Running a SAW Project

Science

Art

Writing

Before you begin …• Present the idea of a SAW project to staff

and get them on side• Decide scale of project e.g. whole school,

key stage or year group• Form a small team e.g. science, art,

literacy coordinators, plus SMT representative, to help with organisation

• Decide dates of project – several days or whole week – allow at least 3 months planning time

Planning your project – an overview

• Choose your theme

• Decide on key words associated with your theme

• Search for images

• Choose the images that are most inspirational

• Plan learning to explore your theme through science, art and poetry

Choose your theme

• This may be a science curriculum topic that you would like to cover (e.g. forces) or another topic of interest (e.g. water)

Key words

• Make a list of key science words/concepts relevant to your chosen theme

Search the internet for images

• Look for high quality scientific images that illustrate the different facets of your theme

• Use the Science Photo Library website, this has an excellent search engine and fantastic images

• www.sciencephoto.com

Choose 6 – 8 images that are:

• Visually exciting• Inspiring for Science, Art and Writing

Avoid images that are too obvious or don’t illustrate the science of the theme

Allocate the images

• Check your school’s Science Scheme of Work and link appropriate images to year groups

Explore your theme

• Define the learning objectives

• Plan the lessons

• Find your experts

Finding the experts

• Contact STEM for science ambassadors

• Contact LA art gallery for artists

• Approach local secondary schools for the loan of science, art and English teachers

• Look on internet for poets and artists who regularly work with schools

Meetings

• Ensure that teacher and expert have the opportunity to meet (or email) to discuss ideas and plan activities

• Ideally do this a couple of weeks before the event

Using the images• Introduce the images to stimulate

interest and excitement about the science investigations

OR

• Explore the images through the creative arts first – children have incredible imaginations

Finally …

• Remember that images can be used in a variety of ways

• Allow children the freedom to take ownership of their work

• Encourage children to find their own images

Enjoy the project!

SAW at Hollingworth

• Science

• Art

• Writing

Salt

• As small as a speck,• As big as a boulder,• As white as snow,

• As spiky as a hedgehog,• As sparkly as diamonds,• As smooth as a dog’s tail,

• As rough as rock,• When you eat something salty it’s like a

firework in your throat.

Sharing

• Feedback to an assembly

• Display in communal area – put a sticker on the boards to show they are SAW outcomes

• Produce a Power Point/ booklet for wider community

• Display project on school website

• Invite the local press

Credits

• This Power Point summarises the suggestions of Anne Osbourn, founder of the SAW Project

• Thanks to the children, staff and ambassadors from Hollingworth School who have helped to pilot the project in Tameside