STEM week – Monday
STEM week has got going from the off with projects begun and visitors galore! We started the day with an introduction to our project for the week which will see us go home with light up bookmarks! We had to create a design first and make sure our circuit would work using electronic thread.
Then, we worked with Mrs Garside to learn all about hacking on the internet and discuss what this means for how we should use it safely. We followed this learning up by creating a movie trailer giving people tips on how to stay safe on line when there are hackers about.
In the afternoon, our computing heads were on again as we had to create some complicated code which would control a robot. We worked in groups and then thought about how controlling robots fits into everyday life and a number of careers around today and many more in the future.
We can’t wait for the rest of the week now!
Did you know that lemons float but limes sink?
Neither did we. But it’s true: Lemons float and limes sink!
After we discovered this we predicted which objects would float and which objects wouldn’t float. Then, we investigated.
In our investigation, we learnt that whether an object floats has nothing to do with its weight, but its density. For example, in our investigation, we found that an empty can of coke floats and a full can of diet coke floats despite being heavier. Furthermore, a tiny paper clip didn’t float.
Right at the end of our lesson, some of the children enquired further:
- “If you put something that sinks on top of something that floats what happens?” (Pippa)
- “Do boats have sides to stop the water getting in and making it heavier?” (Edward)
We hadn’t planned to but we investigated it anyway – science is fun and we should enquire and investigate as much as possible. Ask your child what we found out!
Ask your child why a lemon floats but a lime sinks. They should be able to give you a ‘text-book’ answer including the words ‘density’ and ‘particles’.
Robot coding!
This morning, as part of STEM week, we were lucky to have a visitor who taught us how to code robots. In groups we were given a car and a computer and by the end of the session each group had programmed their robot to move in a variety of ways.
It was really exciting and we learnt lots about computer coding, science, maths and working with others.
Ask your child if they can figure out what this robot would do.
Hint: the number ‘1’ = forwards mode.
We learnt that coding can be quite frustrating – one tiny mistake in your script can mean that your robot does nothing. However, we did enjoy de-bugging (finding the errors) our scripts to ensure they worked.
Computing can be a scary topic for some adults (most of us aren’t part of the coding generation like Y5) but there are some great online resources that can help. A particular favourite of mine is Barefoot Computing. It’s free and links closely to the National Curriculum. Although it’s aimed at teachers, it will be beneficial for everyone because the website is also easy to navigate and understand.
Here’s some pics of us coding our robots…
VE Day celebrations
We had a great time dressing up and celebrating our very own Victory in Europe day on Friday.
It was a fantastic way to end our ‘Class Novel’ topic and we all had a great time. As well as having lots of fun at our VE day party, we also reflected on all the great learning we’ve enjoyed over the last eight weeks. It was particularly useful to hear which aspects of the topic the children have enjoyed the most and why.
Ask your child what they learnt over the course of this big topic and discuss the relevance/importance of this learning.
Also, discuss their views on the class novel they read. Did they enjoy it? Why? Did they empathise with the characters? Why?
Guided Reading
Due to STEM week, guided reading this week will not be happening as usual. On Friday, all children were asked to have read to their target page by Tuesday. Please don’t worry if your child doesn’t quite manage to read to their target page – I appreciate that it may be difficult to manage on top of homework and general life (although most groups will have had their target page set on Monday and Tuesday last week giving them almost a week to read).
When changes to guided reading are made it is always to improve learning. Although your child may generally read on a set day (eg Tuesday) this will change from time to time. Please don’t allow your child to be anxious about not having read to their target page – this does not make reading enjoyable. Instead, encourage them to read to their target page soon after they are given it.
Thank you.
SEAL
This week, we did an activity that focused on some dilemmas. The children had to work as a team to decide whether they thought each situation was serious and which not as serious (although still a problem).
The children ordered each scenario from 1-9 and placed them into a Diamond 9. Number 1 being the most concerning and 9 being less of a concern. We had a discussion and each team presented their ideas.
Gymnastics
Last week, we learnt how to make different shapes using our bodies. We practised these on the floor. This week, we transferred these to off the ground. Some shapes were a lot harder to make off-ground! The shapes we learnt are: Pike, Straight, Arch, Dish, Straddle, Star and Tuck. Can your child say which shapes they can see above?
Year 2 famous artists for a day
This afternoon saw the opening of the Year 2 Art Gallery. Thank you to all family who came to visit. We hope you enjoyed seeing all the amazing work Year 2 have produced during our Katie and… topic.
You could have a read of the books that helped us create all of this fantastic art.
You could put on your headphones and listen to the pieces of music (Adagio for Strings and O Fortuna) and then show the different emotions in your art.
You could take a vote on your favourite piece of art.
You could spend the time viewing the many pieces of artwork.
We hope you enjoyed our hands on live poppy field art for Remembrance Day.
Did you attempt some spirograph art? It’s not as easy as it looks!
Thank you for the donations to our school charities, Leeds Mind and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
We have been very impressed with the engagement and enthusiasm from the children throughout this topic. We will miss Katie and her adventures.
Class Assembly
Our class assembly is tomorrow at 2:40pm!
York’s Chocolate Story
We had a great time yesterday at York’s Chocolate Story. We learnt about the history of chocolate and how York has played a huge part in its history. We were introduced to the founding families of confectionery companies such as the Rowntree family, the Fry family and the Terry family. We learnt about jobs at the factories and what factory life was like. Did you know that the Rowntree factory in York has its own fire department? York still plays a big part in chocolate production in the UK – did you know that 6,000,000 KitKats are made each day in York?
Here are some pictures to show you some of our exciting day.
Chocolate Tasting
– When we held our noses, we couldn’t taste it!
– Not everyone enjoyed the very dark chocolate!
We made chocolate lollies!
We watched the chocolatier make chocolates.
Jobs in the factory
– The women are putting the foil on chocolate eggs.
– The man in checking the quality of the cocoa beans.
Getting ready to make lickable wallpaper – ask your child why they had to wear blue.
Happy with their creations.
We walked past York Minster and one group took a stroll down The Shambles.