I was visiting friends in Aberdeenshire at the weekend as we were attending the Portsoy Boat Festival to represent Ocean Youth Trust Scotland. Before leaving to drive back home on Sunday I had a very interesting conversation with my hosts for the weekend, Pam and Stuart Cornwallis. I was talking about teaching the Nuclear Arms Race to my Higher class this week. Pam and Stuart suggested getting balls of various sizes and using these to demonstrate the changing technology and power that the Superpowers were developing at this time. I thought it sounded like a very good idea but was unsure about the logistics of the lesson.

Today I borrowed some table tennis balls, tennis balls and gym balls from a somewhat confused PE department. I laid out some plastic bottles on tables opposite each other to represent the Western Powers and the Soviet Union. Two pupils volunteered to act the part of firing the weapons. We started with the table tennis balls indicating the first atomic bombs. The pupils walked over to the opposing side representing the plane dropping the bombs. We saw that although damage was caused (some bottles were knocked down) the countries did still exist. We then moved on to the tennis balls which were thrown from the ‘home’ table demonstrating the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). Again some more damage was done. Finally we threw the gym balls at the bottles which of course knocked down the lot (when the aim was on target). This was to demonstrate the theory of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). We then watched an episode of the Cold War series which introduced further the Arms race and the concept of MAD and the balance of terror that was created. I will now follow this with a more detailed look at the arms race but this seemed to work as a really great introducation to the topic. 

Thanks to Pam and Stuart for a great idea that I will further develop in the future!

This years History exams took place on Monday 26th May. I was particularly nervous as, although I have taught bits of all the courses on offer, it was the first time I had taught the full two year Standard Grade and all of the Higher course.

However, the papers were well balanced giving the pupils a chance to show off their knowledge. The topics taught in the Standard Grade course were split evenly across the levels and the Enquiry Skills section contained good sources. In the Higher paper 1 there were some good questions which the pupils should have found straight forward. Paper 2 again was balanced with a variety of topics being assessed.

Overall, I am sure that the pupils will have been able to perform to their potential with fair exam papers.

I wish them luck in all of their exams!

This week my S4 classes have been studying how all German people were affected by the Nazi regime under Hitler. We have looked at verious groups of people in society from women to workers and from Christians to the Jewish. Yesterday we were looking at the young people both in schools and in the Hitler youth.

I found a fantastic PowerPoint on School History which I used as a basis for some very successful lessons. Firstly, I asked my head of department as well as another two colleagues to enter my room at the start of the period. Meanwhile, the pupils were arriving outside my door. They could hear lots of shouting from inside the room as we were pretending that we had a technology problem delaying our big announcment which was to be given to every school child in Scotland at exactly the same time. By the time the pupils were allowed to enter they really believed something was very wrong. I have never seen the classes so quiet!

I then talked through the PowerPoint which outlined how the Scottish Curriculum was going to be changed. This included seperate subjects for boys and girls, the abolition of subjects such as RME, Modern Languages and History. Of course, these were to be replaced with Scottish Heritage, more PE for boys and Domestic Science for girls. There were many moans and groans, especially when I told them that as of Monday school would start at 8am!

I was so surprised that only one pupil out of my two classes did not believe it to be true. Only when I told them that their noses would be measured did they realise that I was ‘winding them up’.

Nonetheless, when I informed them that I had in fact been ‘winding them up’ everyone of them knew that the reason behind the lesson was to show them what it would have been like for children in Germany, and it really made them think about how those childrem must have felt.

For the rest of the day yeserday and today I have had comments from other members of staff and pupils about ‘that’ lesson. One thing is for sure, they may never forgive me for scaring them but they won’t forget what happened to young people in Nazi Germany!!

My S4 classes are currently working through unit 3D of the Standard Grade Course. The course requires them to study events inside Germany from the end of World War One until Hitler is in power including his dictatorship. Kath Anderson, a colleague of mine at Knox Academy has very kindly allowed me to borrow her Hitler, the Rise of evil DVD. Robert Carlyle is excellent in the title role and brings to life the events in Germany. The pupils are really relating to the film and I highly recommend it to anyone teaching this unit.

