Second Level – Remote Reporters

Created on: 22 Dec 2020 | Last modified: 21 Apr 2023


HWB Focus: Mental and Emotional HWB, Relationships

Week 1

  • Look back at the changes which we have all had to make as a result of the pandemic over the last year. Take some time to consider what things or which people have inspired us and helped us to stay positive.  You might want to look at some of the people who have worked to help others, e.g. key workers and how we were all united through clapping for the NHS and the stories of the rainbows. What did they mean to us and why were people putting them in their windows? This clip might help as a starter for parents/carers https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51953553 or https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-52008155/families-decorate-windows-with-rainbows-to-cheer-people

  • Alternatively, you might want to look at the story of Captain Sir Tom Moore. This clip of him reading from his book ‘One Hundred Steps’ - One Hundred Steps - YouTube – might help to start discussions on what he did to help others during lockdown from his home.

  • To set these discussions in context and to help the children learn about more about whey we need to keep our distance and self-isolate at certain times, you might want to use https://live.firstnews.co.uk/ or https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround#more-stories-2

  • Time to be reporters – ask the children to interview their family members to find out how they are feeling, what they have found most challenging about life over the last year as well as what has inspired them and made them feel more positive. Have they had to do this or anything similar before in their lives?

  • Report back on their findings – this could be by video clip, through art (perhaps a cartoon sketch of their family in isolation), in a poem or a short written piece. They may also want to compile a family album, showing some of the fun things they have done over the last year and to capture the feelings of family members over the period.

  • Time to help – invite the children to choose one thing to help a member of their family. This might be doing the dishes, tidying their room, playing with a sibling or phoning a grandparent to check in on them.  Then ask them to think about how helping out made them feel?

  • Using the discussions about the rainbows, invite the children to find out some interesting facts about the artist Kandinsky. This website might be helpful - https://kids.kiddle.co/Kandinsky . And to explore some of his famous pieces of art (some images can be found here - https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=kandinsky+for+kids&qpvt=kandinski+for+kids&FORM=IGRE)

  • Invite the children to create their own Kandinsky styled picture or to replicate one of the artist’s own creations.

  • If children are interested in finding out more about rainbows and the science behind how the light travels, the following links provide some materials on reflection and refraction - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zk2pb9q/resources/1 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zqg3cdm . 

  • Children may wish to investigate whether they can create their own rainbows by using water and light. Can they capture their findings in a photograph?

Week 2

Note in relation to the use of online resources

Where online resources have been referenced, access to the resource is currently free.  In some cases, this may be for a limited period and members should monitor their engagement on this basis. All online references have been selected on an illustrative basis for the relevant potential learning activities.  There may be other websites and platforms which will provide similar activities.  In referencing these websites, the EIS does not endorse any advertisements shown on the page, the views of those presenting or the wider content of the website.