Context Title: Turrets and Tiaras
Term: 2014
Learning
Context
Key Questions
(Learning Intentions)
Learning Skills
(NC)
Learning Outcomes/
Challenge/ Assessment
Stunning Start: Dragon egg
Week 1
Introduced to
topic
Concept maps
Display items in the middle of a circle
(crown, sword, shield, dress)
Ask children what can they see? What
do they think our new topic is?
Ask the children what do they know
about kings and queens, castles?
In mixed ability groups children to
create a spider diagram about what they
know already.
Stunning start
Chn to sit on carpet and show chn the
box and explain that a princess gave me
the box on the way into school this am
to give to Elms.
Children to draw what they think could
be in the egg on an A4 sheet with
outline of egg.
Children to write a letter to the
princess describing what they can see.
Create own shields.
Literacy
Writing composition.
Children show their
awareness of the
topic to inform
planning.
Children can follow
instructions.
Literacy
Writing – vocabulary.
Writing composition.
Week 2 & 3
Understanding
the monarchy
History
Get the eldest boy and girl to sit on
chairs and be a king and queen. Discuss
the following with the class:
What the crown represents –
the monarch’s position.
What the sword represents – the
monarch needs to be able to defend
their kingdom from enemies who
might want to take it over.
What the money is for – to pay for
things their people need.
Why the king needs a bible/religious
book – to help them do the right thing.
History
The lives of significant
others.
Events beyond living
memory that are
significant.
Children understand
the roles of the royal
family.
Split the class into groups and tell them
they are going to create their very own
crowns. Hand out the pictures of the
royal objects (eg sword, coat of
armour) and the brief
descriptions of each object, you could
also put the images from the BBC
Famous People site on the IWB. Then
give each group a number of key words
relating to a monarch’s status or
qualities, eg ‘Wealthy’, ‘Warrior’, ‘Wise’.
Pupils should match the description of
each object to the correct word.
Where we live
Geography
Focus on Europe.
Explain that there are 7 continents and
we will focus on Europe. Get children to
colour Europe on a map.
Children to research Europe and the
different countries they can see. Create
a poster of what they found out.
Research different castles around
Europe.
Children understand
the meaning of symbols
and objects.
Geography
Locational knowledge.
Understanding of
continents.
Children understand
that the world is made
up of continents
Children understand
the UK is part of
Europe.
Looking after
the dragon
egg.
Making
turrets
Science
How to care for the dragon egg.
The princess has asked us to look
after this egg – what do we need to
do? Talk partners. It will need
warmth, light. Discuss what we could
use in order to keep the egg safe.
Using a glass container (incubator),
make a bed for the egg using soft
materials. Discuss suitable materials.
Children to draw the incubator with
the chosen materials.
Design and technology
Explore towers and turrets – what
shapes are they? Why would castles
have towers and turrets?
1. Practice rolling a piece of paper into a
cylinder and fastening using tape.
2. Practice cutting slits into the bottom
of a toilet roll / kitchen roll and fanning
them out, then gluing them to a surface
to make a tower.
3. Practice cutting slit into a paper circle
and curling it into a cone and then
fastening it.
1. Explore why castles use tooth-shaped
walls.
2. Practice cutting a tooth shaped
pattern at the top of a piece of card.
3. Practice cutting and then fanning the
bottom of the card, then gluing it to a
surface to make a freestanding wall.
4. Practice cutting flaps on the side of
walls to connect one wall to another.
Science
Everyday materials and
their uses.
Children understand
the properties of
different materials.
Comparing materials.
Children can identify
insulators.
Design and technology
Design – generate,
develop and model
ideas.
Children explore
different techniques
and develop favourite
methods.
Technical Knowledge –
build and explore
structures.
Week 4 & 5
What is the
crown?
History
Show the class the pictures of the
Imperial State Crown (1937).
Explain that it is worn at the State
Opening of Parliament when the
Queen tells the people of Britain
the new laws that her government
wishes to pass. Tell them the
stories of how the various jewels
came to be part of this
magnificent crown.
Children choose their favourite jewel and
explain why. Draw in sketch book.
History
The lives of significant
others.
Children understand
the purpose of the
royal family.
Events beyond living
memory that are
significant.
Children understand
history relevant to
them.
Geography
Locational knowledge.
Children can
independently find
different continents
an label.
Look at pictures of the royal family and
discuss with children. Who are they? What
do they do?
Children to create a photo frame using the
describing words.
Where are
the
continents?
Geography
Children to create a world map on A4
paper. Draw the continents colour and
label.
Research each of the continents on ipads,
chose an image that relates to the country
and draw on map. E.g. kangaroo –
Australia. Igloo –Antarctica.
Play continents games.
Understanding of
continents.
Materials and
where they
come from.
Science
Put a variety of objects in a bag and ask
children to take turns in feeling the
objects. What do they feel like?
Children to draw objects and describe
properties.
Pass around items made of wood, metal,
paper. Plastic, textiles and ask children
what the materials are made from. How
do they know?
Children to find objects around the
school made of the material and record
in table. Compare to what they might
find in a castle.
Making
drawbridges.
Design & technology
1. Explore why castles use drawbridges.
2. Cut out doorway out of one piece of
card and a larger rectangle out of card
(doorway and the door).
3. Using masking tape, connect the
pieces together so that the bottom of
each piece is connected like a hinge.
4. Show the children to make a hole
through card by putting playdough
behind the card and pushing a sharp
pencil through the card into it. Children
put two on the square door and two
either side of the arch.
5. Help the children to connect the
string to make a drawbridge.
Create final design of castle using the
skills explored.
Science
Everyday materials and
their uses.
Comparing materials.
Children understand
where different
materials come from
and how they are
produced.
Organising materials.
Design and Technology
Design – generate,
develop and model
ideas.
