Heroes in a Small World
This session was created through a collaboration with Manchester Art Gallery and Ravensbury Community Primary School.
As an outcome of the success of Visual Literacy being used as a tool to raise standards in writing, particularly for boys, the Gallery session became a focus of developing literacy skills using a visual approach that can be integrated into classroom practice as a cross-curricular tool.
The main themes for the session were identified from within children’s popular culture, starting with the use of a contemporary animation film combined with the association to ‘real life’ experiences. The themes are heroes, relationships and individuality.
Aims:
- To make the pupils visit to MAG an enjoyable and memorable experience
- To introduce and welcome young visitors to a variety of artworks, which provide connections to life experiences and the use of recurrent themes
- To explore a series of paintings created from themes that are relevant and applicable to children’s lives
- To interpret the artworks through, visual, auditory and kinaesthetic (VAK) learning styles
- To expand pupils vocabulary for describing works of art whatever their previous experience and knowledge
What happens in a session:
- The tour will be lead by a gallery educator who will stay with the group throughout
- Pupils will learn how to use the gallery as a learning resource and will become familiar with a series of paintings
- Pupils will explore and interpret the paintings and create stories through freeze-frame, role-play, hot seating ,thought tracking and sound
- Pupils will use the concept of small world via story boxes, which are directly linked to the themes
- Pupils will gather information experientially that connect to their current life experiences and will impact future learning
Preparation:
- Before you visit discuss the value of experiencing ‘real’ objects through a gallery visit, rather than reproductions
- Discuss the different types of heroes that pupils are know-superheroes such as Batman, Mr Incredible, and ‘real-life’ heroes such as David Beckham, Kelly Holmes
- During circle time and PSHE sessions discuss relationships such as those between family and friends and address pupil’s individuality, as well as the qualities that make each of them special
- Using familiar stories such as Goldilocks And The Three Bears, break down the main events into the beginning, middle and the end, so that the children understand the structure of stories
- Make use of popular animation film in order to inspire and instigate these sessions/discussions, for example The Incredibles, Finding Nemo and Madagascar
- Split the class into six smaller groups of mixed ability and bring a minimum of 1 adult to 5 pupils, ensuring that adults are briefed to be aware of their supervisory role and responsibilities for engaging the children when they working together in groups
- Explain why pupils are not allowed to touch, eat or drink at Manchester Art Gallery (i.e. for protection and conservation work)
- Bring a camera and record the visit. The photographs can be used to inform work back at school.
Follow up:
- An information pack will be available at the end of your visit.
Links to the curriculum
In order to support your classroom practice and teaching, a breakdown of cross-curricular links has been provided under the relevant headings.
Foundation Stage
Language and Communication and Thinking
CLL7 Use language to imagine and re-create roles and experiences
CLL8 Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events
CLL13 Retell narratives in the correct sequence, drawing on then language patterns of stories
CLL14 Read a range of familiar and common words and simple sentences independently
CLL18 Attempt writing for various purposes, using features of different forms such as lists, stories and instructions
Knowledge and Understanding of the world
KU 11 Observe, find out about and identify features in the place they live and the natural world.
Creative development
C3 Use their imagination in art and design, music, dance, imaginative and role play and stories
C4 Respond to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel
C5 Express and communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings by using a widening range of materials, suitable tools, imaginative and role play, movement, designing and making and a variety of songs and musical instruments
Year 1
Literacy
Term 1 Fiction - Stories with familiar settings. Non-fiction - Signs, labels, captions, lists, instructions.
Term 2 Fiction - Traditional stories and rhymes, fairy stories
Term 3 Fiction - Stories about fantasy worlds. Non-fiction - Information texts, including recounts of observations, visits, events.
Art and Design QCA Unit 1A Self Portraits - Exploring and developing ideas
History QCA Unit 2 What were homes like a long time ago?
Design and Technology QCA Unit 1D Homes
Science QCA Unit 1c-Sorting and using materials Parts 1 to 4
Music QCA Unit 2 Exploring Sound
ICT QCA Unit 1C The information around us and Labelling and Classifying-setting the scene
Citizenship QCA Unit 1 Taking part-communication and participation
Year 2
Literacy
Term 1 Fiction and poetry - Stories and a variety of poems with familiar settings. Non –fiction - Instructions.
Term 2 Fiction - Traditional stories
Term 3 Fiction - Texts with language play. Non-fiction - Information books including non-chronological reports.
Art QCA unit 2A Picture this! Picture this!
History QCA Unit 2 What were homes like a long time ago?
Design and Technology QCA Unit 2B Puppets
Science Unit 2D Grouping and changing materials
Music QCA Unit 2 Exploring Sound
ICT QCA Unit 2A Writing stories –communicating. QCA Unit 2C-Finding information.
Citizenship QCA Unit 1 Taking part-communication and participation
For more information including booking, parking, facilities and a downloadable risk assessment, please go to plan your visit.
