B B C Northern Ireland Schools
One Potato, Two Potato Spring 2006
Grannies and Grandpas
Grannies and Granpas
Programme 7
7 March
by Ann Burnett
As the title suggests, this week Libby and Michael will be talking about grandparents, and also
family ‘likenesses’.
Poems
Foot Marching
Sometimes I stand on Grandad’s feet
And he walks around the ßoor,
And he sings me ancient army songs
He picked up in the war.
Sometimes we go backwards,
And sometimes round-about.
I never, ever let him stop,
Until he’s worn me out.
Jean Willis
Granny Briggs
When Granny Briggs has a baking day,
Into the oven goes tray after tray.
Of scones and buns, jam tarts and cakes,
All the delicious things she bakes.
She puts some dough in a owl by the Þre
And I can watch it rise higher and higher.
Then she makes lovely crusty bread,
‘Home-made’s best,’ so Granny Briggs said.
Daphne Lister
bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/potato
28
One Potato, Two Potato
Grannies and Grandpas
A Little Bit of Granny
I’m a little bit of Granny,
I’ve got Grandpa Jimmy’s toes,
My Mum gave me my rosy cheeks
And I’ve got Aunty Helen’s nose.
I look a bit like Daddy,
Though my hair is not so straight,
I’ve my brother’s freckles
And his big ßat feet, but wait…
I may be all of a mix-up
From more than twenty-three
Different members of my family,
But please don’t forget - I’M ME!
Ann Burnett
Story
“I’m bored,” Granny Smith said one day. “Me too,” chorused
Grannies Cox and Fox.
“Well, why don’t we do something,” said Grandpa Fisher. “Let’s
go to that big new supermarket and have some fun for a change.”
So they set off waving their bus passes at the bus driver, and
crowding on the bus. They sang noisy songs all the way… …
After the programme
Words for discussion:- the old folks centre; bingo; bus pass; the grandpas were ‘rampaging with
their trolleys along the aisles, egged on by Granny Fox and Cox; ‘keep your eyes peeled’; the
manager.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Talk about family relationships i.e. how people relate, on a family tree. (Obviously this
might need to be approached sensitively so that no one in class feels excluded by their
family circumstances).
Design simple family tree – a suggested template could be drawn on the blackboard.
Collect the variety of names by which we call grandparents e.g. granny, gran, nana,
grandma, grandpa, granddad, papa, pops.
Discuss great grand parents – there may well be children in the class who have some.
Age stereotyping. Despite the fact that many of their grandparents are probably relatively
young and active, the image of the typical old granny in a rocking chair, with a stick,
remains with the children!
Read the ‘Grandad’s Feet’ poem and talk about the sort of knowledge grandparents may
have about the past e.g. the 2nd world war, as in the poem. Encourage the class to ask
questions of older people about their schools, toys, shops, clothes, entertainment. Did
they have TV, or a car? Can the class imagine life without these things? (More about this
next week).
Ask an older person to come in to the classroom to talk about their lives when they were
bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/potato
29
Grannies and Grandpas
•
•
•
One Potato, Two Potato
at school.
Listen to some music that was popular when parents or grandparents were young.
(Compare Girls Aloud to the sound of the Beatles?).
Talk about the good and bad things about being old and being young.
Family ‘likenesses’. Discuss hair and eye colour, length or shape of noses. Bring in some
family photographs, and discuss how the children may, or may not, be like their parents,
grandparents or siblings.
bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/potato
30
Grannies and Grandpas
One Potato, Two Potato
Northern Ireland Curriculum
History
Pupils should have opportunities to develop:
a) an awareness of time by using simple language relating to the passing of time.
b) a sense of the past by identifying and talking about obvious differences between past and
present.
c) an awareness of evidence by talking about evidence and artefacts which give us
information about the past.
Personal History:
Explore and build up time lines of e.g. my life so far; memories of older people I know of their
life, school days, holidays; signiÞcant events they can remember.
Topics:
Pupils should have opportunities to explore, at least once a year, a history related aspect of a
topic in order to consider the differences between past and things which have changed over time
e.g. life in the recent past.
Science
Living Things:
Pupils should be introduced to the main stages of human development e.g. sequence pictures
from birth to old age.
Geography
Homes and Buildings:
Pupils should have opportunities to: talk about differences between features of town and
countryside.
Transport:
Use a simple map to show holiday locations and journeys pupils in the class have made.
English
Talking and Listening:
Pupils should have opportunities to: explore thoughts, feelings and opinions in response to
personal experiences, literature, media and curricular topics or activities; describe and talk about
real and imaginary experiences and about people, places, things and events; talk with people in
the community e.g. visitors to the classroom.
bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/potato
31
One Potato, Two Potato
Grannies and Grandpas
Cross-Curricular Links
ENGLISH
Class discussion
Name of relatives
Story comprehension
PSHE
SCIENCE
Growth of plants / animals
Growth of people
Family 'likeness'
PROGRAMME 7
Relationships
ART
Family trees
bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/potato
HISTORY
Families
Old things
Personal memories
Evidence of the past
Time lines
32