This project shows how aspects of ICT Unit 3A Combining text and graphics may be developed in the context of RE. The RE unit is the Kent Agreed Syllabus 2000 KS2 Core Unit: Aspects of Sikhism.

In RE, we built a Sikh gurdwara, then took photographs with a digital camera. There is an excellent web site with photos of Sikh artefacts, similar to the artefacts we had in the classroom. I wanted to incorporate all of these aspects into a classroom display on Sikhism.

Lesson details

Examples of pupils' work with assessment

(detail)

Resources
Digital camera, Internet access, Sikh artefacts, data projector.

RE and ICT lessons
These lessons were part of a half term's unit in RE on Sikhism: The Gurdwara

Expectations

Time
The direct ICT teaching in Unit 3A had already been covered in the previous term. This work revisited and built on what had been taught, allowing children to apply their learning. The RE unit covered half a term. Three sessions of this included work supported by ICT.

Commentary
The main reason for combining RE and ICT was a Section 23 Inspection Report which suggested we look at further ways of incorporating ICT into the RE curriculum, and at how children could develop their own independent learning skills.

The virtual tour of a Gurdwara enabled us to compare reality with what we had tried to set up in school. Using the digital camera, children captured images of the Gurdwara that we had recreated in our music room. The Strathclyde RE website, which showed clear photographs and information, was a good source of reference for the children. They were able to find out more about each Sikh artefact by using a comprehensive database.

The use of ICT to record and produce a display on Sikhism would serve as a purposeful integrated task for ICT Unit 3C. With most of the ICT coming towards the end of the RE unit, it never dominated. ICT slotted in at various points as the RE unit progressed.

There are many ways in which this topic could be developed. One way is to e-mail some of the children's questions to Sikhkids. Another is to look at Indian music, its sounds, instruments and construction. A site to look at here might be Radio 3 Music Games. This has a game (Dhol player) where you can compose Bhangra-style music.

Time
The children had forgotten some skills that had been taught in ICT Unit 3A, and needed some time to revise before they could do the tasks. The actual time spent on ICT was three one-and-a-quarter-hour lessons. Different methods of organisation were used. The first lesson took place in the classroom using the data projector. The second was in our ICT suite. The final one was on computers scattered around the school.

Learning materials
I printed a chart from the Strathclyde RE site, with pictures of Sikh artefacts. The children used the same site to cut and paste into a Word document, adding clipart and text, in order to create labels for a display on Sikhism in the classroom.

Key factors for success
The basis of this combined unit was RE, and the use of ICT complemented the topics being taught. The ICT was not introduced until we were well into the RE, when the children had sufficient knowledge to take their ICT on and to develop their ideas independently for themselves.

I am in our Sikh Gurdwara, giving gifts to God. Guru Nanak lived in India about 500 years ago. Guru Nanak was God's teacher.

We are indebted to Chris Foxton of the Faculty of Education at the University of Strathclyde for permission to use images from the RE web pages.