Science goes pop!
Cross curriculum Project Plan
Science
goes pop!
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Using popular culture in the classroom can be a great way to hook
children into topics they might not otherwise engage with. Crispin
Andrews joins forces with the team at Creative Teaching and Learning to
provide a series of cross-curricular activities related to recent films, video
games and more – with a particular focus on science.
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C
hildren love films, TV shows, computer
games and books. If you pick the right ones,
they can also teach children a lot about the
world. Or at very least inspire kids to find
out more.
Contrary to traditional belief, popular culture is not
the enemy of good teaching. Nor of creativity. Just
encourage children to look beyond the superficial, in
the action and outcome, towards deeper themes and
concepts – to see context and the bigger picture. If
something looks fantastic in a film, book, or TV show,
how is it explained? How does it work? And most
importantly, what links does it have to what is, was,
or might soon be going on in the real world?
Popular culture can tell us about technology,
maths, history, geography… pretty much anything
really. It can help us engage with the world. It’s
interesting, entertaining, but look deep enough and
there are serious themes.
Science, in particular, permeates popular culture
– especially with the current popularity of superhero
and dystopian genres. Of course, the writers use
a great deal of creative licence in these films, TV
shows, books and video games, but look past that
and you’ll see links to a wide range of science topics.
This project aims to highlight some of those links.
Although mainly science-based, the activities are
cross-curricular in nature and can be used with pupils
in Key Stages 2-4. A few activities are appropriate for
use with younger children also.
Cross curriculum Project Plan
Engineering, extinction and ethics
A genetically engineered racoon named Rocket
starred in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, released
into cinemas August 2014 and now out on DVD.
But did you know that scientists have genetically
engineered glow-in-the-dark cats, phosphoruseating pigs, pollution-fighting plants, cabbages with
scorpion venom that kill caterpillars and bananas as a
cholera vaccine?
An American scientist, Ben Novak, is trying to
use genetic engineering to bring back the extinct
passenger pigeon. The passenger pigeon was wiped
out by humans in the 19th century and the last one –
called Martha after George Washington’s wife – died
in September 1914 in Cincinnati Zoo. There used to
be billions of passenger pigeons across eastern USA.
To try to bring the pigeon back from extinction,
Novak is using DNA taken from stuffed museum
specimens. However, he can’t get all the DNA he
needs from stuffed birds. DNA starts to degrade as
soon as a living organism dies, and these pigeons
have been dead for over 100 years. To get over this
problem, Novak is using the band-tailed pigeon – the
passenger’s closest living relative – to provide the
missing DNA. He’s waiting for two breakthroughs
in genetic engineering before he can start putting
passenger pigeon DNA into band-tailed pigeon
eggs. He reckons it’ll be 15 years before the first
passenger pigeon is born and a further 50 before
there are flocks of the pigeons back in North
American skies.
Scientists are trying to genetically engineer other
extinct animals, including the Australian gastric
brooding frog, a frog that gives birth through its
mouth, and the aurochs, an extinct cow that used to
roam the plains of Europe and Central Asia. Longer
shots are the thylacine, a wolf-like marsupial predator
from Tasmania, killed off by European settlers around
the same time as the passenger pigeon; and Steller’s
sea cow, a North Pacific manatee, bigger than an
elephant, hunted to extinction in the 18th Century;
as well as the dodo, moa and of course, the woolly
mammoth.
Many conservation groups aren’t too impressed
with all this. They think the money should be spent
on helping living animals. Sounds like a good hook for
a debate on scientific ethics.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 1: Extinct and endangered animals
Description
A research activity focusing on the reasons for the extinction and critical
endangerment of animals both past and present.
Curriculum focus
Science – animals, changes in environment, extinction
Research and information skills – identify prior knowledge, locate and access
information, organise information
Procedure
Introduce pupils to the concept of extinction. Explain that there are many
reasons why animals become extinct, and a lot of them involve humans.
Tell pupils they are going to research the five extinct animals listed on Activity
sheet 1a and fill in the fact files provided in Activity sheet 1b. In their research,
students focus on where the animal lived, when and why it became extinct, and
whether humans are to blame for its extinction.
Next, explain to pupils that there are some animals that are not yet extinct but
soon might be if we do not intervene. Pupils now research three animals with
the conservation status of ‘critically endangered’. They can research their own
or choose from the list found in Activity sheet 1a.
