Author: Nicky Russell

Our first Talk Time of this term poses a moral dilemma.

Plants and animals should not have the same rights as humans.

 In a previous Talk Time, you’ve discussed human rights and the responsibilities that go with them. Recapping these could be how you choose to start this week’s conversations.

You might already have strong opinions on the matter but when faced with a statement such as this, it’s always worth exploring both sides of the argument so that you can make an informed decision.

These prompts might help you to consider things in a different way:

• Could plants and animals share all of the same rights as humans?
• If the rights were the same, who would be responsible for ensuring it?
• Are some rights easier to achieve than others?
• What should the consequences be for neglecting those rights?
• Should the level of punishment depend on whether the victim is a plant, animal or human?
• These are some topics you might discuss: deforestation, animal testing, human diet, hunting animals for fun

 Last half term’s oracy focus was turn-taking. This skill will be very important in this task so refer to these R2s:

• If a person is speaking, listen to what they are saying.
• Let that person finish their point without interrupting them.
• When that person has spoken, acknowledge what they’ve said before making your point. Try using some of these phrases:
  • I agree with that because…
  • I also think that…
  • Adding to what you said…
  • I disagree with that because…
  • I hear what you’re saying but…
  • On the other hand, …

As we near the end of our Computing topic, this Talk Time will help you to reflect on your learning.

I know and can use the topic vocabulary from this half term.

Years 1 and 2:

• algorithm – a sequence of instructions or a set of rules to get something done.
• program – a collection of algorithms
• debug – to find and fix errors in algorithms
• computer – a type of machine that can follow instructions and do useful things
• password – a string of letters, numbers or symbols which give you access to something (eg a computer, a service like NumBots)
• personal information – something that can be used to identify you (eg age, school, address, password)
• appropriate – something that is suitable

Years 3 and 4:

• computer – a machine that can input, process and output data
• program – a collection of algorithms
• repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
• sequence – to arrange instructions in a particular order
• logical reasoning – helps us explain why something happens
• sprite – a 2D character in a computer game
• decomposition – the process of breaking down a task into smaller, more manageable parts
• input – data sent to a computer system from a device (eg keyboard, mouse, microphone)
• output – data sent out of a computer system via a device (eg monitor, printer, speaker)
• digital footprint – information about a particular person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity

Years 5 and 6:

• computer – a machine that can input, process, store and output data
• computer network – a collection of interconnected computer systems which ‘talk’ to each other by exchanging data
• internet – a huge global computer network
• decomposition – the process of breaking down a task into smaller, more manageable parts
• repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
• selection – choosing to execute one set of instructions over another
• variable – something that is stored in a program and can be changed or used (eg a timer, a score, a number of lives left)
• logical reasoning – helps us to explain why something happens
• simulation – modelling a real-world or imaginary situation

 For your discussions at home, think about the learning that has happened in your Computing lessons. What was your favourite lesson and why? Refer to the list of vocabulary for your year group.

Living and learning provides the focus for this week’s Talk Time.

I can describe what to do in different sorts of emergencies.

 An emergency situation is when there is an immediate risk that needs to be addressed right away.

We suggest approaching this Talk Time in two parts. First, where and when might you face an emergency? Think of a range of settings and scenarios.

After that, consider what your response would be. If there’s not a trusted adult around, call 999 if possible. The LIONEL acronym below is one that we’d like you to learn. It will help you if you ever need to phone the emergency services.

L – Location – Tell them where the emergency is and where they need to come to.
I – Incident – Tell them what has happened.
O – Other services – Do you need the ambulance, police and fire service?
N – Number of people – How many are involved?
E – Extent of injuries – How badly are they hurt?
L – Location – Repeat again where they need to come to.

This week’s Talk Time poses a moral dilemma and makes links to our current computing topic.

Playing computer games is bad for your health.

We suggest approaching this Talk Time with an open mind. You may already have strong views on this but it’s important to consider both sides of an argument before reaching your conclusions.

