Welcome to the Summer Term
It is great to have everyone back in school and our class together again. This term, we are being taught by both Miss Richardson and Miss Crampton who has joined us from High Force Education to finish her teaching placement here in Year 6. We are very lucky to have such a fantastic teacher joining us for this term and we look forward to all of the great things we will be learning.
This term, our main topic is Japan and The Olympics. We will be exploring famous Olympians like Usain Bolt and finding out much more about the country of Japan which is the host for the Olympic Games 2021.
Literacy
In literacy, we will be learning all about Usain Bolt and creating our very own biographies. Later in the term, we will be reading a fantastic book called Holes by Louis Sachar. This is a great children’s novel that is set in the modern world and has many twists and turns. In year 6, pupils will be continuing to develop their presentation as well as developing language and grammar skills that make us independent Year 6 writers.
Maths
In maths, we will be learning all about angles. Using protractors to measure angles and draw them ourselves. Later on, we will be finding missing angles on a straight line, at a point and in 2D shapes. In the second half of the term, we will be deepening our knowledge of decimals, adding, subtracting , multiplying and dividing decimals as well as looking at decimals to 3 places into the thousandths. Towards the end of term, we will consolidate the Year 6 curriculum by looking at a range of puzzles and problems in readiness for secondary school.
History
In History we will be learning all about the History of Medicine. Starting back in The Dark Ages and seeing what weird and wonderful ideas people had to cure diseases. Then we will follow medicine through time – looking at the work of famous medical pioneers such as Edward Jenner who developed the vaccine and Louis Pasteur who developed and proved Germ Theory. We will be organising people, places and events on timelines as well as researching our own information about Medical History.
Geography
In Geography, we will be learning all about Japan. Looking specifically at the mega city of Tokyo and comparing its climate, population and geographical features to London. Later, we will be learning the names of the four main islands of Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu and looking at why Japan has so many volcanoes close by. At the end of the first half term, we will design our own Japanese gardens, looking carefully at typical features we include.
Science
In Science, we will be learning about Evolution and Inheritance. First, we will look at how offspring have common inherited features to their parents, but are not identical, and then we will be looking at how animals and plants adapt to suit their environment. In the second part of the term, we will be exploring the topic of Electricity. Finding out about how simple circuits work and the effects of voltage on the rightness of bulbs. We will be experimenting with circuit components and using recognised symbols to draw our own diagrams.
Physical Education
PE Kits should be worn on a Tuesday and Friday
In PE, we will be doing lots of running during our athletics sessions. We will first focus on running technique and style – thinking about what makes a good runner. Then we will experience short distance sprinting and then pacing ourselves over longer distances across the athletics field.
Later in the term, we will be taking part in competitive games of basketball as well as developing our skills and techniques to dribble, tackle and shoot. In June, the coach from Staindrop Academy will be teaching us Cricket lessons on a Friday afternoon from 2:15 to 3:00pm.
Art
In Art and Design, we are going to be learning about the work of an Artist called LeRoy Neiman – who has painted at many Olympic games. We will be looking in depth at his style, colour choices and replicating some of his work as well as creating our own painted piece of sports art.
Later in the term, we will be looking at the collage work of Charles Greeley. American Artist Greeley, uses printed Japanese papers to create spectacular collages and we will be using his techniques to create our own ‘Greeley’ inspired collage of a landscape.
Design and Technology
In D&T we will be completing 2 main projects. First, we will be using TinkerCAD to design our own play parks before turning our design into a physical model using a range of materials and skills to make play apparatus.
In the second half of the term, we will be designing our own Automata Toys. Thinking carefully about our choice of cam, we will design toys based on movement quality, aesthetics and fun design. I am sure children will enjoy this project and we look forward to sharing their finished products with parents at home.