Pupils use their research to fill in the blank fact files provided in Activity sheet
1c. This time, they will need to find out where the animal lives, how many
animals are left, why the animal might become extinct and what we can do to
prevent this.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 2: The impact of extinction
Description
A series of activities exploring food chains, food webs, the impact of extinction
on other organisms and pyramids of numbers.
Curriculum focus
Science – changes in environment, extinction, food chains, food webs,
pyramids of numbers, classification
Maths – Sorting and organising data, Venn diagrams, drawing to scale, pyramids
of numbers
Procedure
Start by reading through Activity sheet 2a with the pupils, which introduces the
concept of food chains. Pupils use the information provided to fill in a simple
food chain.
Once pupils understand food chains, move on to food webs (Activity sheet 2b).
Explain that a food web is made up of many food chains and use the activity
sheet to show how the plants and animals in an environment are all connected.
Students now use the information from both activity sheets to work through the
questions in Activity sheet 2c. The first part of this sheet focuses on organising
the plants and animals from Activity sheet 2b’s food web into various categories
such as producer/consumer and predator/prey, while the second part has
the children considering the impact of one extinction on the other plants and
animals in the environment.
Optionally, end the lesson with the final sheet, Activity sheet 2d, which asks
pupils to draw two pyramids of numbers.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 3: Conservation or de-extinction?
Description
Pupils research and write an argument for or against scientists working for deextinction.
Curriculum focus
Science – extinction, genetic engineering, cloning, conservation
English – non-narrative texts, writing to argue, rhetorical devices
Research and information skills – locate and access information, distinguish
between fact and opinion, spot bias, evaluate accuracy, cite sources, back up
opinions with evidence, organise information logically, draw conclusions
Procedure
Activity sheet 3a provides an introduction to the idea of ‘de-extinction’ – where
scientists try to use genetic engineering to bring back extinct animals – so it’s a
good idea to start by reading this through with the pupils.
Pupils are now going to research and consider the question: should scientists
be trying to bring back extinct animals or should we be helping existing animals?
Students should gather evidence both for and against de-extinction, and record
the findings of their research, along with appropriate citations, in the grid
provided (Activity sheet 3b). Pupils then make a personal judgement based on
the evidence they have uncovered, before using their research to write up an
argument for or against scientists working for de-extinction.
Teacher’s notes
Activity sheet 3c explains the components of a good argument and includes a
list of effective rhetorical devices and discourse markers. It has been designed
to help pupils write arguments on any issue and may be a helpful revision guide
for GCSE.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Intelligent animals
Novak’s pigeons won’t be super-intelligent like Rocket Raccoon, but if you’re looking for intelligent animals,
then the spotted hyena is your girl. Apparently these animals, which are neither cats nor dogs, outperform
chimps in co-operative problem-solving activities.
Spotted hyenas are found across much of sub-Saharan Africa. They are social animals and live in clans of up
to a hundred, where they are safe from lions and rogue hyenas. A big group can also command a territory rich
with prey.
Females are up to 12 per cent heavier than males and rule their clans with ruthless aggression. Each clan
has a dominant female – the matriarch – and below that, other females and their own families compete for
position.
No one messes with the top girl though. When more dominant clan members aren’t around, hyenas lower
down the hierarchy will persecute those beneath them in the biting order. Only when the matriarch comes
back do they start behaving themselves. It’s like the playground bully picking on the weak when the teacher’s
back is turned. A dominant female’s young are ranked higher than adult hyenas from lower down the scale.
These snarling youngsters hassle adults twice their size, and the adults put up with it.
Successful team work means communication, and hyenas ‘speak’ to each other in different ways. Highpitched vocalisations mean they’re agitated or submissive, low-pitched vocalisations are aggressive, while
whooping signals intent or need to other hyenas. Only if a hyena is excited, or there’s some food about, will
you hear that famous hyena giggle.
In the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, the apes are clever enough to talk, establish settlements and shoot
people. Real chimpanzees are pretty clever too – particularly when they’re hungry. They use sharp stones to
split open hard, fibrous Treculia fruit to get to the good stuff inside. They also poke sticks into ants’ nests, and
when the ants climb on, the chimp gulps them down from its make-shift chopstick. Chimps also use sticks as
toothbrushes and toys.
