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Primary 'Hard to Teach' Resources

Hard to teach topics in the primary curriculum

hard to teachBecta worked with teachers on a programme of work on how technology can help with ‘Hard to teach topics in the primary curriculum’. Click here or on the link at the bottom of the page to download the Primary Hard to Teach Resources Bundle (113Mb) - remember by doing so you agree to the terms of the Open Government Licence.

This follows previous projects working with secondary teachers to highlight how technology can help with “Hard to teach” topics in subjects (English, Maths, Science, Geography and MFL) examples of which can be seen on teachers TV.

The project investigates and exemplifies how technology can support learning and teaching with the subject being taught as the prime focus. Hard to teach topics/concepts for this work are defined as:

  • Topics/concepts practitioners find hard to teach
  • Topics/concepts pupils find difficult to understand
  • Topics/concepts which are hard to teach without the use of technology.

A ‘practitioner group’ of 12 teachers covering a range of age groups taught, subject expertise, interests and responsibilities were involved in the project. The outcomes from this work is a selection of case studies with associated resources aimed at teachers and school leaders which will be published electronically.

The topics listed here are not meant to be a definitive list, but just an illustration of how technology can help with the topics that the teachers and/or their pupils find difficult.

Undoubtedly there are many more topics that different teachers and groups of pupils will find difficult to teach/understand. We hope that the case studies will inspire other teachers to try and use technology to help with understanding.

List of topics

Organisation

subject

Topic

technology

brief outline

St Andrew's CE Primary School

History

Anglo Saxon Britain

Digital video

Blue screen technology

Recording what life was like in Anglo Saxon Britain.  Superimposing images on backgrounds, pupils reporting on life in Anglos Saxon Britain.

Robert Hitcham School

PE

improving balance

flip cameras

Analysis of movement through digital pictures

St Edmund & St John Primary School

History

Pharaohs and Pyramids

Flip camera, Visualiser,  photostory and moviemaker

The classroom will be set up as a tomb dig, items will be hidden for the groups to discover and investigate. The pupils will be in teams of archaeologists and reporters  and have  cameras to record events and note books to take notes of what they have found.

New Invention Infant School

Music

The Seaside

lots including lap tops Garageband, 2simple, Compose World

Taking pupils through the musical process to enable them to develop their own composition on a theme of 'the seaside'.

Flakefleet Primary School

Literacy

 Stories by the same author

IWB, usb recorders, i-pods

children discussing characters and story events using the school learning platform (moodle) in particular discussion forums and nanogongs where they are are able to listen to questions and record their answers rather than typing

SS Simon & Jude CE Primary

Dance

The water cycle

Flip Camera, CD player and CD, Laptop and IWB, Kinovea software

Using analysis software ( Kinovea) help pupils improve their dance routine by evaluating their recorded performance.

Downsell Primary School

Geography

A Day in the life of a Chinese Pupil

IWB, google earth, YouTube etc

Compare and contrast geography, life, in the UK with that of China. Providing pupils with a number of virtual experiences, travelling to china by plane, visiting different locations etc.

Longlevens Junior

Art & Design:

 Printmaking/ Textiles at KS2

 GIMP (free software) or photoshop

Using technology to assist with the cutting of stencils, by scanning pupil’s designs into GIMP (or Photoshop), then cutting using a laser cutter.  This will enable more sophisticated designs to be developed, cut and used for printing.   ensuring quality work is produced each time.

Church Aston Infant School

Science

Seeds and plant growth

Camera, lap top, software, I can animate, moviemaker

Using time lapse photography to help the children see how a seed germinates. Using I Can Animate (Kudlian software) to record the growth stages  and then using iMovie to make it into a downloadable sequence that can be placed on YouTube and the school’s learning platform.

Park Road Primary School

literacy

TOPIC: About me/Bears

IWB, various software (e.g. 2publish)

Developing Early Literacy Skills, using technology and variety of software to enhance and aid the development of literacy skills in

Click here to download the Primary Hard to Teach Resources Bundle (113Mb) - remember by doing so you agree to the terms of the Open Government Licence.