a PDF of the Primary Magazine

PRIMARY
LEARNING RESOURCES
✚ DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
LONDON
GRID FOR LEARNING
2016 EDITION
MAJOR 2016
UPDATE TO
BUSYTHINGS
THE ROMANS IN LONDON
HISTORY OF COMPUTING
THE TUDORS IN LONDON
READING
ZONE LIVE
LIVE VIDEO CONFERENCES AND
INTERVIEWS WITH THE NATION’S
FAVOURITE CHILDREN’S AUTHORS
PREHISTORIC BRITAIN
A JOURNEY THROUGH
THE MAYA WORLD
✚ FEATURES ■ LGfL CASE STUDY ■ BEHIND THE SCENES ■ AUGMENTED REALITY
CONTENTS
Picture: Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
POLAR EXPLORATION
IN THE HEROIC AGE OF
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY P10
RESOURCE DISCOVERY
4
WELCOME LETTER
Hear from LGfL’s new CEO; all the numbers that count
6
HOW AND WHERE TO FIND CONTENT
How to search, find and access LGfL learning resources
8
ACCESS RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONAL LICENCES
Learn about licence terms and access rights
14
16
18
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
10
12
POLAR EXPLORATION
Cross-curricular resource, walking in the footsteps
of the great Antarctic explorers
THE ROMANS IN LONDON
Exploring London’s Roman Legacy, giving a unique
insight into everyday life during the Roman era
20
22
THE TUDORS IN LONDON
Exploring London’s Tudor Legacy – LGfL’s
comprehensive new cross-curricular resource
about Tudor London
THE ROYAL MEWS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Learn about the work that goes on every day at
The Royal Mews, featuring video explanations of
centuries-old techniques and historic documents
AUDIO NETWORK
LGfL’s online music database, featuring over 60,000
individual professionally-recorded audio files
HISTORY OF COMPUTING
Expert insight into the machines that helped shape
our digital past, present and future
LGfL IMAGEBANK
High-resolution images from a range of national
cultural institutions, featuring the British Library
and Royal Collection Trust
BEN URI
PORTRAITS
AND IDENTITY
PROJEC TS
P50
45
COMPUTING
Learn to code with j2code and WebTech Tutor
46
SEND
Look, Think, Do, busythings, Early Shakespeare and
Fairytales
48
MUSIC
Musicians in the making: LSSO and Gigajam
50
ART AND DESIGN
Inspiration from the Ben Uri Gallery: Portraits &
Identity, Art in the Open, Art Skills for Teachers
52
J2E TOOL SUITE
A complete suite of advanced online publishing tools;
plus AppMaker – swap posters for webapps
54
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Let’s get linguistic with Rigolo and ¡Vamos!
LEARNING RESOURCES
24
EYFS RESOURCES
busythings, P.B. Bear, i-board
28
MATHEMATICS
Make room for Maths: Maths at Home, Mathspace,
Mult-e-Maths, and Maths Kit
30
GEOGRAPHY
Discover real-life stories in Growing up around the
World; explore the LGfL weather stations
32
SCIENCE
Switched on Science, a flexible and creative
investigation-based programme that covers all bases
34
ONLINE SAFETY
CyberPass – the online safety assessment and
training tool; Counter-Extremism video resource
36
37
38
42
CITIZENSHIP
Real Voices – the topical video stories of three Syrian
refugees now living in Jordan
R.E.
Espresso Faiths – the six major world faiths seen
through the eyes of London schoolchildren
ENGLISH
Improve reading and writing skills with Reading
Zone Live, Blog Central, Perform a Poem, Super
Action Comic Maker and Picture Book Maker
HISTORY
Time travel made easy: Maya, Prehistoric Britain,
World War 1, The Voyage and Time Maps
FEATURES
FEATURE:
WHY
AUGMENTED
REALITY?
P62
56
CYBERPASS CASE STUDY
Learn how CyberPass is used in schools
58
BRINGING THE LEARNER CLOSER
Discover what goes into an LGfL learning resource
60
READINGZONE LIVE FEATURE
Live author video-conference events
62
AUGMENTED REALITY: WHIZZ-BANG! WOW! NEXT?
Coming soon to a classroom near you
HOW TO FIND CONTENT P6 ›
LETTER FROM THE CEO
WELCOME
LGfL offers an extensive portfolio of online content – all included as part of the core
service to schools. This publication showcases some of the highlights.
The annual content magazine gives
us an opportunity to reflect upon the
latest high-quality learning resources
made available to schools over the
past year, and how they fit in with the
revised National Curriculum.
Our strategic approach is to
develop a blend of commerciallylicensed and commissioned materials
with an increasingly wide variety of
internally-produced content.
The LGfL creative team behind
the internal productions is made up
of experienced teachers who work
closely with expert LA specialists
and innovative London educators,
producing unique resources that
closely support the curriculum aims
and objectives.
We are delighted that the quality
and relevance of our offering has
once again been recognised at the
BETT Awards, but as ever our priority
is helping effective teachers teach
more effectively.
There will be a subtle shift in
emphasis in 2016, as a new-look LGfL
website comes onstream, with the
aim of better supporting the overall
LGfL service.
Developments throughout
the year will increasingly allow the
website to respond to the needs of
individual users, with personalisation
at the point of login (showing
resources relevant to a user’s Key
Stage and subject, for instance).
This ambitious plan is part of
our ongoing commitment to
providing online services and
learning resources that help staff
working in London schools with their
everyday practice.
As online technologies and devices change, LGfL
❝
strives to keep pace, providing high-quality resources
that make a difference to the daily learning experience
of London schoolchildren.
Find out more about LGfL at www.lgfl.net
Stay up to date at news.lgfl.net and on social media
4 | www.lgfl.net
❞
During 2016, schools can
also look forward to new online
assessment and homeworkmanagement tools.
A redesigned myUSO interface
integrated into the broader LGfL
website will also provide a more
coherent user experience when
accessing LGfL services.
Outside London, LGfL continues
to play a leading role in the pan‐UK
National Education Network (NEN),
helping to broker new partnerships
with national institutions and
unlocking access to unique assets not
available anywhere else (the new BBC
Shakespeare archive is a case in point).
As online technologies and
devices change, LGfL aims to
continue providing resources
that make a difference to London
schoolchildren’s daily learning
experience.
An exciting, relevant curriculum
offer requires carefully-curated
premium learning resources – in a
format busy teachers understand.
We hope you enjoy finding out
more in this magazine. As always, we
welcome your feedback to ensure our
service remains exceptional value for
money and relevant to your everyday
teaching needs.
John Jackson
LGfL CEO
Facebook facebook.com/
LondonGridforLearning
Twitter
@LGfL
RESOURCE DISCOVERY
LEARN MORE WITH LGfL
WATCH MORE
LISTEN MORE
10,193 80,000
VIDEOS UPLOADED BY LGfL
SCHOOLS – AN AVERAGE OF
330 PER MONTH
PROFESSIONALLY
RECORDED AUDIO
FILES
LGfL’s VideoCentralHD
❝
gives us a secure place to
store and share video content
from teachers and pupils.
The ability to share these
videos helps us engage
parents more in their
children’s daily lives.
❞
Bona Bond
Class teacher, PE leader & Maths
development team, Anson Primary
Lots of LGfL resources are
❝
very useful, such as Virtual
READ MORE
SCHOOL
26 AUTHORS
450+ INTERVIEW CLIPS
Experiments, Switched On
Science and busythings.
They save time in planning,
and our children love the
interactive activities.
❞
Tina Wray
Vicar’s Green Primary School
ON READINGZONE LIVE
4,105,072
HITS ON VIDEOCENTRAL HD:
THAT’S 132,000 PER
MONTH
INTERACT MORE
CREATE MORE
270,000
FILES CREATED BY LGfL
LEARNERS WITHIN THE J2E
TOOL SUITE IN 2015
9,120
I teach SEN, and my class
❝
loves the LGfL content we use.
Audio Network, for example,
is a great resource when
creating sensory stories.
❞
Kate Bradley
The Bridge School
LGfL is so much more
❝
than a broadband provider.
DOWNLOADS OF THE MAYA
AUGMENTED-REALITY APP
IN 2015 ALONE
ENGAGE MORE
15 MILLION
BUSYTHINGS PAGES VIEWED
IN 2015
It
has content that allows
us
to keep children
safe online
and enrich their curriculum
experience, and provide
crucial links to help parents
support children at home.
❞
Simon Pile
Assistant Headteacher, Anson Primary
www.lgfl.net | 5
RESOURCE DISCOVERY
NAVIGATING
THE WORLD OF
LGfL CONTENT
Our learning-resource portfolio is
often described as a treasure trove;
we can help you find out what’s in it.
The LGfL content strategy is not about forcing teachers to
abandon tried-and-trusted lessons and teaching methods;
it isn’t about a one-size-fits-all approach; and it isn’t about
replacing the teacher with technology.
So what is it all about? Using technology to enhance
learning; making effective teachers even more effective;
opening up new possibilities; providing resources that are
flexible enough to slot into existing schemes of work or to
become new standalone units; and supporting teachers old
and new with materials that marry top-class engagement with
curriculum relevance and solid pedagogy.
As well as sourcing, licensing, developing and creating
this high-quality content, it is just as important to make it
accessible to the busy teacher who barely has time to buy
food for dinner, let alone spend hours browsing resources and
contemplating lesson-plan changes.
That’s why we not only allow you to filter by Key Stage
and subject, but also to drill down to resources that meet the
requirements of a single National Curriculum descriptor.
And that is one of the reasons why 2016 will see a revamp
of lgfl.net, with work to personalise the system so that upon
logging in, teachers only see the content and services relevant
to them.
Additional pathways into the portfolio to look out for in
2016 to further support busy teachers include On this Day,
Forward Planner, Author of the Week and Image of the Day.
showcase.lgfl.net
cc.lgfl.net
WATCH THE LGfL
CONTENT VIDEO
The LGfL Primary content-overview video is made to raise
awareness of the rich range of resources which LGfL offers,
and to encourage teachers to take a look and make the
best use of the available materials.
Why not show it at a staff meeting? www.primarycontent.lgfl.net
6 | www.lgfl.net
During the course of 2016, we will be adding
personalisation features – when you log in, you will
be shown resources and services relevant to your role,
Key Stage, subject, etc.
All in an easy-to-view, custom mobile-screen format.
CURRICULUM CENTRAL
Initially designed against a background of the
major National Curriculum revision in September
2014, this tool allows you to search for resources
that support a specific curriculum descriptor.
Teachers can progressively filter content by
Key Stage, subject, and area, drilling all the
way down to individual statements from the
programmes of study.
Curriculum Central is all about efficiency – a
few seconds and a few clicks take you to deep links
into the resources which are appropriate for you.
cc.lgfl.net
The number of
resources can feel
overwhelming,
so be sure to use
the filters at the
top of the page
SHOWCASE
The Showcase portal is the shop window for the
latest and best of LGfL content.
Use it to browse all the resources relevant to a
subject or Key Stage in one place. You might find
new areas which grab your interest, or valuable
additions to topics which you already cover.
But don’t keep it to yourself – why not have a
look to see what might be available in other areas
for you or your colleagues.
showcase.lgfl.net Use Showcase
(shown here) to search content
by Key Stage or subject, or
Curriculum Central to search by
Programme of Study.
www.lgfl.net | 7
RESOURCE DISCOVERY
LGfL ACCESS RIGHTS
Although most resources can be accessed with no login
when you are in school, there are many good reasons for
pupils and teachers to know their unique sign-on (USO).
Some resources provide a unique user experience
when logged in; others monitor learners’ progress for
teacher tracking. And if you want pupil access for
independent learning at home, they will need a USO.
With LGfL, you only need to remember one
username and password for all content and online
services, including e-mail.
USO doesn’t cost you extra, and can even be set to
create and administer users automatically.
THE ICONS YOU SEE – WHAT THEY MEAN
OPEN
ACCESS
USO
OFF GRID
USO
ON GRID
A few resources can be accessed from
anywhere without a username or password.
If you are in an LGfL school, you generally do not
have to log in, as we know you are using a school
computer. But at home or anywhere else, you will
need to enter your USO username and password.
We only ask you to log in from school if there is a
good reason. For example with j2launch, where
individual users can save files to their own account.
