Craighill Primary School, Tain

We are making talking pictures in groups. Later we will put them together to tell the story of the Highland Clearances. Here we are planning what our actions and words will be.
Drama: Working Together on PhotoPeach

We have been reading The Desperate Journey by Kathleen Fidler and learning about the Highland Clearances. We can see the Duck of Sutherland’s monument from our classroom window! His factor, Patrick Sellar, is the horrible villain in the book and he was in real life, one of the meanest and most hated men in the Highlands. Here is a picture of the wall we are working on. We have written poems for display and are creating leaflets which will also go on the wall.

We are doing a unit on time just now, playing a lot of games and using the computer. Our student teacher, Miss MacHardy, is making some fun games for us. Have a look.
Time on PhotoPeach

IF I Were in Charge of This Land
By Jennifer

If I were in charge of this land
There would be cows grazing in the soggy grass.
There would be parents quietly fishing for dinner.
There would be children playing happily outside after their chores are down.
There would be no factors to burn down people’s homes.
There would be no black houses burning nor furniture being thrown out.

If I were in charge of this land
There would be the sounds of the river flowing.
There would be the sounds of birds peacefully tweeting.
There would be the sounds of the wind whispering through the trees.
You wouldn’t hear the flames of the fire of our house.
Nor people shouting at the factor.

If I were in charge of this land
There would be the smell of fish cooking for dinner.
There would be the smell of fresh green grass.
There would be no smell of burning homes
And no smell of black smoke.

If I were in charge of this land
No one would feel angry.
No one would feel disturbed that their houses were burning.
No one would feel upset.
And no one would feel frustrated.

If I Were in Charge of This Land
By Iona

If I were in charge of this land
Cheerful children would be on their knees pulling up wood in their arms, getting rough splinters as they go.
Horses would be trotting along with their head held high.
Mum would be thoroughly squeezing out the water from washing the clothes.
There would be no blackhouses burnt to a crisp.
There would be no nights when parents worry.

If I were in charge of this land
You would hear children humming happily.
And Mums calling their children for the food.
Families would be talking around the fire.
You would not hear a fierce fire roaring
Nor families screaming while their things are thrown out of their homes.

If I were in charge of this land
You would smell the fresh air all around you.
You could sniff the salt from the river mixing with the sea.
There would be the smell from the fresh bread mums are baking.
Not the smell of smoke swirling in front of you.
Nor the tears from your eyes.

If I were in charge of this land
No one would be upset about their loss.
No one would be angry at the factor.
No one would be sad about all their crops wrecked.
No one would feel worried about the day their house is going to be torched.

If I Were in Charge of This Land
By Isla

If I was in charge of this land
My sister would be making for all my family and friends a fresh fish supper.
My son and I would be picking weeds and vegetables.
My Nana would be steadily patching the holes in our tweed clothes.
There would be no burning houses to the ground.
There would be no evil Patrick Sellar whipping children or burning the homes of women.

If I were in charge of this land
The sounds of children laughing and playing would warm my heart.
The sound of the whistling wind would go right through my head.
My nephew would be soothingly milking his cow with his gentle voice, calming the cow down.
You wouldn’t hear people crying at the bad men burning their homes down to the ground.
Nor hear shouting and screaming of children and adults.
Nor the factor laughing at our pain.

If I were in charge of this land
The smell of flowers and shrubs would hit me on the nose.
The aroma of tattie soup boiling in the pan would linger around the blackhouse.
But now the blackhouses are burnt down and all I can smell is the stale smoke blowing around the community.
And the grass crumbling into mud.

If I were in charge of this land
No one would be upset or crying.
No one would be shouting and bawling.
No one would be homeless.
And no one would have to watch their house crumbling down before their eyes.

If I were in Charge of This Land
By Nicole

If I were in charge of this land
There would be playful dogs chasing each other.
There would be families cheerfully washing their clothes in the river.
There would be happy children milking cows gently.
There would be no sleepless nights in their cosy homes.
There would be no nasty people hurting others.

If I were in charge of this land
The sounds of birds chirping would fill the air.
The river would be flowing gently with just a little sound.
The cows would be mooing occasionally.
You wouldn’t hear bullets firing at deer.
Nor hear noisy people shouting.

If I were in charge of this land
There would be the smell of fresh country air filling the land.
The smell of flowers would feel like Spring all year round.
There wouldn’t be the smells of smoke burning down houses.
There wouldn’t be smells of dirty sea water in the clothes.

If I were in charge of this land
No one would be feeling hungry.
No one would be feeling upset.
No one would be feeling sick and scared.
And no one would be feeling too tired.

If I were in Charge of this Land
By Torin

If I were in charge of this land
There would be cows grazing slow and steadily.
There would be people picking their crops.
There would be people fishing in a deep river.
There would be no blazing homes far and near.
There would be no factors with torches.

If I were in charge of this land
There would be the sounds of horses neighing in the distance.
There would be the sound of cheerfully doing their chores.
There would be the sound of the burns rushing down the drains.
You wouldn’t hear the distress of people having to leave their homes.
Nor hear Sellars shouting at men.

If I were in charge of this land
The smell of freshly burnt earth.
The smell of freshly cut peat.
Now the smell of burning homes.
And the stench of stale smoke fills the air.

If I were in charge of this land
No-one would fell sad and confused.
No-one would have homes on fire
No-one would have their crops destroyed.
And no-one would have to go to Glasgow.

If I Were in Charge of This Land
By Kyle

If I were in charge of this land
There would be deer leaping, from side to side quickly dodging bullets.
My cousin and I would be fishing, desperate for food.
My mum would be happily washing out clothes.
There would be no smouldering blackhouses.
There would be no unwanted or unfair evictions.

If I owned this land
There would be fish slashing, nearby in the river.
There would be cows mooing and chopping the grass all day long.
There would be kids playing happily in the gardens.
You wouldn’t hear screams and shouts for help.
You wouldn’t hear crackling from the burning houses.

If I were in charge of this land
There would be the scent of my mother cooking fish for dinner.
You would smell the fresh damp grass.
There would be no smell of burning houses.
There would be no nasty smell of Patrick Sellar.

If I were in charge of this land
No one would feel angry or upset.
No one would lose their home.
No one would have their crops burned.
No one would have an upset life.

Can you think of a good caption for this photo? Post your idea as a comment so we can all have a laugh!