A chimp living in Bossou, Guinea, learned to deactivate traps and rescue other chimps. He also learnt to set
off the traps before they could harm other animals. A chimp on Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary in
Uganda escaped her enclosure by throwing branches at the electric fence. When there were no sparks, she
knew it was safe to climb out. A University of San Diego chimp understands more than 130 English language
words. She also recognises words in sine-wave form, a type of synthetic speech that reduces language to
three whistle-like tones.
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Chimps’ spatial memory is so precise that they can find a single
productive fruit tree among 12,000 others within a patch of forest.
They’ve also been known to eat plants for medicinal purposes.
Bark protects against diarrhoea, while various leaves and
plants keep worms, bacteria and disease at bay. Chimps
have been observed eating just the medicinal parts of
these plants and leaving the rest.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 4: Hyena focus project (and Savannah food web)
Description
Pupils research the spotted hyena and fill in a fact file with information such as
diet, habitat and family life. They then create a Savannah food web to further
examine the hyena’s role as hunter and scavenger.
Curriculum focus
Science – animals, habitats, ecosystems, classification, food chains, food webs
Research and information skills – locate and access information, evaluate
sources, summarise information, take notes
Procedure
Tell pupils they are going to research the spotted hyena and fill in the empty fact
file provided. The fact file covers information on appearance, habitat, diet, family
life and caring for young. Hyenas used to live in Britain – the ‘bonus mission’
has pupils researching when this was and why they no longer live here. Activity
sheet 4a provides a list of useful links to get them started.
The second part of this activity focuses on the diet of the spotted hyena and
their role in the Savannah food web. Activity sheet 4f provides the images of 12
organisms that live in the Savannah. Pupils will need to cut these out, find out
who eats who and organise the cards into a food web on an A3 piece of paper.
When they are happy with their food web, they should stick the pictures down,
then draw the links between organisms with arrows that show the direction the
energy is transferred. When completed, discuss: Which animal do pupils think
sits at the top of the Savannah food web? Why?
Pupils can take a photo of their finished food web or copy it into their books.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 5a: Classifying animals (KS1/2)
Description
Pupils work together to classify a range of animals into the five vertebrate
groups.
Curriculum focus
Science – animals, classifying living things, vertebrates, dichotomous key
Procedure
Cut out and distribute the animal cards found in Activity sheet 5a. Each card
shows an animal belonging to one of the five vertebrate groups: mammal, bird,
reptile, fish and amphibian.
If pupils have access to computers/tablets, they can work in small groups to
classify the animals using the vertebrates classification powerpoint – in which
case, each group will need a selection of animal cards to work through.
If pupils do not have access to individual computers, open the powerpoint on
your interactive whiteboard. Distribute the cards among the pupils, then work as
a class to identify which vertebrate group the animal belongs to.
The included powerpoint is an interactive dichotomous key, and has been
designed to be as easy for young children to use as possible.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 5b: Classifying animals (KS2/3)
Description
Pupils create a dichotomous key designed to help younger children classify
animals into the five vertebrate groups.
Curriculum focus
Science – animals, classifying living things, vertebrates, dichotomous key
Procedure
Use Activity sheet 5c to introduce/recap the five main groups of vertebrates.
Remind pupils of the features that define an animal’s group (its skin, the way
it reproduces, what it uses to breathe etc.), but don’t go into which vertebrate
displays which characteristics – this is the pupils’ first task! Ask them to
complete the fact files on Activity sheet 5d, filling in the key features of
mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians. This shouldn’t take long.
The second task in this activity is to create a dichotomous key designed to help
pupils in KS1 categorise vertebrates.
The idea is to make the key simple enough for a five- to seven-year-old child to
use, but also scientifically accurate/rigorous. How pupils present their key is up
to them; however, this is an opportunity to design something really creative.
For example, they could devise a powerpoint (like the powerpoint from Activity
5a), build a 3D model, or create a pop-up style storybook. Alternatively, tie in the
coding curriculum and have pupils program an interactive identification key in
Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/).
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 6: Intelligent animals
Description
Pupils explore the behaviours and skills that make an animal (or human)
‘intelligent’.
Curriculum focus
Research and information skills – locate and access information, evaluate
sources, summarise information, take notes, draw conclusions based on
evidence, present information, use evidence to back up claims
Procedure
This activity is made up of two separate research tasks on the theme of
intelligent animals. Both tasks can be completed or just one.
