Montgomery Development Education Centre
79 Queen St, Aberdeen AB10 1AN
tel: 01224 620111
Summer Term 2013 - Newsletter for all Primary Schools and Staff
Offering support, opportunities and ideas for the development ofCurriculum for Excellence content, themes, curricular modules, skills and values etc through a Global Citizenship and Rights approach.
Curriculum for Excellence Development through Global Citizenship
Professional Development and Curriculum Development Opportunities for teachers and schools
New Free Scottish Resource for all schools
Oxfam has produced a really good new global citizenship resource – High Tide.
It deals with the impact of climate change on communities in Scotland, in Bangladesh and in Africa and what people are doing to adapt to the changing climate.
Lots of input from P4-7 pupils has gone into the resource: a booklet, accompanied by a CD Rom with five great activities, videos, activity sheets and images.
You can be posted a copy of High Tide from the Montgomery DEC by emailing a request to An invoice for £2 p&p, to be paid by your school, will be included with the resource. Alternatively you can collect a free copy from the centre – again email your request and to arrange collection.
Feedback from previous CPD Opportunities for teachers
Below, we share a range of feedback from teachers re the input we have led over the past couple of years.
A growing area of input / training has been supporting whole schools as they develop UNCRC across the curriculum e.g. as part of the Rights Respecting School Initiative. Here we have been successfully supporting 6 local schools to develop a rights based local-global curriculum.
‘ I had been completely phased by the Global Citizenship agenda and was very relieved to see that Global Citizenship was not an extra demand but rather an approach and through resources and tools such as the Whole School Improvement planning document I would be able to enthuse staff and build into future planning. The course improved my confidence and enthusiasm and I can see how it can enable teachers to link up initiatives and teach Global Citizenship sustainably’. Head Teacher Aberdeen, Intro to Global Citizenship course
‘Great info and ideas, good assessment and implementation tools and resources’
P5 teacher, Aberdeen, Fair Trade course
‘I thought it was great. It provided a sound base on which to grow a topic from. And all the activities and everything that the children were asked to do was based on the Curriculum for Excellence, like the active learning, there were a lot of group tasks, a lot of participatory games’.
P6/7 Teacher Aberdeenshire, course exploring the resource Failte Malawi which offers a rights based approach to exploring the connections between Scotland and Malawi
‘Held my attention throughout, certainly all relevant. Particularly useful to see and hear the ways in which rights can be discussed with children’
Primary teacher, Aberdeenshire, course on building local – global curriculum linked to UNCRC
‘Very clear presentation with lots of great activities for introducing Global Citizenship to children of all ages’
Primary teacher, Aberdeenshire, whole school course on building local – global curriculum linked to UNCRC
‘Content was perfect – lots of practical ideas to pursue in the classroom. Entire session inter-active – had you thinking the whole time’ Primary teacher, Aberdeenshire, whole school course on global citizenship
‘Feel that global citizenship can be ‘naturally’ incorporated into ongoing topics (not in isolation)’
Main learning outcome for Primary teacher, Aberdeenshire - whole school course on global citizenship
Please get in touch if you would like similar support and / or to plan professional development for your school for 2013-2014.
Future CPD courses
We are currently planning the range of Global Citizenship related courses to be offered next session, 2013-2014. We will email details to schools once these are finalised – and do keep an eye on our website for further information.
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If at present you are developing Literacy a really useful resource is
World Stories
World Stories is a growing collection of short stories for children aged 7-11 and 11-14. This collection includes retold traditional tales and new short stories from around the world. The stories are available in the 21 languages most spoken by UK children. One in eight children in the UK speaks a language other than English as their first language. The stories can be read and listened to online, or downloaded. Everything is free!
Visit the website at:Home - World Stories
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Why not use events in the Global Citizenship Calendar to provide a focus for activities
Many dates in the calendar are dedicated to campaigns, events and issues related to Global Citizenship, which can be a useful tool for linking cross-curricular activities. The Montgomery DEC has a range of resources that can support your teaching and work in this, ranging from teaching and activity packs to storybooks.
You can see a full Global Citizenship calendar here Calendar | Global Dimension and
below you will find a selection of dates which fall in the summer term, with lists of relevant resources available to borrow from us and links to online resources/information.
a) Send My Friend to School Campaign – learn about the need for teachers and design your ideal teacher
Engage your local MP to illustrate the need for more teachers across the world
67 million children around the world are missing out on school. More than half of these children
are girls – as you may know, Malala Yousafzai has recently returned to school, only months after being shot by the Taliban for promoting education for girls.To order your teaching pack and view online resources visit
The campaign reaches its focus at the end of June so offers plenty of time to incoporate these themes into your teaching.
b) 2nd May 2013 – BBC World Class live debate
BBC World Class helps UK schools to twin with schools around the globe as part of its educational legacy for the 2012 Olympics. They work in partnership with the British Council and other organisations outside the BBC which facilitate school twinning, offering support and advice to help schools twin successfully.
c) 11th May 2013 - World Fair Trade Day
Another opportunity to use a wide range of activities to explore the trading relationships we have across the world and workers’ working conditions. Continue to register your steps for Fairtrade with the Fairtrade Foundation. See our website for links to a range of activities: and email us to borrow hard copy resources.
