Spring Term 2nd Half

Our topic for the Spring 2 term was Ancient Egypt. We began the term by looking at the different fruits which grew along the river Nile. We focused on Geography and looked at how the climate and water effected what grew and where the best places would be for the ancient Egyptians to grow food. After taking part in a food tasting lesson, the children used their senses to describe each of the fruits, collected data in Maths to create bar charts of the favourite fruits from the classes and produced some wonderful work, which they did a great job presenting.

We then moved on to ICT and History, using our research skills to find out about the different roles in society. Children worked in groups to produced posters on their chosen profession. We worked as a team and supported each other to create some wonderful posters that have been displayed in classrooms.

We concluded our work on ancient Egypt by looking at the story of Moses. Having watched the film ‘The Prince of Egypt’ the children created story boards, timelines of events and wrote diary entries from differing viewpoints. We have all really enjoyed our Ancient Egypt topic and have produced some wonderful work.

In English, we have started our new Talk for Writing lessons. The children learnt a new modelled text called ‘Reilly’. This was a fantasy story. We looked at the key features of the genre and children had a go at adding description, correct punctuation and fantasy elements to their own story. All staff have been impressed with the children’s ideas and quality of writing produced.

In Maths, we have been focusing on fractions this term. The children have learnt about equivalent fractions, how to simply a fraction and moved on to adding and subtracting fractions. They also looked at fractions of amounts and applied this throughout their learning to link with real life problems.

Alongside our daily maths lessons, we have continued to focus on multiplication. The children have become more confident in rapidly recalling multiplication facts up to 12x12. We continue to work on this through other 

platforms such as TT Rockstars and MathsFrame MTC. The children will be taking the multiplication tables check in the summer term so it is vital that they can confidently recall all multiplication facts up to 12x12.

In art, the children have been developing their sketching and positional skills through a series of linked lessons. We have looked at the techniques involved in creating shadows and how we can make objects appear to be in front or behind another object. The children enjoyed practising these skills and then applying to drawing fruit in relation to other objects.

The children have been extremely lucky to continue to work with New College Pontefract sports leaders in a series of disability games lessons. Some children even competed in a tournament at Wingfield. It has been a pleasure to see the children grow in confidence and enthusiasm for the sports.  

In science, the children have continued to explore electricity. We have focused on our key Scientist-Thomas Edison. The children learnt all about his life and inventions, and how this legacy lives on to this day. After all, we all use electric lights. Thank you Mr Edison!   

Spring Term 1st Half 

Our topic for the Spring term is all about Ancient Egypt. We began our learning by creating a human timeline to help us understand what it is to be ancient. We also discussed key words such as civilisation, society and achievements. We looked at other civilisations which existed around the time of the Ancient Egyptians and plotted these on a world map. The children can now discuss ways in which the Ancient Egyptians were civilised. We continued our learning by exploring the impact which the River Nile had on this civilisation. The children understand why the Ancient Egyptians may have never existed without it. They have studied a range of sources and discussed what artefacts teach us about the time.  

The children have enjoyed learning about the mummification process and have written their own set of instructions to inform someone of the process. They have also carried out their own research about the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Children can identify key dates and significant people around this exciting story. Many children have produced excellent home learning linked to this topic area too. 

In literacy, we have started our new Talk for Writing initiative. The children learnt a modelled text called Sulius. They then innovated the story to fit with Ancient Egyptian times. The staff were impressed with their ideas and quality of writing. The children have become more confident in using fronted adverbials and know how to punctuate their sentences accurately. They have explored ways to improve their vocabulary choices and can make setting descriptions come alive.  

In numeracy, there has been a big focus on multiplication and division. The children have learnt formal written methods to solve a two or three digit number multiplied by a one-digit number. The children have become more confident in rapidly recalling multiplication facts up to 12x12. We continue to work on this through other platforms such as TT Rockstars and MathsFrame MTC. The children will be taking the multiplication tables check in the summer term so it is vital that they can confidently recall all multiplication facts up to 12x12.  

In art, the children have been developing their pastel skills through a series of linked lessons. The children have explored Egyptian art and then attempted their own versions. The children enjoyed copying the style as they found the 2d format easy to recreate.  We learnt about hieroglyphics and used tea stained paper to write our own names on them. 

The children have been extremely lucky to work with New College Pontefract sports leaders in a series of dodgeball lessons. Some children even competed in a tournament at Wingfield. We will continue to work with them in the next term. It has been a pleasure to see the children grown in confidence and enthusiasm for the sport.  

In science, the children have been exploring electricity. We began by sorting and classifying items into battery and main operated appliances using a Venn diagram. Then we explored different components within a circuit. The children have enjoyed a variety of investigations including exploring how the brightness of a bulb can be changed and investigating conductors and insulators. We have discussed key scientists in this area and why we need these people. Some children have shown a great deal of interest in this field and may become our future electricians!  

Our Ancient Egyptian topic will continue into the next half term where children will learn about different aspects of daily life. We will also listen to other stories based around that time. We will then move onto Moses, the Prince of Egypt which will provide many opportunities for creative writing.