Neighbourhood (Walker Books: 2000) 978-0744577785

Suggested stories

Patten, B. Impossible Parents (Walker Books: 2006) 978-1406306132

McCombie, K. Indie Kidd: My Big (Strange) Happy Family (Walker Books: 2007) 978-1406300789

McCombie, K. Indie Kidd: Oops, I Lost My Best(est) Friends (Walker Books: 2007) 978-1406307184

Fine, A. Nag Club(Walker Books: 2005) 978-1844289400

Goldthorpe, M. ‘Eczema’ in Poems for Circle Time and Literacy Hour (LDA: 1998) 1 85503269 4

Burningham, J. Granpa (Red Fox: 2003) 0 09943408 3

Benjamin, F. Coming to England (Puffin Books: 1997) 0 14038081 7

* James, S. Leon and Bob (Candlewick: 1997) 1 56402991 3 * Simmonds, P. Fred (Red Fox: 1987)0 09926412 9

* see CCEA’s Primary Values

Donoghue, P.J. and Siegel, M. Are You Really Listening? Keys to Successful Communication (Sorin Books: 2005) 1 89373288 6

McDermott, D. R. Developing Caring Relationships Among Parents, Children, Schools and Communities (Sage Publications: 2007) 1 41292786 2

Mosley, J. and Sonnet, H. Making Waves (LDA: 2002) 1 85503357 7

Mosley, J. Quality Circle Time in the Primary Classroom (LDA: 1997) 1 85503229 5

CCEA. Primary Values (CCEA: 2005) 1 85885337 0

Suggested further reading

Circle Time resourceswww.circle-time.co.uk

Bereavementwww.childbereavement.org.ukwww.crusebereavementcare.org.uk

Active Learning and Teaching Methodswww.nicurriculum.org.uk

Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People www.niccy.org

Childline 0800 1111www.childline.org.uk

Usefulwebsites

(PDF) Living.Learning.Together: Year 6, Unit 4: Working at ...

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