Or with Mathspace and CyberPass, which have
teacher tracking that needs to know who is who.
uso.lgfl.net
LGfL EDUCATIONAL LICENCES
In order to secure and maintain the range and quality of learning resources available
from LGfL, it is necessary to reassure content partners that the agreed licence terms are
adhered to by teachers and students.
At a basic level, teachers and students can
support this by not sharing login details or
uploading material to other services (e.g.
to social networks, many of which claim
intellectual property rights over any files on
their servers).
Teachers are asked to regularly remind
students of their copyright responsibilities.
To make it as clear as possible what users are
permitted to do with each resource, a licensing
tab has been created on LGfL’s Showcase site
(www.showcase.lgfl.net), with clear instructions
for what is and what is not permitted. Click the licence tab to find out more.
Keep your
account secure
by never
sharing USO
login details
8 | www.lgfl.net
DIGITAL
COLLECTIONS
THOUSANDS OF RELEVANT IMAGES & VIDEOS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
THE TUDORS
IN LONDON P14
THE ROMANS
IN LONDON P12
HISTORY OF
COMPUTING P20
THE ROYAL MEWS AT
BUCKINGHAM PALACE P16
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
POLAR EXPLORATION
IN THE HEROIC AGE OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY
Not many schools can manage an annual trip to the North Pole; if there is a
next-best thing, surely it is the immersive effect of this multimedia resource.
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
P-p-p-pick up a Polar artefact!
Edwards Evans’s
sledge model
Model-making – one way to while
away those long winter hours
Primus stove
Unique design lets
you melt snow for
drinking while you
are cooking
Herbert
Ponting’s camera
Ponting used this
camera for many of
his iconic images
Penguin egg
You wouldn’t want
to scramble this
artefact from the
Terra Nova expedition
10 | www.lgfl.net
The University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar
Research Institute (SPRI) is one of the
world’s most famous bodies for the study
of the science, technology, history and
culture of the polar regions.
SPRI holds a unique collection of
artefacts from expeditions past and
present, from the eponymous explorer
who gave his name to the Institute right
through to modern-day adventurers.
And while the materials used for the
gloves and goggles may have changed
somewhat (you can investigate old and
new within the resource), the challenges
remain the same, and lessons learned
from the first expeditions are still saving
lives today!
LGfL was given unique access to the
SPRI archive and its polar experts to create
this cross-curricular resource, which
includes lesson plans tailored to the Key
Stage 3 and 4 English curriculum.
The resource includes video footage
of equipment and artefacts from the
most famous expeditions, complete with
text transcripts, plus high‐resolution
photographs of objects featured in the
video footage, as well as journal extracts
read by a descendant of one of Captain
Scott’s Discovery expedition.
There are also opportunities to meet
a modern‐day polar explorer and hear
of his experiences living for extended
periods of time in some of the world’s
most extreme environments.
It would be easy to pigeonhole
‘Polar Exploration in the age of Scientific
Discovery’ as a Geography resource,
but the Key Stage 2 lesson resources
(created by curriculum experts) also
span Art & Design, English, Geography,
History, Computing, Maths and Science.
From working out how dogs pull
sledges and what the best snow goggles
are, to thinking about the rations
needed to keep you and your huskies
alive (but not weigh you down more
than necessary), there is much more to
this resource than meets the eye.
Students are encouraged to
immerse themselves into the lives of the
explorers, aided by the hundreds of HD
images and high-resolution images, plus
interactive timeline and Google Map
interface – take a look at how the inside
of Scott’s preserved expedition hut
looks today.
Explore – engage – inspire...
polar.lgfl.net
Pictures: Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge
DID YOU KNOW?
Herbert Ponting was one of the
most renowned photographers
of his time and a pioneer in the
use of the camera in extreme
conditions; he liked to be referred
to as a ‘camera artist’.
www.lgfl.net | 11
Legionnaires, cavalry horsemen,
❝
auxiliaries... Roman London had a mix
of soldiers from across the empire.
❞
12 | www.lgfl.net
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
THE ROMANS
IN LONDON
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Find out with the help of LGfL and the Museum of London.
Alongside Camulodunum (Colchester),
Londinium (London) was a key Roman
settlement throughout the time of
the empire. The capital would be
unrecognisable today without the
influence of Paulinus, Claudius et al.
The Romans in London typifies the
LGfL approach to learning resources.
The first step to this simple-but-effective
process is working with undisputed
experts: in this case, it meant calling
on the Senior Roman Curator at the
Museum of London for access to
expertise, artefacts and insights.
Step 2 is to use the latest
technologies to bring images and videos
into the classroom in such a way that
pupils are transported into the world
they are studying. In practice, this means
marrying engaging expert explanations
(on location, of course) with professional
presentation and tangible links to
everyday life, and to the world pupils
live in today. A good example of this
in action is the use of Google Map
technology to show Roman sites as they
look today.
Step 3 is to provide a wrap
of teaching resources written by
curriculum experts to tie everything
together and link it to the National
Curriculum.
And Step 4 is to ensure different
routes into the content. For example,
teachers wanting to add quality
materials to existing medium-term plans
can use the resource bank functionality
to search according to image, video,
theme, type of material, etc.
The Romans in London was a finalist
in the digital collections category at the
Bett Awards – confirming further the
wisdom of this strategy.
The Romans remains core to the
revised Key Stage 2 History National
Curriculum, but cross-curricular lesson
plans for Art, Design Technology, English
and History make the era ideal for
broader project-work in the classroom.
romans.lgfl.net
DID YOU KNOW?
Learn more about the Romans
Gladiators ready!
You wouldn’t want to get in
trouble in Roman times; criminals
and other undesirables were often
forced to become gladiators.
Most died in their early 20s after
only a few contests.
Gifts for the Underworld
The Romans believed that people
travelled to the Underworld when
they died. So they were buried
with food for their journey, coins
to pay Charon the ferryman, and
pendants of mythological creatures
like Medusa to protect them from
evil spirits.
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
Learn more about Roman objects
Leather shoe
These boots
were made
for walking
Gold medallion
Made to celebrate
London being saved
Replica bronze
military dagger
INTERAC T
WITH OUR
MAP OF ROMAN
LONDON
No soldier’s tunic
was complete
without one
Bust of Mithras
God of the sun and
heavenly light
www.lgfl.net | 13
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
THE TUDORS
IN LONDON
There’s more to Henry VIII than Greensleeves.
Discover the Tudors’ lasting legacy in London.
DID YOU KNOW?
The world of Tudor facts
Eating and drinking
Tudors didn’t use forks, as
they hadn’t been invented.
But they did take a spoon
wherever they went.
London Bridge
There was only one bridge over the
Thames in Tudor London, but you
might not have even known you
were on it: the sides were lined with
shops and houses so you would
rarely see the river. It was still worth
a visit though – traitors’ heads were
displayed on spikes at the end.
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
Learn more about Tudor objects
Fuming pot
This was used to
burn sweetsmelling herbs,
thought to prevent the
spread of plague.
Do your students know when forks were
first used, or that rich people imprisoned
in the Tower of London were allowed
visitors and even servants (it was rather
different for the poor prisoners)?
The Tudors in London gives
the answers to these and many more
questions your students would
never think to ask but would love to
know about.
The resource helps develop a
historical context in which to appreciate
how events of 500 years ago still impact
London life today.
A great fit for the KS2 History
requirement to engage in a ‘local History
study’, The Tudors in London includes
cross-curricular teaching resources
for Art, Design Technology, English,
Geography, History, Mathematics
and PSHE.
Lesson plans suggest classroom‐
based activities to help teachers make
the most of the wide range of resources
within the historical archive.
Over 140 high‐quality video clips
and 60 high‐resolution images from the
Museum of London, Royal Collection
Trust and key Tudor locations in London
are ideal for immersing pupils in the
Tudor way of life. These include, for
example, professional re-enactments of
Tudor life at Court, filmed exclusively for
LGfL at Hampton Court Palace.
Schools generally have limited
access to many of the artefacts and
some of the locations featured in The
Tudors in London (e.g. the Rose Theatre
and Charterhouse).
LGfL is providing comprehensive
online access to locations that teachers
would never normally be able to
integrate into programmes of study –
and all with the expert guidance of a
Museum of London curator.
tudors.lgfl.net
Toying around
Fear not – there was still time for
fun and games in Tudor London.
Well-to-do children may have had
the chance to play with these metal
dolls from around 1550.
INTERAC T
WITH OUR
MAP OF TUDOR
LONDON
14 | www.lgfl.net
TUDOR CLOTHING
Picture: Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016
A rich Tudor lady might have 100
pins holding her outfit together;
it would take up to two hours to
get dressed – even with the help
of a maid.
LESSON PLANS
From ‘Designing a Tudor Headdress’
to ‘Mapping Tudor London’, LGfL
curriculum experts have designed
a wrap of lesson materials to help
teachers get the best from the highquality resources with relevance
across the curriculum.
www.lgfl.net | 15
USO
OFF GRID
THE ROYAL MEWS AT
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
From horses to Bentleys to golden carriages; from footmen to farriers to saddlers:
The Royal Mews resource gives pupils and teachers access to areas no tourist has ever seen!
BY ROYAL ASSENT
There aren’t many resources that need
the blessing of Her Majesty the Queen,
but this is one of them! LGfL worked
closely with long-term partner Royal
Collection Trust to gain exclusive
behind-the-scenes access to members
of the Royal Household going about
their work.
BIB AND TUCKER
Highlights include filming the Queen’s
NO HORSING AROUND
Horses are very important to Her
Majesty; caring for them and preparing
for ceremonial duties is a full-time
occupation for Royal Mews staff.
The Queen names all royal horses, often
after a place she has visited or with a
word related to the horse’s bloodline.
There is even one called Cinderella!
16 | www.lgfl.net
Chauffeur preparing the Bentley State
Limousine for official business and
seeing the Head Coachman talking us
through the correct uniforms to wear for
each occasion – the livery worn depends
on the occasion, and every member
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
DID YOU KNOW?
The Royal Mews is home to many
of the beautiful royal carriages
which are used on state occasions.
The 1902 State Landau, for example,
was the carriage used in April 2011
to take The Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge from their wedding
service at Westminster Abbey back to
Buckingham Palace.
AUSTRALIAN
STATE COACH
of staff has to dress accordingly
(designing new uniforms is one of the
popular activities from the resource).
2-4 and provide insights to Art & Design,
Citizenship, Design Technology, English
and History.
LA NOBLESSE OBLIGE
Extensive video resources detail the
techniques and rationale behind
the centuries’ old traditions which
continue to support the Royal
Household, as well as the significance
they have for wider society.
HORSES FOR COURSES
In the same way as Her Majesty the
Queen will take different horses
and different carriages on different
occasions (see panel right), LGfL
resources do not aim to be prescriptive,
but to fit in with different approaches
to teaching & learning.
DOWN TO EARTH
But ‘The Royal Mews at Buckingham
Palace‘ is much more than a fairytale
resource; the engaging texts, images
and videos of daily life at the Palace are
complemented by a series of specialist
lesson plans written to highlight and
maximise curriculum relevance.
CURRICULUM-DRIVEN
Curriculum materials span Key Stages
Accordingly, as with all LGfL
digital collections, teachers can
choose to access resources via the
structured curriculum material, or
by browsing all items in the resource
bank to embed specific images,
videos or texts into existing schemes
and plans.
1902 STATE
LANDAU
QUEEN ALEXANDRA
STATE COACH
royalmews.lgfl.net
ROYAL RESTORATION
Every state carriage requires between
20 and 25 coats of paint – painstakingly
applied by hand, of course.
Teams of restorers ensure these
unique works of art are preserved for
the nation’s cultural heritage. But they
are fully functioning as well; they all get
their chance to go to the ball.
THE GOLD
STATE COACH
www.lgfl.net | 17
AUDIO NETWORK
Over 60,000 professionally-recorded tracks licensed for educational use
No getting caught out by copyright law; no need for poor-quality ripoffs
IT COULD BE YOU
It was just another Monday morning
at St John’s Primary. Parents were
phoning the absence line and delivering
forgotten lunchboxes, and the
photocopier had jammed again.
Then the letter arrived. American
copyright detectives had sent a ‘breach
of copyright’ notice for an illegal copy of
a hit song on a class blog.