The first activity asks pupils to explore the concept of ‘intelligence’. Activity
sheet 6a asks them to brainstorm the behaviours and skills they think show
intelligence. Examples of intelligent traits might include ‘good memory’ or ‘plans
ahead’. Encourage pupils to notice that these are traits that can be learned and
are not necessarily innate.
Pupils now move on to research animals that display these kinds of behaviours.
They must find ten animals they believe are intelligent, and back up their claims
with evidence from their research.
The second activity (Activity sheet 6b) presents some information about two
animals in particular – the chimpanzee and the spotted hyena – and why they
can be described as intelligent. Pupils read through the information, decide
which animal they think is most intelligent, then write up an explanation as to
why they feel this way. They should use the information provided (and their own
research if possible) to back up their answer.
Teacher’s notes
The first activity in this pack could be extended to promote a growth mindset
and discuss the different ways pupils can be ‘intelligent animals’. Can pupils pair
the skills they’ll need to succeed in the classroom with the animals that display
them? For example, horses have good memories, elephants display empathy,
dolphins are creative, squids are curious, sea lions think logically, ants work as
a team, etc. Pupils could make posters for the classroom walls exploring how
they can display these intelligent qualities in their learning.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 7: Our closest relatives?
Description
Pupils write an article for teen science magazine, The Helix, comparing humans
with chimpanzees.
Curriculum focus
Literacy – non-narrative texts, writing to inform, writing a feature article,
magazines, non-fiction, using rhetorical devices, adapting writing for audience,
purpose and context
Science – animals, adaptations, evolution and inheritance, scientific enquiry, the
human body
Research and information skills – locate and access information, evaluate
sources, summarise information, draw conclusions based on evidence, present
information, use evidence to back up claims
Procedure
Begin by discussing with pupils the information found in Activity sheet 7a,
which explores some of the ways chimpanzees can be described as intelligent.
Briefly discuss how this compares with human intelligence.
Pupils will now use the information from the activity sheet and their own
research to write a feature article for teen science magazine, The Helix,
comparing humans with chimpanzees.
Teacher’s note
You may need to spend some time looking at what makes an effective feature
article. Activity sheet 7c explains the aims and components of a good article,
and includes a list of useful devices to grab a reader’s attention and keep it.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
What other recent releases could you use?
There has been much going on in film, TV, and computer gaming over the last few months which may provide
many ideas for learning. In The Giver, a film that hit cinemas last August and recently came out on DVD, earth
is a perfect utopia, but at what hidden cost?
Activity 8: Can science give us utopia?
Description
Pupils debate whether advances in science and technology can create utopia.
Curriculum focus
Communication – contributing to a debate, joining in discussions, extending
ideas, expressing opinions clearly and politely, justifying opinions with evidence,
responding to counter-arguments
Procedure
Begin this activity by discussing the concept of ‘utopia’. What do pupils think a
utopian world would look like? Explain that some people believe technology can
solve all the world’s problems, but others believe that money and selfishness
will always corrupt scientific and technological advancement.
You are now going to set up a debate about whether or not science and
technology can create utopia. Divide students into groups of four to six. You will
need an even number of groups overall.
Pupils begin by noting down ideas for both sides of the argument. Once they
have had some time to brainstorm their ideas, assign half of the groups ‘yes’
and the other half ‘no’. Pupils should work together to refine their ideas as a
team.
Now pair up opposing groups to present and debate their arguments. This can
be a formal debate or a more informal discussion. At the end of the session,
call the whole class back together and ask pupils if they believe science and
technology can create utopia. Those who say yes should stand on one side
of the room; those who say no on the other. Pupils do not have to choose the
side they argued for during their group debate. Select a few pupils to give their
reasons. Ask if any changed their mind during the course of their debate.
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Activity 9: Futuristic fuels
Description
A series of worksheets exploring renewable and non-renewable energy
resources. The activity culminates with pupils selecting and researching three
renewable energy sources that they believe could provide clean, green energy
in a utopian future.
Curriculum focus
Science – fuels, energy sources, fossil fuels, nuclear energy, renewable/nonrenewable resources, solar power, hydropower, wind power
Research and information skills – evaluate prior knowledge, locate and
access information, summarise information, sort, classify and sequence, apply
understanding to real-world issues
Procedure
To begin this lesson, explain that the earth has given us a wealth of resources,
and up until very recently, we assumed that the resources would always be
there. We now realise that this is not true – the earth contains limited supplies
of materials that will eventually run out.