Check out these R2s to help you with your discussions at home:

• What are the health benefits of playing computer games?
  • Remember that mental health is crucial to being a healthy person.
• How does playing computer games negatively impact on your health?
  • How could this impact on your physical health?
  • Is gaming always an enjoyable experience?
• Decide which argument is the strongest.
  • This might be the side with the most points to back it up.
  • You might consider some points to be more important than others.
  • You may not agree with people you speak to – that’s okay!

After the discussion with friends and family, what conclusion do you reach? Do others around you agree?

This week’s Talk Time has a Living and Learning focus:

I can say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and show good manners in other ways, too.

Showing good manners costs nothing but can make a big difference to a person’s feelings. Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are just two of the ways you can show good manners. How else could you show good manners? Think about actions as well as words. You could talk about things you can do or say at home, at school or out and about. Remember, saying things like ‘please’ and ‘excuse me’ aren’t just means for getting what you want.

Our school rules might help you to remember times when you’ve used good manners or seen others using them:

• We respect everyone and everything.
• We follow instructions.
• We keep hands, feet and objects to ourselves.

With it being Safety Week at school, this Talk Time brings together lots of the learning that has taken place.

I can show different ways to stay safe including how to seek help.

Because safety covers so many areas, your discussions could centre around these forms of safety as well as any others that you know of:

• Online safety (e-safety)
• Fire safety
• Road safety
• Electrical safety
• Water safety

For each type of safety, talk about different settings and examples of when you might be faced with risks and how you’d safely deal with them. In each situation, it’s crucial you discuss the help you’d need if something goes wrong. Imagine that you’re in different places and with different people in each scenario. Perhaps you’re with family, friends or on your own. Are there any services that you can contact?

Here are some R2s to help you stay safe:

• Think before you act.
• Assess the risks. Is it safe?
• If something goes wrong, again, think before you act.
• Who can help you and how can you reach them?

We are being historians through our topic learning this half term. Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to be around during historic events like the Great Fire of London? For this week’s Talk Time, we’d like you to do exactly that.

Would it be good to travel back in time?

Would it be good to travel forwards, into the future?

When talking about travelling back in time, you could use these question prompts to support discussions at home:

• What time period would you travel back to?
  • a time from recent history (eg your lifetime)
  • a point from your parents’/grandparents’ lifetimes
  • over 100 years ago
• Where in the world would you like to be at that point in time?
  • Does it relate to an important historical event?
  • What have you learnt in a current or past history topic that you’d like to experience?
• Who would you like to meet?
  • What historical figures have we learnt about at school?
  • Are there people you’d meet who aren’t famous eg family members?
• Is there anything about the past that you’d try to change?
  • If so, how would you go about it?
  • Would you realistically be able to make that change? Would you need help?

Many of the points above will also help you to discuss travelling into the future. As well as those, it’s important to think of what would be gained from travelling forwards in time. When coming back into the present, would you tell people what the future is like (good and bad things) and why?

These R2s will get you thinking critically about your own ideas:

• What reasons can you think of in support of time travel?
• Are there reasons why you might be against it?
• Challenge: Rank your ideas by importance. Imagine you could only do five, or maybe even three things.

 

There’s a moral theme to this week’s Talk Time.

It is a waste of our time to learn about the past as it has already happened and we can’t change it.

This is a very topical statement given that we’re currently in the middle of a history topic. You may already have an opinion on this but it’s always worth pausing to consider a range of viewpoints.

This week’s R2s will help you to provide a balanced argument before you reach a conclusion:

• What are the reasons for (the pros) learning about the past?
• What are the reasons against (the cons) learning about the past?
• Reach a decision. Is it valuable to learn about past events?
  • One list may have more points than the other.
  • Some points have a greater importance than others.

