This week, Year 4 enjoyed a visit from The Mimika Theatre Group.

We were transported through a non verbal exploration of four contrasting areas of the natural world.

Landscapes is a unique show featuring puppets, mime, lights and sound which was designed to communicate through atmosphere.

We witnessed remarkable visual effects and transformations all set inside a beautiful  dome.

Throughout the 45 minute session we enjoyed atmosphere, movements, rhythms, and sounds of four contrasting areas of the natural world.

The Sun rises over a buzzing desert, a chick hatches.

The Eagle leaves the nest in search of food.

Below, the Meerkats are alert.

The journey begins…..

Desert

Where the meerkats,lizards, snakes and scorpions battle each other but all live under the constant threat of danger from above…

…the ever circling Eagle searching for prey.

Rainforest

Where Apes and even the butterflies,spiders and birds are all drawn to a clutch of eggs on the riverbank but, the Crocodile is always on guard.

Sea

A crowded kaleidoscope of constant movement, the large and the small, the speedy and the slow, the beautiful and the ugly, the familiar and the bizarre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antarctic

Where the snow and the wind, the cold and the ice provide a harsh but beautiful background for the setting sun at  journey’s end.

What did we learn?

At the end of the performance, Year 4 went back to class and discussed the amazing experience we had just been a part of. Not only had this show enriched each child’s knowledge of life, it had also opened up some new and exciting vocabulary. We will be sure to use this in our current report writing. The children were able to say how this show has helped them to learn more about things like:

• environments
• habitats
• different species
• adaptation
• predators and prey
• life cylces
• food chains

We also discussed how using music in the production created an atmosphere for each environment.

“You can tell by the change in the music when a predator is nearby,” said Poppy, hiding behind her hands!

I really enjoyed the show and didn’t want it to end,” Henry said.

“We can honestly say that we found Landscapes to be one the most exciting, moving, educational performances we have ever seen. All the staff witnessed  an awe of wonder on every child’s face as they watched this incredible show.  Indeed, we were all very privileged to be a part of this journey through different lands.  All this without a word being spoken,”  discussed Mrs Freeman, Mrs Charlesworth (who was none to keen on the snakes) and Mrs Pearson. 

Below, there are some images from the Mikika Theatre website for you to enjoy with your child. Ask them to describe each picture and which creatures inhabit the environment shown.

In Year 4, we always try to link our reading area to our current topic. Children are encouraged to bring books in from home to add to our library and for others to enjoy.

As we begin our new topic, Life Forces, we decided to make the reading corner into a garden. We have created a calm, relaxing garden that is full of lots of reading resources linked to life. From learning about how your body works to leaflets from the local pet shop about how to care for various pets, we have the lot!

Alongside the reading, we also have some bulbs growing on the windowsill. These are amaryllis plants and are forming a daily observation. The children will observe these plants over time, record growth, photograph, note changes, observe the roots, check water levels and much more.

The bulbs were planted in different materials.

One is in stones, gravel and decorative pebbles and the other bulb is growing in soil, stones and chalk pebbles.

This week, we came to to end of our ‘Rocks and Soils‘ mini topic. For our final two lessons, we studied the job of an archaeologist and had our very own archaeological dig.

Our first lesson focused on generating, developing and communicating our ideas through discussion.

In groups, on large paper, children were asked to answer the questions through discussion, make notes and annotations.

• What is an archaeologist?
• What is their job? What skills do you think they need?
• Is the job of an archaeologist important? Why?
• What tools are needed for this job?

The children were given  sentence stems to use. This helps to evidence and back-up their ideas and reasons. For example:

• I think that an archaeologist would have to be good at maths. I think this because they would have to know about dates and times from different ages.
• If we don’t have evidence from the past, then we won’t be able to learn more about history.

For the next lesson things got MESSY! We had previously learnt that archaeologists find out about the past by discovering artefacts left behind by our ancestors, examining what they have found and then recording their discoveries for the future. With all this in mind, the children were asked to select appropriate tools for their excavation. Year 4 were able to choose suitable tools and give reasons as to why they select them.

• “You need to be very careful not to damage your fossil or artefact,” said Henry.
• “I think that a cotton bud would be useful to get into tiny areas,” commented Zara.

A container with layers of rock and sand was given to each group. The children then had to work carefully by removing tiny pieces of rock or layers of sand.

We excavated in layers rather than digging holes as this is how a real archaeologist works. When an artefact or fossil had been uncovered, the groups had to carefully clear the sand and rock from around the edges avoiding damage to the surface of the artefact itself.