This week my second year classes have been learning about Christopher Columbus. We started by watching an epoisode of the Horrible Histories series about Columbus’ first voyage. I really like the Horrible Histories series as it explains some of the main events in History in a format which pupils find easy to understand, although some of the anachronisms do have to be explained. The pupils then completed their own story boards about the famous voyage to Sansalvador. This is a taks I use to discuss various historical events as I think the pupils enjoy this task as it allows them the freedom to use their imagination in the drawings but at the same time is structured in that they are aware of the story that needs to be told. I also end up with some fantastic cartoon strips to brighten up the walls of my classroom!

One of the biggest challenges pupils face when studying History is answering the Enquiry Skills questions of the exam. These important questions are at the very foundation of the subject as they test not only the facts but also the vital skills of working with various forms of evidence, such an important aspect of the discipline that is History. This section is worth 2/3 of the overall grade at Standard Grade level.

Recently I have been issuing my fourth year classes with a homework task which doesn’t just test their ability to answer an Enquiry Skills question but also their ability to teach the skills required. The theory is that to be able teach something the pupils must fully understand it.

I have been very impressed with the results as the pupils seem to have taken on board my advice on how to answer the questions and their instuctions have been very good. It has also identified the specific questions that pose problems for individuals and they have been able to see where they are going wrong. I think that this will significantly improve results in the ES section and over the coming months the skills will be tested with many practice exam questions.

This week my fourth year classes have been looking at the Reichstag Fire of 1933. This event was instrumental in the lead up to Hitler gaining full power in Germany as it gave him the chance to persecute his political enemies, the Communists.

Having studied German at school I was pleased with myself as I was able to translate simple words and phrases for the pupils and even suggest German newspaper names while they were working in groups preparing a front page of a newspaper breaking the story of the fire. However, some of the more complicated requests made me turn to the internet for translations. I found this website. I am sure that there are lots of other good sites but I liked this one because it allows the pupils to hear the words as well as see them written.

This week my S3 class have been busy researching, direction and producing their own news broadcasts. Though I use this activity to teach the ending of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, it is a really fun task that can be used in many subject areas to teach different topics.

I split the class into two groups or rival news channels. Each group had to pick their own director, camera person, researchers, writers and of course presenters.  Each period I expected a full script to be completed for a single broadcast. Each broadcast included sports and weather in addition to the main news topics. I called directors meetings at random times to give the teams faxes that had just come through. These faxes were designed to give the pupils a brief outline of the key events and helped them structure their broadcasts.

The pupils then recorded their broadcasts and we watched them back together. The class enjoyed the task and every member of the team contributed to the finished product. Pupils who did not want to be on camera could work the camera or acted as researchers. One pupil even dressed up to deliver the weather bulletins. The two directers emerged as excellent leaders and I would like to congratulate them on the maturity, and the skill in which they lead their teams.

Thanks also to the drama department for the loan of the costumes!

Well I can fully sympathise with Don Ledingham when he wrote this post last week. This week has definitely felt much more like a marathon than a sprint.  From parent’s nights to running clubs, from pilates to Zambia expedition training, the earliest I have got home this week has been 7pm. From 5.30am that is some long days!  Nonetheless,  this week I have had so many instances when I have thought, ‘I love being a teacher!’

Monday began the countdown to the S5/6 prelims. I currently have a Higher History class so this week we focussed on revision, revision, revision. We started the week by looking at the British topic which is assessed by essays. Each pupil was asked to plan out some answers for questions out of past papers. I also reminded them that questions can be worded differently and they must answer the question they have been asked, not the question they would like it to be. The second part of the week was spent revising our cold war topic. We again practised past paper questions and made timelines and mindmaps.

Good luck to all pupils sitting prelims over the next two weeks.