Spring term after-school clubs
We’ve had a great first week to our after-school clubs. There are some places available on the following clubs if your child would like to join. Please refer to the letter below to show the relevant year groups.
Living and Learning: Drug education
For the past two weeks, we have been focussing on drug education. We defined a drug as ‘a substance that changes the way the body or mind works.’
Year 5 looked at what might influence a person to use drugs. They were asked to discuss what would most influence whether a person would use the drug. This is a group’s answer ranked with the most likely influence at the top.
They were then asked to rank what is mostly likely to influence someone not to use the drug. This was another group’s answer.
As this was group work, the children used their oracy skills of actively listening to others and respond respectfully as we know that people can have different opinions.
Knowing people can be influenced, we looked at the 3 different ways someone can respond to the pressure.
The children were given scenarios to read and asked to identify who or what the character is being influenced by and whether they are feeling pressure, including peer pressure (pressure from those around them). Then, consider the different ways the character could respond:
∙What would be an example of a passive response? For example, joining in with the group to feel included
∙What would be an example of an aggressive response? For example, shouting “no” and being rude to others
∙What would be an example of an assertive response? For example, saying a calm, firm but polite “no thanks”
Help at home: Read the scenario and discuss what would the 3 ways to respond be.
We are chemists!
In our next unit of science, we are chemists. Chemistry is the study of the properties of substances and the changes they go through.
In this week’s lesson, Year 5 answered the question ‘Which materials are electrical conductors and electrical insulators?’. Our enquiry type was identifying, classifying and grouping. To test this, the children created an open circuit. This allowed each material to be placed into it. If the material was an electrical conductor, the bulb would lit up as the electricity could pass through the material. If the material was an electrical insulator, the bulb would not lit up.
Next week, we are planning an experiment that looks at thermal insulators and conductors.
Help at home: Discuss this unit’s key vocabulary. Can you use these words in a sentence?
Science: Zoom with a scientist!
This morning, Year 5 had a zoom with a scientist. They discussed all things space and satellites.
He showed us a picture of every satellite currently orbiting around the earth! There are now satellites which are only 5cm x 5cm x 5cm big.
We learnt that satellites help us in our everyday lives. For example, they are used to monitor the weather, guide us using GPS and give us more information about other planets.
The children were able to ask him some questions about space. They asked some brilliant ones:
- Is there only one international space centre?
- How do you breathe in space?
- Why is space dark?
- Why is space cold?
He also told us some very interesting facts:
- Space smells like metal.
- The light from the sun takes 8 minutes to reach to Earth.
- Due to the size of Jupiter, when it orbits the sun, it actually makes the sun wobble.
Help at home: What fact did your child find the most interesting?
Reading: Retrieval
This week’s reading learning focussed on our new class novel: The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie.
Year 5 read the first chapter of the book and used evidence from the text to draw and label what they thought the inside of the shop looked like.
Help at home: Summarise what has happened in the book so far. Who is the main character? What has happened to them? What does the shop look like?
We are geographers!
This half-term our topic is geography. We are geographers! This is a type of scientist who studies the Earth. Geographers study the land (the physical features of the Earth) and the people who live within it (the human features).
In our first lesson of the topic, we looked at the difference between weather and climate.
We also discussed our new key vocabulary for this unit. Did you know the lines of latitude are imaginary lines (measured in degrees) that show how far north or south of the Equator a place is. The further the latitude is from the equator, the colder the climate is. We watched this video to help us understand the difference between latitude and longitude.
In our second lesson of this week, Year 5 learnt about the difference between global warming and climate change. The children decided how they would show this learning: some created videos of news reports; some created scripts interviewing a geographer; and some created posters.
Help at home: In class, Year 5 created actions to remember our geographical concept. Ask your children to act them out!
Saturday morning cross country runners
Well done to all our KS2 pupils who took part in the third Leeds Schools Sports Association cross country race at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Otley on Saturday morning.
It was great to have some first time runners this time and many improved their race positions from last time.
Thank you to parents who supported at the event.
There is one more race this season and information will be sent about these nearer the time. Please note there is a new registration system this year with all children being registered prior to their first race to take part.
Living and Learning: Mental Health
Year 5 looked at learning how to identify worry and actions that a person can take if they feel worried.
We looked at different scenarios and how each person might be feeling in these situations. What similarities and differences might these two people be feeling?
Then, the children went on to talk about what physical signs of worry which might be seen. Year 5 gave lots of great ideas:
- heart beating faster
- sweaty hands
- getting frustrated/angry
- biting your nails
- not paying attention to other things other than the worry
Here are lots of ideas to help with dealing with worries.
- Writing worries down
- Speaking to someone trusted about worries
- Doing something about it (if possible!)
- Scrunching up and releasing
- Being active
- Learning something new
- Doing a favourite hobby
- Creating (for example, doing a piece of art, crafts or making a drama)
Help at home: Have a discussion with your child about how they would deal with their worries.
Drop Down Morning
Drop Down Morning was topic learning this time! In this morning, we recapped our Geography learning from Y3/4; our History learning about the Romans and Anglo Saxons; and our DT learning from Y3/4.
In our Geography session, the children had to use atlases and google maps to locate the capital cities in the UK. Some children could do this without even looking at maps to help them! They then had to identify other cities and the four main rivers.
In our History lesson, the children had to match their key vocabulary to the definition. They then had time to use the iPads to research using secondary sources to find the answers to some key learning points about the Romans and Anglo Saxons. To finish off, Year 5 completed a word search.
In our DT session, the children recapped their famous designer: Jonathan Ive. The children could remember that he was chief designer officer for Apple. We then looked at different design criteria; the children were tasked with matching the design criteria to the bag. Finally, the had to create their own criteria for an umbrella.
Help at home: What can your child remember about the Anglo Saxons or Romans? Why not try to identify the design criteria for this coat?
Guided Reading Week 5
Here are the target pages for this week’s guided reading. These need to be read by Friday 13th December.
Extra Time: up to chapter ‘Second Half’/page 139.
Divine Freaks: up to chapter 16/page 155.
Mr Gum: finish the book.
How To Train Your Dragon: up to chapter 15/page 191.
Kensuke’s Kingdom: up to chapter 9/page 131.
