We are biologists
This half-term, we’re biologists, learning specifically about plants.
Here’s a list of key words that we’ve been learning as part of our topic.
seed: the part of a plant which can grow into a new plant
bulbs: the round underground part of a plant that contains food for the plant (eg onion bulb, daffodil bulb, tulip bulb)
basic needs: the things that a plant needs to live
temperature: a measurement of how hot or cold something is
growth: an increase in size
healthy: feeling well and happy
germinate: when a seed begins to grow into a plant
seedling: a young plant grown from a seed
Throughout this learning, we have been carrying two investigations.
How do bulbs grow? What do plants need to help them grow?
We put some onion bulbs in different conditions and observed the changes over time.
Ask your child to explain what had happened.
What do seeds need to germinate?
After observing and comparing different seeds, we planted seeds in different locations (and therefore different conditions). All the plants were given water.
Week 1
After one week, this is what had happened. The seeds had germinated in two out of the three locations. Even though the seedlings had started to grow in the cupboard and the classroom, they looked different and we observed these differences.
After two weeks, we were surprised to see that the seeds in the fridge had started to germinate. There were only small seedlings and they looked pale and not very healthy. The seedlings in the classroom on the window sill were definitely looking the healthiest with lots of dark green leaves.
We’ve also noticed a change in the tree in the front playground. How has it changed?
Help at home this week, the children have taken home their own planted sunflower seed to look after. Read the instructions to help the plant to grow as best as it can. We’d love to see how the plants are getting on!
Women’s role after WW2
After the end of WW2, women who had been working in munitions factories and doing agricultural work for the Women’s Land Army had to return to more traditional roles as men returned from war.
Having their horizons narrowed, women who worked during the war told stories to their daughters about the experiences of work they’d had during WW2.
As a result, the 60s and 70s saw the emergence of feminist groups who protested against the inequality between women and men.
In our history learning, we made freeze frames to illustrate how women felt after the end of WW2. Feelings of anger, solidarity and a longing to return to the jobs they had experienced during the war were prominent.
Help at home by asking your child if they can remember what the end of WW2 meant for women. This website is useful to recap our learning, too: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/did-ww2-change-life-for-women/zbktwty
Well done, Y6!
Basketball
City of Leeds Basketball, who provide our after-school basketball clubs, have a range of sessions for children of all ages.
Visit their website to book.
Summer 1: Week 5
On Tuesday, we made fruit kebabs. We practised our fine motor skills by cutting the fruit and threading the pieces onto the kebab sticks. Some of the children made their fruit kebab into a repeating pattern.
After making our fruit kebabs, we enjoyed eating them in the sunshine with our friends.
Literacy
We’ve been reading Farmyard Hullabaloo by Gile Andreae.
When reading, the children enjoyed listening carefully and working out the missing rhyming words. After this, we had a go at making our own rhyming strings. For example, munch, crunch, bunch, lunch
Help at home: Can you think of your own rhyming string?
PE
Yesterday afternoon, we enjoyed another Foot—Tech session. We used beanbags and different sized balls to practise our throwing skills. We explored lots of different types of throws: underarm, overarm, two-handed, one-handed, backwards, through our legs.
Poetry Picnic
This week’s poem was called The Fox. When learning this poem, we shared lots of our own experiences about foxes.
Caterpillars
It’s exciting times in Reception… all of our caterpillars have now made a chrysalis (cocoon). Everyday, we’re observing and waiting patiently for the final stage of the cycle. I’m keeping my fingers crossed this happens before before we break up for half-term!
Phonics
This week, we’ve been learning to read and write words ending in:
- – ing
For example, squelching, twisting - – ed =/t/
For example, bumped, cracked - -ed = /id/
For example, grunted, trusted - -est
For example, plumpest, freshestWe also learnt the last two phase 4 tricky words.
Help at home: Practise reading and writing the phase 4 tricky words.~
Reminders
- As the weather gets warmer, it’s so important we keep hydrated. Please send your child to school with a water bottle and a named sun hat.
- Library books need to be returned every Friday.
