Unit 4 Application Task - Jamie's Group
Ma WW1 History lesson went doon really weel whi ma twa classes.
Whit went weel? Workin in pairs tae try an translate the Scots wirds helped the wains relax intae the task an one class was far mair engaged than on a previous task A hid tried. Mair paired chat and less listenin tae me.
All but three wains were positive aboot workin in Scots an all but wan engaged fully makin a grand job o the tasks reinforcing ‘describe’, ‘explain’ and ‘compare’ skills. This was really heartening as it feels risky (particularly at straw poll choices time!) tae experiment wi Scots. Several liked using the Scots to ‘hear’ how real Scottish spoke, “it helps you imagine what the soldiers are saying with their own words.” Even those who didnae lik the Scots could see the clear link o using Scots in this topic which was fantastic! “You can learn new Scots words and learn little bit more about WW1.”
Wan quine who disnae like scriving ony lesson dived richt in decidin tae write a her answers in Scots and loved that the grammar and spelling became much easier fir her.
Whit widd A change? The wan laddie who didnae like the task at a is ASD and has decided, as he already spiks English an Russian, he disnae need onyither language. Next time A wid hae an English version of the sources on hand tae aloo some choice fir him.
Twa ithers appreciated the task, but wid rather not dae it again as it was hard. Both suggested A added mair wirds to the glossary. I hid considered adding mair, but rulled it ot as A felt it would flummox the less able pupils – next time A will differentiate upwards wi a fuller glossary fir those wantin a complete translation.
Next year A will also reduce the sources a wee bit as it will gi mair time fir getting ontae extension tasks.
Hoo will A consolidate an further develop the bairns use an awareness o Scots?
A am lookin at building in a wee bit Scots to the farming unit the classes will study later in S3 History as weel as looking at hoot ae mak use o it in Rural Skills which some o the bairns will be taking with me from May. Finally A will try ate dip in and oot of Scots wirds in classes to keep it alive.
I fogot my Lesson Plan + booklet - now attached.
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Kerry Carter Post 3 in reply to 1
• 2 February 2025, 2:36 PM • Edited by the author on 2 February 2025, 2:40 PMUnit 4 Application Task
Unit 4 - Scots Language in Humanities
I did a Scots Language History class with my 2nd year Modern Languages class on soldiers and pipers in WW1.
What went well?
As with my previous lesson with this class, behaviour was good because the language haters were really interested in the topic of war. They really engaged in the starter task, trying to translate words about the dirt of trenches, and using these to picture what it would have been like. They worked in pairs and I was surprised how many words they already knew.
After hearing the soldiers’ accounts in their own words, pupils wanted to know more about them and what happened to them so more time for research was needed. They wanted to see photos online and that took up more time than I had expected but it was great to see their enthusiasm and hear the discussions that were taking place.
They had to give 3 facts about the importance of pipers during WW1 and I was pleased to see words like ‘heroes’, ‘fear awa the enemy’, ‘devils in frocks’ and ‘pride’ among some of the answers.
What would I do differently if I deliver this lesson again?
The words that I had chosen were on the board and pupils were writing what they meant in their jotters. Next time I would give the list of Scots words so they have these next to the English translations for future reference. I would also cut the amount of words down so we could focus more on a few rather than rushing through to get them all done.
Like the last lesson EAL pupils really struggled and I hadn’t differentiated enough for them so they lost interest a bit. I would maybe give them the Scots and English words as a match up or gap fill exercise rather than asking them to look up the words.
I underestimated the time that the lesson would take so I will plan it over two or three periods next time instead of just one.
What are my next steps?
I would like to take this lesson further with a literacy focus using the poem ‘The Christmas Truce’ by Carol-Ann Duffy. Pupils were so interested in the lives of the soldiers and were asking questions that I didn’t have the answers to, but with some more preparation I believe this could work well.
How will you provide further opportunities to practice and reinforce the use and awareness of the Scots language?
I hope to organise a visit to the Gordon Highlanders Museum to learn a lot more about what we started looking at in this lesson, and to show pupils that Scots exists outside the classroom.
My other second year class have asked if they can do the same lesson so I will compare the feedback from pupils in both classes to plan how to improve the experience for those who are not buying into Scots. These tend to be the high achievers and EAL learners, so I will be looking at strategies to better engage them for future opportunities in Scots.
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This sounds such a good lesson. The fact they pupils wanted to dig deeper is just great. I was the same finding I built in too much to do in a period - it is hard to gauge how much to build in as if pupils don't warm to it you worry there might not be enough, but when their interest is sparked you need so much longer.
I envy you planning your visit to the Gordon Highlanders Museum - I used to love taking kids there from Dyce. It is such a good resource. We have the Black Watch Museum in Perth but it is just too far for a trip unfortunately.
