Produced by OHS Consulting Ltd.kate.white@pits.co.uk

Ice Worlds

by Years 4, 5 and 6Boddington Primary School

Stunning Start THE ICE BLOCK

Key Questions: Who was Shackleton? Why is he famous? Who else was on the voyage?

How will you persuade Shackleton to take you on his expedition?

What persuasive language can you use in your letter?

Where is Antartica? Why is Antartica a continent and the Artic not?

Where was the planned route going?

How can we keep ice solid? What is the best insulator?

How can we help the ice melt?

1

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Setting out the classroom in preparation

for learning was very exciting. We froze items and clues

relating to the topic in large domes of ice. The classroom

was decorated in colours from the cold palette and, as

the children came in for the first time, they were enthralled

by what they saw. The sense of expectation was palpable.

Mrs Bootman

“It felt like fresh water coming out of the ice.”

Dawood, Year 6

“It felt cold inside. It was like the blocks of the

Antarctic.” Jamie, Year 6

“When I went into the classroom it felt like it was Christmas again!”Jamie, Year 4

“The ice was freezing!”Joseph, Year 6

Stunning Start THE ICE BLOCK

Learning outcomes: To select appropriate and effective vocabulary

Learning context: Children were given a piece of frozen ice within which were clues relating

to the topic. They discussed what they thought the topic was about and

took photographs as the ice melted. The children used similes to describe

what they saw as the ice melted.

2

The penguins slept face down on the ice.

The freezing dome of ice slid around, easily gliding.

The glinting ice felt slippery and wet,

The misted ice clouded up, imprisoning the trapped penguins.

As it slowly melted away the penguins escaped.

The frozen ice changed to rippling water.

The penguins floated and swam in a group,

gliding back and forth.

Ella, Year 6

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“It took so long to get the penguin out of the ice!”

Matthew, Year 4

“When the ice was melting I couldn’t wait!”

Maisie, Year 4

“As I walked into the classroom I gasped and sat down, not

knowing what to do ”

Katie, Year 5

Stunning Start THE IC E BLOCK

Learning Objective: To write a letter to persuade Ernest Shackleton

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“I loved having correspondence with Shackleton!”Alfred, Year 6

“I was quite shocked with Mrs Bootman sent us aletter to say you’ve got in”

Nathan, Year 6

“When we first wrote the letter to Shackleton

I did not believe he would ever write back!”

Maisie, Year 4

“I was buzzed when I knew I was selected

to go on the voyage”

Poppy, Year 4

4

4 Burlington Street, London

10th January 1913 Dear , Thank you so much for your letter concerning your wish to be a member of the

crew of my vessel Endurance which is set to set sail to Antarctica next year. I have had many applications and there are very few places available. I can only

choose men who I feel possess near super human qualities. I was very impressed with your persuasive writing. You have clearly shown me that you

have the character and inner strength to be able to endure the trials which I have

no doubt we will encounter. It is with great pleasure that I would like to offer you a place as a member of my

crew.

Please report to Boddington C.E Primary School on Monday 14th January.I am

expecting you to arrive at the school hall at 8.50am promptly. On entering the

hall please make your way to the benches where you will find an envelope with

your name on. Please open this envelope to find out what I would like you to do

next.

As part of your induction to the expedition I wish to get you acclimatised. This

exercise is to occur on Tuesday 15th January. You will need to come to Boddington School dressed for the outdoors as we shall be spending the whole

of the morning outside. If you have any tents which you are happy to pitch

during the morning please bring these with you.

Once again I take great pleasure in welcoming you as a member of my crew. Yours sincerely

Sir Ernest Shackleton

Learning Objective: To analyse the reply to their letter and follow included instructions

Dear fellow crew member,I am very pleased that you have decided to become a member of my crew.In the envelope you will find a piece of paper.On it is written your crew name. From now on you will be known by this name.If you send any correspondence you should sign off as your crew name.Your job this morning is to use the internet to find out about yourself.Please write down at least 5 facts about your new name.

Ernest Shackleton

“As I ripped open the letter I felt very

excited (I rarely ever get letters!).

All weekend I wanted time to speed up,

I couldn’t wait to get to school on Monday”

Ella, Year 6

“When I received the letter I was so excitedand I wondered what the next day may

contain”Charlie W, Year 5

“When we saw the as that said MEN WANTEDI thought ‘what does that mean?’”

Jamie, Year 6 “In the letter ‘Men Wanted’ it said small wages,months of long darkness, constant danger.It made me more determined!’”

Dawood, Year 6

“I spent ages on my letter. I was really nervous!”Jamie, Year 6

The ice crowded

Around the ship

Crushing its mighty heart.

It’s like a key stuck in a lock.

The ice has attacked the ship

As if it were a predator

Engulfing its territory.

It’s as if the ice is breathing in and out

Like a terrifying monster.

Jamie, Year 6

5

Learning Objective: To write about the death of the ship in the style of Meredith Hooper,

using powerful verbs to enhance their writing.

To make shades of ice to match Dulux paint cards.

“I like the idea of writing a poem about the death of Endurance. It was very interesting!”

Dawood, Year 6

“When I read that the ship was

destroyed, I was extremely eager

to read on. Would the crew survive?

Recreating the ship was really fun -

just letting my imagination run wild”

Ella, Year 6

Learning Objective: To position themselves in order to recreate the

original crew photograph.

“ The children loved

the idea of recreating

the photograph.