It looks like the weekends going to be a warm one! I hope you all have a happy and healthy one whatever you get up to.
History – Heroes!
We are really enjoying our History topic this half term all about real life heroes! We have been studying Nelson Mandela and Leonora Cohen and how they changed the world by fighting for what they believed in.
We have learnt lots of facts about both people. Try asking your child about Nelson Mandela or Leonora Cohen so they can show off what they know! I have been very impressed at how well the children have understood the ideas we have been talking about.
In this week’s lesson, we learnt about how Leonora Cohen protested for women to have the right to vote. We learnt she went to the Tower of London and threw an iron bar at a glass cabinet containing the Crown Jewels. We discussed whether this was the right thing to do or not. After we had discussed this, we got into small groups and acted out the incident, thinking carefully about how Leonora would have been feeling before, during and after the event.
Help at home by talking to your children about what they have learnt, including the vocabulary which has been sent home on today’s homework sheet.
Auditions for Y5/6 Production: Porridge
If you would like to audition for a specific role in this year’s production, please read on!
- Select a role you would like to audition for.
- Select no more than one page of dialogue to practise from the script.
- Rehearse for your audition which will take place on one of the following days:
Tuesday 23rd May
Wednesday 24th May
Thursday 25th May
Please tell your class teacher which role you will be auditioning for on Friday 19th May.
Writing: Expanded Noun Phrases
Over the next two weeks, in Writing, we will be exploring, planning and writing a WWII recount as if we are evacuees. Yesterday, the children looked at and created Expanded Noun Phrases (ENPs) that they could use in their piece of writing.
An ENP is made up of a ‘determiner adjective, adjective noun’ or ‘determiner adjective noun’. Here are a few we made:
- a picturesque view
- several weary, emotional evacuees
- many worried, exhausted mothers
- the congested, humid train
Help at home: Take a look at ENPs on BBC bitesize or create your own ENPs for this picture.
History: The End Of WWII
In History, we are nearing the end of our WWII topic and therefore looking at VE day. VE day stands for Victory in Europe day. This day was celebrated on the 8th May 1945. The children looked at a variety of photos that showed the celebrations that took place. We also discussed how the return of men (from the army) impacted the women’s role during WWII.
They then created their own freeze frames or dramas recreating the scenes.
Living and Learning: healthy eating
Over the past few weeks, Year 3 have been learning about healthy eating and how to make healthy choices regarding food.
As a school, we promote a happy and healthy lifestyle. Eating and drinking healthily doesn’t necessarily mean only eating fruit, broccoli and peas but it means having a balanced diet.
As part of our lesson, we discussed this pie chart called the Eatwell Guide. It shows us how much of eat food group we should aim to be eating in a day.
Aiming to have at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day means that our body is getting the important nutrients and vitamins that it needs.
Help at home by challenging your child and see how many different fruit and vegetables they can name!
Tom Palmer virtual visit
Tom Palmer is an author who writes children’s books and today, Year 4 had a virtual visit with him! Some of the year 4’s recognised his name and some of his books as we have some of them in the library.
He began by talking about how he got into writing…
As a child, he didn’t enjoy reading, didn’t think he was any good at it and didn’t like it until his mum tricked him into it by using football! He began to read comics and newspapers about football and this helped him practise his reading and he started to love it! His love for reading then inspired him to become an author and his ideas for different books come mainly from football, animals and war. “Write about what you love,” said Tom. This was great to hear as we always encourage Year 4 to use what you love and know to help you write and read.
Question time!
A handful of Year 4s asked Tom a question such as;
How long does it take for you to write a book?
It depends! Some books take 6 weeks to write and some take 6 months… it depends what I’m writing about and how long the book is.
What gave you inspiration for ‘Arctic Star’?
My wife used to work on HMS Belfast so her stories about the ship inspired me to write about a war ship.
Why have you set some of your stories in Leeds?
I set some of my stories in Leeds because I’m from Leeds! Writing about somewhere that I know makes it easier as I can add more detail to it.
Help at home by researching Tom Palmer and some of his books.