Activity sheet 9a introduces the three fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas –
and nuclear energy. Pupils research and answer a number of questions about
each fuel. After completing the worksheet, pupils move on to investigating
renewable energy. Activity sheet 9c introduces solar power, hydropower and
wind power. Pupils research the answers to a number of questions about the
energy source, including the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Now broach the idea of utopia. One aspect of a perfect world would be
renewable and eco-friendly energy sources. The final part of this activity
(Activity sheet 9d) asks pupils to find and explain three more renewable energy
sources they think could provide the energy of the future. The idea here is to
explore unusual, renewable and environmentally-friendly sources of energy that
scientists are hoping to make further use of in the future. There are a number of
options here, including body heat, sugar, vibrations, jellyfish and algae.
Finally, looking at their research and what they found out earlier about solar,
water and wind power, pupils choose the energy source they would use to
power a utopian world and explain why.
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The film Maze runner came out in cinemas September 2014, and is now out on DVD. With this one, you
could look at the world’s most impressive life-size mazes and find out how designers make them. There’s
a toilet roll maze in Canada, a palace of sweets maze in New Jersey and a tractor maze cut in a Cornwall
field by a unmanned aerial vehicle, using GPS coordinates. This one looks like a crop circle – is this how crop
circles are made?
Activity 10: Making mazes
Description
Pupils design and draw various types of mazes to share and solve.
Curriculum focus
Maths – drawing and solving mazes, using compasses, symmetry, rotation,
reflection
Art and design – drawing and designing mazes
History – Ancient Romans, Roman art, mosaics, Ancient Greeks, myths and
legends
Procedure
Use the provided powerpoint to introduce pupils to the two types of mazes:
the more well-known multicursal maze, with multiple paths and dead-ends, and
the unicursal maze, with a single path winding to the centre and no choice of
routes.
Activity sheets 10b-10d provide instructions for drawing different types of
mazes. There are three for the pupils to choose from – a branching maze, a
Chartres labyrinth and a Roman labyrinth – each of which requires pupils to
practise a range of different skills, including symmetry, rotation, reflection and
using compasses.
Finish the activity by having pupils share and solve each other’s mazes. This
activity’s resource pack includes some fun pre-made mazes which you may also
like to distribute.
There are plenty of opportunities for extension activities and cross curricular
links here. Pupils could use the principles they have learned to design their own
mazes. An extension of this, linked to art and the study of Ancient Rome, would
be to create mosaic mazes using collage materials. If you are studying Ancient
Greece, take a look at the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, which will provide
many opportunities for creative writing, art, drama and developing reading skills.
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Teacher’s note
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In Destiny, a computer game out last September, each class of player has a unique special ability that they
use to fight hostile aliens. Here’s an opportunity to look at whether skills and talents are inherited or learned.
Last year, a University College London study said leadership quality is genetic. Is this the same for sports
stars and computer geniuses?
Activity 11: Design a human
Description
Pupils consider the attributes and skills that make a person a good leader,
before deciding which are inherited and which are learnt.
Curriculum focus
PSHE – leadership, self-development
Research and information skills – locate and access information, apply
understanding to real-world issues, present information
Science – inheritance
Procedure
Tell pupils they are going to design the perfect leader. They should focus on
skills and abilities, but also consider physical attributes if relevant. Pupils should
note down their thoughts around the outline of the body on Activity sheet 11b.
Once they have finished their visual representation, have them consider: Which
attributes are inherited? Which are learned? Pupils should choose three colours
to represent ‘inherited’, ‘learned’ and ‘both inherited and learned’, and mark
each attribute on their diagram accordingly.
Alternative activity
Activity sheet 11c allows pupils to choose the occupation they want to design
the perfect candidate for. The instructions are the same as for designing a
leader, but pupils use the blank body outline found in Activity sheet 11d. There
are nine jobs listed, which include politician, programmer, sports star, lifeguard
and inventor.
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Cross curriculum Project Plan
A history of size
The third Hobbit film, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, came out in December. Tolkein’s Middle Earth
features human-like creatures of all shapes and sizes – elves, dwarves, Maia, orcs, goblins and of course,
hobbits.
