TOWER HAMLETS
CITY LEARNING CENTRE
TAKEWAWAY LESSONS
These lessons are designed to cover various parts of the Primary ICT curriculum.
They are intended to provide online resources which have proven to be popular and successful in delivering the ICT curriculum to students.
They can be delivered in ICT suites in school, and only require internet access and standard computer software.
SIMULATION LESSON – YEAR 3
QCA Outcomes and Objectives
- that computer simulations can represent real or imaginary situations
- that computer simulations allow users to explore options
- to enter data into a computer simulation
- that computer simulations are simplified representations
- to explore the effect of changing the variables in simulations and use them to make and test predictions
Resources: Computers with internet access and headphones, interactive whiteboard.
Introduction: What is a simulation?
Power point slides – What is a simulation? Discuss various simulations on Power point slide. What are the benefits of using a simulation? Safety, money saving, making future predictions etc..
Simulate playing instrument: an armonica (glass instrument) and piano.
Vibrating Glass instrument
Demonstrate inputs/outputs–Colin’sCoffee Shop - Simulation of making a cup of coffee with a few variables.
Predicting outcomes - Introduce idea about how simulations can help us determine what may happen in the future and predict outcomes. In this case levels of pollution produced by our activities and how we can reduce Carbon emissions.
Battle for the Planet
Demonstrate Building a Planet.
Build a Planet - Decisions have to made to create a planet. Simulating success of the planet you create based on your inputs. Scroll down and double click on Planet 10 then select Play.
Testing predictions made by using simulations
Make predictions – so what do you think will happen when or if???
Predicting Distance
Extra Activities:
Virtual Experiments – Students make predictions and perform online experiments. What are the advantages of using simulations? Any disadvantages?
-Dissolving activities - 4D
-Keeping things hot - 4C
-Measuring Friction - 4E
GRAPHICS
QCA Outcomes and Objectives – 5A & 4B
-that images can be created by combining and manipulating objects
-to move, rotate and re-size graphic elements
-that ICT can be used to develop images
-that pictures can be assembled by repeating elements
- to use stamps and/or the copy tool
-to alter the size of the brush tool
-to select areas, copy and re-size them
-to use a range of visual effects, such as reflection or symmetry
-that ICT can be used to recreate images made by hand
- that a screen image can be a finished product
- to use 'save as' to keep drafts
- to use the skills and techniques learnt to organise, reorganise and communicate ideas -to select suitable information and media and prepare it for processing using ICT
Part 1:
Resources: Computers with internet access and headphones, interactive whiteboard, sugar paper, scissors, markers.
Introduction:What is an object?
Start with a large sheet of paper, and draw several images all over the place.
“What am I doing? How can we do this on computer?And, What software can we use?”
Cut out some of your pictures, ‘If we do this, then they become object’….Why??
‘Objects can be moved around, they can be put anywhere on the paper, they can be put in front of or behind other objects’…use whiteboard ‘objects’…. ‘they can be made larger, or smaller, they can be copied and pasted…rotated etc…’
Repeat the above process using the gallery in the interactive whiteboard to move objects around, change their size, put in front of or behind other objects.
Activity 1: Game
Street children in India play a game called House, Child, Street.
“Get into threes.Two of you form a roof with your arms, (you are the house) the third stands in the middle (child). When the teacher shouts house – all the children that are houses move and form new houses with different people around a child; When the teacher shouts child, only the children move to find a new house. When the teacher shouts Street, everybody must move. There must not be any empty houses…”
Activity 2: Picture of a Game
In this activity students have to create a picture by selecting and manipulating objects.
Activity 3: Design a Garden
With this activity, students create a garden design plan in 2D and then they can view and move around their garden in 3D.
Click on LaunchVirtual Garden.
After selecting the size of the garden students can choose the perimeters, plants, landscape and objects. They can view their garden in 3D at any stage and make changes.
Activity 4 : Designing Flags
Display a variety of flags on the whiteboard. Students have to recreate 2 or 3 flags and then create a couple of their own designs on Microsoft Word.
