Learning Zones

One of the best ways of organising a classroom is by dividing different areas into learning zones to support development across a range of curriculum areas. You can use the zones to manage the work activities that groups in the classroom are completing at different intervals throughout the school day.
The use of learning zones enables integration of curriculum subjects that the children can rotate around when exploring a topic. The zones can support the development of independent learning as the class work to complete activities across a range of curriculum subjects.
Science Lab
Dedicate one area in the classroom as a science lab to develop the children’s skills and abilities in performing a range of scientific investigations on a range of topics and concepts. You can decorate the science learning zone with some key questions to trigger the children’s curiosity about how to perform an investigation into a science fact. Label some cupboard trays in the science lab so that the class can independently select materials and resources that they might need when investigating a scientific idea or concept. Make some table space available in the learning zone so that individual pupils can work on their investigations and present test results and observations.
Art Cupboard
Select one area of the classroom that the children can use when choosing materials and techniques to utilise in their art and design projects. Display artwork from a range of significant artists and some key questions about the paintings and sculptures to enthuse the class about working with different materials and techniques. Use a display board in the learning zone to present some of the children’s completed artwork to match the styles of different artists that the class have been exploring.
DT Shed
Set up one learning zone in the classroom to support the children’s work in design and technology. You can display some key questions to help the class think about some of the techniques that they might need to use when working with different materials to produce a range of products. Label some trays in the DT shed so that the children can independently select the tools and equipment that they might need to use when building a specific product. Make a display table in the learning zone to present some of the children’s completed projects.
Music Studio
Choose one space in the classroom to act as a learning zone for music. Display some pictures of significant music artists in the music studio to develop the children’s enthusiasm for creating their own musical compositions. You can provide access to a computer or tablet with headphones so that the class can listen to a range of musical styles to help them develop their own compositions. Fill some cupboard trays and resources boxes with percussion instruments so that the children can work independently to choose the instruments that they might need for a specific composition.
Computer Corner
Set up one area in the classroom which the children can use to develop their computing skills. Display some key questions in the computer corner to challenge the class in using some programs and applications to achieve different aims and outcomes. You can present some posters showing examples of different projects that the children could complete using different computing skills such as producing a maze game with a simple coding program.
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Robot Functions
Identify and model how to structure and format explanation texts about why and how robots function to complete tasks in the world
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Future Robots
Practise writing a range of sentences for use in explanations about how and why robots might perform different functions and jobs in the future to support families
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Unusual Pets
Plan and write a narrative story with a familiar setting about a family keeping an unusual animal as a pet
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Unusual Pet Story
Compose and publish a narrative story with a familiar setting to show some of the problems that an unusual animal might make for a family to solve