Stay Curious

Lower School Challenge Projects and Co-Curricular

Dear all,

Although it may not feel like it, right now is strange and interesting opportunity. The usual obligations have disappeared, leaving you with more time in the house that you’ve probably ever had before. There is a danger of spending far too much of this time on social media, Netflix or gaming – that would be a waste of a valuable opportunity. Use this time – it’s an asset that is not likely to come your way again.

Below are a number of links and resources that you can use to make this time more productive, rich and stimulating. The list is clearly not exhaustive, and will be updated in the coming days and weeks. However, making something of this time will take discipline and structure – being disciplined and focused about what you would like to learn and develop will be essential. Instead of going a mile wide and an inch deep, try to focus on a few things; improving Spanish, learning the guitar, discovering a new genre of books/podcasts.

Some of these activities invite engagement, please join us with the film club (updated weekly), or tell us about your culinary and artistic creations, you might well inspire other people to do likewise.

Please email staycurious@emmanuelctc.org.uk to tell us what you have been up to, we would love to hear about it. We would also like to recognize those efforts and projects which have gone the extra mile by sending out one £10 Amazon voucher to someone every week. Stay in touch!

Stay Curious

A fantastic resource for consolidating and furthering your learning – https://www.brainpop.com/
A wealth of documentary programs (at a cost) – https://curiositystream.com/
Learn to Code – https://www.tynker.com/
Join online classes – https://outschool.com/ & https://www.udemy.com/ (cost for this one)
Build your maths – https://beastacademy.com/ (ages 8-13)
Creative & crafty ideas – https://www.creativebug.com/

Podcasting/teaching videos

Endless hours of entertainment can be found in podcasting
TED Talks – hours of fascinating talks on fascinating subjects https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/ted-talks/ted-talks-audio
A list of 10 podcasts for school age group – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/10-must-listen-podcasts-for-tweens-and-teens
Crash course world history with John Green – https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
Crash course philosophy with Hank Green – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNgK6MZucdYldNkMybYIHKR
Be inspired https://www.youtube.com/user/soulpancake

Everyone’s a critic – Film Club!

One way of helping to feel like a community at a distance is through a discussion of shared experience. Every week, there will be a film club recommendation that we can discuss. This week’s film is the 1993 classic ‘Groundhog Day’ staring Bill Murray (trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GncQtURdcE4). It is available on Amazon Prime, or can be rented for a fee. It is entertaining, thoughtful and relevant.

Help…

This time is clearly going to be more challenging for some people than others; the vulnerable, elderly, those living alone.
What can you do in your community? Who can you write letters to or phone?

Museum’s and Virtual tours

The MET of New York, during this difficult time, each day, mades available for free in streaming, during a period of 23 hours, from 7.30 pm EDT until 6.30 pm, outstanding and complete performances from the past 14 years of cinema transmission and Opera’s great singer.

https://www.metopera.org/

https://www.metopera.org/user-information/nightly-met-opera-streams/

Opera theatre La Fenice di Venezia several full Opera available in the YouTube page Io resto a casa/ I stay at home

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkxgPmBI_lVDCy8oiMVheEw

MUSEUMS AND VIRTUAL TOURS

Vatican Museums

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html

3D Tour Sistine Chapel

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/collezioni/musei/cappella-sistina/tour-virtuale.html

National Gallery

https://www.nga.gov/index.html

British Museum

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection

Hermitage collections

http://tinyurl.com/hermihermi

Metropolitan Museum

http://artsandculture.google.com/explore

Louvre Museum

http://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne

Prado Museum

http://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-works

Archeological Museum Athens

http://www.namuseum.gr/en/collections/

Escape into story

Read, read, read – though be a bit selective about what you read. Read books that will transport you somewhere else, or stretch and stimulate your mind, or bring you comfort.
A list of places where you can find free books online can be found here – https://bookriot.com/2017/08/28/free-books-online/
Listen to audiobooks for free online – https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

Learn Something New

Learn British sign language – https://www.british-sign.co.uk/learn-online-british-sign-language-course/
Learn another language with Duolingo https://www.duolingo.com/
Learn to play the guitar https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/mYXGYCXXZnm9hlhKY9T2wP/radio-2s-guitar-pick-up-lesson-1
https://www.mooc-list.com/ – MOOC directory, what free courses can they do

Create...

Cook, bake, draw, bake; tell us what creations you have been working on, take pictures of them.
This is a great time to unleash the artist/chef in you, and create things that you can be proud of and enjoy, while learning skills for life in the process.
Grow something from seed – https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/how-to-start-seeds/5062.html

Journaling & Journalism

In this unique and bewildering time, I would like to urge you to start keeping a journal. Journaling can be a real gift at times like these, and will offer you and others some concrete memories for the future. Here are three reasons that keeping a journal can be helpful.