It was a powerful

moment and bonded

the whole class

together as

members of

Shackleton’s

crew.

Mrs Bootman

6

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Learning Objective: To use emotive language (Writing AF1)

“I wrote a letter to my family and asked what was

going on down where they lived”

Amani, Year 5

“The postcards were hard but still fun!”

Emily, Year 6

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Learning Objective: Imagining it is the day before the ship sets sail,

explore your mixed emotions and write a postcard home.

Learning Objective: Imagining it is the day before the ship sets sail,

explore your mixed emotions and write a postcard home

“I loved imagining being on the crew.I wondered about my family.

I missed them a lot.”Maisie, Year 4

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Learning Context: Having read the letter of acceptance on to the expedition, the children knew they

had to arrive at school clothed for a morning of “acclimatisation”. The weather was perfect for this

activity.

I can’t believe what happened today! I came into school and I found an envelope

with my name on. I opened it and found out that my name was William Stephenson.

The note also said I had to find out five things about my crew name. After we had found out our facts

Mrs White appeared out of the blue. Then we went outside. We had snow gear on so we didn’t feel the cold.

Outside we did lots of activities like putting up tents, reading compasses, finding tempteratures and

what we should take. I enjoyed putting up the tents most because we had a pop up one and other

others had the usual tents so they found it hard.

This is William Stephenson signing off (Alfred, Year 6)

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Key Questions: How do humans survive in extreme cold? What will you need to wear?

How did Shackleton’s crew prepare? How did their equipment differ from ours today?

What 5 items would you include in your backpack, and why?

What temperatures can you expect when you arrive? Can you plot the week’s

temperatures here and there and compare? 10

11

Learning Objective: To investigate the quality of different materials to insulate a warm drink.

To understand how to read scale on a themometer.

“It was amazing that you can transport

data into a line graph.”

Holly, Year 5

“I had fun wrapping my mug and working

with a thermometer”

Emma, Year 5

“It was really good

watching the red on the

thermometer”

Kyle, Year 4

12 12

Learning Context: Following the death of the ship, the crew members learned to survive on the ice.

They explored the notion of surviving the harsh climate with limited resources. The debates were

challenging and passionate, and included the need to eat the expedition animals.

“ “

It was fascinating watching the children in the role play area,

getting into character and calling each other by their crew names.

They loved the pretend matches and food. When they debated

whether or not it was right to eat expedition dogs, their

conversations were considered and thoughtful.

Mrs Bootman

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Learning Objective: to discuss the leadership qualities of a good leader and consider what made

Shackleton a great leader of the Endurance expedition.

“ We considered

the leadership

qualities of

Shackleton and

placed them in order

of priority and

importance.

Mrs Bootman

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“I loved imagining

being on the James

Caird!”

Jamie, Year 4

Learning Objective: to edit and refine a text, to imagine and discuss the struggles

faced by the rescue boats.

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The children edited this book

and added their own comments.

Everyone had their own scrap books and could choose what they did in them.

15

Learning Objective: to understand and study the work of Frances Hatch and apply that knowledge

to own works of art.

Frances HatchFrances Hatch StudyingStudying

Learning Objective: to paint in the style of Frances Hatch, reflect on our work

and make appropriate improvements.

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The children spent a lot of time

considering the preparation Frances

Hatch undertook before travelling to

the Antarctic to paint. She practised

noticing in a deeper way and so did

we, by photographing shapes

resembling Antarctica. When we

painted, we stuck pictures from

magazines on our paintings, just

like Hatch did.Mrs White

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Learning Objective: to plan, storyboard, resource and shoot a stop animation based on the Expedition.

to work as part of a production and editing team.

“Planning the animation took a lot of

thinking about and team work.”

Toby, Year 6

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even

at home!”

James, Year 4

Learning Objective: to imagine being a crew member at the end of the Expedition,

and to consider and articulate feelings and experiences.

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The children were amazing

at getting into role as crew on

their last night on the Island.

The movies they made were so

moving! It was like they were

actually there, experiencing

and feeling everything as if

they were Expedition members -

the sort of learning that lasts

forever!

Mrs White

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29th July 1916Dear Diary,Today I’m leaving this freezing world of misery! Shackleton has just landed onElephant Island in a Korean navy boat to save us all!I have just boarded the boat now, I can’t get home soon enough! I’m cold, I feelsimply awful, I’m so, so tired. I haven’t slept for 1 year. I’ve been stabbed in theback by the periless beaches of rocks. I’m hoping my family are coping withthe war.Vincent Moons, over and out. (Charlie T, Year 5)

29th July 1916

Dear Diary,I am so very cold. I was very worried that Shackleton would never come back.I was getting really bored, especially of the repetitive sea shanties, which are stuckin my head. I did not get any sleep last night, t he rocks were piercing my skin.I hope my family are alright. I will die if they are not.

(Jamie W, Year 4)

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Learning Objective: to undertake research into penguins, select appropriate information and

design a top trump card.

“My memory parcel hasbandages in it, becauseI am the doctor “

Jasmine, Year 6

The memory parcels

contained such items as

diary extracts, paintings

and sketches, snowflakes,

photographs, penguin

feathers, pieces of mitten

and cloth and a small

dated portion of the

James Caird. They were

all wrapped up in old

paper and string.

“I loved researching

penguins; my favourite is

a rock hopper! “

James, Year 4

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Learning Objective: to evaluate the Expedition experience by collecting memories.