Class 5 Blog 2017-18
The end of an era 17.7.18
This week we have been learning about how the Battle of Hastings in 1066 brought the Anglo-Saxon Era to an abrupt end. We found out how William of Normandy timed his invasion of England for the time when the English king Harold Godwinson and his army were fighting Harald Hadrada and his invading forces from the north at Stamford Bridge. Footsore and battle weary, the Anglo-Saxons fought bravely but were defeated by the stronger, fresher army of William the Conqueror, who was later crowned king at Westminster Abbey. We looked at images of the 70 metre long Bayeux Taestry, which depicts scenes from the run up to the crowning of William. Each of us took a scene, and we recreated this world famous work of art. It was too long to photograph- so we videoed it instead - enjoy!
Reading Buddies Picnic 17.7.18
What a lovely time we had today, celebrating a year of sharing stories with our Year 2 Reading Buddies. Our little buddies read to us - and we can certainly tell how much progress they have made; we read some of our favourite stories to them, and then we all went out to play together on the field enjoying the friendships that have grown between us as we read together.
WAGOLL 13.7.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Olivia
Olivia has worked really hard, both individually and as a writing buddy, to construct a range of different poems to tell the story of The Monk and the Fish. She thought carefully about which type of poem best suited each section of the story and showed great resilience in editing and improving, - correcting her work so that each poem followed the rules for it's type, whilst still including great vocabulary choices and storytelling skill.
The Monk and the Fish 11.7.18
This week we watched a short, silent film called 'The Monk and the Fish.' Using our learning from the book 'Cloud Busting' and our shared writing about the film 'Paraphernalia', we were ready to have a go independently at telling a story through poetry. We began by separating the film into sections, then worked through each section capturing vocabulary about the events, emotions and atmosphere. In the style of Malorie Blackman, we chose different styles of poetry for each section, then began to carefully construct poems which guide us through each event, and give us insight into the characters and settings in the film.
Wattle and Daub 4.7.18
Following last week's successful construction of the timber frame of an Anglo-Saxon dwelling in DT, this week we moved onto the next step - creating walls out of wattle and daub.
In our scaled down models, we wove straw strands between the posts of our frames and mixed up a daub mixture from clay, compost and chopped straw. This should have created a solid wall structure which would be strong, sturdy and keep the weather out.
We learned that working with wattle and daub is not easy! It is a very messy process, the daub mixture must be exactly the right consistency and the balance of clay to compost and straw is crucial to create the necessary level of 'stickiness'.
We also learned that if you load up one side of your building with daub whilst the others have only wattle, then the structure is unbalanced and collapses.
We have developed a new respect for the skills of the Anglo-Saxon builders who had undoubtably mastered this difficult building method! We admire their hard work in collecting and preparing all the building materials, and constructing warm, dry comfortable and long-lasting dwellings with tools no different from those we used for our attempts today. We realised that it must take a long time to build a single house, and that villagers must have worked together or the building would never have been completed.
WAGOLL 28.6.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Savanna
Savanna is an absolute whizz at multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000. She knows excatly what to do, can explain what she is doing and why, and has been superbly confident in putting up her hand to explain this to the class.
Anglo -Saxon Day 28.6.18
Travel back in 1000 years and join us on our Anglo-Saxon experience...
Battling
Obeying the fearsome Lord Wonniws
Checking Lord Wonniws' food Making clay pots decorated
for poison with Anglo-Saxon runes
Learning to make a thatched roof Crafting jewellery from
leather and beads
Sharing potage, bread, cherries, plums, rhubarb and mead at the
Anglo-Saxon meal time
Paraphernalia June 2018
In class we have been reading a moving story about friendship, bullying and consequences in an unusual book called 'Cloud Busting'. The author, Malorie Blackman, used lots of different poetry types to tell each part of the story. The story was extremely thought provoking, and kept us in suspense with the twists and turns in events,relationships and emotions. We discovered all kinds of poetry we had never heard of, and enjoyed playing with language, rhythm, rhyme, syllables and vocabulary choices on our journey through the book. We explored, wrote and disussed free verse, limericks, haikus and shape poems, then, inspired by the author, we worked together as a class to turn a short film into a written story, carefully selecting which poetry style would be most effective for each section of the story. We are very proud of what we wrote. Click on the links to watch the film, and enjoy our collection of poems which tell the tale...
