Autumn Term 2023

Science

After testing the levels of air resistance with different materials last week, this week we looked at water resistance. We discussed whether we think water creates more resistance on moving object or air and we decided water. We came up with this conclusion by linking to our own knowledge; when we walk through air, we can barely feel the resistance but when we walk through water, we can feel the water pushing against us. We then went on to investigate how different shapes create different amounts of resistance when moving through the water.

 Below are some pictures of our investigation in action.

This week in Science, we learned all about air resistance. We understood that air resistance is a force and occurs when air moves past an object, creating friction and slows the object down. Our mission assignment this week was to test different materials and how much air resistance was created. We did this in the form of parachutes. We had to predict, test and then analyse our results. Freddie even noticed that the left over material looked like a Death Mask!

Below are some pictures of our parachutes being tested. 

This week in Science, we have been learning about the different moon phases and why they occur. We then had a go at drawing a moon phase using charcoal and chalk. We had to think about at the techniques we were using in order to show shadow and illumination on the moon.

As part of our ‘Earth and Space’ topic in science, we had a go at making the planets in our Solar System. Each table had a different planet to create and we used paper mache to create the shape and structure. We then had to look closely at the different colours and shades in our planet. As a group, we had to decide on 5 colours that we were going to use and created a colour palette. We create a ‘swatch patch’ in our art books to show which colours we used for each planet. We were not allowed to deviate from this palette but could mix our chosen colours to create different shades and tones. We had to think carefully about different brush techniques we could use to show different techniques.

Maths

To consolidate our learning from Chapter 2- Addition and Subtraction, today we played a game of 'noughts and crosses'. In pairs, Partner A had to roll the dice 5 times to get a 5-digit number, then Partner B had to roll it another 5 times to get another 5-digit number. We then had to add or subtract these numbers and our partner had to check our answers. If we got it correct, we got to place a nought or cross on the grid. The first to get 3 in a row was the winner!

In Maths this week, we have been looking at place value. We have been using the place-value counters and charts to help us to represent different numbers up to 1 000 000! We also played a game to see who could create the greatest or smallest 6-digit number. We worked in partners and each person had to take it in turns to roll the dice/pick a card. We then had to think carefully about where we placed this digit on the place-value chart; once it was placed, we couldn't move it! This game helped us to think about which columns had a greater value and where the greater digits would be best placed. 

R.E

Is believing in God reasonable?

This week in RE, we looked at Humanism. We had lots of discussions and watched some videos from the Humanist website to help us sum up what defines a Humanist. Below are some of our class ideas. 

We started our first Year 5 RE lesson by discussing what 'philosophical' means and what philosophical questions might look like. We worked together to create a mind map of our thoughts. We decided that philosophical questions often have a deeper meaning and we many not know the answer. Below are some examples of our work from this lesson.

PSHE

Being Me in My World

In PSHE this term, we are looking at the puzzle piece 'Being Me in My World'.  The puzzle piece talks about the different rights and responsibilities we have as citizens and how these might differ for a refugee. This week we have been looking at rules and responsibilities. As a group, we were given 3 random objects and we had to create a game using these. We had a set of rules we had to follow; all of the group had to be included, there had to be a way to win and we only had 10 minutes to create this game. We had to think carefully about our communication skills and team work. We then demonstrated the game to the class and spoke about why it was so important o include rules it our game. It meant everyone had a fair chance and everyone knew the expectations of the game.

Topic

Pyramids and Pharaohs

This week in Topic, we have learnt all about different Ancient Egyptian Gods. We learnt that the Egyptians believed that every God and Goddess were responsible for different aspects of life. We discussed lots of different Gods and their responsibilities, we then chose which one stood out to use and why. We then put our art skills to the test to sketch a God and the add colour using oil pastels. We thought hard about the most fitting colours and how we could blend the oil pastels to add more texture. see some of our hard work below.

In Topic this term, we are learning all about the Ancient Egyptians. So far, we have learned a bit about the geography of Egypt: where it is on the map, which seas surround Egypt and we have located some of the most important features and towns in Egypt. This week, we have learned all about hieroglyphics. Each table had a different information card about hieroglyphics, who used them, why the were used and when they were used. We had a task to share this information with the rest of class, but we had to act it out. This meant we really had to think about the information we were reading so that we could chose the best actions. Below are some freeze frames of our groups work.

Literacy

The Journey to the Afterlife

In Literacy, we have been learning about explanation texts. We have read an explanation text called ‘The Journey to the Afterlife’ which explains what the ancient Egyptians believed they needed to do for their loved ones once they died so that they can reach the afterlife safely. We split up into groups and we created a freeze frame for each paragraph of the text to help us understand the process they went through.

Summer Term 2023

Literacy

In Literacy, we have been learning about discussion texts. We are learning about the purpose, features and potential audiences for discussion texts. Our class text is titled 'School Uniforms- Good or Bad?' and we have pulled this apart to help us understand the structure of a discussion text. As a class, we created a new discussion text titled 'Zoos- The Positives and The Negatives' to show both the good and bad sides of commercial zoos. This week, we are starting to plan our own discussion texts which will be based around the pros and cons of renewable energy. To help us remember different types of energy and the advantages and disadvantages, we had a game of Top Trumps! Each card had a different type of energy source- renewable and non-renewable- and we had to make notes about each source. The children had great fun and there were some friendly competitions to be had!

Topic

What Are We Doing to Our Planet?

Bee Garden

In Topic, we have been learning about the importance of bees and how we can help to save them. Over the past couple of weeks, we have worked hard to plan our ideal bee garden, de-weed the garden bed and plant lots of different flowers to help attract the bees. We have also have the opportunity to create little bee baths to help bees to reenergise while they are pollinating.

We received a lovely donation of bee-friendly flowers from Morrisons and some of the children even brought in some of their own seeds to plant, which was kind and helpful, and the other children were very appreciative. Please see a selection of photos of our hard work below:

Endangered Animal Sketching

In Topic today, we have been looking at endangered animals. We looked at why and how animals become endangered and found there were 2 main reasons; natural causes and human causes. During the lesson, we also talked about how we can help to save endangered animals. We also spotted that Paddington Bear is an Andean (or spectacled) bear and that these bears are actually endangered too. We had a quick practice at some of our sketching techniques and then chose an endangered animal to sketch. Below are some examples.

Deforestation Debate

In Topic this term, we have been learning all about the impact that we have on our planet; both positive and negative. In today's lesson, we were looking into what deforestation is and the purpose of deforestation. We found that there were both pros and cons about deforestation and split the room into 2 sides; 'for' and 'against' deforestation. We worked in teams to discuss points 'for' or 'against' and then put our debating skills to the test. As a class, we went over the rules of debating and were very quiet and sensible to ensure all points were heard. Logan was a great example of a chairperson and helped to keep everything in control. Below are some pictures of our debate in action.