One way to approach this Talk Time is to have a debate with people in your household. This will not only help you generate ideas but also practise a range of oracy skills. The last half term’s focus was building on the views of others and reasoning. When someone raises a point that you’re in agreement with, use one of the following phrases to start your response:

• I agree with you because…
• That’s a good point. I also think that…
• Furthermore, I’ll add that…

 On the other hand, you may disagree with a point made by a family member. When that’s the case, it can be hard not to interrupt them. The oracy focus for this half term is turn taking. To be respectful of others’ opinions, wait until a person has finished speaking and then respond using one of these sentence starters or one of your own:

• I hear what you’re saying but…
• That’s a good point. However…
• I take your point but…

Our Talk Time this week relates to the vocabulary that we’re learning about in our current History topic.

Thinking about the new topic vocabulary, I can begin to use the words at home.

Years 1 and 2 History vocabulary:

• past – something that has already happened
• present – something that is happening now
• ancient – very old
• modern – the present day
• similarity – when something is the same
• difference – when something is different
• sequence – put in the correct order
• put in the correct order – the buying or swapping of products and services
• timeline – a list of important events arranged in order

Years 3 and 4 History vocabulary:

• chronology – arrangement of events or dates in time order
• empire – a large group of countries or states ruled by an emperor or empress
• invasion – when a country or region is invaded by an armed force
• settlement – a place or area where a group of people live
• to resist – to stand up to or fight back against something
• primary source – a source of evidence created at the time of the event (eg diaries, letters, photographs, newspaper article, artifacts, ruins)
• secondary source – a source of evidence created after the time of the event (eg replica objects, text books, illustrations)
• prehistory – before written records
• kingdom – an area of land ruled by a monarch (a king or queen)

Years 5 and 6 History vocabulary:

• chronology – arrangement of events or dates in time order
• conflict – a series of battles over time
• invasion – when a country or region is invaded by an armed force
• civilization – the society considered most advanced at a time
• caliph – ruler in a Muslim country
• golden-age – a time when an activity or society is at its best
• innovation – an improvement or replacement of something
• trade – the exchange of goods and services
• impact – the effect one thing has on another
• bias – a particular viewpoint for one thing over another, especially an unfair one

Some of the words may not have been covered in class as of yet so be sure to refer to the definitions for words your child seems less confident about.

Encourage your child to think back to their history learning so far. The following questions might prompt your child to remember even more about the vocabulary:

• What does this word mean?
• Can you use the word in a sentence?
• Can you (where possible) give an example of this?
• Can you link this word to one or more of the other words?
• Which of these words would you group together?
• Are there any synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning)?
• Are there any antonyms (words with the opposite meaning)?

This Talk Time provides the perfect opportunity to apply some of the oracy skills that we’ve been working on so far this year. These R2s will help your child to speak about the vocabulary confidently, fluently and at a good pace:

• Make eye contact and have good posture when speaking (and listening).
• Recall learning from class to help you remember the words you’ve used so far.
• Take time to think about each word before trying to explain it.

Challenge yourself to play the ‘Erm…’ game. Start a stopwatch when you begin talking about a word. Keep the time running until you say a filler phrase like ‘erm’, ‘umm’, ‘you know’, ‘like’ or pause for more than a few seconds. Have a couple of attempts for each word to see if you can improve on your timings. How long can you talk for?

The Talk Time this week links to what we’ve been working on in our living and learning lessons.

I know that having rights comes with having responsibilities.

Rights are the things that all people are entitled to. Every right can only be guaranteed when certain responsibilities are taken. Here are some examples…

• We all have the right to be respected, and we’re responsible for making sure we respect everyone and everything (one of our three school rules).
• We have the right to play, but we have the responsibility to play safely.
• We have the right to learn, and the responsibility to get to school on time.

When having your discussions at home, these Remember 2s will help you to link rights to responsibilities:

• Think of something that you’re entitled to (a right).
  • Remember that some rights are based on your basic human needs.
  • A right is NOT something you’d like to have – It’s something that everyone should be guaranteed.
• For the right you’ve chosen, what part do you play to make sure that it is observed (responsibility)?
  • Who else is responsible?
  • Does age impact on a person’s level of responsibility?

How many right and responsibility pairs can you think of? If you’re struggling to think of many or would just like to find out more, check out this useful BBC Bitesize link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvypmfr/articles/z7bfhbk