Rainforests
A total transformation of the hall really enabled us to immerse ourselves in the rainforest environment for this topic, and we loved reading about the exploits of the central characters of our topic book, The Explorer, as they struggled to survive in this inhospitable biome after crash-landing. We then got our maps out and looked at where the different biomes are on the globe, noting down the types of flora and fauna that were suited to each of them.
Trains, Planes and Automobiles
In this topic, we went on a visit to Newark Air Museum and looked at the vehicles and artefacts related to World War 2, getting the chance to sit inside a plane that was designed for training bombers - all done without laser-guidance by dropping them from a hatch with only an old-fashioned map for assistance! In class, we tried to imagine what it would have been like to have heard the news on the wireless that war had been declared, and we wrote a newspaper article for the people living in Britain at that time.
Toys
In the run-up to Christmas we recapped our circuit knowledge, then put it to good use when designing and making our own versions of the classic game of Operation. They turned out exceptionally well, and I'm sure all the parents appreciated the sound of surprisingly loud buzzers going off randomly when they made it home! In the new year we have investigated cams in the context of simple mechanisms, and written a set of instructions for building the Operation game.
Where's Wally?
What a lot of Wally's we were at the beginning of this topic, all boarding the flight on Tydd St Mary Airways! We visited several countries across the globe - but only if we had our boarding passes to hand! In this topic we have focussed on the features of mountains and used longitude and latitude to locate some of the highest peaks on the planet. We also used our understanding of what it takes to go mountain-climbing to write an advert for a pair of the latest hiking boots.
Discovery
This topic saw us study the Anglo-Saxons - where they came from, how they changed Britain after the Romans left...and why it was called the Dark Ages! We looked at the epic poem Beowulf, and we used our kennings to write letters in the role of the hero back to a loved one - some of us were very empathetic, and very emotional! We had Adrian, an Anglo-Saxon, come to school and help us understand the time period, as well as show us a variety of artefacts and period-correct tools and weapons. That chain-mail was SO heavy!
All About ME!
Now that all the jobs have been given out, it's fantastic to see so many Owls volunteering for responsibility roles! This term we've looked at genetics and how we don't QUITE look like our parents. We also wrote autobiographies and studied some tricky subjects with regards to evolution - we're not sure we would have come up with the idea based on looking at a selection of finches!
Welcome back!
After a looooooong six weeks, it's great to see all the smiling faces this week as Owls return! A big welcome to the new Year 5s - I hope you're up for a challenge! This term, our topic is All About Me, and we'll be looking at how behaviour and physical traits are passed on gentically, and how evolution occurs as a result of variation and adaptation. Owls will need to bring in some information about themselves soon, as we'll be writing our own autobiographies. We're looking forward to voting in House Captains and school council members, so get deciding which roles you want to take on that will represent your school!
