Internationalising Learning:

On the Global Stage

Bev Pullan & Dan Bousfield

ContextContext• 350 children• 2-form entry• Deprived area• High percentage of free

school meals• High percentage of special

educational needs• Children with low

expectations of themselves

• Not multi-cultural

ContextOur Aims• Promote global awareness• Explore some big ideas

and issues• Collaborate between year

groupsThings to Consider• Age gap between Y3 (7-8)

and Y6 (10-11) and differentiation between year groups

• Bev works part time

ContextSession 1 – ‘The World Came to My Place

Today’• Observed part of each other’s lesson

ContextSession 1 – Outcomes

• Children surprised at how far food travels to get to supermarkets

• Surprised at what food looks like before packaging

• Didn’t know the location of many places on the map

• Very keen to complete the tasks and find out more

ContextSession 2 – Bananas game• Observed part of each

other’s lesson

ContextSession 2 – Outcomes

• Children really enjoyed it• Argued their points well• Picked up quickly on the

injustice• Surprised when actual

amounts were revealed and this led to discussion about the fairness of it

ContextSession 2 – Outcomes

Year 6

Banana worker

Plantation owner

Shipper Importer and ripener

Shops and supermark

ets

Total

15p 15p 20p 12p 30p 92p

17p 15p 19p 10p 18p 79p

19p 11p 18p 15p 18p 81p

Year 3

Banana worker

Plantation owner

Shipper Importer and ripener

Shops and supermark

ets

Total

20p 10p 8p 15p 5p 58p

5p 13p 8p 4p 3p 33p

ContextSession 3 – P4C ‘Amazing Grace’

• Own class, shared findings

• Year 3 questions

Is calling someone ‘black’ racist?

Why did Nana take Grace to the ballet?

Why did the children say Grace couldn’t be Peter Pan?

Is it true that Grace can be anything she wants to be when she grows up?

ContextSession 3 – P4C ‘Amazing Grace’

• Year 6 questions

Why are black people treated differently to white people?

Does everybody have their own rights, no matter who they are?

Why do things need to be the same as the original?

Why does it matter if you’re black or white?

Why are people so judgemental?

ContextSession 3 – Outcomes

• Detailed discussions• Mature responses to

questions• Children felt safe and secure

to talk about it• “I thought we weren’t

allowed to talk about it”

ContextSession 4 – The Black Hole• Swapped Classes

ContextSession 4 – Outcomes

• Lots of discussion about greed

• Children gasped when the paper fell off

• Wide range of responses to the questions

ContextSession 4 – The Black Hole• Year 3

“Nothing. I would get a Build-a-Bear and JLS.”

ContextSession 4 – The Black Hole• Year 3

ContextSession 4 – The Black Hole• Year 6

ContextSession 4 – The Black Hole• Year 6

ContextSession 5 – Drama in Education: ‘The Sad

King’• Both classes together

DRAMA DIMENSION PLANNINGGreed

3BP and 6B. Spring 2012.

Date Objective Activity/ICT opportunities Differentiation(Input, Outcome, Resources, Activity, Support)

Assessment for future learning

PSHE: What is the difference between how we see ourselves and how others see us?Literacy: WALT: write an obituary.Drama: WALT: explore some of the themes of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and to use different drama techniques.

Teacher Roles: Pupil Role: Negotiate doing drama. Explain rules etc.Negotiate the role for the class. They are people who work in a market place long ago.NarrationTell the beginning of a story:There was a king who was very sad. He lived in a huge castle on a hill with only his servants for company. His wife had recently passed away and he felt very lonely. Beneath the hill there was a village and in the village was a market place. The people of the village worked in the market to try and make some money to buy food. The villagers were very poor but very happy. They had not seen the king since his wife passed away as he had shut himself up in his castle.Children get into groups of 4 to create a family. They decide what they sell on their market stall and, on big paper, make a sign for their stall.Discuss how market traders attract business. Decide what to say to persuade people to buy.Discuss layout of market and stand in location.Freeze Frame / MimeCreate a freeze-frame of working on a market stall. What is each person doing?Press “play” and the market comes to life with adults walking around buying things and asking questions. (Could extend this by giving children chance to speak out loud and then making it a mime so they have to think more carefully about body language)NarrationNarration continues. One day, all the villagers are summoned to the castle. They are a bit frightened, but prepare themselves to see the king.Define the Space: The Throne RoomORRole on the Wall: The KingTeacher in RoleTiR as the King, who tells them all to sit on the floor. King introduces the idea of and shows children the market charter. He says that the charter is up for renewal and if he doesn’t sign it the market will have to close.OoR discuss implications of this.TiR as King says he has decided to do something to make himself happy, and he wants a present from each family. They must go away and decide what they are going to give to the king.

