Using ‘Storyline’ to support cross-curricular working

This session will illustrate the journey a P5 and P7/6 class took through a shared project to design their own imaginary eco-friendly community using a Storyline approach.

It will demonstrate how the children created a brand new community, and the families who were responsible for its development, mirroring the unique circumstances the children were experiencing in their own local area.

Regular 'news bulletins' evidence the opportunities the children had to share their decision-making processes and to explain the environmental and sustainable issues they were including in their building and lifestyle choices.

These bulletins also show the physical progress made as the children create a large model of their new community and some key incidents used by their teachers to further extend their learning.

The teachers and pupils involved will share their views of the Storyline approach in relation to cross-curricular working and the impact in has on learners' experiences and outcomes.

Pamela Adamson will then apply this example to the key principles of the Storyline approach itself and illustrate its effectiveness in delivering curriculum flexibility through cross-curricular working, with particular reference to Curriculum for Excellence.

More information about 'Storyline' can be found at www.storyline-scotland.com.  

Additional information about Kinnaird Primary School can be found on the school website: www.kinnaird.falkirk.sch.uk.

Pamela Adamson is headteacher of Kinnaird Primary School, Falkirk.

This is her third headship, having previously led Larbert Village Primary School and Slamannan Primary School.

Kinnaird Primary opened in August 2007 having been built to serve a large area of private housing currently under construction.

This fast growing school provides a nursery class and specialised provision for children with additional support needs, in addition to its two-stream primary capacity.

Having been trained in Storyline while a student at Jordanhill College of Education, she has been an active Storyline practitioner, both as a classroom teacher and as a school manager, throughout her teaching career and has adapted the method to meet the changing demands of current curricular advice.

She has delivered 'Storyline' training locally and nationally and given presentations at local and international conferences.

A member of Storyline's international 'Golden Circle' group, she participates in this discussion forum in order to share good practice and respond to curricular innovation.