Explore the latest Picture News resource here Music is something many children experience every day - whether listening at home, singing in school or sharing favourite songs with friends. It can bring enjoyment, create memories and help people feel connected. This week’s Picture News story focuses on the Eurovision Song Contest, where countries from across Europe and beyond perform songs to millions of viewers. Each country shares its own style of music, language and culture, creating a global event that people watch and vote on together. A global music event: a primary school assembly discussion Children are introduced to the Eurovision Song Contest as an international music competition where countries perform songs and compete for votes. They explore how the contest works, learn key facts about its history and popularity, and consider the UK’s entry. This supports discussion about how music is shared across countries and why people enjoy the event. Assembly resource used to support discussion about Eurovision PSHE and classroom discussion in primary schools This story supports PSHE learning by encouraging children to explore themes of respect, identity and understanding others. Children are introduced to different opinions linked to British Values and the protected characteristic of race, encouraging them to reflect on whether they agree and explain their own viewpoints about how Eurovision brings people together through music, culture and shared experiences. Through the weekly Picture News pack, children are also introduced to a different UN Right of the Child, encouraging them to think about how children’s rights connect to current events and their own lives. Resources supporting discussion about British Values, Protected Characteristics and children’s rights Questions to support classroom discussion This story also supports the development of media literacy skills. Using the Media Literacy slide, children explore why it is important to think carefully about who created or shared information online, and whether information can be trusted. This helps children begin to recognise the difference between facts, opinions and misleading content. Teachers might explore questions such as: · How can we find out who created a piece of information online? · Which websites can we trust to give us real facts? How do we know they are not just sharing opinions? · What might happen if we believe or share a story that turns out to be untrue? The activity encourages children to compare different Eurovision-related posts and decide which they would trust most, supporting them to think critically about online information and where it comes from. Media Literacy resource supporting discussion about facts, opinions and trustworthy sources Using current events in primary school assemblies and lessons How can music bring people together? Exploring this question helps children reflect on how shared experiences can connect people, even when they live in different places or have different backgrounds. Stories like this support children in understanding the wider world, encouraging them to think about how music and other shared events can help people feel part of something bigger. The reflection page supports the final part of the assembly, helping to draw together learning Useful Resources • Explore the latest Picture News resources here • Join our latest discussion here • Explore our recent events and training here