After excavating in layers, the children had to make notes about each find until they reached the bottom of their container.

Once the dig had been completed, we looked at our finds and compared the details of each artefact or fossil.

We discussed things that were hard or challenging.

“I found it hard to get the fossil out in one piece. It was easier to leave room around it and then try to chip at the rock carefully,”  commented Arundeep.

Following a very successful dig, the children were asked to create a fact file for one of their finds.

The children examined their objects using a magnifying glass, measured the dimensions, sketched the find and recorded texture and appearance. In order to get an idea of the scale, we took photos of the objects alongside a ruler.

Well done to Year 4. They worked with patience and care. We all enjoyed these lessons. In fact, we have decided to make our class assembly a ‘Rocks and Soils’ themed one – YEAR 4 ROCK!

We’ll be performing this on Wednesday 17 January. We look forward to seeing you there!

Happy New Year and welcome back to what is set to be another very busy term!

Our first mini-topic is ‘What’s the matter?’ and is science-based. Children will learn about materials and their properties. We will explore what objects are made from and why. You can help your child learn more about this topic when choosing which clothes to wear and talking about which materials everyday objects are made from and why.  Children will also ask ‘What’s the matter?’ from a social and emotional point of view, thinking about how they can solve problems.

The next big topic is Life.

Life is all around us, in plants and animals, and comes in all shapes and sizes – it’s amazing! In this biology-based topic, we find out how our body works, what all living things have in common and the differences we might notice. Amongst other things, we’ll think about why animals choose particular habitats and why a healthy diet is important. Help your child at home by naming body parts, including the parts inside that you can’t see, discussing why you breathe hard after exercise and what plants you can see when you’re out and about.

This term, Year 4 will be diving into two class novels.

The first will be a Fighting Fantasy novel, which is the title given to a series of interactive books, also known as game books, that were developed by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. This book will certainly be intriguing and memorable because the children’s participation and the choices they make directly affects the outcome of the story!  Good luck!

The second will be ‘Akimbo and the Elephants’, written by Alexander McCall Smith.  Here’s the blurb:

‘Ten-year-old Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa. His father is the head ranger, and Akimbo is eager to help him whenever he can—even if it means getting into some pretty dangerous situations.’

How can you help?

Question your child about the book. What do they know about the characters? Perhaps, look at other books in ‘The Fighting Fantasy series.’

During the next term, we will be giving some children additional or alternative homework. This is because, in lessons, there are areas in Maths and English where extra practice (at home) would be very beneficial to consolidate the learning in school.

Please support your child with this at home and if you’re not sure of how best to do this then please pop in and ask us. We’re always happy to help.

On behalf of all the adults that have been working in Year 1, I would just like to say thank you. We all received lots of unexpected gifts and cards. This is much appreciated.

Happy holidays!

Many congratulations to a very talented artist.

A winning design has been chosen by the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Cllr Jane Dowson, for her official Christmas card this year. The winner received a special thanks and congratulations on stage at the Lord Mayor’s Christmas carol concert on Thursday evening.

Following the Christmas card competition which was launched with Candelighters, the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity in August, over 600 entries were received from children aged up to 13 years. The only criteria given was the theme – ‘Leeds at Christmas’.

The winner created a Christmas winter scene incorporating some of the iconic buildings in Leeds. He was presented with a copy of his actual Christmas card by the Lord Mayor as well as a special prize from Candelighters.

A superb achievement – well done!

Our idea for calendars this year, is based around The Northern Lights.

Since the beginning of time, people have told stories and legends to explain natural, but mysterious occurrences. The Northern Lights is one example. The Vikings thought the Northern Lights were caused by the shining weaponry of immortal warriors. The Alaskan Inuit people believed the lights were the souls of salmon, deer and other animals. The Menominee Indians thought the lights were the torches of giants living in the North.

Following a session finding out the facts, we set to work on designs for our calendars. I was amazed how much the children understood about the phenomenon of The Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights are actually caused by electrons from solar winds. They are attracted to the poles by the magnetic fields found there. They mix with gases in the atmosphere, causing the gases to glow. Solar flares can also cause the Northern Lights to appear.

Using chalks and smudging techniques, some great design began to emerge. The children chose colours carefully and mixed these to create a vision of light.

The finished gallery.

Well done to all the children for such a great Christmas performance this week. A lot of hard work has gone into this production and many many rehearsals.

Thank you also to all who came to watch. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

A few pictures below.