Unless you believe stories about leprechauns, fairies and big foot, modern humans (Homo sapiens) are
the only people around today. But that wasn’t always the case. During prehistoric times, as our ancestors
evolved, there were lots of other species. Some of them were big and probably inspired Yeti and troll legends.
Some were smaller, and when scientists first found their remains in a cave in Flores Island, East Asia, ten
years ago, the media called these tiny people ‘hobbits’.
Some say hobbits, or Homo floresiensis, to give them their official name, are most likely descended from the
larger prehistoric human Homo erectus. H. erectus evolved in Africa 1.8 million years ago and spread around
Europe, Asia and Australasia, reaching Flores about one million years ago. Maybe some got across the sea
and, because of scarce resources and their isolation from the mainland, these people slowly grew smaller
over the generations. This is called island dwarfism and has happened all over the world with many different
species, throughout history and prehistory.
Other scientists believe hobbits are descended from Homo habilis, a more primitive species that left Africa
many thousands of years earlier. This would also explain why H. floresiensis is so small, with such a small
brain. Others think they’re not a separate species at all, just modern humans with a degenerative disorder
that stunts their growth. H. floresiensis used relatively sophisticated stone tools, seemingly to hunt and
butcher their kills. They were particularly fond of elephant meat, although the elephants that lived on Flores
back then were no bigger than water buffalo – island dwarfism again. Paradoxically, in the same environment,
smaller animals grew larger. H. floresiensis would have had to contend with rats the size of a golden retriever,
as well as the Komodo dragon – the world’s largest monitor lizard – which still lives on the island today.
Description
Images and sound immerse pupils in the story of a group of early humans who
are attacked by a Komodo dragon. The pupils plan and write a piece of creative
writing to show what happens next.
Curriculum focus
Literacy – creative writing, evoke character and setting, descriptive writing,
story writing, story endings
Thinking skills – imagination, creative thinking
Procedure
When the children come into the classroom, have the powerpoint – a
compilation of rainforest photographs – playing on the interactive whiteboard.
You may wish to play some rainforest/jungle sounds, which you can find for free
on YouTube.
When the children have settled down, begin reading the story found in Activity
sheet 12a. The short narrative tells of a group of H. floresiensis returning
through the rainforest with their latest kill. The group attracts the attention of a
passing Komodo dragon, which attacks.
The pupils’ task now is to write a piece of creative writing, describing what
happens next. Keep the music playing and the images on the board on loop (the
powerpoint is automatically set to do this, switching photos every minute) as
they plan and write their piece.
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Activity 12: What happens next?
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How do we compare?
The human lineage, Homo, began in Africa about 2.5 million years ago. Around 200,000 years ago, H. sapiens
evolved from H. erectus, but during our formative years, Neanderthals, Homo heidelbergensis – a tall athletic
Eurasian sub species – and possibly even relict populations of H. erectus were still around. Other distinct sub
species of prehistoric humans have been found in Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Spain, Italy and Russia.
Many of our prehistoric ancestors were bigger, stronger and more athletic than we were. Not only did they
spend all day outdoors and on the move, they had to stay fit to hunt. With sabre-tooth cats, dire wolves,
short-faced bears and all manner of large predatory birds around, they’d need speed, strength and endurance
to stay off the menu themselves. They could even take on our very best athletes, and, if they had the same
training, they’d most likely beat them.
The world’s best 100m runners like Usain Bolt run at around 26mph. It takes them between 9.69 seconds – Bolt’s
world record – and ten seconds to complete the race. 20,000 year-old fossilised tracks showed people living in what
would one day become Australia could manage 23mph – running in soft mud, barefoot. With spikes, a running track
and training, these people would have reached 28 mph, no problem, and the people who left the tracks were unlikely
to be the fastest runners around at the time. The average human can run 15mph – if these prehistoric footprints were
left by an average runner, the very quickest might well have been able to run 39mph over short distances.
Kazakhstan weightlifter Ilya Ilyin won gold in the 2011 World Championships. No way would he have beaten
a Neanderthal. Male Neanderthals had 20 per cent more muscle mass than modern day humans. They were
126-138 per cent stronger than us. Ilyin scored a world record 233kg in the clean and jerk lift. His combined
total was 418 kg, also a world record. With the same training, the strongest Neanderthal would have
managed 309kg and 553.52kg, respectively.
