Science and target language skeletons

Cross curricular learning allows us to achieve creative outcomes that the children can enjoy and share. After half term we will be introducing Year 4 to parts of the body, introduced as you might expect through songs and games . We find this is really effective learning when it's linked t the class science project on the human body. 
We like to develop simple writing skills in Y4 and continue to use writing techniques we might have introduced and used  Y3 e.g air writing / finger writing / whiteboard try  and wipe activities . With the body try asking the children to create a "word head " in the air - simply ask them to create the shape of a head in a space in the air writing the word for head in the target language in the shape of a head etc. It's fun and non threatening and focuses the children on how to spell the word correctly .Add eyes and nose and mouth to the air drawing too! Make it a tiny head , a monster head and features , a robot head and then move on to the children creating their own word bodies to display as part of their Science project.  

Here is one child's example of a skeleton word body 

Later in the year , the year 4 children will be learning about simple ailments that they want to tell the teacher about e.g a grazed or cut knee , earache, tummy ache .
In UKS2 in Year 5 we revisit and extend this language so that the children are able to explain a variety of illnesses and symptoms to a doctor .
Children like being set challenges to create an outcome that they think best suits the task - so I ask  children to create me an ailment object guide .This is a skeleton n the style of .... ( a robot / an alien/ etc) . The children  have to use simple materials to create a physical depiction of a poorly body . 
Here are some of their creations!
Makes for yet another great display that can link to "Keeping fit and healthy"