It was a pupil video, and it was
educational. But the lawyers didn’t want
to know. The school had 4 weeks to pay
up $10,000 or be taken to court.
NO NEED TO FALL FOUL OF THE LAW
Online tracking makes it foolish as well
as illegal to breach copyright in this day
and age. But in an LGfL school, there
really is no need.
On behalf of London schools,
18 | www.lgfl.net
❝
You can even search by
mood – try scary, jolly or
angry!
❞
LGfL has licensed the Audio Network
database for teachers and pupils for
educational use – in school and at home.
QUALITY AND QUANTITY?
Audio Network is not just another
Includes
60,000+
audio files
compilation of unwanted tracks and
poor covers.
With recordings of professional
musicians (often entire orchestras!) by
professional engineers in professional
studios (heard of Abbey Road?), LGfL
schools can use over 60,000 tracks,
spanning a wide range of genres,
styles, instruments, composers, etc.
You can even search by mood - try scary,
jolly or angry!
Once you have found your perfect
track, you can stream it live, save it to
your favourites, or download it in .WAV
or .mp3 format.
But Audio Network isn’t just a gift
for the music teacher – why not explore
mood and atmosphere in literacy, or a
historical era in History and Art?
audionetwork.lgfl.net
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
AUDIO NETWORK TV
Go behind the scenes at Audio Network; see how professional musicians work.
Do you need big hair for ‘Big Hair Rock’? Find the answer to this question and many more.
Music isn’t just for musicians! From
the makers of Audio Network, Audio
Network TV gives us an insight into the
recording of some of the high-quality
music tracks available to all LGfLsubscribing schools.
We meet producers, engineers,
studio owners, conductors and
musicians, and see how they work
together to make some of the greatest
tracks ever heard.
From music producer Steve Levine
and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
on recording at Abbey Road Studios, to
Ray Davies on big bands, and metallers
on ‘big hair’, Audio Network TV opens
the door to the recording process, and
gives an insight into the professionalism
of all those involved in creating a track.
audionetworktv.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 19
DID YOU KNOW?
Learn more about the Elliott 803
The Elliott 803 was one of the first
ever mass-produced (over 200)
computers. Before this time, you
would have to build one yourself.
The Elliott was so large that it was
delivered in several lorryloads.
Here it is (or rather one part of it)
being delivered in 1961.
20 | www.lgfl.net
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
A HISTORY OF
COMPUTING
Playing the ‘imitation game’ – helping the developers of
tomorrow understand the relevance of lessons learned by
the pioneers of computing.
Winner of the 2014 Bett Award for best
Digital Collection and Resource Bank,
The History of Computing has become
one of the most popular resources
available from LGfL.
Importantly, it is not an attempt to
provide blanket coverage of the entire
new Computing National Curriculum,
but to offer a unique insight into the
people and products that formed the
bedrock of modern computing.
Produced in partnership with and
on location at The National Museum
of Computing, Bletchley Park, and
Manchester’s Museum of Science
and Industry, this resource features
DID YOU KNOW?
Colossus (main image)
was one of the first-ever
electronic computers.
It was built to break
German coded messages
during WW2 and would
easily fill a large room.
video footage and high-resolution
photographs of many of the iconic
British computing systems used since
1940, including the Colossus Mark II
system – restored to full working order.
For each system, Input, Processing,
Storage and Output are deconstructed
and placed within a societal context,
and experts explain how the systems
function and what role they played
in advancing our work and leisure
activities.
Resources include learning
support material for the revised
Computing National Curriculum and
Key Stages 2-5.
The History of Computing aims
to show that an understanding of our
digital heritage is critical for shaping
our digital future.
British computing developments
have significantly influenced the world
we live in. These unique materials
show how home-grown innovations
continue to impact on our world today
and shape all of our tomorrows.
PEOPLE OF INTEREST
Learn more about the people
behind the development of
modern-day computing
Tommy Flowers
designed and built
Colossus
Alan Turing
is regarded as
the founder of
computer science
Sir Clive
Sinclair
invented the
first affordable
electronic pocket
calculators and
home computer
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
Learn more about computers
Tape reader
for the Elliott
803. Used to
input data on
perforated paper
hoc.lgfl.net
ICL mainframe
data storage disk
Teleprinter
within Colossus
for outputting
readable
results
Sinclair ZX
Spectrum
www.lgfl.net | 21
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
OVER
1,000
Picture: Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2016
HI-RES
IMAGES
IMAGEBANK
The new LGfL ImageBank was launched
in late 2015, and is home to an
expanding set of image collections
licensed from national cultural
institutions including the British Library
and Royal Collection Trust.
All the images are in extremely high
resolution and include many paintings
on display in famous collections, not to
mention those which cannot currently
be seen anywhere in the UK.
The nine Royal Collection Trust
collections are curated selections of
works displayed during RCT exhibitions
at royal palaces around the country.
And thanks to the generosity of the
22 | www.lgfl.net
Picture: © The British Library
“My, my! At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender...”
Whilst Abba might have some historical insights, a better
way to study the famous battle might be with a collection
of super-high-definition images from the British Library.
British Library, the Magna Carta can now
put in an appearance in your classroom.
Much more than an Art resource,
the image collections have applications
across the curriculum – from History, to
Biology, to Geography.
Each image has been checked
for appropriateness for use in an
educational context, and uniquely, can
be downloaded in high resolution for
educational purposes.
imagebank.lgfl.net
LEARNING
RESOURCES
WITH 73% COVERAGE OF THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM,
YOU’RE BOUND TO FIND LGfL CONTENT THAT WILL
ENRICH YOUR TEACHING
FAIRYTALES FOR LEARNERS WITH SEND P47
READING
ZONE LIVE
P38
ESPRESSO FAITHS P37
RIGOLO P54
LEARN MORE WITH LGfL – TURN OVER TO FIND OUT MORE
EYFS RESOURCES
BUSYTHINGS UPDATE
BUSYTHINGS
Award-winning numeracy, literacy and creative activities
spanning Early Years, Key Stage 1 and 2. busythings is the
exemplification of learning through play, coupled with tight
curriculum relevance.
New mobile-friendly
interface and accessibility
January 2016 sees a major update
to busythings on LGfL. There are
hundreds of new resources, and
for the first time, every activity can
be accessed on any mobile device.
The new mobile-friendly interface
includes functionality to share
saved work between users.
1,000+
ACTIVITIES
AND GAMES
249 brand-new resources
across all main subject areas.
Teacher dashboard – access
to further resources, curriculum
mapping, certificates and more.
It is no coincidence that busythings
is LGfL’s most heavily-used resource,
with over 1 million page turns by
London teachers every month. And a
major upgrade in January 2016 is set to
improve and broaden the experience
even further.
So much more than the sum of its
parts (although with so many sections,
it would be quite a sum!), busythings is
a wonderfully quirky online educational
resource featuring hundreds of awardwinning curriculum-linked games,
activities and downloadable resources.
Upon login, clear signposting
to age-specific activities takes users
directly to the most relevant content,
which is sub-divided into core subjects,
as well as cross-curricular projects.
A clear favourite among EYFS and
KS1 teachers, where the importance of
play is never underrated, there are many
activities for ages 7+ (Key Stage 2).
In case there is any doubt regarding
the rigorous pedagogy that underpins
the world of busythings, it is important
to stress that each and every activity is
explicitly designed to support individual
descriptors from the revised 2014
Primary and EYFS curricula across the
Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 & 2
(with curriculum mapping throughout).
The treasure trove of online
materials within the resource
is complemented by clipart,
downloadable worksheets, cutout
characters for craft activities,
achievement certificates, and so
much more.
Get busy with LGfL!
busythings.lgfl.net
❝
Clipart bank – the world of
busythings is available offline,
too. Save favourite characters as
an image file or PDF.
I use busythings with children aged 3 and above as a free-access
activity within the classroom, and for intervention groups. It is
ideal for supporting Maths and Literacy, and the art programmes
are great for encouraging creativity. I particularly like the clear
challenge and progression, and the instant feedback.
❞
Rhianwen Dean, Nursery teacher, Knollmead Primary School
24 | www.lgfl.net
Age-specific activities
Teacher resources
Curriculum mapping
The vastly differing abilities of
Primary pupils are catered for by six
sections of age-related activities
tailored to their developing needs.
The teacher dashboard gives access
to a range of supporting resources,
including certificates, mapping,
worksheets and other printables.
The curriculum mapping for each
section can also be searched to
identify games and activities which
align with your teaching objectives.
Flexible friend
Team player
Busy projects
The beauty of busythings is its
flexibility; this makes it ideal for
whole-class teaching, individual or
group use, and home access.
The ‘Busy box’ mini games allow
children to play a range of activities
in quick succession to collect stars
and encourage collaboration.
Create and display topic-based
project work using simple ICT tools.
Children can create artwork and
write about any chosen topic.
www.lgfl.net | 25
EYFS RESOURCES
JOIN P.B. BEAR IN
FIVE RIP-ROARING
ADVENTURES
P.B.BEAR’S
INTERACTIVE ADVENTURES
Have your Early-Years pupils discovered the world of
P.B. Bear? The cuddly friend has lots of stories and games
to share... and teachers will love him, too.
Pirate Island
5
ONLINE VIDEO
STORIES
The Birthday Bear
Rollerbears
Snow Fun
Space Poppers
26 | www.lgfl.net
“One day, P.B. Bear was at home, doing
nothing in particular. There was a knock
at the door. It was a parcel from P.B.’s
uncle. Inside, there was a treasure map, a
hat and a key...”
Each P.B. Bear story is a charming
stop-frame animation and a great way to
start a lesson or activity. Watch the video
or use the book, which has a still image
per page with accompanying text and
optional audio – great for early readers.
The interactive activities and
printables that accompany the
stories are divided into the early
years categories of Communication,
Language and Literacy, Mathematical
Development, Knowledge and
Understanding of the World, and
Creative Development.
Whether making a birthday card,
using algorithms to search the treasure
map or choosing cosy clothes for a
snowy day, P.B. is guaranteed to remain a
furry favourite.
pbbear.lgfl.net
Tip: ask KS1 pupils to make
PB-style animations in
j2spotlight for EYFS classes
EYFS RESOURCES
I-BOARD PLAYER
A purpose-built library of visual,
dynamic, interactive resources.
The LGfL-commissioned resources on the i-board
player for EYFS and KS1 has been a firm LGfL
favourite for many years now.
Whilst designed and mapped for the previous
curriculum, i-board player resources have lost none
of their charm or educational relevance.
With activities across the four core EYFS themes
and eight KS1 subjects, you are bound to find a new
teaching & learning favourite.
Best viewed on desktop computers.
player.lgfl.net
TES I-BOARD PHONICS
These interactive-whiteboard teaching activities are
bound to make you oo and ah (and ar, ee, igh and er)!
200
ACTIVITIES
IN TOTAL
iBoard has provided a suite of activities
tied to Letters and Sounds Phase 2 to 5
for KS1 and 2.
The suite consists of 12 activity
types which can be launched using
any combination of words from the
suggested wordlists in each phase of
Letters and Sounds. This means that in
total there are 200 activities, useful for
teachers right the way from FS2, through
KS1 and into lower KS2.
The suite aims to be fully comprehensive. Every wordset is covered. To
make selection easy for the teacher,
iBoard has grouped the activities to
match exactly the tables of words in
each phase and allowed easy selection
and deselection for easy differentiation.
phonics.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 27
MATHEMATICS
MATHS AT HOME
“I’d love to help with Maths at home, but I can’t. I was
never any good when I was at school. Plus, they teach
it differently these days; and I don’t know what they are
doing anyway.” Finally, there is an answer:
Maths at home: support for busy parents.
This popular resource is aimed squarely
at parents, in recognition of the crucial
role they play in a child’s education, but
also against a background of difficulties
getting to grips with today’s pedagogy.
Maths at home empowers and
enables parents to help children develop
mathematical skills at home, with short
videos for every statement of the entire
Primary Maths National Curriculum.
Each clip explains the concept
in simple terms, gives a snapshot
of how schools are likely to teach it,
and provides fun, practical ideas for
learning in and around the home. Simple
fractions on a pizza, for example, or
sorting socks into piles. Maths really can
become part of everyday life.