At the London Olympics, China’s Zhou Lulu broke the women’s superheavyweight world weightlifting record
with a combined score of 333kg. The strongest female Neanderthal with similar training would have lifted
475 kg, beating the current world record in the heaviest men’s class. Neanderthal women were 145 per cent
stronger than today’s women and had ten per cent more body mass than the average European man. They
had shorter arms, so could have probably lifted even more.
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Activity 13: Timeline of human ancestors
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Description
Pupils create a timeline of human ancestors.
Curriculum focus
Science – evolution and inheritance, survival, extinction, natural selection
History – Stone Age, Metal Age, prehistory, evidence of the past, human
ancestors
Research and information skills – activate prior knowledge, locate and access
information, summarise information, organise and synthesise information,
analyse and make inferences
Procedure
The cards in Activity sheet 13b show a number of human ancestors and how
many years ago they lived. Pupils need to cut out these cards and arrange them
as a timeline on an A3 piece of paper.
Once the cards are glued down, have pupils label each hominid with information from
their research about how and where they lived, and why they died out. They should
also find a picture to show what each human ancestor might have looked like.
Pupils now mark the various periods of the Stone Age and also the Metal Age
on their timeline. They should note the developments each era is characterised
by, plus observations about the length of these eras and what this says about
human progress. The idea here is for them to realise that the eras get shorter,
meaning human development/progress quickens.
Download this resource pack here
Science goes pop!
Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 14: How do they compare?
Description
A series of maths activities based around comparisons between early and
modern humans, and a range of extinct and modern animals.
Curriculum focus
Maths – Comparisons, percentages, converting between imperial and metric
measurements, height, weight, length, decimals
Science – Calculating speed, distance and time, early humans
Procedure
There are two parts to this activity. The first (Activity sheet 14a) looks at
comparisons between the speed and strength of early humans and modern
humans. The questions ask pupils to calculate speed, time and a range of
comparative percentages.
The second part of this activity (Activity sheet 14b) asks pupils to research a
number of extinct dwarf animals and their larger relatives – for example, the
extinct Honshu Wolf and the much larger, still living Gray Wolf. Pupils find the
height, length and weight of each animal (where applicable) and fill in the chart.
They then answer a series of questions about their findings, which include
converting between imperial and metric measurements and making calculations
with percentages and decimals.
Download this resource pack here
Description
Pupils solve a series of mathematical word problems related to the hunting and
gathering habits of early man.
Curriculum focus
Maths – word problems, multi-step problems, multiplication, division, addition,
subtraction, three-digit numbers, four-digit numbers
History – Stone Age, early humans, hunting, gathering, gender roles, family life
Procedure
Pupils work through Activity sheet 14a, which features a range of maths
questions related to hunting and gathering. They may work in pairs, but will
need to note down their working and the answers to the questions in their
maths books.
Teacher’s note
The questions are aimed at children in Years 5 and 6, and involve addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division of one, two, three and four-digit numbers.
A number of the questions are multi-step.
Download this resource pack here
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Activity 15: Caveman maths
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Science goes pop!
Cross curriculum Project Plan
‘Hairy man’ legends
Have you heard of the orang pendek? Everyone’s heard stories about Bigfoot and the abominable snowman. Apelike creatures that walk upright like humans have been spotted all over the world. In Russia, they’re called almasty; in
Australia, yowie; in Canada, sasquatch. Even here in the UK, there are legends of big hairy men, from Cannock Chase in
the Midlands and the Cairngorns in Scotland. Now, in the dense jungles of Sumatra, there’s the orang pendek.
Orang pendek means ‘short man’ in Indonesian. For thousands of years, Sumatrans have talked about stocky,
powerfully built creatures living in the forests. They are said to be four to five feet tall, with broad shoulders and
muscular arms. They have large owl-like eyes and are said to make an ‘oooha’ noise. Unlike the orange or sandy
coloured orangutan, the orang pendek is said to have black or honey coloured hair. Orangutans live in trees, while
the orang pendek seems to live on the forest floor. In the early 20th century, news of this creature reached the
West after Dutch colonists encountered big hairy creatures unlike either men or orangutans.
In 1927, an orang pendek was caught in a trap but escaped. When a scientist examined the blood, he found
that it was not from a bear, gibbon or human. After this, things went quiet until the late 1980s, when a travel
writer called Debbie Martyr became intrigued by stories of the creature and wrote about it. Debbie says she
saw one herself; ‘A gibbon on steroids, built like a boxer,’ she calls it. Since then, explorers have collected hair
samples, footprints and hand prints.
