Friday, June 24, 2011
20th to 23rd June
We have had a short week this week as the teachers had an INSET day on Friday.
We have made good progress this week in our geography topic on the Lake District. We have been thinking in particular about tourism - why the Lake District Attracts tourists and the effects that tourism can have on the landscape. We have used newspaper reports, data tables and charts to find out facts about tourism and identify ways in which large numbers of tourists can have on the landscape. We then considered possible solutions to these problems.
On Thursday we had a special Arts Day at the Wheldon School. We joined Year 5 children from other schools in the Wheldon family at the secondary school and had four different arts activities, each connected with Africa. We began with drama, on safari and moving like African animals and hunters. The second activity was art, in which we painted animal masks after looking at pictures of animals to examine colouration and texture. After lunch we had two further activities. These were dance, when we created sequences representing movement through the jungle and finishing with music. We used percussion instruments to create and record rhythmic compositions and also had the opportunity to play the keyboards.
We have made good progress this week in our geography topic on the Lake District. We have been thinking in particular about tourism - why the Lake District Attracts tourists and the effects that tourism can have on the landscape. We have used newspaper reports, data tables and charts to find out facts about tourism and identify ways in which large numbers of tourists can have on the landscape. We then considered possible solutions to these problems.
On Thursday we had a special Arts Day at the Wheldon School. We joined Year 5 children from other schools in the Wheldon family at the secondary school and had four different arts activities, each connected with Africa. We began with drama, on safari and moving like African animals and hunters. The second activity was art, in which we painted animal masks after looking at pictures of animals to examine colouration and texture. After lunch we had two further activities. These were dance, when we created sequences representing movement through the jungle and finishing with music. We used percussion instruments to create and record rhythmic compositions and also had the opportunity to play the keyboards.
# posted by Mr Jennings : 9:56 pm
Monday, June 20, 2011
13th to 17th June
We have made good progress with our technology project this week, making a simple automata with linear reciprocating movement from card materials to investigate a very simple cam mechanism. Then we began designing our own automata with the aim of using two cams.
In English we read some more of our Grandpa Chatterji story and also looked at two other stories set in India to try to identify aspects of Indian culture mentioned in them.
We had a special focus on music this week. We had one activity which was all about describing music (in terms of temp, volume and mood) and we also did two composing activities using percussion instruments.
It was our Sports' Day on Thursday afternoon and, on Friday, it was our school summer fair.
In English we read some more of our Grandpa Chatterji story and also looked at two other stories set in India to try to identify aspects of Indian culture mentioned in them.
We had a special focus on music this week. We had one activity which was all about describing music (in terms of temp, volume and mood) and we also did two composing activities using percussion instruments.
It was our Sports' Day on Thursday afternoon and, on Friday, it was our school summer fair.
# posted by Mr Jennings : 7:29 am
Saturday, June 11, 2011
6th to 10th June
We have begun a number of new pieces of work this week, the first after our half term holiday.
In English we are reading the novel Grandpa Chatterji as our unit of work is about stories from other cultures. We have started making notes about how Indian culture is reflected in the book and also done some character study work and begun re-writing an episode from the point of view of one of the characters.
We have also started a new geography topic. We are studying the Lake District as a part of the country which contrasts with our own. We have learned about National Parks and watched a video giving an overview of the area. Then we have started studying farming in the Lake District, finding out about how the landscape affects farmers and farming in the area and how the activity of farming affects the landscape.
Another new unit of work is our design technology topic on automata. We will be designing and making automata but this week we looked at some examples of automata and learned about the vocabulary to name different parts of the mechanisms. Then we made a simple automaton to investigate the effects of cams.
In English we are reading the novel Grandpa Chatterji as our unit of work is about stories from other cultures. We have started making notes about how Indian culture is reflected in the book and also done some character study work and begun re-writing an episode from the point of view of one of the characters.
We have also started a new geography topic. We are studying the Lake District as a part of the country which contrasts with our own. We have learned about National Parks and watched a video giving an overview of the area. Then we have started studying farming in the Lake District, finding out about how the landscape affects farmers and farming in the area and how the activity of farming affects the landscape.
Another new unit of work is our design technology topic on automata. We will be designing and making automata but this week we looked at some examples of automata and learned about the vocabulary to name different parts of the mechanisms. Then we made a simple automaton to investigate the effects of cams.
# posted by Mr Jennings : 10:08 pm