Most importantly, Maths at
home videos are designed to ignite
conversations and to make Maths a
positive and enjoyable experience
outside of school.
Why not start by introducing it at
workshops or parents’ evenings?
mathsathome.lgfl.net
MATHSPACE
Revise online for end of Key Stage tests with the
Mathspace LGfL revision tests. Students get step-by-step
feedback as they work through the questions. Teachers
see marked workings-out for every student and can
check misconceptions as they arise.
This Bett Award winning resource is an
LGfL evergreen.
Why? Ofsted has criticised online
resources for giving “no attention
to how well the work [is] set out, or
whether correct methods and notation
[is] used.”
The unique advantage of
Mathspace, which differentiates it
from the surfeit of other online maths
resources, is that it does much more than
automatically check students’ answers
and feed data back to teachers.
As students progress through the
tests, they get instant feedback on every
step they take, with hints given for every
incorrect working. Mathspace also
automatically creates tailored revision
tasks to further aid their learning.
Teachers receive class and student
breakdowns, but are also able to drill
down to see workings-out for every
student.
There are five Mathspace tests for
Key Stage 2 Primary Maths students.
mathspace.lgfl.net
28 | www.lgfl.net
MATHEMATICS
MULT-E-MATHS
Fresh look for this KS2 interactive-whiteboard resource.
❝
I regularly use Mult-e-Maths as a visual and interactive way to
introduce or develop an area of mathematics. The children love to
come to the whiteboard and get involved, and the innovative activities
often become the basis of further investigation.
Year 6 Teacher, John Ball Primary School
❞
MATHS KIT
The LGfL Maths Kit provides teachers and pupils with
a dynamic environment to explore numbers and the
relationships between them. The tools can be used to
create 2-D geometric objects such as quadrilaterals,
circles, triangles, lines, arcs, ray segments and vectors.
Mult-e-Maths has been on LGfL for
many years, but the popular interactivewhiteboard resource for Key Stage 2
has had a total refresh and rebuild, with
new activities, lessons and worksheets
to accompany the activities – now
compatible with all devices.
The resource has between seven
and nine modules for each of Years 3-6,
with between 40 and 50 lessons across
each yeargroup.
The IWB activities have clearlymapped curriculum links and can be
manipulated using a series of flexible
tools that will be familiar to the Maths
teacher, giving the flexibility to
transform and add to the graphs and
objects in a variety of ways.
The update will be appealing for
teachers familiar with Mult-e-Maths, as
well as those new to the resource. And
whilst the IWB activities are made for the
classroom, lesson plans and worksheets
help to extend learning beyond the
school day.
multemaths.lgfl.net
The tools within the LGfL Maths Kit
create visual representations which help
pupils to better grasp mathematical
concepts and relationships. Dragging
key points to rearrange the object
changes the raw figures, and vice versa.
NUMBER LINE
A dynamic environment for teachers and
students to explore numbers and the
relationships between them.
COORDINATES AND GRAPHING
Coordinate graphs can be easily created
on a specified set of axes by a click or
a tap on an interactive whiteboard.
Images and video clips can be imported
as a background onto which points can
be plotted and investigated.
2D SHAPES
Teachers and pupils can create twodimensional geometric objects such as
quadrilaterals, circles, triangles, lines,
arcs, ray segments and vectors.
mathskit.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 29
GEOGRAPHY
INDIA - PANJY
LATVIA - MARTENS
PAPUA NEW GUINEA BRAZIL - ROSEMARY
USA - STEPHANIE
SOUTH AFRICA - JUSTIN
CHINA - KAY KAY
UK - HAYLEY
SOUTH AFRICA - VUSUMZI
NORWAY - EMILIE
ANGELA
11
KENYA - ERODO
GROWING UP AROUND THE WORLD
REAL-LIFE
STORIES
Eleven lives, eleven stories, eleven dreams, eleven countries... one life cut short!
What’s it like growing up around the world?
Over more than two decades, charity
tve followed the lives of 11 children in
10 different countries to make a series of
groundbreaking films.
A precursor to the BBC’s “Child of
our Time” series, this resource provides
a unique insight into what it means to
grow up in different parts of the world;
the challenges, hopes and dreams of the
11 children and the impact of the world
around them.
Growing up around the World
aims to help UK children understand
the realities of childhood in different
contexts. Strikingly, many of the
struggles and challenges the children
encounter are universal, from the UK to
South Africa to India.
Designed for use in Citizenship,
PSHE or Geography lessons, the
videos introduce Key Stage 2, 3 and
4 pupils to human rights, building an
understanding of the issues facing
30 | www.lgfl.net
people around the world, specifically
regarding education.
These are real stories, including
poverty, unemployment and death, so
this resource aims to provide schools
with a safe space in which to tactfully
address these complicated issues.
Particularly useful in multi-cultural
London classrooms, the resources come
with a comprehensive teacher pack
with full lesson plans, starter activities,
sample worksheets, a dictionary of key
terms and tips for expanding on the
material provided in the resource.
This also includes ideas to help
pupils get involved with human rights
and take action about issues they
are passionate about, through social
media campaigns, blogging, organising
debates, petitions and writing to
decision makers.
growingup.lgfl.net
GEOGRAPHY
NETWORK WEATHER STATIONS
Everywhere you go, you always take (online access to) the
weather with you... thanks to LGfL weather stations.
The LGfL weather station network is
the densest online network of weather
stations in the world. The network
was developed from a partnership
between Imperial College, the Royal
Meteorological Society and LGfL.
The service offers a continuously
developing data archive of weather
recording across weather stations
located in every local authority in
London.
LGfL worked in partnership with not
only Imperial College but also The Royal
Meteorological Society. Geoff Jenkins
was formerly the climate change expert
at the Met Office and is now the chair
of the Royal Meteorological Society
Education Group. He supported the
continued development of the LGfL
weather station network.
Filming the stations in action
captured some of the issues associated
with maintaining the network – the
resulting videos now feature in the
curriculum resource below.
weather.lgfl.net
WEATHER STATION CURRICULUM RESOURCE
Exciting resources that let teachers use real-time data to support pupils’ learning in
Geography, Science and Maths.
This complementary weather resource
helps teachers and pupils to get the best
out of the real-time data coming out of
the LGfL weather-station network, with
a series of lesson plans for Key Stages 2-5
in Geography, Science and Maths.
weatherstations.lgfl.net
How do we gather weather data?
Analysing data
A collection of videos to help you
understand how to gather weather data
Make the most of the rich local data to
do your own class analysis
Weather-station maintenance
Routine maintenance
Many schools have
❝
previously operated their
own weather stations,
but LGfL joined them
all together to create a
network which allows
everybody to study
London’s weather.
❞
Professor Ralf Toumi, Imperial College.
Videos cover the maintenance issues
related to running a weather station
Radiation shields and battery testing to
check the station is working correctly
www.lgfl.net | 31
SCIENCE
SWITCHED ON SCIENCE
If this doesn’t leave pupils and teachers switched on, then what will?
100% coverage of the Primary Science curriculum, including video demos for teachers.
“Science is Science, whatever the
curriculum says.” Perhaps true, but...
When the National Curriculum was
revised for September 2014, the core
principles of Science did not change.
However, there is now a greater focus on
working scientifically, and this is where
Switched on Science comes into its own.
Licensed by LGfL from Rising Stars
for all London schools, this resource
is a great example of when to licence
a commercial product on behalf of all
schools when it offers the best value
for money.
Switched on Science isn’t about
ticking boxes: although full Primary
curriculum coverage is not to be sniffed
at, quality and depth are always top of
the LGfL priority list.
The resource is clearly divided
into the six yeargroups, and further
subdivided into six modules (ideal for
a half-termly project) with mediumterm plans and mapping to other LGfL
resources you may be using.
For each module, whether “We
are astronauts“, “Young gardeners” or
“Dinosaur hunters“, the teacher has
extensive pre-teaching support (if
they want it – there’s nothing to stop
you diving straight in) in the form
of extensive teaching PowerPoints
and in-depth lesson plan with ideas
suggested activities.
But one of the most valued elements
of the Switched on Science resource is
the ‘Science in Action’ video for each
module, which shows a real teacher
sitting at a desk in a London classroom
demonstrating an experiment that
shows how you might bring that module
to life.
No-one doubts the creativity of
LGfL teachers, but when bedtime arrives
before the pile of marking is done and
there is still planning to do, these videos
may be just the spark of inspiration you
need.
Once you are in the classroom
with your ‘Brilliant Scientists’ and ‘Little
Masterchefs‘, each presentation is
supplemented by a set of worksheets, as
well as interactive activities that allow
pupils to show what they have learned.
Already one of the most popular
LGfL resources in the short time it has
been available, feedback from teachers
has been exceptional. And remember, as
with all our resources, you do not have
to take it all – have a look and see if you
can spice up existing schemes with a bit
of Switched on Science magic.
sos.lgfl.net
32 | www.lgfl.net
INCLUDES
36
INTERACTIVE
ACTIVITIES
SWITCHED ON SCIENCE COVERS ALL THE BASES
36 modules with 36 lesson plans, 36 interactive activities, 36 videos showing Science in
Action, 36 extensive teaching PowerPoints, 36 sets of printable worksheets, 6 mediumterm plans and 6 mapping documents to help you get the best from other LGfL resources.
TEACHER GUIDES
SCIENCE IN ACTION VIDEOS
TEACHING SLIDES
MAPPED TO LGfL RESOURCES
PUPIL WORKSHEETS
INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES
www.lgfl.net | 33
ONLINE SAFETY
CYBERPASS
LGfL is providing teachers with a trackable, data-rich, competence-based online safety
assessment and training tool, but at the heart of this innovation is a new approach.
CyberPass embodies a new approach
to online-safety education, turning the
conventional wisdom on its head on
how to tackle this key topic.
It presents the flip-side to
traditional lesson sequencing: rather
than delivering a series of lessons on
predefined topics and then testing
pupils on their abilities, CyberPass
helps teachers identify strengths and
weaknesses in the first instance, in order
to target time and resources on the
topics children really need support with.
Students take a quiz on one or all
of the eight key online-safety themes,
then teachers view the rich data on
pupil performance broken down by
theme, competence, and/or question,
before tailoring and differentiating
their teaching accordingly for this timepressured, important curriculum area.
There are also videos and interactive
lesson materials tailored to the eight
themes that teachers may choose to use.
LGfL has long been at the heart of
the online-safety agenda, protecting
children with cutting-edge network and
security features. We also provide help,
advice and resources for the classroom.
CyberPass is part of our response
to the rapidly-changing landscape and
teachers’ needs, as they are tasked with
producing and safeguarding the next
generation of digital citizens.
cyberpass.lgfl.net
WHY CYBERPASS?
CyberPass can be accessed anytime,
anywhere; it can be approached
in various different ways; and the
built-in resources can be used or
disregarded – the teacher can decide.
But what makes it unique is the
ability to take a snapshot of learners’
competencies and knowledge before
and after teaching time.
34 | www.lgfl.net
ONLINE SAFETY
Sara Khan and Matthew
Goodwin’s views are often
sought by government
and media; they offer
information, insights and
advice to help schools
navigate this difficult area
Sara Khan from counter-extremism and
women’s-rights organisation Inspire
COUNTER-EXTREMISM
Empowering teachers to address one of the most
sensitive yet important school duties.
‘Counter-Extremism: narratives and
conversations’ is a video resource
designed to enable and empower
teachers to discuss and respond to
conversations about extremism.
Initially launched in time for the
enactment of the Counter-Terrorism and
Security Act 2015, it has already been
put to good use thousands of times
across the United Kingdom in schools,
community centres, council offices and
homes.
The new act made schools “specified
authorities” with the duty to “have due
regard to the need to prevent people
from being drawn into terrorism”.
This presented a significant
challenge for schools, where concerns
were raised about lacking expertise
for dealing with this sensitive issue,
coupled with the potential to damage
relationships with pupils and parents.
Headlines such as “Anti-terror
plan to spy on toddlers” only served to
increase unease amongst professionals.
Against a background of teachers
eager to ‘do their bit’ but wary of the
consequences, LGfL created this online
CPD resource for teachers and other
NEW
ONLINE
VIDEOS
Matthew Goodwin, extremism expert at
Chatham House and the University of Kent
professionals working with young
people. Given the importance of the
subject matter to schools across the UK
and beyond, it was decided to make it
open-access for all schools to use.