Click here to watch 'Paraphernalia'
Our poems
Class 5 Trip to DIG and JORVIK 19.6.18
Today we visited York to find out more about how the Vikings lived. At DIG, we took part in a Viking battle tactics workshop, looking at the different types of weapons and protection the Vikings had, and how they organised themselves for both attack and defence. We were surprised to learn that the most common weapon was the spear, which had to be two and a half times the height of it's owner. We had assumed that all Vikings carried swords, but found out that only the richest people could afford this. You had to be wealthy even to own a sayax - a knife carried on the waist which was used for eating and everyday tasks like preparing food and hunting. At JORVIK, we ventured into the old Viking village on Coppergate to see how people lived and worked. We were astonished to hear that one of the silk caps that was found had taken a hundred years to travel from China with traders until it even reached Britain to be sold to the Vikings - no wonder it was so valuable. Children were also valuable items - frequently sold as slaves because they had more working years left in them than an adult. Here's what some of our class remembered most from our fantastic day out.
We learned how Vikings do battle when we went to DIG. Some people got to hold different types of weapons. - Olivia
The only Vikings who could own a sword were very rich. Viking swords were extremely costly. - Zoja
We were told that one sword in Viking times would cost as much as a Lamborghini car would cost now! - Theo
I got to hold a bearded axe, which was an axe with a curve for fighting. It hooks onto a shield. The shields are round so you can spin them to release the axe. - Nyle
You can buy 100 spears for the price of 1 sword. Most Vikings had spears. - Isabella
We learned how to use shields in a special formation to protect us from archers. - Peggy
We rode round the village on pods, it was really dark. We saw people playing games and making crafts. - Rhea
The pod turned into all the little corners of the village so we cold see what everyone was doing. - Connor
In front of one os the houses were some little pigs in a pen. It smelt a bit, but we got use to it quite quickly. - Mia
We found out that on Coppergate, sometimes people made copper coins and covered them in Silver paint so they looked like they were worth more than they really were. - Isaac
There was a guy on a boat, speaking to us in Old Norse. Next to him was a girl tied up by her hands and she was going to be sold as a slave. - Brooke
We travelled to and from York on the train, and paused to enjoy some of the sights of York. We wandered up The Shambles, and enjoyed a scary story from Mr Taylor as we walked the walls.
Of course, following our superb behaviour, excellent questioning and boundless enthusiasm, we are all this weeks WAGOLL!
WAGOLL 15.6.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Anya
Anya has worked very hard to learn how to divide by 2-digit numbers using formal written division. She found it challenging to begin with, but was quickly successful and able to explain the strategy.
Growing up 11/6/18
This week in Class 5 we have been learning about growing up. In science we learned about the human lifecycle, identifying ths stages in life from prenatal to old age. We drew different types of graphs to present data showing how babies grow during their first year. In PSHE we discussed the changes that will happen to us during puberty. We found out about the changes that will happen to our bodies and how some of these are the same for boys and girls, and some are different.We also discussed the emotional changes that may happen to us and how to cope with these so that we can enjoy our teenage years.
WAGOLL 7.6.18
This week our WAGOLL Star is...
Dexter
Dexter showed amazing enthusiasm when we were learning about Haikus in our poetry lessons this week. He quickly picked up the pattern of syllables and was really adept at choosing vocabulary which would allow him to say what he wanted whilst conforming to the rules for this type of poem.
Researching the Vikings 5.6.18
Today we began our learning about the Vikings, so that we are knowledgeable and ready for our trip to Jorvik, and are prepared with probing questions to ask the experts that we meet. We were very excited to use the new school ipads for the first time to help us with our research!
Using this fantastic resource we were able to follow our own lines of enquiry, digging deeper into each new piece of information that we found, to discover more and more about this fascinating period of British history. We worked colloboratively, sharing the ipads and the information we found and showed fantastic independence in fact-finding. We love ipads! and Vikings! and learning!
Class 5 Assembly 25.5.18
This morning we performed a fantastic assembly for our school and our families all about our history learning, The Anglo- Saxons.
