Inspired by: Children's Games - Week 3

Inspired by the vibrant scenes depicted in Bruegel's "Children's Games," a lesson plan has been crafted to encourage Year 6 students to use conjunctions to join ideas seamlessly. The activity starts with the children observing the painting to find a specific girl wearing a blue scarf. Once spotted, they discuss in pairs other details of her attire, like her red skirt. By giving two separate clues initially, the children are then challenged to combine these clues into a single sentence using the word 'and', enhancing their understanding of sentence structure. The aim is to highlight how conjunctions can efficiently link descriptions, making it easier to identify characters with unique attributes.

The lesson continues with a focus on building narratives through the sequencing of sentences. Children are taken outside to play a game of tag, capturing the essence of the playful atmosphere in Bruegel's artwork. They are encouraged to be mindful of their senses—what they hear, see, feel, and think—while playing. These observations become the building blocks for their written work. Back in the classroom, they imagine themselves within the painting, using their real-life experiences to enrich their descriptions. The students are guided to model writing before penning their own narratives, crafting sentences that encapsulate the sensory experiences and emotions of playing games, just like the children in the historical painting.