Head’s blog
Within our ‘Into the Woods’ topic the subject of owls has really taken off and there have been an array of wonderful owl paintings, poems, fact books and questions relating to owls. The children have developed skills in scientific enquiry, research and observation leading to some fabulous written work, discussions and conclusions about owls. Owl related vocabulary is frequently heard around the school and it seems we have created a little community of experts!
These learning experiences were brought to life this week when a selection of owls visited the school, swooping through our school hall and showing off their beautiful feathers, sharp eyes and silent flying technique.
We met a White Faced Owl, a Barn Owl and an American Eagle Owl along with a Hawk. We compared the sound of the hawk flying to the silent flap of an owl’s wings and met another creature that they might eat for lunch – a rat, although you will be pleased to hear that the rat did not get eaten during the demonstration!
One of the things that has struck me about the theme based learning we have introduced is the depth of learning that takes place and total passion that the children show for discovering more and more about that subject. Their capacity to take in such detail and apply it creatively to different activities is inspiring. What a fantastic way to develop the sustained focus and searching questioning that is required for achievement in any project or study area in life.
