Welcome to Class 5
Welcome to Class 5! Children have made a fantastic start to the new school year and have already begun learning many exciting topics.
- PE is taught on a Friday
- Children will be going swimming on a Thursday.
- Spellings are sent home every Thursday ready for our weekly spelling test the following Monday.
- Homework is sent home on a Thursday and is due back on a Tuesday.
- Outdoor learning is taught on a Tuesday.
Our topic for the first term is focused around James Cook.
Literacy
In Literacy this half term, we are reading ‘Cook’s Cook’ by Gavin Bishop. We will be following the 1768 journey of James Cook’s H.M.S. Endeavour with his ship’s cook, the one-handed John Thompson, as story teller. Through real recipes from the ship’s galley, events on board and the places the ship travelled on its way to the Pacific, the book tells multiple stories. Our written work will be based around our class text, and we will be practicing key grammar skills and extending our vocabulary, as well as writing our own diary entries as a member of James Cook’s crew as they come into difficulties in the open water.
We will be continuing our sea voyage theme through the picture book “Island” by Mark Janssen, bursting with beautiful illustrations and packed full of imagination, this fantastic story will stimulate us to write a setting description showcasing the wonders of life at sea. Maria Kuzniar’s swashbuckling tale, “The Ship of Shadows” has it all – storms in jars, magic kraken bells, lost cities and a truly unique pirate ship! We look forward to sharing our brilliant writing creations with you.
Maths
In Maths, we are use our mastery approach to our lessons, developing our reasoning and problem solving skills and gaining a deeper understanding of key mathematical concepts. We will be focusing mainly on place value – learning numbers up to 1 million, comparing ordering and rounding numbers – as well as increasing our knowledge of the four operations. We will constantly be revisiting our times tables we have already learnt, becoming more confident with recalling our times table facts, as they are vital to so many different areas of Maths.
Science
In Science, we will be looking at materials. Through a range of exciting experiments, we will explore reversible changes, including, evaporating, filtering, sieving, melting and dissolving.
After half term, we will be exploring Forces! We will be focusing on identifying the effects if air resistance, water resistance and friction that act between moving surfaces. We will also be investigating how unsupported objects fall towards the Earth because of the force of gravity acting between the Earth and the falling objects.
History and Geography
In History this half term, we will be investigating the question “Who is James Cook and what is he famous for?” In order to answer this question we will consider the significant events in James Cook’s life, placing them on a timeline. We are keen to become inquisitive historians, making relevant historical enquiries and considering a range of primary and secondary sources to find out about life onboard HMS Endeavour, as well as some of his achievements.
In Geography, we will be investigating the question “Where were some of the important places in James Cook’s life?” We will start by looking at some locations on our doorstep in the North East, considering how they may be different now than in James Cook’s times. We will be putting our map-work skills to the test; plotting Cook’s journey on The Resolution and locating Cook Island. We will also consider the climate of Cape Horn and Antarctica.
Art and DT
In Art, we will be focusing on our drawing and printing skills. Our drawings will be part of our new, exciting “Big Draw” initiative, where we have a go at drawing the same object each year to see how our drawing skills are developing. We will consider techniques such as shading and hatching, as well as line and tone. We will be experimenting with a range of different printing techniques as well as overlaying colours to create our own abstract design wrapping paper.
In DT, we will have the opportunity to create our own soft toys, following the design process; research, design, create and evaluate. We will learn to sew blanket stitch and thread our needles independently.
RE
This term in RE, we will be considering the significance of the synagogue in Judaism. We will look at Orthodox and Reform synagogues, comparing them to the role of the church in Christianity. We will then consider the role of giving at Christmas in Christianity, exploring the question “How and why do Christians give to others at Christmas?”, in particular we will focus on Operation Christmas Child.
French
This half term, we will continue to develop our phonetical and cultural knowledge of French. We will be revisiting our French phonics using actions to help us recall key sounds and vocabulary. To progress in our conversational French, we will be looking at how to respond to some key questions we may be asked when meeting somebody. In the second half of the term, we will be looking into some places of interest in France, considering where in France we would like to visit. We love having the opportunity to learn about the exciting world around us!
PE
On a Thursday, we are lucky enough to go swimming. Please ensure that children come to school with their swimwear and a towel.
We will he additional PE lessons on a Friday and children will need to come to school wearing their PE kit. Keep a look out for more sporting events coming up in our school newsletter!