So what could it be? Some say an undocumented species of ape, maybe a subspecies of orangutan or gibbon.
Larger wild men from other parts of the world could, some believe, be survivors of a three metre tall ape,
gigantopithecus, said to have died out 300,000 years ago. Others insist that a species of early human still lives in
the forests. Sceptics say witnesses have just seen a malnourished sun bear, a gibbon or even a child in the dark.
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Activity 16: Tracking the orang pendek
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Description
Pupils write a diary as an explorer in the Sumatran jungle tracking the orang
pendek.
Curriculum focus
Literacy – genre, creative writing, evoke character and setting, descriptive
writing, story writing, writing a diary entry, myths and legends
Science – animals and their habitats, cryptozoology
Geography – physical geography, rainforests, climate, Asia, human settlements
Research and information skills – locate information from a variety of sources,
apply knowledge and understanding to real-life situations, consider purpose and
audience of information
Procedure
Tell pupils they are going to write a diary as an explorer investigating the
existence of the orang pendek in the Sumatran rainforest. Pupils will need to
research the orang pendek and the Sumatran jungle – its climate, its vegetation
and the other animals that live there. A research grid and a research log have
been provided to help students plan and organise their thoughts and research.
Pupils should remember that this is also a creative writing exercise – they
should observe the rules of the writing genre and make use of a range of literary
devices. To that end, Activity sheet 16d provides the space for pupils to plan
how they are going to use the five senses to enrich their piece.
For those that struggle for inspiration, Activity sheet 16b provides a number of
events to include in their diary, which are all based on real-life searches for the
orang pendek. Stress that these are just ideas and pupils don’t have to use any/
all of them; they are free to come up with their own.
Download this resource pack here
Science goes pop!
Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 17: Mapping the mysteries
Description
Pupils research legends of hairy human-like creatures and plot them on a world
map.
Curriculum focus
Research and information skills – locate and access information, summarise
information, evaluate sources
Science – cryptozoology, habitats
Geography – plotting maps, global geography
Procedure
The pupils’ task is to research as many hairy man legends from around the
world as they can. They record their findings in the grid, noting where the
legend is from, what the habitat is like, what the locals call the creature, major
sightings of the creature and any evidence of its existence.
Pupils then plot the legends on the A4 world map provided. An alternative is to
print out/draw an A3-sized world map and have pupils attach information from
their research about each legend.
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Download this resource pack here
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Science goes pop!
Cross curriculum Project Plan
Activity 18: The missing link?
Description
Pupils research the legendary yeti of the Himalayas and write an argument for
or against its existence.
Curriculum focus
Literacy – non-narrative texts, writing to argue, using rhetorical devices,
adapting writing for audience, purpose and context, myths and legends
Science – cryptozoology, using evidence to back up claims, early humans,
genetics
Research and information skills – locate and access information from a
variety of sources, distinguish between fact and opinion, spot bias, evaluate
accuracy, cite sources, back up opinions with evidence, apply knowledge
and understanding to real-life situations, consider purpose and audience of
information, organise information logically, draw conclusions
Procedure
Tell pupils that a local museum is putting on an exhibition about the legend
of the Himalayan yeti. They have asked a number of local pupils, your class
included, to write an argument for or against the existence of the yeti, which the
museum will include in the exhibition guide.
Pupils will find conflicting evidence on the web, so should record evidence both
for and against the existence of the yeti in the grid provided, before using it to
come to their own balanced conclusion: Does the yeti exist? If so, what is it?
Pupils now up their argument, using the evidence from their research to back
up their claims. The ‘Writing to argue’ sheet will help if they are stuck.
Download this resource pack here
There’s so much in TV, films and computer games – it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something for
everyone to enjoy. Use popular culture to hook your classes into the world of science. Show them that this
world is not just in textbooks and on dull documentaries; it’s interesting and it’s all around them.
Volume 5.3 n Creative Teaching & Learning
Crispin Andrews is a former primary school teacher. He is now a freelance writer and journalist.
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Download the entire project online
Download the complete series of accompanying resource packs from the Teaching Times website: library.
teachingtimes.com/publications/creative-teaching-and-learning/volume-5-issue-3.htm.