Phew! What a busy week we had last week, but an enjoyable one. The children worked really hard and are ready for some fantastic activities this week. So, here's what's on the menu...
Literacy
After the fabulous writing the children came up with last week, we are beginning our new theme of Narrative with the children. Put simply, this week will be about writing stories. The children learned how to write some great openers last week and we are looking forward to seeing some of those being applied to alonger piece of writing.
The children will be looking at writing a fairy story, but with a difference. We have a great text to share with the children on MOnday, just to give them a few pointers. You could help at home, by discussing some of the stories that you read with your child when they were younger.
Do they know the 'ingredients' of a fairy story? Where are they usually set? Who are the characters you would expect to meet?
We will be using the story mountain planning frame, so when you hear you child read at home this week, see if they are able to plot that story onto the right section of the mountain.
A couple of websites that may help you support you child at home with this are :
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy.htm fractured fairy tales
http://www.mythfolklore.net/3043mythfolklore/reading/jacobsenglish/pages/01.htm a number of fairy tales that cane be read in 5 minutes each, with comprehension questions included.
http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/english/activities/literature_comp/lit_comp_home.htm literacy comprehension based on excerpts from children’s novels
Numeracy
This week in numeracy, each group is working on some very practical aspects of maths. In Mrs Millington's group, they will focussing on angles; Miss Wilson's group will be looking at shape and area/perimeter and Mrs Worrall's group will be continuing their theme of measurement, but with a focus on time, particularly the 24 hour clock.
Some practical ways of helping at home this week -
Ask your child to find the area of your living room. Tell them that you would like a new carpet fitted for Christmas and that you need them to calculate the area and then work out how much it is likely to cost.
For time, you could use the newspaper, teletext, Freeview/Sky listing, and ask your child to work out what time 'Corrie' starts using the 24 hour clock.
As usual, please keep plugging away at the time tables. We are certainly starting to see a difference in the children, as their confidence seems to be increasing as they can recall the facts much quicker.Keep Going...it IS working!!
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/measures.htm#Time time games
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/PerimeterExplorer/?version=1.5.0_06&browser=MSIE&vendor=Sun_Microsystems_Inc. perimeter explorer
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/perimeterarea/perimeterarea.html build your own spaceship – shows the links between area and perimeter – whilst the area changes, the perimeter stays the same
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/shape.htm#Angles angles games
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/shape.htm#Shapes
http://www.sums.co.uk/playground/hd6a/playground.htm graphs including line graphs
This is a great one - we will be using this at the beginning of our maths lessons this week, and it even has the Coutndown music!
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/countdown/index.htm countdown for maths
Science
In practical science this week, we will be giving the children a question to answer about dissolving. They will also have to predict how they can make the substances dissolve faster, or slow the process down.
In our science topic of Forces, the children will also have some investiagtion work to do, but we don't want to give too much away! All we can say, is that it involves lots of paper and a bucket of paper clips!! All we be revealed next week!
Remember on Monday, that we will be having our parachute competetion, to see which one falls to the ground the slowest and the quickest. We can't wait to see some of the designs.
I have out quite a few links on the blog over the last few weeks, but here are a couple more:
http://www.e4s.org.uk/director/dissolve.htm dissolving salt water
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/physical/
Here I Am
As a Catholic School, we follow an RE scheme called Here I Am. Each term, we devote one week to another world faith. This week, we are looking at Hinduism. There are some lovely stories to read for this topic, and they tie in really well with our work on Fairy Tales/Legends.
On Friday, the Year 3/4 children will be showing us a dance that they did during their week on India. We will also have the opportunity to taste some Indian food on Friday, so please inform us if your child has any food allergies.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/re/b-dag/ngfl-container/re-unit3-en.html diwali information
http://pof.reonline.org.uk/hindu.php Hinduism information
http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/hackney/accounts/staff/religionslt/web/places/hindu/index/ explanation about what a mandir is
ICT
We will be looking at the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT this week. The children will be looking at manipulating graphics in an objects based package and comparing it with pencil and paper methods.
Have a look at these sites, which explain things in a bit more detail.
http://www.train.stockton.gov.uk/pages/viewpage.asp?uniqid=1848
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/ict/qca/ks2/unit5A/graphicalmodelling/index.html
Geography
We love this week! The children blend their art, RE, Geography, music and we even do some cooking! The children will use a map of the world to locate where different foods come from. They have to use their knowledge from last week about where the different mountain ranges are, to be able to locate the countries and continents. Whilst doing all this, the children will be listening a variety of Indian music, to link in with their topic on Hinduism. The children will also be making some coconut barfi. These are Indian sweets, which the children will be eating at our Indian party on Friday.
We will be using some brilliant on-line resources too, but please do be patient. They do take quite a long time to download, but they are worth the wait...particularly the talking alien!
http://www.channel4.com/apps26/learning/microsites/E/essentials/geography/units/mount_bi.shtml
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/mappingourworld/mapping_our_world/l/lesson1/index.htm
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/pagesHomeworkHelp/resources/ download the maps and plot where the mountains should go on the world maps
http://mapzone.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/pagesHomeworkHelp/maptivity/ map games – look likes a playstation game where you have to load dvds
Primary Spanish
Last year, as you are aware, the children in 5/6 began to learn some French as a modern foreign language. We still use the Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes brain break! This year, the children will have the opportunity of learning Spanish. We have forged some really strong links with schools in Spain and we hope to begin video-conferncing with them in the near future.
We will be starting some of the language basics this week, so I have included a few websites for you to brush up on that holiday vocabulary! Don't worry, there are videos there to help with pronunciation!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/lj/itinerary.shtml
http://www.espanol-extra.co.uk/
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/journey/spain/spindex.htm cultural information about Spain
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryspanish/
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/languages/Goldilocks/Spanish/Rubiales2.html
Can you spot the words that mean the same as mum, dad, porridge, big and small?
Just a final note. Thank you to all the parents who have made sure that their child has thier PE kit in school. We still have a few children who haven't brought in the outdoor kit, so let's aim for 100% next week!
Have a good week.
5/6 team