The existing ISIS section with Sara
Khan from counter-extremism and
women’s rights organisation Inspire
has now been complemented by a
series of videos on the far right, voiced
by Matthew Goodwin. Matthew is a
Professor of Politics at the University
of Kent, and Associate Fellow at
Chatham House.
The resource takes the form of 32
question-based clips spanning four
thematic sections and two forms of
modern extremism, with questions such
as “Why do certain groups of young
people engage with the ISIS narrative?”,
“What can we say to young people who
think all immigrants are bad?”, and “What
is the most important message about
Islam that counters the ISIS viewpoint?”.
counterextremism.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 35
CITIZENSHIP
REAL VOICES
The sad story of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian whose lifeless body washed up on
the Turkish coast, made the world sit up and pay attention. But what next?
Immigration has always been an
emotive topic; the events of 2015, with
millions of people on the move and
thousands dying at the mercy of the
waves, did little to clarify the issue.
Emotions run high on all sides of
the argument, but LGfL recognises
the importance of giving schools the
resources they need to enable sensible
discussion in a child-friendly way.
36 | www.lgfl.net
❝
Syria is my soul, my
country, my life, my land,
my past and my present...
It was the most difficult
decision of my life.
❞
Real Voices lends a human face to
the crisis, telling the story of three Syrian
refugees currently sheltering in Jordan.
In their own words, they tell of the
pain of leaving their homeland and the
difficulties faced in their host nation.
Although the videos are powerful in
their own right, lesson plans, assembly
resource and glossary give context and
curriculum relevance, and help teachers
tackle the crisis in a sensitive manner.
realvoices.lgfl.net
R.E.
ESPRESSO FAITHS
What better way to foster understanding of the six major world faiths than by seeing them
through the eyes of London schoolchildren.
Commissioned by LGfL, Espresso Faiths
looks at the six major world faiths as
found in London communities, with
schoolchildren explaining their faith to
their peers.
Updated to ensure the closest
fit with the new curriculum, Faiths
offers important support for the
development of inter-faith tolerance
and understanding across London.
Each of the six world faiths covered
in the resource are described in detail,
including origins, main beliefs and
practices; each section includes videos,
activities, fact-files, parables and more.
Ideal for Key Stage 2 and 3,
Espresso Faiths also has new quizzes
to test comprehension and reinforce
understanding.
faiths.lgfl.net
ACTIVITIES
IMAGES
All sections feature extensive video, on-screen
activities and downloadables, plus images,
online books and factfiles
STORIES &
PARABLES
The story of
the Buddha
The story of the
Sower and the Seed
The story of
Diwali
The story of
the Crying Camel
The story of
Noah’s Ark
The story of
the Rose
VIDEOS
www.lgfl.net | 37
ENGLISH
READINGZONE LIVE
How can you inspire reluctant readers to read, and reticent writers to write? That is the
challenge behind this resource, which brings authors to the heart of the classroom.
If you ever wondered why there is no
‘WritingZone’ on LGfL, then you’ve
missed a key part of ReadingZone.
Much more than a brief encounter
with an author as a special treat or to fill
the Word Book Day slot (although it fits
very much in those categories as well),
this resource is all about driving literacy.
The authors that take their place on
the ReadingZone Live bookcase cover
a multitude of genres, age ranges and
styles, from Holly Webb’s Secret Kittens
and Tony Ross’ Horrid Henry, through
38 | www.lgfl.net
The only difference
❝
between successful and
unsuccessful writers
is that unsuccessful
writers stop!
❞
Author Antony Horowitz
Henry Winkler’s Hank Zipfer and
Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather, all the
way up to Michael Morpurgo’s Warhorse
and Frederick Forsyth’s Day of the Jackal.
Teachers and pupils can take one of
two approaches, focussing either on a
particular author, or on a topic such as
genre, planning, character, writing and
so on (see more in the illustrations on
the next page).
Next it is time to hear from the
authors themselves. Hours of interviews
are distilled into bite-sized Q&A video
clips, where advice is given to pupils
on how to collect ideas, what to write
about, how to form a story arc, what
makes a good character, and much
more.
Often the advice might seem to be
common sense, but a 30 second clip
from a bestselling author often has
slightly more effect than a parent!
But at the same time, there are
plenty of hidden gems as well – who
would have thought that the key to
Anthony Horowitz’ success is the midmorning Kit-Kat (other chocolate bars
are available).
Ideal for starters and plenaries,
the clips can be used as a standalone
resource to spark a creative writing
session or discussion within an existing
lesson plan. Alternatively, they could
easily form the basis for an entire lesson
or series of lessons.
The curriculum materials are being
refreshed and updated during Spring
2016 to include new topic pathways into
the resource.
readingzonelive.lgfl.net
UNDERSTANDING THE WRITING PROCESS
The ever-expanding range of ReadingZone Live authors gives pupils a
comprehensive insight into different approaches to the writing process.
VIEW
LIVE-EVENT
FEATURE
PAGE 60
Understanding the writing process
Illustration for inspiration
From genre to character, from editing to creativity exercises,
there are so many aspects of writing to explore.
How do you bring a character to life in the mind of your reader?
Step 1 is obviously the words. But how can illustrations help?
How does the writer...
Bite-sized video clips
...make things funny? ...make you feel tense/sad? ...keep on
writing? ...make something powerful and convincing?
The questions and answers from the interview and VC are cut
into manageable short clips, ideal for starters and plenaries.
THE LIVE-EVENT PROGRAMME
Live school-to-school author VCs take
place at least twice a term throughout
the school year, and feature some of the
nation’s most popular and successful
contemporary children’s authors.
www.lgfl.net | 39
ENGLISH
BLOG CENTRAL
Dear Tom,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I like the way
you used emotions. Maybe you could improve it by using
longer wow-words like ‘breathtaking’ instead of ‘sick’.
Nathan, Adelaide, Australia
START
BLOGGING
FOR
LITERACY
TODAY
PERFORM A POEM
“Poetry is the sound of words in your ears, it’s the look of
poets in motion – and that can be you. Make your poems
sing, whisper, shout and float. Let the words make the
rhythm and give the viewers a buzz to see you.”
Michael Rosen
LEARN TO
WRITE AND
PERFORM
POEMS
A survey by the National Literacy Trust
found that children who blog not only
write more, and more frequently, but
also tend to have a more positive view of
their writing abilities.
Why? The key to blogging success is
the sense of audience and therefore realworld purpose that can be achieved for
any written task.
Despite lots of column inches
dedicated to blogging over the past few
years, it remains a mystery for some.
Blog Central explains the techniques
and rationale behind blogging, as
well as how to best engage pupils,
parents, school leaders and, crucially,
commenters from around the world.
Education-blogging guru David
Mitchell features throughout Blog
Central, giving advice on all aspects
of blogging – especially engaging
reluctant writers.
LGfL schools have two classroomready options for blogging: j2webby and
j2bloggy (read more on page 52).
blogcentral.lgfl.net
Another contender for the ‘does what it
says on the tin’ award, Perform a Poem
allows London schoolchildren to do
exactly that.
The resource is introduced by
former children’s laureate Michael
Rosen, who has selected his favourite
ten poems from the site.
Whilst not all pupils relish the
opportunity to stand and perform in
front of the whole class, young people
today are used to being filmed on a
mobile phone or tablet.
Perform a Poem allows pupils’
poetry performances to be uploaded to
the e-safe site VideoCentral HD, where
teachers, parents and pupils can review
it and use as a motivator or for evidence.
The site provides a range of
resources for teachers on choosing and
writing poems, performing, and filming,
editing and uploading videos.
There are also examples of poems
for pupils to perform, and lesson plans
and workshops from Michael Rosen.
performapoem.lgfl.net
40 | www.lgfl.net
ENGLISH
SUPER-ACTION COMIC MAKER
CREATE
YOUR OWN
ACTION
COMIC
Kerpow! Tell your story with a superhero in this new storyboard format.
Boom! Unique London backgrounds bring art and literacy to life.
THUD!
“Now turn your ideas into a storyboard.
Here’s some paper and a pencil. Make
it pretty, make it exciting, and watch
your spellings! Oh, and you’ve got five
minutes to do it.” Boom? Not really.
ZAP!
This 1970s-style comic maker is ideal for
Art and Literacy, allowing pupils to bring
their own superhero to life and not only
add backgrounds and superheroes, but
also speech and effect bubbles to create
a narrative.
CRUNCH!
Not only can you print the comic,
but you can save it to your own USO
account to access next time you log
into the resource.
PICTURE BOOK MAKER
We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo...
This London Zoo-themed literacy resource features
animals and scenes from the top tourist destination.
CREATE
YOUR OWN
PICTURE
BOOKS
KERPOW!
Created for LGfL by arts organisation
Culture Street (developer of the Picture
Book Maker below), Super Action Comic
Book Maker is targeted at KS1 and KS2,
but is expected to find uses beyond
those Key Stages. Just remember: it’s not
for you, it’s for the children.
superaction.lgfl.net
In a similar vein to the Super Action
Comic Book Maker, LGfL’s Picture Book
Maker aims to strike the difficult balance
between the freedom to be creative and
not having so many options that text
becomes a mere afterthought.
Pupils have three double-spreads
and a front/back cover to construct their
story. For each page, they can choose
from four London Zoo backgrounds, four
animals and 16 objects (trees, scooters,
hot air balloons, etc.). The animals and
objects can be scaled to size, and the
animals have a number of action poses.
The design process can be easily
time-bonded to allow for the writing
phase – pupils can insert as many text
boxes as they wish, and change the text
size to fit the page.
Easily differentiated across KS1 and
lower KS2, all pupils can have the sense
of achievement of printing out their
story, which comes with simple cut and
fold lines to turn it into a pocket-sized
book for home or a classroom display.
picturebook.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 41
HISTORY
MAYA – AUGMENTED REALITY
The KS2 History ‘ancient civilisations’ requirement is a gift for that member of staff in
every school who has spent time on digs in the Guatemalan rainforests. Failing that...
Fancy a game of Pok-ta-Pok? No, we
hadn’t heard of it either.
How can you bring to life a
civilisation which by definition belongs
to a different age and world?
Augmented-reality (AR) comes
into its own when breathing life into
objects that simply no longer exist and
into languages which only a handful of
people understand.
An everyday challenge for the AR
professionals at Computeam. But tech
experts need subject experts, and in this
case LGfL called on Dr Diane Davies.
The renowned Maya specialist and
archaeologist spent over a decade in
Central America unearthing the secrets
of this oft-misunderstood yet highly-
advanced civilisation.
Diane crafted a series of lesson plans
that couple engagement with expert
accuracy, clear curriculum relevance
and cross-curricular appeal (such as that
Pok-ta-Pok PE lesson).
maya.lgfl.net
Search Maya LGfL on the appstore
DOWNLOAD TRIGGER
IMAGES SEPARATELY
FOR A TREASURE HUNT
AROUND SCHOOL. ›
‹ USE THE APP
TO MAKE THE
AUGMENTEDREALITY OBJECTS
LEAP OFF THE PAGE.
42 | www.lgfl.net
HISTORY
PREHISTORIC
BRITAIN
“This half-term, we will cover everything
that happened in an 800,000-year period.”
If ever a topic illustrates the magnitude of historical teaching,
it is Prehistory. It not only spans a longer time period than all
others put together, but also lacks incontrovertible evidence
for approximately 98% of the timeline. New to the National
Curriculum in 2014, it was a fresh challenge for KS2 teachers.
This not only makes it important to bring Prehistory to life,
but also incredibly challenging. And that is where augmented
reality comes into its own. Using a free
Apple/Android app, pupils see artefacts
come alive that they would never
experience in real life.
Apart from the ‘lightbulb moments’
which can spark truly engaged teaching
& learning, Prehistoric Britain is further
enhanced by a multimedia microsite,
teacher guidance, information and a
range of downloadable worksheets.
prehistoric.lgfl.net
WORLD WAR 1
“They shall grow not old, as we that are
left grow old. Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn. At the going down
of the sun and in the morning... We will
remember them.”
