This project provides “To The Moon” STEM and Space themed resources to enable partner schools to build on the transition activities on an ongoing basis. In the first year of the project, five partner primary schools within Derby City were contacted to engage in the project. The “To The Moon” resources were also shared with parents of year six students due to join Woodlands via a free online classroom (Edmodo).
Here, the creator of the project, Greg Duffy, explains about the project and resources.
Access Project to the Moon STEM Resources Here
Year 6 students were able to share the activities they created and models made using the Edmodo online classroom through a computer or mobile device using the free Edmodo app. Staff at the destination secondary school provided positive feedback via the Edmodo classroom enabling them to build positive interactions even before they started in September. Parents were also able to view all the online classroom activities using their own app.
In focus groups, students reported that the “To The Moon” project made them feel more connected to the school (through engagement with staff via Edmodo), gave them a focus and a purpose during lockdown and reduced anxiety relating to transition.
Given the difficult and disrupted time students experienced during lockdown, this project played a significant role in giving students a good start at Woodlands.
The extended writing resources have been of interest to the English staff in gaining a clearer understanding of how Year 6 students are used to being prepared for extended writing tasks. This will allow strategies that are familiar to new students to be used when engaging in writing activities. The next step is to engage other subjects and develop a commonality to the way extended writing tasks are scaffolded.
