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| Case studies so far: 1) "Our little house" by Pre K... for the youngest children. 2) "Bottle Village " by Chris Lawrence...for primary and low-attainment secondary pupils. 3) "A Cow called Boy" by C Everard Palmer...for older primary/ early secondary pupils.
Case Study 1 "Our little house" by Pre K Background. The classroom had nowhere that stimulated imaginative play that would give opportunities for very young children to expand and develop their spoken language skills. They needed a home corner that could later develop into a shop, a hospital, a dentistry, a space ship. The teacher re organised the shelves to cordon off a corner area, adding small chairs and a table, a collection of cups and saucers and bowl of plastic fruit, an old television, a doll in a basket. The teacher explained how the children could play in the little house and how there would be turns for everyone. The children were excited and, once in the house, their imagination was fired and even the most timid entered into imaginative converstions and roles....(instant drama lessons, instant improvisation opportunities, excellent confidence building skills...a wonderful way to develop literacy skills for such young children) Cross curricular activities Language Arts Drama... improvisation, role play Extending spoken vocabulary Drawing and writing about "Our little house" Reading.The book "Our little house" had its own hook in the actual little house and was constantly "read"..to the extent we had to make a photo copy so more children could "read" it. Number Sorting. There was a box of assorted foods and the children arranged them in groups of vegetables, bread and cakes etc Counting in twos for working out how many curtains needed for 3 windows. 12 paper plates to be arranged on the three shelves. How many on each shelf? Art Printing on the plain white curtains with pieces of sponge Drawing and colouring an extra window with a view to the outside...this to be pinned on the classroom wall. Drawing and colouring shelves to go on the classroom wall and on whjich would be stuck paper plates. Using paper cups and straws and coloured paper to make potted plants for a window box. Science Growing seeds for the window box French Drawing and labelling in French a knife and fork on the paper plates. Geography Learning about different homes Social Studies For fun, I drew 12 circles on the back cover, and, one by one, had each child sit for a portrait drawing, so they each felt they all had a part in the "Our little house" book. This gave me an opportunity to talk with the children about the project whilst I drew and they posed. They loved to then look at their own face and the faces of their classmates already drawn. They liked to chat about the different classmembers. Four year old Nicholas took one look at the drawing I had done of him and said approvingly, "It 's good I had my haircut yesterday!"
Case study 2 "Bottle Village" , by Chris Lawrence, for primary and low attainment secondary pupils 
"Bottle Village" was the first thematic approach learning project I used in Dominica. How I decided on "Bottle Village" The problems. I thought of picking one specific area of study from the National Curriculum for a theme, but knew I would be focussing on those teachers who had that prescribed theme for their particular pupil age range, and it would not be so appropriate for those teachers who taught other ages and who would have different prescribed themes. Similarly I did not have a set of the same story books to give each of my teachers a copy. The solution was to write my own simple story to use as an example for creating a thematic approach, but then I had to decide what my story would be about. The stimulus for me. Dominica is an amazingly beautiful island, but don't tell too many people! However, despite promotions and hard work from government officials and from individuals, there is still a litter problem and it is frequently plastic bottles! Whilst collecting anything I could use for making teaching resources, I found I had accumulated a lot of empty, white plastic, milk bottles. I invented a place called Bottle Village and wrote a simple story, set somewhere like Dominica, but where no one ever throws a bottle away, but recycles it....and the rest followed!  Using Bottle Village At primary level, this project could be the basis for developing an integrated curriculum for children from 5 to 11 years adapted, of course according to age and ability. It would also be appropriate for some low ability students of older ages. Click here for Bottle Village, The Story Click here for Using Bottle Village to Promote Literacy
At Secondary Level: A thematic approach can be used successfully at secondary level. It is not purile, but, done in a more teenage style, is good practice, backed by sound academic educational philosophy. I believe that anyone who questions this has not read any recent educational research texts...they probably have never ever read such things! Let's embarrass them by asking them shall we? Their ill informed opinions make me see red! I have used a thematic approach repeatedly with teenagers across the secondary age range and so have many well experience, well qualified, too-numerous-to-mention colleagues.
Case study 3 "A Cow Called Boy" by C Everard Palmer for upper primary/lower secondary pupils.  Aims: To use a set book in a thematic approach style for a group of secondary aged pupils who have reading difficulties, To accelerate their literacy skills by using a method of teaching (thematic approach) that allows one developing skill to build on another. Why "A Cow Called Boy"? "A Cow Called Boy" has a low reading age score, although this score is higher than the score of most of the pupils concerned. But: The book also has "street cred" as it is used as a first year literature texts in other secondary schools on the island. The book is only a hundred pages long, so has a short story line, no complicated sub plots and a low cost outlay and, because it is already in use, secondhand copies are sometimes available here. The classroom needs: Wall space available for big display of the story and for children's work related to the story. Backing paper, fabric, cardboard or similar. Picture library of magazine cut outs, cards etc to use in workcard making. Paper, crayons, coloured pencils scissors, glue, and box of junk (cartons, matchboxes, coloured paper, fabric scraps) for model making. Table set aside for work cards and related display e.g. model, 3D map of the setting, model of a cow. etc. Language Arts Sets of cloze procedure cards and question cards with wide range of readability to be suitable for all reading ages. Plans to cover variety of genres in written work tasks Imaginative writing: Imagine your pet followed you to school. Write about your day. Reported writing: You are a journalist on the local paper. Write a report about the new four legged pupil in school in your town. Descriptive writing: Describe how Josh fet when his mother showed him the For Sale sign Letter writing: Write a letter of complaint to..... Write a letter congratulating..... Write Mr Redmond's note to Josh's mother How to writing: How to look after a young calf. How to get from Josh's house to his school. Poster writing: Design a poster to hold up in the village square. Character Study: Choose one of the characters in the story and describe what he is like. The adult townsfolk: Mr Tom Kelly, Bertha Mahon, Mr Benjamin Watson (Store keeper), Mrs Theresa Watson, Baby Willie Watson, Mr Tobias (Storekeeper),Mrs Bernard, Baby Mark Bernard, Mr. Ridley, Gig Pearson, Merlin Bricknell, District Constable Ainsly,Jane Killy, Percy Raglan,Craig Miller Teachers: Mr Redmond, Principal, Mrs Anthony, Mrs Evadne Redmond Grade 2, Pupils: Senior Pupils: Pearlita Josh's Grade: Joshua Mahon, Karen Lawson, Brad Matthews, Tobias, Tony Killy, Vera, Roger, Susan, Rodney Craig, Leland Court, Grade 2: Maria Bernard, Others: Martin Duncan, Dolly Thompson, Susan Cross Curricular Studies. Science: Plan of Josh's Mum's garden. Growing seeds. School vegetable garden. Fauna:Cows, bulls, calves, bullkins, heifers, oxen, cattle, john-to-whits, nightingales yellow tales, snappers Flora Khuskhus grass, guinea grass Food: Making butter. Plan a celebration meal for Boy's return Geography: Maps of the town. Maps of the countryside showing Josh's route to school. Map of Jamaica showing Kendal. Maths: Arithmetic to do with credit. Follow up reference to taxes, (page94). Money for cow. Music: Caribbean folk songs, (Chap.8). Social Studies: Relationships. Co operation. Bullying. Drama: Two character chatting on the square. Miming: Josh taking Boy to school. Josh's talk to the class with Boy. Art/Craft: Drawings of the town. Model of a cow. 3D map of the area. Model of the shop. Model of Josh's house and yard.
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