Choosing our learning in Year 4
The early experiences of Year 4
Armadillos (2013-2014)
What is this all about ?
• We have been using Blooms Taxonomy
questioning strands to help us plan some
of our own learning in the Armadillos.
• We chose the topic of MEXICO for the
Autumn Term, to begin with.
• We took a couple of sessions to plan
some really exciting learning activities.
• We are taking 3 or 4 whole afternoons to
explore and enjoy these choosing
activities in the Autumn term.
What does our Choosing Grid look
like ?
• After being introduced to the topic of
MEXICO in September and ‘getting a feel’
for it, we planned the following Choosing
Grid as a class.
• A lot of our MEXICO topic lessons have
already been planned by our Year 4
teachers and we are excited about these.
• The ones that follow are our own and we
get to pick from a selection of these every
few weeks during the term...
OUR YEAR 4 CHOOSING GRID FOR AUTUMN TERM 2013: MEXICO TOPIC
YEAR 4
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analysing
Creating
Evaluating
(1 point)
(2 points)
(3 points)
(4 points)
(5 points)
(6 points)
Verbal
“I enjoy reading,
Create a fact file
about an Aztec or
Mayan warrior ( with
at least 8 key facts
that you consider to
be fascinating and
worth sharing)
Find out and present a
report about what
makes Mexico a
tourism hotspot.
Design a questionnaire
that a member of your
class can fill in about
what they would most
like to do on a holiday to
Mexico ( Mexico today)
Research the life and
times of Hernan Cortes
and his invasion of
Mexico. What qualities
made him such a
strong leader?
Find out about the
range of spices grown
in Mexico and the
recipes used with them
in Mexican cooking, as
well as their medicinal
purpose.
Prepare a report to
share with the class
about your findings ( a
PPT may help you)
‘Aztec sacrifice was
barbaric and wrong’.
Support or oppose
this opinion in a
presentation.
Draw and label an
Aztec building ,
showing how it was
used in those times,
e.g.: Pyramid, temple,
house
Illustrate some of the
different types of masks
that were used in
Ancient Mexico and
some that are made
today.
Write a few sentences
to explain their
significance and
meaning.
Create a poster of
different types of sport,
that explains how they
would have had a
religious, as well as
athletic/ leisure purpose.
How was Tenochtitlan,
the Ancient capital city
of the Aztecs, designed
and built?
How did it use the
natural landscape to its
advantage.
Choose a way of
visually showing this,
e.g.: a plan, aerial
view…
Design a poster to
show what a balanced
diet would consist of in
Ancient Mexican times,
showing examples of
the different food
groups.
Use plastercine and
modelling materials to
create a balanced meal
of what Aztecs may
have eaten.
Draw what a town in
Mexico will look like in
100 years time, with
annotations to show
why you have made
these decisions.
Create a RAP to tell
your class about
Aztec and Mayan
torture and treatment
of children.
Create a poster OR
information leaflet
about MEXICO CITY,
explaining some of its
key features, with
illustrations and
captions.
Design and make your
own floating garden (
Chinampa) ,showing the
fruits and vegetables
grown there, as well as
its key features.
After researching into
the Spanish conquest
of Mexico, write a
report on your opinion
as to whether it was a
good thing or not.
Design and make a
clay model of an Aztec
god/goddess that could
have existed in Ancient
times, adapted to the
culture there and
explaining its purpose
and how/ why people
would pray to it and
worship it.
Imagine you are a
former Aztec warrior,
who has survived the
Spanish conquest of
Mexico and are now
in the twilight years of
your life. Present your
memories of the
biggest changes you
have witnessed in
your life,
Create a visual
dictionary of words
and ideas from this
topic so far.
Research the
production of Chocolate
from cocoa bean to
Chocolate bar.
Draw a flow diagram to
illustrate this.
Invent a new breed of
animal that could exist in
the Mexican environment
( habitat) and write an
entertaining poem/ short
story about it.
Write a diary entry as if
you are a child about to
be sacrificed,
expressing your
feelings and emotions.
You may choose to be
distraught or honoured
to have been selected.
How did the 2
civilisations first get
together and begin
trading ?
Produce a comic strip/
cartoon page to show
how and what the
Aztecs and Spanish
traded in and how they
communicated in their
first meetings.
‘Is Fair Trade worth
investing in?;
; Write a letter to a
Supermarket boss,
explaining the
benefits of selling
fairtrade products,
such as ‘Mayan Gold
Chocolate’ in his/her
store, despite their
slighty higher cost.
writing and
speaking”.
Visual
“ I enjoy painting,
drawing and
visualising”
Kinaesthetic
“I enjoy doing
hands on
activities”
Intrapersonal
“I enjoy working
by myself”
How did we organise the first
lesson ?
• We had an afternoon session all about Harvest
in Mexico, as this linked to our own Harvest
Festival at school, in early October.
• Our learning was led by our teachers and they
helped us to understand all about the way the
Ancient Aztecs farmed on Chinampas (Floating
gardens) and what they planted and cultivated .
