Last week, a number of Yr 5 and 6 pupils visited the outstanding facilities of the Sports Science Department of Solent University, one of the top three for this provision in the country. We were overwhelmed by the state of the art equipment and the range of scientific resources available to the students. Our pupils were supported by highly skilled undergraduates and lecturer, Matt Johnson, in an enquiry involving reaction times and physiological responses and were inspired to achieve the best possible outcomes for ourselves through the captivating and highly motivational recount of success through adversity by our Southampton paralympian, Arron Phipps.

Pupils, please post your responses to the day.

Gathering data

Try our video maker at Animoto.

Dotty six
You need a partner, a dice and a grid like this;

3 x 3 square grid of empty boxes

Take turns to throw the dice and draw that number of dots in one of the boxes on the grid.

Put all of your dots in one of the boxes. You can’t split them up and you can’t have more than six dots in a box.

When a box is full, you could put a tick in the corner.
Keep going until there are three ticks in a row or column or diagonal. The winner is the person who puts the last tick.

Why play this game?
The game as introduced is intended for KS1 children who are just beginning to become confident with small numbers. However there are many variations, some suggested below, that make it suitable for older children. As with many of the NRICH games, consolidation of basic number facts is combined with an element of strategic thinking.
Possible approach
With very small children you may wish to play the game with a small group first before encouraging them to play in pairs.
Take suggestions about what the rules may be, perhaps recording them centrally once everyone has agreed. They are:
• take turns to throw the dice and put the dots into a box
• you can put your dots anywhere but you can’t have more than six dots in any one box
• you have to put all your dots in one box
• you win if you finish the line, row or diagonal of complete boxes
• if you can’t go you miss a turn.
When everyone has played a few times, you can change the game:
• by making the total different (10, 12, 15, 20)
• by giving different dice (with only even numbers, only odds, dice to 10 etc)
• by making the grid bigger (4 by 4)
Key questions
Where will you put your dots? Why?
How do you know where to put your dots?
How many more do you need to win?
Possible support
They could begin with six counters in each box and take away the number thrown on the dice.
Possible extension
This is a great game for children to use their creativity and to work at a level at which they feel comfortable. The sophistication of their recording will change with their confidence.
• change the total in each box
• make the winner the first to complete a whole row that adds to a certain total (e.g. 20)
• change the shape of the grid (triangles rather than squares perhaps)
• use a different sort of number – fractions, decimals, percentages …
• change the rules completely.
Encourage them to write the rules out for someone else to follow. Perhaps they could submit them to the NRICH website (Dotty Six Game)

Last week, our Gifted and Talented writers across Key Stage 2, created their own version of’ ‘The Jaberwocky’…they called it ‘The Pickralack’.

Their creation was developed from the identification of rhythm, rhyme, syllable patterns, syntax  and gramatical features of the famous heroic, narrative poem by Lewis Carroll. Through the replacement of  his nonsense words for their own crafted vocabulary, they produced a performance poem that not only carried meaning but showed highly skilled understanding of word order and meter.

Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree.
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came wiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Lewis Carroll

                 The Pickralack

‘Twas skyscath, and the brackbone slythes

Did twizz and guzzle in the laze;

All newco were the riga rythes,

And the oory mauoves scarade.

“Beware the Pickralack, my doof!

The trangs that vack, the stix that scrab!

Beware the Fubjub bird and shun

The manguous Sligerslab!”

His giant glimmer in his hand:

Long time the teevil foe he sook -

So slested he by the Rumtum tree,

And stood awhile in flook

And as in graundly thought he stood,

The Pickralack, with eyes all stook,

Came siffling through the seeply wood,

And hawkered as it came!

Grib, grab! Grib grab! And through and through

The sharking blade went hicker-hack!

He left it blay, and with its crai

He went tralunking back.

“And hast thou shan the Pickralack?

Come to my arms my shamshine boy

Oh cramboo day! Bangaley, bangaley!”

He droodled in his joy.

‘Twas skyscath, and the brackbone slythes

Did twizz and guzzle in the laze;

All newco were the riga rythes,

And the oory mauoves scarade.

By Blackfield Primary School

Able Writers Group

Aged 7 to 11

Key Stage 2