Teaching children about the First
World War is about so much more
than ticking boxes and learning
facts. Now that the last survivors
have all passed on, we must find
other ways to remember the
lessons of ‘The Great War‘.
From the haunting notes
of Elgar floating over a 3D
cenotaph, to the daunting sight
of a Zeppelin over London, or
a gramophone ‘Last Post‘, this
resource pays tribute whilst
provoking thoughtful discussion
of the First World War.
ww1.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 43
HISTORY
THE VOYAGE
Months on the open sea, and you have to
choose an overseer from a thief, a swindler
and a murderer. Strategy is at the heart of
LGfL’s first educational game.
The Voyage is designed to bring to life the transportation of
convicts to Australia in the 1800s, seen through the lens of ‘the
Founders’ who made their way across the world.
Spanning Key Stages 2 and 3, it covers the post-1066
period and meets the requirement to “know and understand
the coherent, chronological narrative…of these islands”,
as well as exploring the cultural impact of Britain upon its
colonies and vice versa.
The online game illustrates the issues faced on the
open seas, and tests and develops historical skills, as well as
planning, statistics, management.
Pupils’ actions and experiences are recorded in a journal to
help them explore what impact seemingly small decisions can
have. Real-life documents from the National Archive have also
been collated to bring each step of The Voyage to life.
Are you ready to set sail? Watch out for the rats, though!
thevoyage.lgfl.net
TIMEMAPS
The concept of TimeMaps couldn’t be
simpler, and the visual impact couldn’t be
clearer.
It is often hard to grasp the scale or reach of a developing
civilisation, nation or empire, but with TimeMaps, global
movements and border changes take place before pupils’ eyes.
Interlinked maps and timelines show how and where
an event is happening. The panoramic view of change over
time gives a better understanding of the causes and effects of
historical episodes.
Nine different maps plot the Rise and fall of the Roman
Empire, the Black Death, the Norman Conquest, Medieval
England and Her Neighbours, the Rise of Islam, European
Exploration and Discovery, and The Atlantic Slave Trade.
Slightly more appealing than reciting all the Kings and
Queens of England, the visual impact of seeing monarchs
moving between England and France in medieval times clearly
illustrates the deep influences of other cultures on UK soil.
Ideal for provoking thought and discussion as a
standalone resource, all nine TimeMaps come with
comprehensive teacher notes and in-depth study ideas.
timemaps.lgfl.net
44 | www.lgfl.net
COMPUTING
J2CODE
Starting from Scratch? You don’t have to,
with j2code’s full curriculum coverage. But
you can, thanks to new Scratch integration.
This coding resource from the makers of the j2e Tool Suite
is a Bett Award winner, and with good reason. The intuitive
interface brings together three platforms (JIT, visual and
logo) which meet all the coding requirements of the Primary
Computing curriculum.
Couple this with lesson plans, help videos and Scratch
integration to make the best of both worlds, and you begin to
understand the scope of the package.
The drag-and-drop building-block format will be
familiar to users of Scratch and tools like the LGfL WebTech
Tutor (see below), making the already user-friendly and
engaging tool even more accessible.
j2code is available nationwide, but the beauty of using it
in an LGfL school is full integration into the j2launch toolkit. As
with any other work created using the j2e products, you can
save your work, embed it in other files, write about it, and most
importantly, blog it (make sure you read about blogging for
literacy in BlogCentral and the main j2launch section: p40/52).
j2launch.lgfl.net
WEBTECH TUTOR
Waking up in a cold sweat at the thought of
teaching coding? No longer! If you can drag
and drop, or spot the difference between
two sentences, you can learn HTML.
The natural progression for KS2 and KS3 pupils finished with
j2code and Scratch is to move onto the LGfL WebTech Tutor.
While the thought of teaching HTML, javascript and CSS
might cause some concern (imagine a chorus of “It doesn’t
work” as pupils miss a bracket and break the syntax), WebTech
Tutor addresses these concerns in a highly-innovative way.
The package is broken down into bite-sized, easilyachievable modules, with a short video walkthrough for each
section that can be replayed if necessary. Drag-and-drop
functionality allows pupils to get to grips with the concepts,
terms and syntax without being frustrated by broken code.
When the crucial skill of debugging is introduced, it is
manageable for all: the code doesn’t change, but the English
(e.g. “Hello World.”) must be typed accurately – did you notice
the capital H / W in the example, or the full stop? This prepares
pupils for taking the plunge into free code in later modules.
webtech.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 45
SEND
LOOK, THINK, DO
“I don’t want to play with you anymore.”
Hearing these words is challenging for any
child, but particularly for those with autism.
LGfL provides many mainstream resources that by their nature
lend themselves particularly well to pupils with SEND. But we
are also committed to meeting particular areas of need with
tailor-made resources.
Against this background, Look, Think, Do was developed
to help meet some of the challenges faced by students with
social and communication needs, and in particular autism.
The resource supports primary-aged children by bringing
together a range of editable, visual materials – created by staff
and pupils in London schools.
Children with autism frequently need to be explicitly
taught about the behaviour choices they can make in many
situations. It is important to learn to adapt rather than stick
with a rigid system of thought and behaviour.
Look, Think, Do facilitates this social development by
using reduced language, visual support and images, structure
and small steps, positive focus, and, where appropriate, choice.
ltd.lgfl.net
BUSYTHINGS
Although everyone loves busythings
(with 15 million hits in 2015, surely no
exaggeration!), the award-winning resource
has great SEND-specific applications.
busythings has been a hit in London classrooms for several
years now (see pages 24-25 for more information), and a major
upgrade coming in January 2016 will expand its reach even
further.
Teachers of students with SEND particularly appreciate
that the activities give equal emphasis to nurturing creative
development and to providing opportunities for exploration,
discovery, experimentation and sensory development.
There are games to help learners develop keyboard
skills, and shape and space activities for improving spatial
awareness. Students with SEND particularly appreciate the
instant feedback from the characters and the obvious praise
when they get something right.
To find out more about busythings applications in the
SEND arena, or to sign up for a termly newsletter, visit
send.lgfl.net or e-mail send@lgfl.org.uk
busythings.lgfl.net
46 | www.lgfl.net
SEND
EARLY SHAKESPEARE
& FAIRYTALES
38 – When he finds Juliet he drinks poison.
39 – Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo dead.
40 – Now Juliet wants to die too.
[...] The End.
EARLY SHAKESPEARE
This resource is an innovative new
introduction to the Bard for learners
with SEND and EAL, and is likely to
prove popular with all pupils.
Underpinned by the specialist
principles that underpin PECS and
TEACH, it is an animated, interactive
learning tool from the education
experts at SEN Assist.
Two of the most popular plays,
Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, are broken down into one bitesized sentence per scene, using the first
100 high-frequency words (see above).
This allows learners to easily
follow, understand and remember the
stories, and helps ensure access to the
curriculum for all.
Pupils can watch at their own
pace, and opt to turn on or off the
accompanying text and symbols.
And animated characters bring
each scene to life, with differentiated
activities to help include all learners.
Within each resource, pupils can
choose their own motivator, which
rewards them as they successfully
complete activities, and there are
four ability levels for even further
differentiation.
FAIRYTALES
The fairytales resource follows the
exact same model for six popular
children’s stories, with 24 activities per
story, switch versions, and a range of
associated printables for classroom
extension activities.
earlyshakespeare.lgfl.net
fairytales.lgfl.net
PRIMARY SEND VIDEO
LGfL has produced a new video ​to support all Primary
staff working with SEND students, showing how LGfL
resources and tools can be used to support pupils with
SEND in primary schools, as well as the staff who support
them from day to day.
The five-minute video is ideal for inset, meetings or
individual viewing, and is intended to give school staff
new ideas on how LGfL can be used to assist Attention &
Listening, Sensory & Physical Needs, Communication &
Interaction, Cognition & Learning, and Social, Emotional
& Mental Health.
GO TO
SEND.LGfL.NET
TO VIEW THE
VIDEO
www.lgfl.net | 47
MUSIC
MEET THE LSSO
Artistic director Peter Ash
LONDON SCHOOLS
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ARCHIVE
Behind the scenes at a world-class youth orchestra’s
rehearsals and live performances.
Meet the LSSO leader
WATCH
INTERVIEWS
WITH THE
PLAYERS
Meet the players
Meet the tutors
48 | www.lgfl.net
Hailed by Sir Simon Rattle as “an
incomparable ambassador for the
dynamism and excellence of British
youth”, the London Schools Symphony
Orchestra (LSSO) has for over sixty years
been regarded as a potent symbol of the
talents and achievements of London’s
finest young musicians.
LGfL has worked with the LSSO
to build an archive of the orchestra’s
output over the past sixty years, with
programmes, articles, newsletters and
press clippings.
For the past five years, the archive
also includes professional audio and
video recordings of the tri-annual
concerts held at London’s Barbican
Centre. This amounts to over 50 separate
orchestral works to watch, listen to and
study with pupils.
What greater inspiration for Key
Stage 2 pupils than to see what hard
work and talent can lead to over the next
few years of their musical education.
CURRICULUM RELEVANCE
The KS2 National Curriculum for Music
states that pupils should:
■ develop an understanding of musical
composition
■ appreciate and understand a wide
range of high-quality live and recorded
music drawn from different traditions
and from great composers and
musicians
■ develop an understanding of the
history of music.
lsso.lgfl.net
MUSIC
LET’S HAVE A GIGAJAM!
Pupils can learn to play guitar, bass, keyboard and drums
with this award-winning course, developing skills that will
allow them to form bands and play the tunes they love.
Think of Gigajam as an extra peripatetic music teacher.
GIGAJAM INSTRUMENTS
Guitar school
Bass school
Keyboard school
This award-winning interactive
guitar, bass, keyboard and drum tutor
gets pupils playing from the first lesson,
with videos, play-along files and online
assessment to guide them from absolute
beginner to Grade 5 equivalence.
Step-by-step instructions ensure
that pupils have everything needed to
progress their learning at the fastest
possible rate.
Narrated lessons present key
knowledge through text, diagrams,
videos and interactive exercises, not
to mention a backing track for every
exercise.
The latest LGfL version features
integration with student USO accounts
for online e-portfolio (‘pupil locker’)
development and performance tracking.
Every exercise has an accompanying
video where a professional tutor performs
the exercise for pupils to watch. There is
also a TV Show, where tutor and presenter
go through the whole lesson in a studio
format. And new in late 2015, these video
resources have all been re-filmed in HD
quality.
Whilst Gigajam is predominantly used
for independent study, the LGfL version
of this commercial product also includes
a series of lesson plans for teachers to
integrate into their existing structures,
and teachers can always access students’
progress via the ‘staffroom’.
Drum school
gigajam.lgfl.net
Theory lessons
Pupils can save and
store their exercises in
the ‘locker’ to create an
evidence portfolio of
performances for later
teacher and pupil review.
www.lgfl.net | 49
ART & DESIGN
PORTRAITS & IDENTITY
What is a portrait? What can we learn from portraits? This resource explores portraiture
and artworks representing ‘identity’ through a wealth of practical lesson and project ideas.
WELCOME TO THE BEN URI
The Ben Uri Gallery uses its extensive
and distinguished collection to explore
the work, lives and contribution
of British and European artists
of Jewish descent, placed where
relevant alongside their non-Jewish
contemporaries.
The collection of over 1,000
artworks explores a wide range of
diverse themes, and shows how art does
not just imitate life, but reflects, explores
and seeks to understand it.
REACHING OUT
At home in North London, the gallery
takes its outreach role very seriously,
and has now partnered with LGfL on
three major online learning resources.
Portraits & Identity is the latest of
these, bringing selected works into the
50 | www.lgfl.net
The super-high resolution
❝
allows you to zoom in and
focus on a particular detail of
the painting
❞
classroom at Key Stages 2-4,to enrich Art
& Design, Citizenship and PSHE.
MULTIPLE PATHWAYS
The resource can be approached in
several different ways, with ideas for
lesson series, standalone lessons and
activities to integrate into existing
projects.
For example, nine lessons on an
iconic painting by artists including
Soutine, Auerbach and Solomon
have high-resolution scans which can
be zoomed in on to focus on specific
details. Teacher support also includes
notes on the artist, content and ideas,
form and composition, materials and
techniques, and in-depth lesson plans.