Visit also the Scottish Fairtrade Forum schools pages at you will find further resource ideas, activities, links to the curriculum, information on Fairtrade school uniforms, email group opportunity and free fair trade toolkit offer.
d) 15th May 2013 – UN International Day of Families
This year’s theme is Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity. Find out more at International Day of Families. Related resources available to borrow from the Montgomery DEC include:
Family Album
A photo-pack featuring a variety of families, selected to stimulate discussion about family life and associated issues.
Families
An education pack containing photos and activities. Children from the UK, Philippines, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Burkina Faso tell of their own life experiences and what families are all about from a child’s point of view.
Word-house game (older Primary) from ‘Local citizen ; global citizen’, an activity looking at the influence of different cultures on the development of the English language. Groups ‘visit’ other ‘families’ to learn about their cultural background
Families (early Primary)
Each story uses photographs of families in a variety of settings to look at relationships with parents, siblings and grandparents.
Full, Full, Full of Love(early Primary)
For JayJay, Sunday dinner at Grannie’s is always full of hugs, kisses, tasty dishes and happy faces.
Papa Do You Love Me? (early Primary)
Set in Africa, amidst the Maasai culture, this story reminds us that the bond between parent and child is a very special one that transcends all boundaries of time and place.
One Big Family(older Primary)
A unique insight into African village life and a special way of sharing, celebrating and making important decisions. One little African girl tells how each member of her family contributes to the happiness and well being of their family.
The Village of Round and Square Houses(older Primary)
In the Village of Tos in Cameroon the men live in square houses and the women in round. The story behind this custom is sensitively retold through the eyes of a young girl brought up there.
Grandfather Counts(older Primary)
When Helen’s grandfather visits they struggle to understand one another until he teaches her some Chinese and she teaches him some English.
e)25th May 2013 - Africa Day
f)16th June 2013 – International Day of the African Child
Africa Day is a celebration of African unity and culture – established in 1963, it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Find out more at Africa Day - 25 May 2013 - Resources.
The Montgomery DEC has many related resources available to borrow, including:
Failte Malawi – a teaching and photo pack - explores the links shared by Scotland and Malawi featuring Malawian children, Ernest and Molisha
One Little Crab (early Primary) A counting book from Ghana
A is for Ampe (early Primary)An alphabet book from Ghana
One Child, One Seed(early Primary) A South African counting book
We All Went on Safari(early Primary) A counting journey through Tanzania
Orama’s Fish(early Primary)A simple reading book from Malawi
This is the Tree(early Primary) The ancient and extraordinary, ‘upside-down’ baobab tree plays a vital role in the lives of numerous African creatures.
Off to the Sweet Shores of Africa(early Primary) A colourful collection of original, African-inspired nursery rhymes, ideal for reading aloud
Handa’s Surprise(early Primary) Handa, who lives in Kenya, takes a basket of fruit to her friend, passing a variety of animals along the way
Too Much Talk(early Primary) A West African folk tale
Salamatu and Kandoni Go Missing(early -mid Primary) In Ghana, school offers a group of friends an opportunity to transform their lives and the community around them
Galimoto (early-mid Primary) Kondi, who lives in Malawi, is determined to build a toy car
A Triangle for Adaora(early - mid Primary) A photographic story of the shapes found in African food, plants, clothes etc
Ebele’s Favourite(mid Primary) A book of African games
Kabo’s Diary(mid Primary) Kabo travels from Wales to Botswana, to visit his grandmother
Otu Goes to Sea(mid Primary) The true story of a boy who lives and works in a Ghanaian fishing village
Five Things to Find(mid Primary) A traditional story from Tunisia
A Pride of African Tales(Primary) Beautifully illustrated stories from different regions in Africa
A is for Africa(mid - older Primary) A photographic alphabet capturing the rhythms of day-to-day village life in Africa
Bongani’s Day(mid - older Primary) From dawn to dusk in a South African city
Boushra’s Day(mid - older Primary) From dawn to dusk in an Egyptian city
Nii Kwei’s Day(mid - older Primary) From dawn to dusk in a Ghanaian city
Off Side(upper Primary/lower Secondary)A detective novel about a young football fan who gets involved when a young African player is lured to his team by a corrupt agent
What’s for lunch?(older Primary) An activity pack exploring and celebrating food in Ethiopia
Iddi and Esther(older Primary) A DVD exploring the home lives and families of two Tanzanian children
Adinkra(upper Primary/lower Secondary) A cross-curricular project (Art/Design, Citizenship, Design/Technology, Geography) using a textile tradition from Ghana to explore children’s values and identity
With older pupils take the chance to challenge stereotypical views and enable critical thinking and development of a more balanced view of Africa by using material from the websites: See Africa Differently and Perceptions of Africa
g) 3rd - 7th June 2013 (or whenever you want) – Oxfam Water Week
Increasingly referred to as ‘blue gold’, water continues to be an international theme of increasing importance. Visit for further information and free teaching resources.