Role on the Wall: The King (add any new information)

Discussion

Children move away and discuss in their groups what they wish to give the king. It should be something from their market stall.

Narration

There is one woman in the village who is even poorer than all the others. She does not work in the market because there are no jobs for her. She has nothing to give to the king. The only thing she possesses is her precious baby.

TiR

The villagers return to the castle, bringing their gifts. The king asks each group in turn to present their offering. (Discuss the best way to do this). The king questions each gift and appears to get happier and happier.

Conscience Alley

After the last child has presented the gift, the king notices the TiR as the poor woman and demands that she steps towards him and gives her present.

TiR

The king asks if she has brought him a present. She shakes her head. The king asks if she has something to give and she shakes her head. The king suggests the baby. If the children do not respond to this, prompt them by the woman clutching her baby and starting to cry, could even say, “you can’t take my baby away”. King asks why not. He then tells the villagers that if he cannot have the baby he will close down the market so nobody has a job and they will all starve. King turns and exits.

Narration

OoR narrate that villagers returned to village and discussed what to do. They need to decide on a good argument as to why the baby should stay with its mother e.g. mother’s love, grow up with other children etc. children go back to confront king. Take suggestions.

Fourum Theatre: TiR as King / Children as Woman with Baby

The mother and villagers return to the castle. The king demands the baby. The children argue with him and explain why it is necessary for the mother to keep the baby. The children eventually wear the king down. The king sees sense and at length allows the mother to keep her baby. And because the villagers have been so kind to him, he promises to renew the charter.

(King as Devil’s Advocate, mother remains silent to allow children to negotiate with the king).

ContextSession 5 – Outcomes

• Great for children to experience injustice for themselves

• Children taking on and maintaining roles

• Y3 and Y6 working together• Excellent feedback from the

children

ContextAssociate Learners

• Julie (Year 4 / MFL Co-Ordinator)

• Taught ‘The World Came to My Place Today’ lesson

• Julie very interested in International Learning and is very skilled at P4C

• Children did not respond as expected

• We need to tackle this lack of interest from the children

ContextAssociate Learners

• Val (SEN Teacher)

• Taught the Bananas game• Took an entire morning

because the children were so enthusiastic

• Val also very enthusiastic about International Learning

ContextOther Tasks

• Rewrite of History / Geography Curriculum (Examples)Key Stage 1

History:Changes in own lives and the way of life of their family or others around them (Y1 “Changes in our Lives”, Y2 “Family Life in the Past”).

- Different ways of life for families in different places. Links to RE to explore way of life for different religions.The lives of significant men, women and children drawn from the history of Britain and the wider world (Y2 “Samuel Pepys”, “Florence Nightingale”).

- Explore international artists, engineers, explorers, inventors, pioneers, rulers, saints, scientists such as Leif Ericson (Icelandic), Christopher Columbus (Italian), Mary Seacole (Jamaican), Pocahontas (Native American). Perhaps look at how their lives differed to people in Britain at the same time.

ContextOther Tasks

• Rewrite of History / Geography Curriculum (Examples)Key Stage 2

History:British History: Victorian Britain OR Britain since 1930.

- Slavery and transportation to Australia.- Individuals, events and changes that happened

across the world during the Victorian era. - Environmental impact of the Industrial Revolution.- The rights of children in Victorian times and the

rights of children now. 

- A German perspective of the Second World War.- Life for ordinary Germans.- Ensure that international aspect is always there by

e.g. looking at German propaganda- Study of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

ContextOther Tasks

• School Links

‘A primary school where

pupils contact children

around the world

through blogging has

been classed as

‘outstanding’ by

Inspectors.’

‘ The so-called ‘quad blogging’ – so-called because each class is in touch with four different countries – was praised for allowing pupils to learn about other cultures.’

ContextOther Tasks

• School Links

Despite getting no response from the school, we have now made some initial links with a school in Abu Dhabi who are keen to communicate with us.

ContextNext Steps• Continue to establish link with

school in Abu Dhabi and others• Develop an International / Olympic

Week in the summer term• Implement the new History /

Geography curriculum• Add international links across other

subjects• Explore the news for current events

that can be discussed in school to broaden the children’s global understanding

• Run a staff meeting about this course, what we have learned and our vision

• Encourage more staff to try out some of the activities