The Christian Aid website and games to help with Citizenship

I have not studied the Christian Aid site for a while but have been missing a treat for the primary citizenship curriculum! There is a newish section with games suitable for pupils to play as part of the PHSE/ citizenship curriculum. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/.

There are assemblies to introduce children to problems that other children around the globe have to cope with - see
•    Assembly of the month: World Cup fever - A primary assembly about the World Cup and recycling
•    Dying for the loo - A primary assembly on Kenya for Christian Aid Week
•    Watch out! Scary creatures about! - A Christian Aid primary assembly on malaria

The primary teaching resources include:
•    Ready-to-use assemblies bringing global issues of poverty and injustice to life.
•    Curriculum-linked activities to help pupils learn about life around the world.
•    Popular simulation games to challenge and inspire action on global issues
•    Interactive whiteboard resources to help schools explore global issues with primary pupils.

The site has children's stories from around the world that show how children are helping to end poverty in their communities and  Global Gang games such as Help villagers in Nicaragua survive floods or get on board the Citizen Ship.

The games are available http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/play.aspx
1.    Disaster Watch - Help villagers in Nicaragua survive floods, earthquakes and food shortages! Kyle Mawer has looked at how to use the game Disaster Watch in the classroom http://digitalplay.info/blog/2010/05/an-educational-game-disaster-watch/ 

2.    Citizen Ship - Get on board the Citizen Ship and save the Global Gang from stormy seas, hunger, thirst and lots more... http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/citizenship/game.htm This is a set of challenges, probably suitable for years 4 or 5.

3.    Go Goat Go! - Get a goat to help you grow more food! They eat weeds, their milk is magic and plants love their poo... http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/gogoatgo/launch5.htm Pupils need to copy rhythms and use arrow keys to move around the screen. This is suitable for younger pupils – about year 3, maybe 4.

4.    Sneaky Snakes - Help sort out things that just aren't fair. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/sneakysnakes/snakes.htm Sneaky Snakes is snakes and ladders with a difference – answer questions to get your counter past the snakes and for the snake to catch your opponent!

5.    Carpet game - Help rescue kids from carpet sheds in India. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/resources/games/carpetgame/index.htm Sadly this one will not play for me but if it plays in schools it has a very good theme.

Young people tell their story

Stories from young people about how they people fight poverty in their communities around the world.

• Escape from soldiers - Florinda and her family fled from Angola to Zambia.
• Real life disaster! Gile 'Some of our neighbours got swept away' says Gile from Bangladesh.
• Better days- Find out how Sara's family stood up for their rights, thanks to Christian Aid.
• What? Tortillas, again?- Imagine if every meal was the same. And it wasn't even chocolate!
• Trapped! - Find out why it takes Sunduz over an hour to get to her school 2km away.
• Goals for peace - How is sport helping to stop the fighting in Sudan? Daniel tells us more...
• Bernard's story - Africa is home to more than 12 million orphans whose parents have died from AIDS.

This site would be good to use in most KS2 classrooms.