I enjoyed our rehearsals - we had a good giggle. - Jacob
It took quite a long time to sort where we had to stand and what we had to say, but our performance got a really big round of applause so it was well worth all our efforts. - Connor
We loved performing the song, which we mashed together from two songs. - Erin
I especially like making everyone laugh by being 'a cute Angle.' -Lewis
I am proud of the effort that we all put it, it was very entertaining. - Olivia
I think we taught everyone lots about the Anglo-Saxons in our assembly - Rhea.
I enjoyed every second of being Vortigern, it was a very good experience. - Wilfred
Well done to everyone, you were all brilliant. - Isaac
I enjoyed reading out my story about a hero battling a monster. - Peggy
I really loved hearing my friends read out their stories, they were amazing. - Eden
It took a long time to learn our words and how to be the character, we were perfect on the day! - Tracy
Thank you everyone who came to support us this morning, and well done Class 5 - You are all superstars! - Mrs Wyles and Mrs Waite.
WAGOLL 18.5.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Tracy
Tracy has become a very positive, determined and reflective mathematician over the last few weeks. She has begun to link all her learning on angles together and is becoming much more confident in identifying which part of a problem she feels confident in solving and which specific parts she finds more challenging.
P.E. 15.5.18
In P.E. this week with Mrs Lilley, we have been practising and perfecting our agility skills. We were working on reaction time, turns and changes in level from high to low. We did lots of circuit activities which involved travelling forwards, backwards and sideways. There were games that required us to bend and retrieve or place a ball at speed and activities to raise our heart rate and improve our general fitness. We were quick to recognise that these skills would improve our fielding in games such as rounders and cricket and our pace and reaction speed in lots of other sports too.
SHARING OUR WRITING 14.5.18
Having completed our magnificent tales of maurauding monsters causing mayhem in Anglo-Saxon times, we needed an audience for the superb writing that we had produced. Class 4 were more than happy to oblige. They were astounded by what fantastic writers we are.
WAGOLL 11.5.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Brooke
Brooke has been an excellent historian this week. She examined artefacts and used her learning about life in Anglo-Saxon times, together with her understanding of modern day life to piece together ideas and suggestions about what various items could be, who they belonged to and what they could tell us about the past. Brooke made careful observations of each object, noticing small but significant details which could provide clues as to their origins.
Missing Angles 10.5.18
We have been working on strategies to find missing angles around a point and on a straight line this week. We began by measuring angles around a point with our protractors, then noticed that the angle sum was always 360 degrees. Using this and our knowledge of straight line angles, we were quickly able to work out how we could calculate the missing angles. Exploring further, we measured opposite angles on a straight line, and since our protractor skills are now so accurate, we quickly realised that opposite angles on a straight line are always equal! Now we are confident that there is no missing angle that we can't work out, given just a little information. Positivity, enthusiasm and progress in maths have been truly fantastic this week!
WAGOLL 4.5.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
William
for his fantastic use of language in our monster and hero legends. He is an expert at changing word order in a sentence to create interest, and is using power of three strategies to great effect in his writing. He keeps on coming up with creative and unique alliterations to mimic the style of the Beowulf story writers, whilst ensuring that his own skills as an author shine through.
Anglo- Saxon Life 2.5.18
This week in Class 5 we have been learning about life in Anglo Saxon villages. We have been finding out about the jobs that people did, every-day jobs - such as planting and tending crops, looking after livestock and cooking but also the skilled trades that some Anglo-Saxons learned which made them important, respected and essential members of the Anglo-Saxon community. We researched the skills needed by potters, blacksmiths, bone-workers, weavers, carpenters and jewellers, and then wrote our own job adverts, listing the skills and expectations for someone working in each if these trades.
Following that, we looked out how the Anglo-Saxons organised their villages, preferring to live in small rural communities rather than the developing cities which were left behind by the Romans. We quickly realised that to sustain their way of life, the Anglo-Saxons had to live near to a fresh water source, have access to land suitable for grazing animals and growing crops, and to be near woodland as trees were a vital resource. Working collaboratively in randomly chosen small groups, we demonstrated our excellent teamwork skills, which we are improving as part of our developing metacognition, to design the perfect Anglo Saxon village. We chose names for each village referring to last weeks learning about Anglo-Saxon place names.
