The 2015 FutureZone poetry course is drawing to a close as pupils are busy working on their own poems for the competition. The 5 poems studied this year were: “Geography Lesson” by Brian Patten “The Trouble With Snowmen” by Roger McGough “The Visitor” by Ian Serraillier “A boat” by...
Collaborative Learning
FutureZone offers its pupils an opportunity to develop expertise, knowledge and interest in the Arts through it’s annual collaborative learning projects.
There are three projects per year:
- Poetry Course and Competition for Year 6
- Writing through Film Course in Year 5
- Writing through Art Course in partnership with Kenwood House in Year 4
The courses follow a similar format with pupils studying one poem, film or painting per week for 5 weeks. The lessons are designed to offer sustained opportunities for discussion on the focus piece with pupils exchanging ideas and thoughts. At the end of the week’s study pupils respond with a piece of writing inspired by their study.
Pupils have access to a blog where they can share their writing with a real audience; the other FutureZone pupils. The blog also provides an opportunity to further discussions instigated in class with other schools and a platform to celebrate and publicise the talents of the pupils.
The courses end with a celebration. On completion of the poetry course, pupils own poems are published in school booklets while the best poems make the nominated poet booklet. Each school has a poet of the year and the best poet is crowned FutureZone poet laureate of the year. The Writing through Film course draws to a close with pupils collaborating to make their own film. The Writing through Art course ends with the memorable pupils visits to Kenwood House for them to see the paintings they’ve studied and a celebration morning where the pupils’ own art is displayed in the famous house.
You can see our 22/23 blog evolve with examples of pupils’ responses to the projects via:
https://islingtongovuk.j2bloggy.com/FZ2223/
The collaborative learning projects are designed to provide pupils with an opportunity for in-depth study and exploration of the Arts. It is hoped pupils will develop their understanding of and enthusiasm for, often overlooked, areas of the curriculum. The projects are designed to stimulate speaking and listening helping to enhance pupils’ oracy and confidence in their own opinions and views. The focus of the arts and the sustained discussion provide a platform for pupils to develop their writing. The blog provides an opportunity for peer to peer assessment as well as linking school and home life.
Contact Details
Project Lead: Michael Walsh
Email: walsh1234@hotmail.com
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The poems are all so different and really make you think. They are like riddles or puzzles that you have to solve so you can get the message. I didn’t think I liked poetry but now I love it
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I found this year’s Writing Through Film course to be a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. The films chosen were short, snappy and really engaging for the children. My class, who are usually not the most enthusiastic writers, were keen to engage with each of the tasks and excited to see their work published on the blog. They also enjoyed looking at other children’s work and having the opportunity to comment on it. Overall, the course has confirmed that film is an incredibly powerful stimulus for writing, and I will now go on to use the skills I have developed with my class next year.
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The course was incredibly detailed especially for primary school children. My daughter loves art and the experience has definitely helped her to look at art much more carefully.
All the children were engaged and excited whilst at the gallery. They were eager to show their parents what they had learnt in each painting.
I was very impressed and found the experience much more stimulating than the history of art A level course that I did many years ago.
It is a brilliant course and I hope that there is sufficient funding so that it can continue in years to come.
Thank you very much for organising and developing the course.