• The first Choosing lesson followed on from this
and we were able to choose from 4 of the
activities planned on the grid (highlighted) to
spend an afternoon on in pairs or on our own …
YEAR 4
Verbal
“I enjoy reading,
writing and
speaking”.
Visual
“ I enjoy painting,
drawing and
visualising”
Kinaesthetic
“I enjoy doing
hands on
activities”
Intrapersonal
“I enjoy working
by myself”
Rememberin
g
Understandin
g
(1 point)
(2 points)
Applying
Analysing
Creating
Evaluating
(3 points)
(4 points)
(5 points)
(6 points)
Create a fact file
about an Aztec or
Mayan warrior ( with
at least 8 key facts
that you consider to
be fascinating and
worth sharing)
Find out and present a
report about what
makes Mexico a
tourism hotspot.
Design a questionnaire
that a member of your
class can fill in about
what they would most
like to do on a holiday to
Mexico ( Mexico today)
Research the life and
times of Hernan Cortes
and his invasion of
Mexico. What qualities
made him such a
strong leader?
Find out about the
range of spices grown
in Mexico and the
recipes used with them
in Mexican cooking, as
well as their medicinal
purpose.
Prepare a report to
share with the class
about your findings ( a
PPT may help you)
‘Aztec sacrifice was
barbaric and wrong’.
Support or oppose
this opinion in a
presentation.
Draw and label an
Aztec building ,
showing how it was
used in those times,
e.g.: Pyramid, temple,
house
Illustrate some of the
different types of
masks that were used
in Ancient Mexico and
some that are made
today.
Write a few sentences
to explain their
significance and
meaning.
Create a poster of
different types of sport,
that explains how they
would have had a
religious, as well as
athletic/ leisure purpose.
How was Tenochtitlan,
the Ancient capital city
of the Aztecs, designed
and built?
How did it use the
natural landscape to its
advantage.
Choose a way of
visually showing this,
e.g.: a plan, aerial
view…
Design a poster to
show what a balanced
diet would consist of in
Ancient Mexican times,
showing examples of
the different food
groups.
Use plastercine and
modelling materials to
create a balanced meal
of what Aztecs may
have eaten.
Draw what a town in
Mexico will look like in
100 years time, with
annotations to show
why you have made
these decisions.
Create a RAP to tell
your class about
Aztec and Mayan
torture and treatment
of children.
Create a poster OR
information leaflet
about MEXICO CITY,
explaining some of its
key features, with
illustrations and
captions.
Design and make your
own floating garden (
Chinampa) ,showing the
fruits and vegetables
grown there, as well as
its key features.
After researching into
the Spanish conquest
of Mexico, write a
report on your opinion
as to whether it was a
good thing or not.
Design and make a
clay model of an Aztec
god/goddess that could
have existed in Ancient
times, adapted to the
culture there and
explaining its purpose
and how/ why people
would pray to it and
worship it.
Imagine you are a
former Aztec warrior,
who has survived the
Spanish conquest of
Mexico and are now
in the twilight years of
your life. Present your
memories of the
biggest changes you
have witnessed in
your life,
Create a visual
dictionary of words
and ideas from this
topic so far.
Research the
production of
Chocolate from cocoa
bean to Chocolate bar.
Draw a flow diagram to
illustrate this.
Invent a new breed of
animal that could exist in
the Mexican environment
( habitat) and write an
entertaining poem/ short
story about it.
Write a diary entry as if
you are a child about to
be sacrificed,
expressing your
feelings and emotions.
You may choose to be
distraught or honoured
to have been selected.
How did the 2
civilisations first get
together and begin
trading ?
Produce a comic strip/
cartoon page to show
how and what the
Aztecs and Spanish
traded in and how they
communicated in their
first meetings.
‘Is Fair Trade worth
investing in?;
; Write a letter to a
Supermarket boss,
explaining the
benefits of selling
fairtrade products,
such as ‘Mayan Gold
Chocolate’ in his/her
store, despite their
slighty higher cost.
Designing and Making our own
Floating Gardens (Chinampas):
‘It was so enjoyable to do an activity
that we really wanted to’ (Finley)
‘I learnt to be creative and take pride in a
project that I had chosen for myself’
(Jude)’
Creating a PowerPoint about
Mexican Spices and how they are
used as Medicines and in Cooking:
‘We learnt so many new facts , as well
as developing our ICT skills’ (Jim)
‘It was so much fun. I enjoy making my own
decisions sometimes and I was pleased
with the finished PowerPoint ’ (Eden)
Designing a poster to demonstrate a
Balanced Diet in Ancient Mexican times;
making a balanced meal out of plasticine:
‘I really like it when you can decide exactly
what you want to do. I also learnt a lot about
the Mexican diet’ (Oscar)
‘We got to do things that we’d never
normally get a chance to do. I improved my
modelling skills… really enjoyable ’ (Sam)
We can’t wait until our
next Choosing afternoon
later this term …