Mexico & the Mayans Areas of learning As Historians we will be studying ancient civilization of the Mayans (AD900). We will be looking at evidence to discover what life was like for the Mayans, including their beliefs and why they “disappeared”. We will know where to place the Mayan civilization on a timeline and we will make comparisons to other periods in time. . As Geographers, we will understand the difference between the terms “human” and “physical” Geography. We will use maps, atlases and globes to local different places around the world. We will make comparisons to Mexico and the UK. As Design Technologists we will look at the different foods in Mexico and prepare and cook some to try. We will make Mayan sculptures using salt dough. As Computing Users we will be using I Can Present to make a tour guide video to Mexico. This could be interactive. We will also use the internet to research different aspects of our topic.
Mastery
PSHE
Learning Detectives
As deep learners we will:
For our PSHE we will:
As Learning Detectives we will:
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Make choices about the mediums that we use in our art work. Make choices about how we find answers to questions that we have asked. Ask questions about an initial stimulus and plan ways to answer them Choose appropriate software to communicate our findings Make a tour guide video to Mexico either interactively through Scratch or using MoviePlus
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Understand others Respect people and their opinions Push ourselves and persevere even when things are difficult Understand our rights and responsibilities to be an effective learner Develop confidence speaking and performing to a variety of audiences Debate questions such as, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
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Be able to evaluate my own work against success criteria explaining what I have done well and what I would improve Be able to give constructive feedback to my friend Show how my learning has improved over time and the skills I have developed Explain how I can apply my learning to a range of situations
Immersion Activities WOW – Learn about the sculptures and art of the Mayan culture and then create our own using saltdough. Class reader – Wolf Boy Exit – Mayan cooking.
©2010 Chris Quigley Education ltd
Mexico & the Mayans Learning across the curriculum
Using communication Writing, presenting and broadcasting •Stories •Drama •Instructions •Recounts •Persuasive writing •Explanations •Biography •Balanced argument •Comic
Using mathematics Modelling •Predict, plan and try out options for the costing of the food product - children will apply logic to their reasoning for the choice of their food product. Calculating •The costs of travelling to Mexico
Interpreting data •Children will look at temperature differences between England and Mexico and both answer and design questions to ask about their graphs. Justifying •Using mathematical language to communicate the effectiveness off the Mayan number system.
Subject Key Skills
Personal development Learning and thinking skills •Children will ask their own questions about conflict •During the process of planning their food product, children will try out alternatives and experiment with ideas •Children will communicate their ideas in their persuasive video trying to encourage others to visit Mexico •Children will evaluate the success of their ideas
•Spiritual •Children will have a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the Ancient Mayan world. •Moral •Children will show an interest in investigating, and offering reasoned views about, moral and ethical issues concerning the Ancient Mayans. •Social •Children will communicate and negotiate with others through their collaborative learning in pairs and small groups. •Cultural •Children will be willing to participate in, and respond to, for example, artistic, musical, sporting, mathematical, technological, scientific and cultural learning about Mexico and the Mayans.
History, geography and citizenship Investigate Undertake investigations and enquiries, using various methods, media and sources.
Analyse Compare, interpret and analyse different types of evidence from a range of sources.
Communicate Present and communicate findings in a range of ways and develop arguments and explanations using appropriate specialist vocabulary and techniques.
Consider and respond Consider, respond to and debate alternative viewpoints in order to take informed and responsible action.
Science and design technology Generate ideas Observe and explore to generate ideas, define problems and pose questions in order to develop investigations and products.
Investigate, observe and record
Design, make and improve
Explain
Engage safely in practical investigations and experiments and gather and record evidence by observation and measurement.
Apply practical skills to design, make and improve products safely, taking account of users and purposes.
Communicate and model in order to explain and develop ideas, share findings and conclusions.
Evaluate Continually make systematic evaluations when designing and making, to bring about improvements in processes and outcomes.
Art, dance and drama Explore Explore, investigate and experiment from a range of stimuli and starting points, roles, techniques, approaches, materials and media.
Create Create, design, devise, compose and choreograph individual and collective work.
Improvise Improvise, rehearse and refine in order to improve capability and the quality of artworks.
Present Present, display and perform for a range of audiences, to develop and communicate ideas and evoke responses.
Evaluate Use arts-specific vocabulary to respond to, evaluate, explain, analyse, question and critique their own and other people’s artistic works.
Present Present, display and perform for a range of audiences, to develop and communicate ideas and evoke responses.
Evaluate Use arts-specific vocabulary to respond to, evaluate, explain, analyse, question and critique their own and other people’s artistic works.
Using ICT Searching •Using the internet to find information about the Mayans Developing ideas and making things happen •Planning a video to encourage tourists to come to Mexico and learn about the history Communication •Children choose ways to present their learning using ICT.
PSHE Reflect and evaluate Reflect on and evaluate evidence when making personal choices or bringing about improvements in performance and behaviour.
Plan and implement Generate and implement ideas, plans and strategies, exploring alternatives.
Move with control Move with ease, poise, stability and control in a range of physical contexts.
©2010 Chris Quigley Education ltd