Link lessons to the following key events in 2018 and consolidate learning with a school trip.
From National Popcorn Day on 18th January to Towel Day in May – it seems there’s an awareness campaign for every day of the year these days. While some of them amount to nothing more than bonkers marketing stunts, others can be invaluable to Primary teachers. The right awareness days can be used to springboard pupils into all kinds of cross-curricular learning.
Safer Internet Day
Tuesday 6th February is the diary date for Safer Internet Day. Centres all over the UK teach school children about the hazards associated with being online – from cyber bullying to stranger danger. These include Danger Point in North Wales, Warning Zone in Leicester, Hazard Alley in Milton Keynes and Sutton Life Centre in London.
World Book Day
World Book Day 2018 will fall on 1st March 2018. Most schools will celebrate the day itself in-school with activities and fancy dress, but there are several places around the UK that you can visit for pre or post-event learning. Discover Children’s Story Centre in London offers Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils a Story World to explore. Inside they’ll develop communication, literacy and creativity skills through interactive activities and play. Seven Stories in Newcastle is set up to foster similar skills, as is the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Buckinghamshire.
International Women’s Day
Taking place on 8th March International Women’s Day lends itself to cross curricular learning. Between 14th March and 27th April The Royal Albert Hall will be running a new Discover the Suffragettes workshop for Key Stage 2. During the session, which is linked to the English and Citizenship curricula, pupils will investigate the role the music hall played in the suffragette movement. Pupils can also learn about the suffragettes at the National Justice Museum and at Parliament – both run workshops on women’s right to vote.
British Science Week
British Science Week 2018 will run from 9th to 18th March. The organisation coordinating the event is the British Science Association and it’s currently taking applications from school children for its Kick Start Grants – grants of £300 a time that schools can put towards a Science-based school trip. The theme for 2018 will be ‘exploration and discovery’. There are dozens of museums and attractions around the UK that tie in to this topic. Jodrell Bank in Cheshire, The National Space Centre in Leicester, and Spaceport in Merseyside are just a few. Schools can get their pupils started on the grant application process by visiting the grant pages of the BSW website.
Ada Lovelace Day
Ada Lovelace Day on Tuesday 9th October celebrates the achievements of women in Science, Technology and Engineering. It doesn’t have to be just about girls, though. The day is a great opportunity to get all your pupils hands on with engineering. At Legoland in Windsor Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils can take on the roles of engineers in a Gears, Pulleys and Simple Machines workshop. At Clifton Suspension Bridge, meanwhile, Key Stage 2 children can take part in a Bridge Building challenge and learn about everything from what it takes to be an engineer to what the structural requirements are for bridges.