In the activities section, ideas range
from a ten-day photography challenge,
through literacy activities, to a collection
of ten different 2D and 3D activities.
WHO AM I?
With Portraits & Identity, pupils discuss
the facial features that make them
unique, identify key symbols that could
represent them, and highlight the
different things we see when we look at
a portrait for the first time.
This is an important part of personal,
social and health education; pupils learn
to value themselves and others, and
come to terms with their own identity.
identity.lgfl.net
ART & DESIGN
ART IN THE OPEN
Whoosh! Splash! Wham! Just three ways the lesson plan suggests you could
describe the painting ‘Wind and Calm’. The experts from the Ben Uri Gallery
specialise in making art accessible to all, and relevant across the curriculum.
Art in the Open started life as a Ben Uri
Gallery outreach project for schools, and
developed into the series of materials
that underpin this resource for Key Stage
1 and 2 Art and Citizenship.
The teaching resources contain
high-resolution scans of key images
from the Ben Uri collection, which are
contextualised and given a curriculum-
relevant wrapper of information,
lesson plans and discussion starters, all
based on three themes: Relationships,
Movement and A Sense of Place.
The example projects section gives
ideas based on successful previous
teaching practice, showing the
resources being used in a number of
innovative and creative ways.
Art in the Open is a starting point
only and can be interpreted and used to
teach practical visual art skills in a vast
range of ways.
So why not have a look and share
your ideas with us for inclusion in the
next Ben Uri art resource?
benuri.lgfl.net
ART SKILLS FOR TEACHERS
Another excellent resource made in close partnership between LGfL and the
Ben Uri Gallery. The name is self-explanatory, but it isn’t just for beginners.
LINKED
TO ART IN
THE OPEN
Featuring techniques that are easy to
understand and replicate, Arts Skills for
Teachers features a range of ideas for the
non-specialist art teacher to discover,
recreate and teach. It offers clear
explanations of a range of techniques
in action, exemplified in school contexts.
The aim is to inspire teachers and
children to experiment with and achieve
artwork beyond their own expectations,
using unusual and easily-accessible
techniques to make art a truly inclusive
activity for all members of the school
community.
The ideas and techniques can also
be used to create works in response to
the other Ben Uri resources on this page.
artskills.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 51
TOOLS
J2E5 CLOUD-BASED
CREATIVE EDITOR
j2e is an online, fun, creative
environment. Text, graphics,
animations, sounds, videos, and
embedded objects can be combined
on a single web page.
Search and import images
J2E TOOL SUITE
Paint and add text
Scale, rotate and edit images
Animate text and images
Print, publish and save
52 | www.lgfl.net
Create, edit, style, save, share, publish, blog, vote, review...
The j2e Tool Suite is a collection of online educational tools
specifically designed to engage, motivate and inspire.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
The j2e Tool Suite encourages pupils
from Foundation Stage through to
Key Stage 3 to create, share, and safely
blog their work – at school and at home.
It is also an effective resource
for teachers, enabling file sharing,
collaborative learning, and assessment
and tracking.
J2LAUNCH
j2launch is the landing page for all the
tools, providing a single point of access
for teachers and learners (just remember
j2launch.lgfl.net), which also enables
the management and distribution of any
digital resource, so you can incorporate
all files and links into your j2e space.
The ‘my files’ area gives teachers and
pupils a dedicated space to upload work
from tablets, phones, and laptops. This
can be used as an effective e-portfolio
for the whole school.
USER-FRIENDLY
j2e can be used intuitively, just like
a sheet of paper. The ease of use
encourages natural creativity.
VERSATILE
Combine text, graphics, animations,
sounds, videos and embedded objects
on a single web page. j2e is an online,
fun, creative environment. No software
to install; use any browser, anytime,
anywhere (including on mobile devices).
COLLABORATIVE
Share and collaborate on a document in
real time. See changes made by another
START A
CLASS BLOG
TODAY
user instantly. Every document can be
blogged using j2webby (the beginner
blogging platform, most commonly
used in Primaries) or j2bloggy (advanced
and favoured by Secondaries).
ONLINE SAFETY FIRST
There are many unique safety features,
such as overlaying custom safety and
copyright permission checks onto
Google Image Safe Search. And you can
choose to moderate all blog posts and
comments before publishing.
FORMS
Use j2e forms to gather data, comments
or other information from different
groups. Display, share or save the data to
a file. A whole class can enter data into a
form at the same time. Parents can also
be asked for their feedback in a form.
TEACHER FEEDBACK
The teacher can add pins or stickers such
as stars and smiley faces to a piece of
work, and search them later as part of
the assessment and review process.
AND LOTS, LOTS MORE
There is no space here to mention more
about making your own school website,
stop-frame animation, interactive
measurements, instant QR code
generation, the paint package, text-tospeech, document versioning, sound
recordings, and more...
Not to mention that the three
coding platforms of j2code (see page 45)
are also hosted within the Tool Suite.
j2launch.lgfl.net
APPMAKER
“…and for homework, make a poster
or a PowerPoint to show you have
understood the topic.”
Oh no, not again!
The LGfL AppMaker is the antidote to this malaise. Teachers
and learners are used to using mobiles apps, but creating your
own one adds a new layer of engagement for students.
The ability to do this with ease for subjects other than
Computing is a powerful way to harness today’s technologies
in an appealing way for young people.
Prepopulated with high-quality content from LGfL
resources, students can create a fully-functioning app within
minutes, inserting videos and images, styling pages, writing
their own text, and even adding interactive quizzes.
Once the app is complete, it can be shared and opened on
any mobile device by parents, teachers or classmates.
Not only does the LGfL AppMaker bring webapps out of
Computing departments, it takes the facilitating power of
technology into other departments to reinvigorate learners
and learning.
appmaker.lgfl.net
www.lgfl.net | 53
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
RIGOLO
It is no coincidence that this resource is
named after the French word for funny.
Rigolo is an interactive, teacher‐led
resource that combines engaging characters,
animated stories, and activities to help
children move into speaking and listening.
Everything you need to deliver fun and
motivating French lessons!
Rigolo is planned carefully so that both non‐specialist and
specialist language teachers can easily follow a structured
progression process.
The 24 units for Key Stage 2 all begin with interactive
on-screen activities, and also include flashcards, worksheets,
teacher’s notes, certificates and portfolios.
The Virtual Teacher offers invaluable support in
demonstrating new language, and there are opportunities
to measure pupils’ progress and reward achievement using
Rigolo reward certificates and Language Ladder records.
rigolo.lgfl.net
¡VAMOS!
¿A la playa? ¿A la fiesta? Either way, let’s go!
¡Vamos! is an engaging, comprehensive Key
Stage 2 introduction to Spanish.
There are two ¡Vamos! units: ¿Hablo español? and Me presento
(Do you speak Spanish? and Let me introduce myself ). The
aim of the resource is to help teachers, including non-MFL
specialists, to establish classroom routines in Spanish, as well
as introduce core vocabulary and phrases which will form a
base for future learning.
¡Vamos! includes a selection of interactive activities and
videos, plus a talking dictionary section. Alongside
each video, a transcript is available
to introduce vocabulary and
language structures in the written
form.
The talking dictionary, like the
video clips and other activities is voiced
by native speakers. You can now rightclick on any talking dictionary word
to save the mp3 file elsewhere.
vamos.lgfl.net
vamos2.lgfl.net
54 | www.lgfl.net
FEATURES
TAKE A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF AN LGfL RESOURCE
CYBERPASS CASE STUDY P56
BEHIND THE SCENES P58
READINGZONE
LIVE EVENT P60
AUGMENTED REALITY P62
CASE STUDY FEATURE
CYBERPASS: TRANSFORMING
ONLINE‑SAFETY TEACHING
Strand on the Green already had a proactive approach to online safety, but now uses
CyberPass to identify areas of weakness before they affect relationships and learning.
S
trand on the Green Junior
School started to use LGfL’s
CyberPass in 2015, turning
online-safety teaching on its head.
STRONG STARTING POSITION
There was already a strategic policy
and whole-school plan in place, but
CyberPass addresses drawbacks to the
old system the school thought was
unavoidable.
Each yeargroup had regular tailored
lessons; Computing Coordinator
Gemma Nosworthy would work with
the relevant teachers to respond
to issues from the news, and the
classroom.
PLAYING CATCHUP
But the nature of online safety is that
teachers often have to be reactive;
being proactive is very challenging.
“And any official information or advice
for teachers, no matter how good,
❝
We now understand better what our children know, what
their needs are, and how effectively we are closing any gaps.
❞
Gemma Nosworthy, Computing Coordinator, Strand on the Green School
MORE
CYBERPASS
INFO ON
PAGE 34
56 | www.lgfl.net
is often out of date before it’s even
published.”
What’s more, real gaps in onlinesafety knowledge are often only truly
apparent once they have spilled over
into the playground.
STEP CHANGE
With CyberPass, this has all changed.
The trackable diagnostic tool has
allowed Strand on the Green (along
with many other London schools) to
truly personalise their online-safety
education.
The quizzes allow Gemma and her
colleagues to see what pupils already
know, as well as which areas still need
to be addressed.
They now discover areas where
children need support before even
starting to teach. And that helps
teachers to make the most of precious
curriculum time.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Gemma can use CyberPass to assess
progress within certain competencies
as well – this is all tracked within the
teacher dashboard.
Teachers simply compare the data
for the first quiz taken before teaching
time with results when pupils take the
quiz for a second time.
Class teachers log in to see class
data, with all the graphs and charts
they need (plus a downloadable Excel
markbook to import into other files).
As the Computing Coordinator at
her school, Gemma has the ‘CyberPass
Admin’ flag on her LGfL profile. As a
result, she sees the results for all the
classes in her school, helping her to
be more effective in her whole-school
responsibilities.
“As Computing Coordinator,
the ability to share data between
classes and across the school helps
me to continually enhance our
understanding of what our children
know, what their needs are, and how
effectively we are closing any gaps.”
This knowledge allowed her to
plan a lesson around it to help them
better understand how mobile app
data is used and collected, and its
potential dangers.
Colleagues and parents were
reassured to know that the school not
only had a snapshot of current onlinesafety issues, but that it was taking
targeted action in the areas where it
was needed, and tangible progress
was being made.
KNOWN UNKNOWNS AND
UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS
CyberPass stimulated interesting
discussions amongst the pupils at
Strand on the Green, too.
They not only discussed what
they already knew (providing useful
insights for them and their teachers),
but discussed and became more
aware of what they didn’t know or
understand.
If you would like to find out more
about using CyberPass in your school,
read more on page 34, and visit
cyberpassinfo.lgfl.net
There you can find out more about
the settings needed to allow us to
match your class and teacher data –
essential for the tracking element of
the system to function.
cyberpass.lgfl.net
cyberpassinfo.lgfl.net
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
An example of an insight gained from
CyberPass was when Gemma looked
at the data from her own class and
realised that the children in her class
didn’t quite understand geotagging
and all its implications.
www.lgfl.net | 57
BEHIND THE SCENES
BRINGING THE
LEARNER CLOSER
Whether on London Bridge in an icy gale or on the floor
of a B52 bomber, LGfL Content Manager Bob Usher
has filmed in some unique, restricted, and at times
uncomfortable locations. Recent highlights include
Frederick Forsyth at home, exclusive access to the haunted
corridor at Hampton Court Palace, a gladiatorial reenactment at the Guildhall, and a sobering time in Berlin
at a former Stasi Prison and Concentration Camp.
A
t the heart of LGfL internalresource generation is a clear
commitment to providing
high-quality learning resources that
58 | www.lgfl.net
can enhance the role of the teacher
in a school context, and provide an
immersive experience for learners
beyond the confines of the school day.
In recognition of the fact that
not all children are fortunate enough
to spend their weekends visiting
museums, libraries and other locations
with curriculum relevance, we aim to
reduce inequality of opportunity by
taking all learners to locations and
experts that they might not otherwise
be able to visit – within a safe and
secure learning environment.
Video is an excellent medium in
which to capture sights and sounds,
but it can’t always capture the sense
of scale, smells and atmosphere of an
actual visit.
There have been times when the
scenes captured for LGfL resource clips
have been upsetting, disturbing and
profound – and sometimes humorous,
too – but they are all captured within a
strategic editorial context that focuses
on enhancing the role of the teacher.