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Unit 4 Application Task Lesson Reflection
S3 Humanities - Politics - 3. Passion and Parliament.pptx
Unit 4 Application Task - S3 Humanities Lesson Plan.docx
S3 Humanities – Passion and Parliament
The lesson was an S3 Humanities lesson that is towards the end of a wider unit on UK Politics. This lesson focused on how a driving force within Politics is making a difference and how the things that people are passionate about can shape this. As a starter task, the learners watched a video of a speech by writer Billy Kay that was given in Scottish Parliament during the ‘Time for Reflection’ segment. Learners responded to the clip in a variety of ways, including the Teams chat, an anonymous padlet and their microphones.
What went well?
The learners responded really well to the clip with one learner saying “it feels very powerful. Like he’s expressing himself truthfully”. There were varying levels of understanding the words spoken in Scots, the majority of the class felt they understood all or most of Kay’s speech with just one learner saying she got “almost none of it”. The same learner however commented “It really makes you stop and listen, whether you want to or not”.
Learners really appreciated the message behind Kay’s speech (that you should feel free to be authentically yourself and like you are always included within Scotland as one of the 1.5 million Scots speakers. One learner commented “he also sounds real,he hasn’t made it sound fancy or change it, he spoke how he would speak to his pals”. The same learner was obviously inspired by the issue of Scots being broadly used as he commented “I do wonder though, since Gaelic is an official language of Scotland, we have bbc alba, it’s on the sign coming in, why isn’t Scot’s? Where is bbc Scot’s? Why isn’t it on the TV?”. This led to a further discussion by the class.
I feel that the use of spoken Scots in a video, along with the clear passion displayed by Billy Kay, served as a great hook to grab the learners attention and connected well with the theme of the lesson; passion within parliament.
What would I do differently if I deliver this lesson again?
More time! I underestimated again the enthusiasm this topic would create within the class and wish I had planned to focus on this for the full lesson, rather than just the lesson starter. I plan to use the Bairns Charter in a future lesson so will set aside much more time for us to engage with and explore that.
What are my next steps?
The next step for this unit is for learners to take part in an extended project (probably spanning 3 lessons) in which they design their own political party. The task above has been a great introduction into the notion that political parties are often motivated by issues they are passionate about and their main goals are often to drive change and make Scotland, in their eyes at least, a better place. One learner suggested that he might use the development and preservation of Scots as one of his main principles in the political party he creates!
How will you provide further opportunities to practice and reinforce the use and awareness of the Scots language?
For the political party project task, I plan to use the movement into the furtherment of Scots as a example of how passion for an issue can motivate change. Learners will be invited to use this issue as one of their principles if it is something they feel passionate about themselves.
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Charlotte that sounds like it was such a powerful lesson - you must be sp pleased!
It is funny we are all saying the same thing about running out of time. Just shows we need to get more periods to deliver Scots as it is working well.
That is super one lad was thinking of using development and preservation of Scots as a policy - love it.
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Sounds good! They could use the example of Northern Ireland which has Ulster-Scots as an official language which is recorded in Hansards and appears as one of the languages in signage in Government buildings.
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It's great to see someone else teaching Scots in a modern languages context. You're right about EAL - I have definitely found the same. Some EAL learners have found it interesting and enjoyed being taught cultural concepts by their peers, but others have found it a bit overwhelming or stressful. I'm not always sure how to support them better. I suppose it's like having to wield two new languages at once - whereas sometimes EAL learners feel confident in languages classes because the playing field is levelled for them, to some extent!
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Sounds like a great lesson, I love the confidence that was built for the learner that doesn't usually like to write, it must feel so heartening for her to feel that she was able to join in with a task that would usually be daunting for her.
I also love the personal connection that Scots brought to the lesson for the learners. Thinking about hearing the words that the actual soldiers would have used themselves is a brilliant way to make the topic real for them.
Sounds fab!
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Scots Language and the history of the Scottish Reformation
I am teaching Mary, Queen of Scots and the Scottish Reformation to a non-examination level 5 class. This week we were covering the growth of Protestantism in Scotland. I taught most of the class in English. We watched a documentary on John Knox and the lead up to the Reformation and then I talked the students through a powerpoint and accompanying handout on reasons for the growth of Protestantism in Scotland in the 1530s, 1540s and 1550s. One of the factors leading to the growth of Protestantism in Scotland was the invention of the printing press, another was the publication of the Gude and Godly Ballads. I found a Wee Windaes entry about the Gude and Godly Ballads Ane Compendious Booke – Wee Windaes. The website had an explanation about the ballads which I copied and pasted into a word document so the students could read it out loud. We were also able to listen to an extract being read by a Scots Speaker and look at photographs of the original book. The class went well as it did not overload the students with the Scots language but made them aware that in the historical period we are studying it would have been principally Scots that was being spoken not English. It also allowed the students to see what early printed works looked like. The extract was good as it did not have many tricky words so once we had done the first sentence the students quickly got into the swing of the language. The printed book was from 1621 which was after the Reformation and unfortunately mostly in English however, with a smattering of Scots words. It does illustrate how the Scots language started to go into a decline after the union of the Crowns. It was only after teaching the class that I remembered that there was a description of John Knox in the unit materials. I will add that to the handout as the preaching of John Knox was another important factor in the growth of Protestantism in Scotland.