The WaterAid site a very useful Learn Zone for teachers and schools.
Water supply and sanitation needs in developing countries
A new teaching resource has been developed by Kelly Stallwood and Cath Inglesfield, Civil Engineering Undergraduates at the University of Edinburgh. Lesson plans, including teacher background info, suggested PowerPoint and guidelines for interactive model building, focus on fulfilling the water supply and sanitation needs of a village in rural Africa.
Aspects such as sustainable development and appropriate technology are built into the cross-curricular task. Materials are all available at
Montgomery DEC resources available for borrowing include:
The Water Game (age 7+):
Board Game encouraging players to find out as much about water as they can.
Our World of Water (P2 –5):
Explores the lives of six children from around the world and what water means to them.
Maji: A Pack on Water for Early Years:
Activities for 3 – 6 year olds, including photos and posters. Linked to rights and water it explores a young child’s life in Kenya
One Well – Imagine All Earth’s Water Came From One Source (age 6 – 10):
All living things depend on Earth’s One Well. Life would be impossible without it. But the water in the Earth’s well is threatened by our growing population and demands. What can we do to protect it? One Well answers this important question while telling the eye-opening story of water on Earth.
Water Issues – Global and Local:
Teaching photo pack that shares ideas about using water issues as a way in to explore sustainable development. Water as a tangible starting point for children to explore their world and its everyday complexity.
h)5th June 2013 - World Environment Day
The 2013 UN World Environment Day has an anti food waste and food loss theme: Think. Eat. Save. Forfurther details, visit:UNEP's World Environment Day website.
You may also find the MontgomeryDEC list(email us for a copy) of web links related to the Enough Food For Everyone IF…………….campaignuseful.
i)12th June 2013 – World Day Against Child Labour
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to highlight the plight of child workers and what can be done to help them.
Around the world, it is estimated that 215 million children are trapped in child labour, and 115 million of these are in hazardous work including armed conflict, slavery, drug trafficking and other illegal activities. The ILO’s member states have set a target for eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016. This year’s theme is No to child labour in domestic work. You can find out more at the Education Scotland website: World Day Against Child Labour - 12 June 2013 - Resources
Relevant resources available to borrow from the Montgomery DEC include:
We Are All Born Free(all Primary) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures
Fair’s Fair(upper Primary/lower Secondary) A cross-curriculum resource enabling pupils to find out who makes the sportswear and sporting merchandise they buy. Available to download or order free from
Working Children Worldwide(upper Primary/lower Secondary)A teaching pack can be borrowed from MDEC or an individual activity downloaded from save the children.org.uk/sites/default/giles/docs/working_children_activity
The Carpet Boy’s Gift(upper Primary/lower Secondary) A story about how Nadeem, who is the leader of his fellow-child workers in a rug factory in Pakistan
j) 17th – 23 rd June 2013 - Refugee Week
Heritage is the theme this year. Exploring heritage has the potential to not only get people talking and sharing - but also raises awareness about each of our experiences. There are many aspects to heritage; it might include your oral histories or memories and experiences. Or perhaps it makes you think of cultural traditions; the history of a community or place; historic sites or buildings; collections of objects, books or documents in museums, libraries or archives; natural heritages, landscapes and gardens.
You can find out more at Get your school involved with Simple Acts for Refugee Week Scotland 2013! | Scottish Refugee Council where you can also download a Simple Acts 2013 Teacher pack which provides teachers with the basic terms, definitions, facts about asylum seekers and refugees and more about the Simple Acts campaign.
Simple Acts The Simple Acts campaign is about inspiring people to use small, everyday actions to change our perceptions of refugees. It consists of 20 actions that can be done by anyone, of any age, and that encourage us to learn and do more with refugees. With every person who joins the campaign and does a small thing with and for refugees, we get a little closer to removing barriers between communities and to creating the kind of world we all want to live in.
You will find online links to more related resources at the Education Scotland website World Refugee Day - 20 June 2013 - Resources.
The British RedCross has excellent resources, such as a downloadable Needs and Wantsauction, lesson plans and a quick language activity and Somewhere to Run To - an activity pack which requires children to create an emergency camp after imagining being forced to leave home by a disaster, this can be purchased via their website.