It is important that students use the drawing toolbar to construct the basic geometric shapes.
The copy/paste tool must be used to maintain proportion and ensure accuracy when constructing boxes of same size (particularly with flags such as France i.e. 3 small rectangles together).
Objects must be grouped so that whole flag can be moved at one time.
Use the order function to put shapes in front of or behind others.
Use the fill tool to colour in flag.
Part 2:
Introduction: Go to Google earth and show direction, aerial view and 3D. Talk about how the images in this website have been compiled by piecing together thousands of pictures taken by satellites.
Show various other locations in world (Grand Canyon – has a more 3D effect, as does Manhattan if using the tilt bar).
Type in London – Directions – Put post code in – Route – Play to show aerial image of school. It will take you on a journey from staring point to your destination.
Activity 1:Your Journey to School
Have a brief discussion on how students get to school. What do they see on the way?
Select What can you see?
Get students to put in order the various things they see on their way to school.
SelectJourney Builder
Students have to design a route to school complete with roads and places.
Activity 2: My Street
Students can thengo to Microsoft Word and create their own street using Colour Magic (or equivalent), clipart online resources to complete pictures – cars, people etc. Think about grouping, layering and appropriate pictures.
Activity 3:Road Safety Campaign
Go to
Play two short videos (Welcome and Road Safety). Have a brief discussion about road safety around your school.
Design a t-shirt in Microsoft Word using the Draw tool, word art and clipart to promoter Road Safety.
MANIPULATING SOUND
QCA Outcomes and Objectives – 3B
-that ICT can be used to select and control sounds
- that sounds can be stored on CD-ROM
- to use ICT to record sounds
-that ICT can be used to organise and reorganise sounds
- to use icons to arrange musical phrases
-that electronic and live sounds can be combined in a performance
-use ICT to create, organise and reorganise sounds
Resources: Computers with internet access and headphones, interactive whiteboardpaper cups, rubber bands, paper, foil, water, jug, salt, balloons, straws…..
Activity 1: What we Hear?
Behind a screen make various noises and get the children to write down exactly what they think it is. Possible sounds include:
- water being poured into bowl,
-crushing foil
-crushing paper
-rubbing balloon and deflating it
-pouring salt
-twanging rubber band
You an also use sounds from
Introduction: Hearing
Introduce the basics of hearing and the auditory system. Show picture of ear.
Talk about sound in terms of volume and pitch (frequency). Talk about vocal cords / vibrations (sound is just a vibration of particles) and use straws to demonstrate. Get kids to hold onto throats to feel vibrations. Watch short video on Vocal cords.
Activity 2:Singing Horses
Students can create sounds in their own order by clicking on horses at different times.
Activity 3: Making Instruments
Get students to strum rubber bands. Note how loud the sounds are. Add a paper cup to it. What happens?? Why??Go to the following link and go through evolution of the instruments and sounds. See how instruments were made from everyday objects.
Activity 4: Selecting and controlling sounds
Discuss how sounds can be stored (electronically compared with old days)– Cassettes and records ; CD ROM, internet, CDs, DVD, MP3, iPods.
Get students to listen to and alter sounds by clicking on them.
Activity 5:Organising and combining sounds in a specific order
Discuss how recordings are made in film and music. Sounds are organised in sequence, then reorganised etc.
Using one or both of the links below, demonstrate how to organise, move and combine different sounds into one piece. Students can then create their own sound clip.
Extra Activities with 2Simple MusicToolkit software.
Sequencing Sounds
Children can sequence sounds from a variety of instruments and everyday sounds.
Go to 2Simple, 2Simple Music Toolkit, then select 2Sequence. Click and drag sounds into boxes and then press play.
Composing and Recording Sound
Children can compose music, record and playback their composition.
Go to 2Simple, 2Simple Music Toolkit, then select 2Play. Get children to practice and listen to the different sounds that the instruments make. Students can then record and playback their composition.