WAGOLL 27.4.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Nyle
It is impossible to pick one reason why Nyle is our WAGOLL this week - there are just so many positive things to say! Nyle tries his very hardest across every area of his learning and is always eager to improve. He is motivated and resilient. He is kind and thoughtful. He's a great team worker and a fabulous friend. And he's a lot of fun too! Nyle is a superb role model to our whole class - and our whole school!
Understanding Angles W/C 23.4.18
In maths this week we have been investigating angles. We have been learning to recognise acute, obtuse, right angles and reflex angles, even when they are presented in different orientations. We know that angles are measured in degrees, and are working hard to remember the measurement range of different types of angles. We have been estimating the size of various angles, and are now learning to use protractors so that we can measure and draw angles accurately - we have made fantastic progress with this!
Science - Parts of a flower 25.4.18
"Today we were learning about living things. First we dissected a tulip to find out all the different parts which form a flower. Then we learned the names of each part, and what each part does. Finally we labelled our dissected tulip and drew diagrams to record our learning." Freya, Wilfred, Isaac, Frank, Isabella and Nyle
WAGOLL 20.4.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Mia
Mia's explanation text about how the Grand Canyon was formed is superb! It includes interesting details, clear explanation of the processes involved in forming first the Colorado Plateau, then the canyon itself, and technical vocabulary to ensure that each process is described using the correct terminology. Furthermore - she has enhanced her explanation text with clear diagrams to support her readers' understanding.
Beowulf W/C 16. 4.18
Beware of the foul fiend Grendel - murderous monster of the night! This week we have been enraptured and enthralled by the ancient Anglo-Saxon legend of Beowulf. Aside from indulging our gruesome and gory sides, we have been considering the author's use of language - in particular alliteration which is a significant feature of this tale.
Here are some alliterations that we came up with:
foul fiend of the foggy moors
a bloody, back-breaking beast
the diabolical disguise of death
vile villain
a wise and wealthy leader
Beowulf, the handsome hero
We have also explored the use of 'The Power of Three' in enhancing description and in creating action and pace in a narrative. Here are some of our own examples:
It was a cold, dark, foggy night when Beowulf sailed to Denmark.
Injured, slowed and slashed, Grendel stumbled back to his lair.
Excited, overjoyed and exhilerated, they all danced to the music in Heorot.
Grendel charged across the moors, ripped down the doors and slaughtered everyone inside.
Beowulf grabbed his sword, stepped onto the boat and cast off into the wind-whipped waves.
We can't wait to use these techniques in our own Anglo-Saxon legends!
Topographical Maps of the Grand Canyon 28.3.18
In topic today we learned about contour mapping and how we could show the topography - the shape- of the land by using contour lines. We learned that when the lines are close together, the gradient of the land is steep, when they are far apart, there is a shallow gradient. Using our new skills, we created artistic contour images to represent the shape of sections of the Grand Canyon.
Science Week 26-29th March 2018
We have been investigating alternatives to plastic having learned how plastic waste is polluting the Earth and causing damage to wildlife. We experimented with a new material called plastic milk. We mixed hot milk with vinegar, which caused it to seperate. We poured away the liquid and attempted to mould the solids into a water container.
The plastic milk did not mould easily! Our water containers were rather a disaster! So, like all good scientists, we reflected upon what the problems were and considered ways to overcome them. We thought about which properties we could test from the samples we had made and whether we would then be able to adapt our plastic milk recipe so it was a suitable alternative to conventional plastic.
WAGOLL 23.3.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Frank
Frank wrote a formal persuasive letter to the owner if the tea plantation asking for improved conditions for the tea pickers. He was polite and respectful - offering an appropriate amount of flattery to get the owner on side - whilst outlining the problems and showing the owner how the solutions would benefit him, not just the workers. He used some nice examples of cause and effect sentences, and some great vocabulary choices.
Fire Safety 21.3.18
Today we took part in a safety workshop with firefighters from Stanningley Fire Station. We were shocked at the video of how fast a small fire can become an inferno, and learned how vital it is that we get out of the house as quickly as possible. The firefighters demostrated how smoke alarms provide essential early warning of fire, giving people crucial minutes to get to safety. They will fit and check smoke alarms in our homes for free - click on the link below for more information. We were told about the importance of having an escape plan in case of fire, knowing the safest route out of the house, keeping doors closed, and keys accessible.