Next week we are doing the impact of the Reformation on Scottish Society. There is a Wee Windae about Elizabeth Melville who lived in Fife and wrote a book of Protestant religious poetry and was the first woman in Scotland to have a book published Elizabeth Melville, Lady Culross (ca 1578–ca 1640) – Wee Windaes. Also a letter from the University of St Andrews which was at the forefront of training new Protestant ministers The King James Library, St Andraes – Wee Windaes. There was also the story of the ‘throwing of the stool’ in the learning materials for this unit which illustrate how Protestantism came to be accepted in Scotland. These extracts can be our second exposure to the Scots language.
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A Modern Languages skills lesson using Scots
Context
This activity took place over two double period lessons and was aimed at a “wider achievement” S4 class who are using Scots to build skills for Modern Languages (and transferable skills generally). They had recently completed the History and Development of the Scots Language unit, and more recently had moved on to analysing Scots poetry - specifically, Stuart Paterson’s “Here’s the Weather” - to meet outcomes for the Understanding and Communicating in Scots unit. The class was asked to draw on their learning so far to write and film their own weather forecast in Scots - an activity I had also taught in French that week, for interesting comparison!
First, they were expected to draw up a list of useful Scots vocabulary and phrases. They took these from their own use and knowledge of Scots; from the words we had examined in the first unit (e.g. breeks when discussing Dutch influences on Scots, or bairn from the Old Norse); and from the poem we had studied. Once they had collated these, they wrote scripts - with support from some scaffolding materials and the DSL - which they then recorded. A number were filmed using green screens and then edited using iMovie.
Application Task: Reflection
Students needed significant encouragement to start coming up with the vocabulary list, despite many being Scots speakers at home and the work we had done looking at banks of words from various languages and on the poem. There was an unexpected reluctance and embarrassment around writing these down, and a lot of concern around how they should be spelt (“it looks wrong”). I feel that in future, there is work to be done to reduce the embarrassment around Scots I have encountered throughout teaching this course: perhaps through specific classroom games or exercises to help learners get over the “Scots cringe” as Beveridge and Turnbull, 1989, phrased it, and also perhaps through building more of it in at lower levels in the BGE.
However, once they got going, they really took off! I could see where learners were using what they had learnt in previous elements of the course, but also where they were bringing in new ideas or Scots elements - either from home or from their own research. There was a real creativity and a depth and richness to their work that had been lacking earlier in the course with a previous creative writing task. Interestingly, a number of learners chose to do the task individually rather than in pairs or groups. Maybe that was a way of reducing the “Scots cringe”?
The cringe was back in force when it came to recording, of course. Some learners refused altogether - far more than we usually get when asking them to record in French or German. Of course, some learners really flew. I was again surprised by which learners these were, as it didn’t follow any discernible pattern: it wasn’t necessarily the able ones, or the ones who do well in these tasks in other languages classes, or the outgoing ones, or the ones who spoke most Scots at home… but rather a seemingly random mixture. Scots really seems to level the playing field somehow. I would like to collate more feedback and data on this from the learners to work out why certain pupils really clicked with the task (and why others didn’t). I also noticed that when learners started to introduce props and bigger creative ideas, they had more fun with the task, and therefore gained in confidence with their delivery and took more “risks”.
In terms of next steps for the learners, I have given individual feedback on their work and performances and I am hoping that they will take this on board to improve in a similar planned task coming up in a few week’s time. Common feedback was around the richness and depth of their Scots (a few weaker scripts felt more like English with some Scots words thrown in); levels of detail or creativity in their work; or their performance confidence.
Overall, engagement with this activity was high and learners reported general enjoyment of the task, but this was very much after the fact - they claimed to hate it whilst doing it! My main takeaway is that I would like to investigate how we can reduce the “Scots cringe” - it is such a barrier for them.
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This lesson sounds so interesting Greta and is certainly one I might pinch! I have also done the weather forecast recording in French and the ‘cringe’ is there whenever pupils have to see or hear themselves, so I totally understand what you say about the ‘Scots cringe’.
I was interested to read that your pupils need a lot of encouragement to get started as mine are the same. They are always keen to hear me or to read my slides, but not so wiling to get going on their own.
Thank you for sharing some great ideas.
I really identified with your experiences here as I did a similar lesson and had the same attitude from my EAL learners. I like how you encourage the ‘describe’, ‘explain’ and ‘compare’ skills and that is something I will certainly use in the future as it adds a new dimension rather than just translating and listening.
It sounds like a great lesson and I’m looking forward to hearing more about Scots in your farming unit!
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