November Teaching Calendar
Dates At A Glance
- 1st Nov: Anniversary of the unveiling of the Sistine Chapel
- 4th Nov Anniversary of the Discovery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb
- 5th Nov: Bonfire Night
- 12th Nov: Diwali
- 25th Nov – Dec 3rd: National Plant a Tree Week
- Nov 27th Christingle
On This Day in History
- 1st Nov 1887 – Birthdate of LS Lowry
- 4th Nov 1922 – The Discovery of King Tutankhamun’sTomb
- 8th Nov 1895 – The Invention of the X-Ray
- 10th Nov 1871- Stanley finds Livingstone
- 12th Nov 1980 – Nasa Probe Voyager 1 took images of Saturn’s rings
- 25th Nov 1915 – Albert Einstein announces his Theory of Relativity
On this Day in History
1st Nov 1887 – LS Lowry Born
English painter LS Lowry as well-known for his matchstick figures
Choose a background then cut and stick the silhouettes below onto your chosen background to re-create an inclusive Lowry masterpiece!
Tip!
Add an extra sensory element by cutting your templates from sensory materials: thin sponge, felt, sandpaper etc
On This Day in History
1st November 1512
The Unveiling of Michelangelo’s Ceiling Painting in the Sistine Chapel
Michaelangelo painted a total of 343 figures on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Many people believe Michelangelo painted the ceiling lying on his back, he actually stood on scaffolding and used long brushes and craned his neck to reach!
Sensory Activity
You will need
- Cardboard
- Masking tape
- Paints
- Paintbrushes/rollers
- Paper
Tape the paper to the cardboard the hold above the sensory explorer’s head. Can they reach out using their brushes and rollers to create a painting?
Can they lie on their back and paint above their head?
This activity can also be done using whiteboards and pens.
Did you know?
Previously, the ceiling was painted blue and covered with golden stars. This activity could be simplified by painting a blue background then sticking pre-gummed stars onto the ‘sky’
On This day In History
4th Nov 1922 – The Discovery of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb
English archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of child-pharaoh Tutankhamun.
Re-Create Howard Carter’s Archaeological Dig
This sensory play engages the senses as the students manipulate the objects, promotes fine motor skills and connects students to history.
You will need:
A Base Layer:
Sand (Bury items into the soil/sandpit in the outdoor learning area. Alternatively use a box, bucket or similar container)
Soil/Stones/Pebbles (for a ‘less mess’ option use pulses, barley/lentils/dried beans)
Bury items into the sandpit in the outdoor learning area. Alternatively, use a box, builders/Tuff Tray or large container.
The list below is based on items that have been unearthed from the Egyptian pyramids.
- Jars
- Gold and silver rings (copper and metal washers make a cheap alternative)
- Jewellery
- Feathers
- Wood (from coffins!)
- Bones
- Mummy wrappings (pieces of bandage)
- Stones, rocks (granite and alabaster)
- Bury sprigs of herbs, bay leaves, fennel, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme.
- Paintings were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb, print, and laminate hieroglyphics and bury in the sand.
- Replicate Items Discovered in Tutankhamun’s Tomb: Burial Mask (Print and laminate a picture of Tutankhamun’s mask), Model Boat, Board Games (bury a few counters and dice), Clay Jars, a Fan, Sandals.
- Herbs: Bury herbs that Egyptians used: Sage, Cinnamon Sticks, Cumin Seeds, Fennel, Coriander, Garlic Bulbs, Juniper Berries, Thyme.
Provide Items to Promote Fine Motor Skills: Lidded containers for storing ‘finds’, paintbrushes (assorted sizes), a sieve, funnels, spoons, toothbrush, toothpicks, watering can/water spray bottle.
Containers for Storing Items:
Boxes, Baskets, Tupperware, Shoe Box, Egg Carton.
Provide Items to Promote Scientific Investigation: Camera, magnifying glass, notebook & pen for drawing and recording findings.
Encourage students to use the tools to unearth treasure and the record their findings
Extend Learning:
Can the sensory explorer describe the item or name the material the item is composed of?
Can the sensory explorer tell you what an item might have been used for?
Add a couple of ‘red herring’ items (e.g. an item made of plastic, a toy phone, a crisp packet)
Tip!
Dim the lights in the classroom. Provide torches (a headtorch is a great hands-free option)
Fun Fact!
Garlic was discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb. The ancient Egyptians believed it possessed magical powers.