Where possible, primary-source
material is used to enhance locational
footage, and that is where the range of
development partners is essential.
The National Archives, Scott
Polar Research Institute, Museum
of London and many more work in
collaboration with LGfL to help the
learner gain a deeper understanding
and appreciation of a subject.
The pace of technological
change continues unabated, offering
previously unimaginable opportunities
to enhance learning both within and
beyond the classroom.
No amount of careful video-editing
can convey the full sense of foreboding
one feels inside an underground
mortuary in a nuclear bunker, so this
is where other technologies can be
harnessed to enhance the experience.
For example, whilst the scale of the
nuclear-bunker site is hard to grasp
even if you are in it, the LGfL drone took
to the skies this year for its inaugural
filming flight to capture this in a way no
other technology could.
In the same way, augmented reality
in the Prehistory resource (see pages
43 and 62) shows what a Megaloceros
Giganteus might look like for pupils
who are 400,000 years too late to see it
in a zoo (or charging at them!).
Integration of augmented and
virtual reality will increasingly feature
in future LGfL learning resources, to
bring the learner ever closer to the
subject matter.
Incorporating real-world context
into everyday learning is another
theme that many internally-produced
learning resources explore, whether
making life-or-death mathematical
calculations to save the crew of a
sinking fishing boat in Search and
Rescue, or exploring the Maths behind
a pandemic after the outbreak of a
biological virus (Viral Contagion).
At LGfL, we seek to recreate, model
and capture real-world scenarios and
bring them into the context of the
National Curriculum.
Seeing real experts discussing
their role and experiences, on location
and in context, helps build a depth of
knowledge and understanding that
can be subsequently brought into
roleplay, essay writing, picture-book
creation or blog posts.
So why is it important to make the
most of the latest online technologies
in school? How will that help them in
their journey through school?
Many London schoolchildren will
end up in careers that don’t even exist
yet, working with technologies that
have not even been invented.
Pupils’ future insight, expertise
and creativity can all be enhanced with
rich learning experiences. At LGfL, we
have a commitment to the equality of
provision that we hope transcends a
child’s personal circumstance.
Examples of this are the extensive
LGfL resources surrounding the
study of the Holocaust, developed
with the advice of experts to ensure
that teachers and learners can study
important and sometimes distressing
topics in a safe and secure online
environment.
In support of a broad and balanced
curriculum, LGfL offers support for
the widest-possible range of topics,
across all curriculum areas, including
sensitive issues such as preventing
homophobic bullying, understanding
the plight of Syrian refugees, and the
importance of counter-extremism
within schools and local communities.
All these are the result of careful
editorial activity undertaken by an
experienced team of former London
teachers, supported by the LGfL
Editorial Board – itself made up of
senior school and Local Authority
experts and consultants.
In addition, LGfL is committed
to recognising the many and
varied achievements of London
schoolchildren as they journey
through their education.
Nowhere is this better exemplified
than by the London Schools Symphony
Orchestra archive, which showcases
one of the finest youth orchestras in
the world. What a powerful example
of the remarkable standard that
can be consistently achieved when
expert professional practitioners work
effectively to nurture the talents and
gifts within every child.
So whether it is by embedding
video and images into a blog, listening
to a journal extract from a Polar
explorer, watching an augmentedreality object walk over your hand, or
searching audio tracks that are happy
or crazy on Audio Network, we are fully
committed to providing innovative
learning resources for London
teachers and learners – even if that
does mean filming at strange locations
in sub-zero conditions while most
people are tucked up in bed!
We hope you enjoy integrating
the LGfL content portfolio into your
everyday teaching and look forward to
hearing all about your achievements.
Bob Usher
LGfL Content Manager
www.lgfl.net | 59
FEATURE
ENGLISH
READ
MORE
READINGZONE
LIVE ARTICLE
P38
READINGZONE LIVE VC EVENT
Putting the ‘live’ into ReadingZone: author clips and
curriculum materials from the online resource always start
life at a live video-conference event, where authors visit
schools to be interviewed by pupils.
T
he ReadingZone Live resource is
all about providing inspiration for
literacy, and what could be better
than coming face-to-face with your
favourite author?
At least twice a term, London schools
are given the chance to host one of the
nation’s favourite children’s writers (who
are sometimes also illustrators!).
Whilst the authors can only
physically be in one place at a time,
other schools are brought into the room
via video conference (VC). This gives the
opportunity for up to six schools to find
out what sparked the likes of Charlie
& Lola and Horrid Henry, or Day of the
Jackal and Warhorse into life.
The day begins mid-morning, as
the LGfL team arrive to set up cameras
and lights in the classroom or library
selected for filming.
The lighting is often far from ideal,
60 | www.lgfl.net
and soundproof doors are few-a-penny
in schools (what were the architects
thinking?), but schools are always
vibrant and exciting places to film.
Long before the author has arrived,
often with a ‘minder’ from the publishing
house, word has spread around the
school that something special is
happening, and a row of faces can be
seen peering through the window.
Sometimes an LGfL team member is
even asked for an autograph in the
excitement of the moment.
By lunchtime, Caroline from
readingzone.com arrives to make the
author feel at home and conduct the
first interview to camera – initially
without pupils.
The interview questions start off by
following a familiar pattern each time,
but the answers can be so different that
there are always surprises: each author
has such different inspirations.
Finally, at about 2pm, it is time for
the host class to come in and prepare for
the event. Filing in like studio guests for
a television show (but perhaps slightly
rowdier), it doesn’t take long for even
the most reticent pupils to bond with
the special guest and hang on their
every word.
Whilst the final camera and lighting
checks are being made, the VC is turned
on and the other participating schools
start to pop up on screen.
At 2.30, the VC begins. With a live
stream as well, many other schools can
watch from across the UK, too.
Caroline will introduce the author
and ask a few warm-up questions before
handing over to the pupils in the room
and via VC. Let’s just hope everyone
mutes the microphone after asking their
question – excitement is rarely quiet.
By the time the school bell rings
at 3.15 or so, it’s all over bar the book
signing. But hold on, are there more
teachers and parents in the queue
than pupils?
readingzonelive.lgfl.net
THE LIVE-EVENT PROGRAMME
Live school-to-school author VCs take place at least twice a term throughout the school
year, and feature some of the most successful contemporary children’s authors.
Live interview Q&A
Book-signing
“Why did you become an author?” is the clear favourite, but
there are always intriguing questions from the floor and via VC.
One of the highlights for pupils at the host school is the booksigning at the end of the day (trickier for those joining by VC!).
Using illustrations to inspire
Taking it step by step
Here Alex T. Smith talks about the power of one of the tools
used by authors to bring their stories to life – the illustration.
In 2015, LGfL was fortunate enough to interview three
illustrators who shared tips for drawing favourite characters.
1 INTERVIEW + 1 VC = UP TO 30 BITE-SIZED STARTERS AND PLENARIES
www.lgfl.net | 61
TECHNOLOGY FEATURE
AUGMENTED REALITY
WHIZZ-BANG! WOW! NEXT?
It’s often a struggle to keep up with our standard reality, never mind enhancing it.
So is AR just another flash in the pan, or is there educational substance to it?
Central to this is the concept that
AR is only used to show or demonstrate
something that cannot be seen or
experienced without it.
This avoids the obvious pitfall of
creating objects that merely look ‘cool’.
A Megaloceros Giganteus is extinct, so
pupils could not experience it in any
other way.
Further, this must be coupled
with subject and curriculum context.
If experience and curriculum are
ever separated, then the potential
for immediate learning is lost, and
perhaps more importantly, the desire
to learn can disappear.
C
hoosing the right technology
to use in the classroom is
fraught with issues. Many times
as teachers, we are presented with
something that surely must be worth
using. But then...
How many schools have voting
handsets tucked away somewhere in a
store cupboard, or a class set of PDAs?
Many of these technologies and
approaches have genuinely fantastic
and enthusiastic cheerleaders with
positive case studies to match.
However, the educational landscape
is littered with technologies and
software that promised much but
delivered little.
So when asked to innovate with
technology, a careful strategy is needed
to ensure it doesn’t eat that precious
budget, all for limited impact.
WHY AUGMENT?
One technology that could easily fit
this profile is augmented reality (AR).
It has the wow factor, and the
tablet devices and infrastructure
required are no longer barriers to
presenting this in schools.
62 | www.lgfl.net
While it isn’t hard to produce an AR
‘wow’, the question is: why bother?
In LGfL’s Prehistoric Britain, an
extinct virtual Megaloceros Giganteus
(Giant / Irish Elk) appears before the
student’s eyes and walks around the
page (or your hand, if you shrink the
trigger image on the photocopier!).
Any teacher who witnesses the
reaction will attest to the undoubted
wow factor. The appearance of the
animal on the page has far more
impact than a static image.
It disrupts the standard pedagogy
and creates a powerful learning
experience. The animal is not in
isolation, but interacting in full
context within the materials.
It is this cognitive attractor that
separates the use of AR like this from
the standard use of the technology,
which is invariably wow-only.
The rigorous LGfL editorial process
ensures all resources enhance effective
teaching and meet curriculum
requirements. But best-practice use
of augmented reality requires the
development and application of
further principles.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Augmented reality is a simple concept.
A 3D model, video, sound or image
(sometimes a combination) is shown
overlayed on the real world.
This is achieved via the camera
lens of a mobile device and shown on
the screen. The effect is generated by
programming the tablet to recognise a
‘trigger’ or ‘tracker’ image.
The tricky bit is to maintain the
illusion as the device is moved around,
leaving the 3D object still in place.
WHAT NEXT?
Writing this a couple of years ago,
we would perhaps be envisioning
a classroom where everyone was
wearing Google Glass type devices
and experiencing an augmented layer
across many aspects of school life.
The future, as ever, is unclear. But
one thing we do know: thousands of
London schoolchildren are already
being engaged and drawn into deep
learning by using augmented-reality
resources from LGfL.
prehistoric.lgfl.net
maya.lgfl.net
ww1.lgfl.net
INDEX
AppMaker 53
ReadingZone Live
38, 60
Art in the Open
51
Real Voices Art Skills for Teachers 51
Rigolo
54
Audio Network
18
Super Action Comic Maker
41
Audio Network TV
19
Switched on Science
32
BlogCentral
40
The Romans in London
12
36
24, 46
The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace
16
35
The Tudors in London
14
34, 56
The Voyage
44
Early Shakespeare
47
Time Maps
44
Espresso Faiths
37
¡Vamos!
54
busythings Counter-Extremism: narratives & conversations
CyberPass
Fairytales
47
Weather Stations
31
Gigajam
49
WebTech Tutor
45
Growing up around the World
30
History of Computing
20
World War I Augmented Reality
43
i-Board
27
ImageBank
22
j2code
45
j2e Tool Suite
52
London Schools Symphony Orchestra Archive
48
Look, Think, Do
46
Maths at Home – support for busy parents
28
Maths Kit
29
Find out more about LGfL at
Mathspace
28
Maya – a journey through the Maya world
42
www.lgfl.net
Stay up to date at
Mult-e-Maths
29
P.B. Bear
26
Perform a Poem
40
Picture-Book Maker
41
Polar Exploration 10
Portraits & Identity
50
Prehistoric Britain
43
news.lgfl.net
and on social media
Facebook facebook.com/
LondonGridforLearning
Twitter
@LGfL
www.lgfl.net | 63
LEARN MORE WITH LGfL
RESOURCES
content.lgfl.net
SERVICES
services.lgfl.net
ONLINE SAFETY
os.lgfl.net
SEND
send.lgfl.net
CASE STUDIES
casestudies.lgfl.net
SUPPORT
support.lgfl.net
The London Grid for Learning
is a community of schools and
local authorities committed to
using technology to enhance
teaching & learning.
LONDON
GRID FOR LEARNING
www.lgfl.net
LONDON GRID FOR LEARNING TRUST IS A CONSORTIUM OF THE LONDON LOCAL AUTHORITIES
A company limited by guarantee registered in England no. 4205579
Registered charity no. 1090412
LGfL, CI Tower, St George’s Square, New Malden, KT3 4TE
020 8255 5555 ~ office@lgfl.org.uk
© LGfL January 2016
The latest version of this document is always available at contentbooklet.lgfl.net