Expressing and articulating your thoughts and feelings at a time like this can reduce anxiety and help you to process thoughts.
Journaling draws your attention to things in life that can otherwise go unnoticed (your progress academically and personally, your relationships, Spring as it unfolds from your window).
Keeping a record of work, conversations, events, news etc – will give you a resource to look back on and learn from.

Tips for keeping a journal

Have a dedicated time and place that you do this, ideally every day.
Keeping it brief and matter of fact can be very useful without pouring all your thoughts down on a page.
Using regular prompts/leading thoughts can help draw your attention to things that might have gone unnoticed (see list of prompts below).

Journaling prompts

Choose one/two of the following sentence stems as prompts for writing:

This was my luxury….

This was my suffering…

I am grateful for…

The best thing I have heard today is…

I wish I had…

Today I have learned…

Map your main thoughts/ideas from today in pictures.

Journalism Project

As your reflective writing improves, you might find a desire to compose a more organised and coherent piece of writing. During this time, it would be good to gather articles together for a publication (online and/or print – tbc). Here are some types of writing you might like to try out and send to the school:

An essay on this moment in time – what are your observations? Has it made you reflect on the way we were living? Is solitude/isolation helpful in any ways?
A review – write a book, music, art or film review of something that you think captures this time that we are in.
A piece of creative writing – a poem or short story which captures something of the time that we’re in.

Please feel free to combine these with an image – either a photograph that tells a story, or some kind of illustration you have done.

Supporting Charities…

Would you like to support or be supported by some of our local or national charities during Lockdown? At Emmanuel we are pleased to support a number of local and national charities which can help in a number of ways at this challenging time.

Please see the links below where you can get support and also make donations…

Gateshead Foodbank (to donate food or money or if support is needed) https://gateshead.foodbank.org.uk
Newcastle Foodbank https://newcastlewestend.foodbank.org.uk
Royal British Legion (75^th Anniversary of VE Day celebrations are being held on 6/5/20) www.britishlegion.co.uk
The NHS Charities Together – working together enhancing patient experience and care.www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk

Lower School Challenge

Week 4 – Bird Watching with Mr Bourn

Try and identify 5 common garden birds and try and take a photograph. This can be from your back garden or local park. The RSPB Bird Identifier is a great tool to use.
Put this into a document and email it to staycurious@emmanuelctc.org.uk with the subject Lower School Challenge or click on the Submit Entry button below. Remember to include your name and tutor group in the email.

Submit Entry

Projects and Co-Curricular

Classics

Design and make a Roman theatre using whatever you have in the house. Create some puppets to go with it. Put on a short play to entertain younger siblings.
Make a theatrical mask. Use whatever you have in the house. Hair can be made from wool, foil or even just coloured paper.
Research and recreate some Roman women’s hairstyles. Take pictures of the results.
Learn a speech from a play such as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar or perhaps a comedy by Plautus, Terence or Menander. Plays are available online.
Make a cartoon strip of a Greek myth. There are apps to help if you want to do a digital one.
Use calligraphy to write out a favourite poem or Latin phrase. Research could include looking at the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels.
Grow some herbs used by the Romans. Research easy Roman recipes and make a meal.
Make a mosaic of a Greek monster eg. a gorgon or a hydra or you could even make up your own. Use colored paper from old magazines for the tiles. Take photos.

English

Book Reviews
Write a blog
Collages / artistic displays
Create a board-game
Radio broadcast

Here are Some quizzes to keep your brain active and fight off boredom when you’re stuck indoors

Bucket loads of Book Trust games and quizzes here!

10 locations in children’s’ books quiz

20 Questions to Celebrate World Book Day

Guess the book character!

Help find the missing book title…

Book Island Challenge

Even more of your favourites book to be tested on

Get your folks to help with these book games for older readers

English and Drama

As part of the BBC, RSC and National Theatre’s plans to keep bringing arts to audiences during the Coronavirus pandemic, you will be able to watch a number of recent productions from the comfort of your own home over the next few weeks.

The initial programme from the National Theatre…

To watch any of these productions, you simply need to tune in to the National Theatre YouTube channel at 7pm on Thursday evenings. Use this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw

Though, hopefully, in the coming weeks, we’ll also get to see Benedict Cumberbatch in both ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Frankenstein’, or Tom Hiddleston in ‘Coriolanus’!