Activity Idea
Plant Garlic
Garlic grows well outside and is hardy to cold weather.
You will need
- Soil
- Garlic Bulb
- Water
Method
- Divide garlic bulb into cloves.
- Plant the garlic cloves pointy side up approx. 2cm directly into the soil (or if planting in pots, place the pots outdoors)
- Ensure the soil around the garlic does not dry out
- Harvest the garlic when then the leaves start to wither and turn brown but before all the leaves have died.
Recommended Resource
The Romans – A Multisensory Adventure
Table of Contents
The Romans Fully Resourced Step-by-Step Multisensory Story
Re-create a Roman Archaeological Dig
Gladiators
Make a Gladiator Meal
Build a Small World Roman Fort
Hadrian’s Wall
The Roman Bath House
Mosaics
Roman Food
Roman Medicine
The Roman School
Roman Gods
Roman Themed Sensory Ideas & Inspiration
November 5th
Bonfire Night
Create a Bonfire Night Sensory Bin.
- Place materials for students to make a ‘bonfire’ in the centre of the tray (leaves, twigs, pinecones)
- Add strips of yellow, orange and red tissue paper to recreate the flames.
- Add a guy.
- Add chalks for students to draw fireworks onto the Tuff Tray.
- Scatter lapsang souchong tealeaves or BBQ powder for a smoky smell.
Create a Firework Display Picture
Lay a large sheet of black paper onto the floor. Take a selection of balls (spiky, tennis, ping pong etc) dip the balls into the paints then roll across the paper to create a firework display.
Make Edible Sparklers
You will need:
- Breadsticks
- Melted chocolate
- Sprinkles/popping candy
Dip the end of the breadstick into the melted chocolate then decorate using sprinkles or popping candy.
Make a Guy
Dig out those old clothes and stuff with straw or newspaper.
Place you guy at the school gates. Donate any money collected to charity.
Spaghetti Sparklers
You will need
- A colander
- Dried multi-coloured Spaghetti
Activity
Can the student(s) use their fine motor skills to slot the spaghetti into the holes in the colander to create a giant sparkler firework?
On this Day in History
8th November 1895 – The Invention of the X-Ray
German physicist Wilhelm Rontgen used electromagnetic radiation to look inside the human body when he x-rayed his wife’s hand.
Make a Candlewax X-Ray Picture
You will need
- A sheet of paper
- A white wax candle or white wax crayon
- Watered down black poster paint
- Paintbrush
Activity
1. Using the white candle/crayon draw bones your paper. (Press firmly)
2. Paint the surface of the paper with watered down poster paint.
The Science Bit!
When the picture is dry, you will see that the bones show up as white on your paper. This is due to the wax repelling the water.
This Day in History
November 10th Stanley Finds Livingstone
‘Doctor Livingstone I presume?’ were the first words spoken by Henry Stanley to missing explorer David Livingstone.
Activity
The Explorer’s Rucksack
‘I’m trekking through the rainforest, a rucksack on my back
Inside I carry shorts, t-shirts, and a waterproof mac
Sunblock, lip balm and spray, for the insects that bite
A camera, binoculars and a torch, so I can see at night
A water bottle, food, and tools for when I set up camp
The weather is hot and sticky, humid, clammy and damp’
You will need
- Rucksack/bag
- Binoculars
- Dried fruit
- Hat
- Map
- Torch
- Camera
- Shorts and t-shirt
- Water bottle
- Waterproof clothing (mac/trousers)
See attached docs on email
Extend Learning
Place additional items into the rucksack you would not need for a trek thorough the
rainforest e.g., a hairdryer, snorkel, swimsuit, woolly hat/scarf, bucket and spade,
keys.
Can the sensory explorer identify the appropriate items to take the rainforest and spot the ‘red herrings?’
https://mash.ie/the-rainforest-a-multisensory-adventure-plus-themed-sensory-extension-activities
Excerpt from ‘The Rainforest – A Multisensory Adventure!’
Join our explorer on their adventures as s/he explores the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of The Amazon Rainforest with this fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory story/teaching resource plus sensory, rainforest themed activities!
