DT

For our second DT topic we have been constructing a slingshot car. We built the chasis using wooden lolly sticks and tape. To ensure that the wheels on our car could turn we threaded wooden skewers through a straw and then pushed the skewer ends very carefully into a hole that Mr Hinkley made in the middle of some milk bottle tops. To create a launch mechanism, we used a paper clip and an elastic band. Before we designed the bodies of our vehicles we had a little practise at launching them by gently pulling back on the elastic band and releasing it. 

                                        History

Would you have preferred to live in the Stone Age, Bronze Age or Iron Age? 

To answer this question, we have been studying the Bronze Age. We have looked at archaeological evidence found near Skara Brae and deduced how the Bronze Age transformed Prehistoric life.

                                            Geography

We have been learning about volcanoes. We looked at the layers of the Earth and what causes volcanoes to erupt. We used maps and atlases to locate various countries across the world paying particular attention to fault lines and where tectonic plates are located.

                                   ART

During our art lessons we have been looking at mixed media abstract art. We have been inspired by artists like Matisse and Heny Moore. We created a wax resist background and then covered it with soapy black paint. Using our Matisse inspired collages we then scraped the black paint off using a cocktail stick to create different patterns. 

                                            PE

During our PE lessons we have been learning how to play hockey. We have learned the basic rules and how to hold the stick correctly and position our bodies. We really enjoy playing mini games.

                             French

We have been looking at people and how to describe them. We looked at hair and eye colour and height. We also looked at personality traits such as being hard workers/ happy or serious. We focused on masculine and feminine nouns. We have also started to look at clothing and where in a sentence the adjective or colour would go. 

DT

Our DT project this half term has been focused on fastenings. Our brief was to design a book sleeve that met certain criteria, one of which being that it must have a fastening. We spent some time designing a template to ensure proportions were correct before transfering that to fabric. We had to use lots of different skills, especially perseverance when it came to threading the needles! I think everyone was happy with their final creation, it is lovely to see them being used on reading books in the classroom.

Outdoor learning

During outdoor learning we took the time to look at the positive parts of our environment as well as notice things that we could improve to make the area even better. We recorded these and have set ourselves some tasks for future outdoor learning sessions. With the weather turning more inclement, we brought our outdoor learning inside! We used recycled materials to create Christmas decorations that we placed on our Eco-tree and displayed it at the local Christmas tree festival. Storm Darragh is due tomorrow (7/12) so we checked our surroundings to try to minimise any possible damage.

Music

Working in small groups, we finished our compositions based on the structure of the rainforest. We used the skills we have been developing throughout our music lessons, focussing on tempo, dynamics, texture and structure. Each group performed their final composition to the rest of the class.

Food chains

We have been identifying producers, predators and prey in food chains. During our science lesson last week we became predators and prey in a game to help us learn about feeding relationships between animals and the effect this has on population size. Some of us took on the role of the lynx and the rest of us were hares. It was a great visual that helped us to analyse prey-predator graphs later on.

RE

We have been looking at the ways in which religious worldwide views are connected and thinking about the ways we can be respectful towards these views. We have discovered that there is more than one way to understand God and that we should be tolerant of and respect different faiths and beliefs. The maze was used to show that there are lots of different beliefs and pathways to God.

Maths

Learning times tables is fun! We are developing our skills, using games and TT rockstars to improve our fluency. 

Music

In our music lessons we have been finding out about and having a go at creating body percussion. We listened to a piece of music that sounded like rain, it began with a gentle pitter, patter before building up to torrential rain and thunder. As a group, we discussed the structure and texture of the music which allowed us to identify the different layers that were playing at the same time. We then had a go at creating our own version of the rain storm using our own body percussion.

                                   Science

We have started to explore our new topic about electricity. We have researched where our power might come from, starting with power stations and moving to plug sockets. We tried creating our own electrical circuits using a power pack, crocodile clips and a simple light bulb. Once we had learned how to make an electrical circuit, we started experimenting with different materials to discover which ones were conductors or insulators.