From the National Theatre’s ‘Jane Eyre’:

From The Royal Shakespeare Company…

As part of the BBC’s plans to keep bringing arts to audiences during the Coronavirus pandemic, you will be able to watch six of our shows from the comfort of your own home over the next few weeks:

Macbeth (2018), starring Christopher Eccleston and Niamh Cusack;
Hamlet (2016), directed by Simon Godwin with Paapa Essiedu;
Romeo and Juliet (2018), directed by Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman;
Much Ado About Nothing (2014), directed by Christopher Luscombe;
Othello (2015), directed by Iqbal Khan with Hugh Quarshie and Lucian Msamati;
The Merchant of Venice (2015), directed by Polly Findlay.

Details of the broadcasts are yet to be announced, but we will keep this page updated so you don’t miss a thing.

RE

Enter the Wesley Owen Religious Essay Writing competition.
Interview some family members about their religious beliefs – record it as a chat show/news report.
Learn all the names of all the books of the Bible in order.
Try to read all of the Narnia books or the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
Read all of the accounts of the last week of Jesus’ life, including his death, resurrection and appearances to the disciples, note down differences between the accounts and ask your RE teacher to explain them!
Create a piece of religiously inspired art/music/poetry.
Research art in different religions and compare them. Explain what you think they communicate, which you like best and why.
Research how religious groups are providing help to people around the world.
Research how Protestants/Catholics celebrate baptism or communion – why are they different?
Write an essay/poem/story/song explaining what it is that makes us human.
Read through Mark’s Gospel.

History

On Friday 8 May 2020, Britain will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day. This marks the end of the Second World War and six years of fighting in Europe.

Due to the Coronavirus many of the celebrations that were planned have had to be cancelled but this does not mean we can’t commemorate this very special day in our own way.

We would like you to design your own bunting which you can upload on Its Learning and enter into a competition to create the most interesting, colourful and imaginative bunting. Not only that, you can cut it out at and decorate your own home with it.

All of the instructions and templates are here to help get you started.

You can decorate your bunting with pictures of whatever you would like to whether it’s those who fought on the frontline or worked hard on the Homefront, or whether it’s a celebration of Britain after World War II or your own personal hero.

How to make your VE bunting

Download the bunting template from Its Learning or by clicking here. You will find this on the History folder.
Cut out the bunting along the dotted lines (you might find it easier to do this at the end)
Decorate the main triangle but leave the top strip blank

You can decorate with anything you want – paint, pencils, collage, glitter, stickers, crayons, pens
You can draw anything that inspires you but here are some ideas if you get stuck:
- A soldier from WW2
- Your grandfather who was in the navy
- Your grandmother who worked for the RAF
- Union Flag
- A dove of peace
- Pictures of Post War Britain
- Your message of thanks
- Your hero now or then

Upload your bunting to Its Learning by the Monday 4 May
If you want to display you bunting at home, fold along the solid black line to make a fold
Put the flap over some string or ribbon and fasten it down with glue or tape
Leave a gap between each triangle
Display them in your window

FITNESS CHALLENGE – SUMMER TERM WEEK 5

This weeks fitness challenge is from Miss Cruxton – Please click here to download

Economics

Keep Learning Economics

A message from the Library

The College Library is a place where many of you take the opportunity day-by-day to delve into different worlds conjured up by authors from down the centuries and across all genres. From pirates to Potter, from atlases to action movies, from Shakespeare to science we know many of you will be missing the 15,000 books that we’re currently having to social distance from. I myself am particularly missing the buzz of the Library and talking to you all about what you’re reading and learning.

The best thing is we are blessed to live in an age when many of the types of resources from the Library can be found online, some in PDF form and some as audio books and podcasts. I also know that many of you will be fortunate enough to have substantial collections of books at home to read. When I was a student, I didn’t have many, if any, books at home. So, this is an encouragement for us all (whether we have 1000 books or just one sat gathering dust on top of your Xbox) to get creative to cure our boredom, expand our horizons and grapple with interesting ideas!

The Library will be releasing a helpful ‘road map’ for you to use whilst reading at home. You can even use it to help you think through things you will be watching on TV, Netflix or YouTube or when you listen to podcasts or reading articles online – you can even use it to help you critique what you’re seeing on social media, especially in a time where fake news (about coronavirus as well as many other things) is rife.

The Library’s main function is to help resource all of you to help with your studies but also to get us all to enjoy growing as people. A great way to grow is by reading, engaging with and thinking critically about everything we interact with in life. The physical Library is unfortunately out of bounds but that doesn’t mean our imaginations have to be in lockdown too.

So why not use the ‘Library Road Map’, take a book/YouTube video/Netflix series/podcast/news article and get growing.

Mr Bryant,

College Librarian