This is a very special resource as all the artwork has been contributed by autistic artists from Manaus in the Amazon Basin and other regions of Brazil. Thank you to everyone involved in this project! Denise Teperine, Meiry Geraldo, Galeria Aut, Theila Rosario Figueira and last but not least to all the talented artists and their families!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Galeria Aut
Denise Teperine
The Benefits of Multisensory Storytelling
How to tell a Multisensory Story Story Props/Resources Checklist
The Rainforest Full Story
The Rainforest Fully Resourced, Step-by-Step Multisensory Story
Rainforest Sensory Art
Henry Rosseau
Rainforest Leaves
‘Eterno Amor’ ‘Amazonia’
‘Arvore da Vida’
‘Tribes of the Amazon’
he Sensory Rainforest Rainforest Slime Recipe
Rainforest Sensory Mud Recipe
Rainforest Crafts
Rainforest Leaves
Foil Embossed Greetings Card
Rainforest Leaves Wax Picture
D & T
Design a Rainforest Home
Leafcutters
Planet Earth
Rainforest in a Bottle
Starry Night in a Bottle
Snappy Caiman Counting Crocodiles
D & T Healthy Eating The World Around Us
Planting Beans
Will it Grow?
Tree Seeds
Rainforest Products
Rainforest Compost
Growing Potatoes from Peelings
The World Around Us – Creatures of the Amazon
Creatures of the Amazon Through the Senses
Endangered Species Animal Tracks
The Spider’s Larder
Rainforest PE
Rainforest Adventure Obstacle Course
Rainforest Science The Role of the Rainforest Oxygen
The Water Cycle
Make a Rain Guage
Erosion
Decay
Rainforest Science The Power of the Sun Experiment The Ice Caps Experiment
Water Pollution Experiment
Greenhouse Gas Experiment
Culture & Tradition – The Tribes of the Amazon The Achuar Tribe The Yanomami Tribe The Huaorani Tribe The Kayapo Tribe The Mascho Piro Tribe The Matses Tribe
Music
Make a Rainmaker The Sounds of the Rainforest
Role Play: Can you Survive a Night in the Rainforest?
On this day in History
12th Nov 1980 – Nasa Probe Voyager 1 took images of Saturn’s rings
‘Saturn has rings made of graphite The heat and the pressure rain diamonds so bright’
Explore Rings Snap glowsticks to activate then using the connector, attach the ends to form a bracelet.
Count bangles as you slowly slide them onto the student’s wrist. Can the student count the bangles as they slide them onto your wrist?
Can the student name the colours of each bangle/glowstick?
Can the student use their fine motor skills to twist pipe cleaners into rings?
Alternative Activities
- Scatter silver confetti/stars/glitter from above within the explorer’s eye line to re-create the effect of diamonds falling from the sky. Dim the lights and shine the torch as the items fall.
- Present a hula hoop for exploration. Model twirling the hoop around your waist or take turns rolling it to one another
You might like:
‘Journey into Space – A Multisensory Exploration of the Solar System’
12th November Diwali
Celebrate the Festival of Lights
- Make a ‘Diya’ candle holder using clay, playdoh or plasticine.
- Make a Diwali card.
- Engage the senses, explore Indian food and sweets, samosas, pakoras and paneer.
- Explore Indian herbs and spices. Dissect spindle-shaped cardamom pods. Can the students peel open the capsules to reveal the small, black seeds inside? Smell the smokiness of the cardamom and the intense woody, nutty fragrance of cinnamon sticks. Explore the tiny oblong, yellow-brown seeds and taste the bitter sweetness of cumin seeds. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the spices.
- Explore the colours and patterns of a silk sari. Direct torchlight onto the sparkles and sequins to make them glisten. Offer students the opportunity to dress in the sari.
- Using chalk, draw a Rangoli pattern onto a Tuff Tray, provide coloured sand for students to pour onto the patterns.
You may like:
‘A Train Ride Through India – A Multisensory Exploration’
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Tell a Multisensory Story
A Train Ride Through India (Fully Resourced, Step-by-Step, Multisensory Poem)
A Train Ride Through India Listening Game
A Train Ride Through India Sensory Bin
A Train Ride Through India Sensory Bag
Sensory Indian Flag
Train Ride Role Play
Let’s Explore…Asiatic Lions
Mehndi
India Themed Sensory Ideas & Inspiration
Other Indian Festivals
‘Holi – A Multisensory Adventure!’