Technical Knowledge –
build and explore
structures.
Children understand
different methods and
techniques.
Children create a
design.
Week 6 & 7
Kings and
Queens.
History
Explain to children that there have been
different kings and queens.
Ask pupils to go to the BBC Famous
People site and read about their famous
monarch.
Once they have finished, pupils should
type a sentence about their findings.
History
The lives of significant
others.
Children can compare
different queens.
Events beyond living
memory that are
significant.
Children to create a poster about their
findings.
Geography (2 lessons)
Children given Styrofoam balls. On the
ball. Children to create their own world
drawing the seven continents.
Children have a choice of paint or felttips.
Making
castles
Design & Technology
Each child given a base.
There are 3 adult-monitored stations
around the room, one for towers, one
for walls and one for drawbridges. Each
station has all the materials needed for
that part. Children to go to different
stations to create their castle.
Use their plan from the previous lesson.
Evaluate their final design against their
plan.
Geography
Understanding of
continents.
Children can draw the
different continents.
Design and Technology
Make – select and use
appropriate tools.
Children can use
appropriate
techniques to create a
final product.
Evaluate – evaluate
ideas and product.
Science
Investigating
materials
strength.
Investigation:
Read the three little pigs stop at the 2nd
house falling down. Explain that we
need build the 3rd pig a castle.
What should the 3rd pig use to build his
roof?
What should the 3rd pig use to build his
walls?
At tables in mixed ability groups children
to test a variety of materials and record
their findings. ( water over material and
trying to blow down by children).
Children to test what materials they
could use for the windows and door.
Write a letter to the 3rd pig. Four
sentences. Each sentence should contain
what material the pig should use and
why. Children can draw a picture and
label.
Science
Everyday materials and
their uses.
Investigating
properties.
Children can
investigate the
properties of
materials.
Marvelous middle – Banquet (parents invited)
Week 8 & 9
Banquet
History
Show the children a powerpoint on the
classroom computer re jobs. Discuss
which one they would have liked to do
and why. Model which 1 I would have
liked to be and why. Discuss some of
the jobs in more detail and research
on ipads.
Discuss William the conqueror.
History
Events beyond living
memory.
Children understand
roles in a castle.
Show children a range of banqueting
pictures.
What do you see? How is it different
to our party?
On A3 paper children record
similarities and differences in groups.
Explain we are going to have our own
banquet what might we want to see
there?
Who would the quests be?
Art & Design
Create invitations for parents to
attend banquet.
Plan what decorations we will need.
Create a range of food for the
banquet.
Art & Design
Use a range of
materials creatively.
Children can use their
own creativity.
Science
Food types.
Discuss what food you might find at a
banquet and compare to what we eat.
Explain the different types of food and
their purposes. On tables place a range
of food packaging. Children need to
identify the food group they fit into and
place the items into the correct hoop.
Discuss the types of food we have been
talking about. What are they called?
What do they do? Explain to be healthy
you need to have a balanced diet. Show
children the balance plate.
Children create their own balanced
meal.
Science
Animals, including
humans.
Children understand
the different types of
food.
Basic needs.
Children understand
what a balanced diet
is.
Types of food
Week 10 & 11
The royal
family.
Where is
London?
Portraits
History
Tell the children that they are
going to create an information
book. They could call their book
‘Famous Kings and Queens of
Britain’, ‘The Queen’s Family’ or
simply ‘A Famous Monarch’.
Children to create a leaflet.
History
The lives of significant
others.
Geography
Barnaby Bear goes to London.
Talk about pictures of famous landmarks
what are they? Research with a partner.
Geogarphy
Geographical skills and
fieldwork.
Draw and explain a famous landmark.
Place knowledge.
Art
Look at pictures of the royal family and
show children portraits that artists have
created.
Children to create a line drawing of
themselves in detail.
Art & Design
Drawing and painting.
Photocopy the line drawing. Children to
use the line drawing to paint the
portrait. Teach children about tone.
Children can create
a non-fiction text.
Events beyond living
memory that are
significant.
Line, share and form.
Children understand
that London is a city
and can recognise
landmarks.
Children can create a
line drawing.
Children can create
depth in a picture.
Keeping
healthy
Science
Children to organise food into groups
and explain what each of the food helps
to do. Calcium for strong teeth and
bones.
Discuss what exercise is and why we do
it. Dependent on the weather take
children outside. Ask them to measure
their pulse by placing their fingers on
their neck. Repeat after exercise.
Children to discuss what they think the
benefits of exercise are and record in
pictures.
Science
Animals, including
humans.
Basic needs.
Types of food
Exercise.
Children understand
how to keep healthy.
Week 12 & 13
Comparing
queens.
Famous
artists.
Aerial maps.
History
Children to be split into 2 groups. One
side research queen Elizabeth 1 and the
other queen Victoria.
History
The lives of significant
others.
Children can compare
the lives of different
queens.
Children must create a presentation to
share with the class about the queen
they have researched.
Children to discuss the similarities and
differences.
Events beyond living
memory that are
significant.
Children can present
findings.
Art & Design
Artists work.
Children can develop
work in accordance to
an artist.
Art and Design
Introduce the children to Paul Klee and
his paintings.
Discuss the techniques he has used.
Children to create their own version of
castle and sun.
Range of materials.
Geography
Children given aerial images of different
parts of London. Discuss what they
might see.
Children work in groups to identify
images.
Geography assessments.
Geography
Geographical skills and
fieldwork.
Children understand
what an aerial map is.
Science
Science
Animals, including
humans.
Basic needs.
Types of food
Exercise.
Children understand
how to keep healthy.
Children to create posters about how to
keep healthy.
Children to present their posters to the
class.
Teacher to assess learning.
Fabulous finish: Trip
Line drawings