Celebrate the magic and colour of the festival of Holi with this fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory story.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prepare to Celebrate (Gathering Story Props)
How to Tell a Multisensory Story
Holi Poem
Holi- A Multisensory Exploration
Holi Themed Sensory Umbrella
Holi Themed Sensory Tent
Holi Themed Sensory Bin
Holi Themed Sensory Bag
Holi Themed Listening Game
Let’s Make…Holi Powder Paint
Jackson Pollock Themed Art
Scented Paint
Paint Bombs & Cinnamon Stick Painting
Paint Splatter Picture
Colour Sorting
Thandai Recipe
Holi Ideas & Inspiration
25th Nov – Dec 3rd: National Plant a Tree Week
Plant a Tree from a Seed
Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen help to clean the air by absorbing pollutants.
Head into your school/setting grounds or the local park/greenspace and look for tree seeds, nuts and cones.
Tree Seeds: Apple Pip, Ash, Common Lime, Maple, Sycamore
Tree Nuts: Acorns, Beech, Hazel, Horse Chestnut, Sweet Chestnut
Tree Cones: Alder, Cedar, Cypress, Pine, Silver Birch.
Plant the seeds, nuts and cones into soil, water, and place on a sunny windowsill. Transplant outdoors when they start to shoot.
Health & Safety Advice
Wear gloves and do not ingest the seeds, nuts, or cones.
Plant a Pinecone
This is a wonderful activity can be done indoors.
You will need:
- A small plant pot
- A pinecone
- Soil
- Water
- A sunny windowsill
- Fill your pot with soil.
- Plant the base of your pinecone into the soil.
- Water lightly.
- Place on a sunny windowsill.
You will see new growth sprout from the pinecone which can be replanted outdoors in the spring!
Make Bark Rubbings
Place a sheet of paper over the bark. Rub lightly with crayons/chalks or charcoal.
Hug a Tree!
Share a Tree Poem
‘Sitting under an old oak tree
Its branches reach as high as I can see
Have you ever hugged a tree?
Its leaves dapple over me
Feel the rough deep groves in the bark
I love the trees in my park’
November Nature
November is the last full month of Autumn.
Autumn Sensory Walk
Head outdoors for an Autumn walk or forage around your outdoor learning area:
Find five different items to look at
Find four different items to touch
Find three sounds to listen to
Find two things to smell
Find one items to taste
What to look for in Nature in November Acorns, Apples, Animal Tracks, Apples, Bark, Beech, Berries, Birds, Bracken, Brambles, Bugs Colours, Conkers, Elderberries, Frost, Fruits, Fungi, Geese Greenfinch, Halloween, Hazelnuts, Hedgehogs, Horse Chestnut Tree, Hops, Insects, Leaves, Mist, Moss, Nuts, Oak Tree, Pears, Pinecones, Seeds, Sloes, Squirrels, Starling, Swallows, Sycamore Seeds (‘Spinners’), Tracks, Trees and Twigs.
Autumn Leaves
In November the outdoor areas will be carpeted with leaves.
- Promote gross motor skills, rake, and sweep the leaves!
- See how many different coloured and shaped leaves you can find. Catch the student match the leaves?
- Paint the leaves.
- Make a leaf collage.
November Music
Listening to music enhances mood and aids concentration. Play low background music during snack time, when baking and when engaging in arts and craft activities.
Take a portable speaker and bubbles into the outdoor area at break and lunch time. Have a mini disco!
Listening to music provides the opportunity to explore different artists and genres of music and invites the sensory explorer to have a little dance, move their body and feel good!
Theme your Music by Month
(please check suitability of lyrics)
“November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses
“November” by Tom Waits
“Gone Till November” by Wyclef Jean
“November Song” by Yerin Baek
“November” by Azure Ray
“November Blue” by The Avett Brothers
“Rose Hip November” by Vashti Bunyan
Theme Music by Artists Born in October
3rd Nov: Vincenzo Bellini (Italian opera composer)
5th Nov: Art Garfunkel
6th Nov: James Bowman (English tenor famous for singing in Handel’s operas)
12th Nov: Neil Young (Canadian singer-songwriter)
14th Nov: Aaron Copland (American composer)
16th Nov: Paul Hindemith (German composer)
18th Nov: Carl von Weber (German composer)
22nd Nov: Benjammin Britten (British composer)
21st Nov: Coleman Hawkins (American jazz saxophonist)
23rd Nov: Manuel de Falla (Spanish composer) 26th Nov: Tina Turner
Nov 27th: Jimi Hendrix
Nov 28th: Jean Baptiste Lully (French composer)
Theme Music by Historical Musical Events in November
Nov 6th Belgian Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone
Nov 20th1805 Beethoven’s opera ‘Fidelio’ is staged for the first time in Vienna