The firefighters also talked to us about car safety, how distracting a driver can have serious consequences. We were reminded to always wear our seatbelts, and to travel in an appropriate car seat for our age and size. We have taken home safety booklets to complete and share with our families, so that we can all be as safe as possible.
Click here to find out more about the West Yorkshire Fire Service
Science: Reversible and Irreversible Changes 21.3.18
Today in science we were investigating reversible and irreversible changes. We began by mixing together flour, eggs, sugar and butter. Since we weren't able to separate each component once they were mixed - an irreversible change - we decided to see what would happen when the mixture was heated. It altered again, in both appearance and texture. Another irreversible change had occurred - we were not able to turn the cooked mixture back to it's former state. By mixing and heating we had turned four seperate ingredients into a delicious cake, which we ate!
WAGOLL 16.3.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Isabella
Isabella consistently shows a fantastic attitude to learning. She is positive, motivated and reflective. When Isabella is confident and comfortable with an activity she always looks for ways to challenge herself and make what she is doing even better. If she can use her learning to help someone who is struggling then she is a fabulous, supportive critical friend. When tasks are tough - she is resilient and determined to find a way to succeed.
World Book Day at Swinnow 12.3.15
Today we listened to a story from a book with no cover. We had to write our own blurb, with a hook or a cliff hanger to entice a reader to choose this book. Then we came up with our own titleand cover design to make the book attractive to potential purchasers. We held a 'silent museum' to evaluate and give feedback to each other on our writing and designs. Finally, the title and book cover were revealed!
WAGOLL 9.3.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Erin
When writing, Erin is trying really hard to make sure that she includes everything that I am looking for in every piece of writing. If I ask for modal verbs - she uses modal verbs. If I ask for relative clauses - she uses relative clauses. If I ask for adverbs of time - there they are! She has worked really well as a critical friend, making suggestions and giving opinions, and is eager to take on board critique from her partners. What a star!
Fairtrade Fortnight W/C 7.3.18
Having learned so much about tea already, we thought it a good time to investigate the growing and production process and to consider what the lives are like of those people who grow and harvest this everday product. Even though 'Cloud Tea Monkeys'is set in the past, we realised that not much has changed for tea pickers, and we researched how Fairtrade can help. We wrote reports to inform people about the journey of tea - from bush to bag - and to explain how fairtrade can help the growers and pickers improve their life.
Decimals and Fractions 6.3.18
This week we have been making links between our fractions learning, and decimals. We found fractions with a denominator of 100, then wrote it as a decimal number. Then we simplified the fraction and tried to spot any patterns between the fraction in it's simplest form, and a decimal number. We noticed that 1/2 (and it's equivalent fractions) is always 0.5, 1/5 (and all it's equivalent fractions) is always 0.2, and 1/4 (and all it's equivalent fractions) is always 0.25.
The Royal Tea Taster 27.2.18
Having listened to a description of the elaborate tea-tasting ceremony carried out by the Royal Tea Taster in our class book, we decided to explore the art of tea-appreciation ourselves. We read the extract describing how the Royal Tea Taster himself discovered the hidden depths of flavour in a cuppa, then we watched a video explaining how to examine and describe all the various aspects of tea. Our intention was to capture a whole range of varied and insightful vocabulary about tea, and tea tasting, ready for writing an active description of the the tea tasting process.
We examined eight different varieties of tea. These were; Yorkshire Tea, Green Tea, Liquorice Tea, Lemon and Ginger Tea, Jasmine Tea, Earl Grey Tea, Peppermint Tea and Red Bush Tea.
First, we carried out an 'eye dry' examination, looking at the dry tea leaves. We wrote notes on the shape, shades of colour, texture and size of each type of tea.
Then we brewed the tea with hot water to release the aromas. When describing the fragrance of each tea we tried to think about what the scent reminded us of, not only food items but non-foody fragrances such as leather and rubber, and memories the smell invoked. Some people were reminded of their grandma's special soap, or of walking round the German Market in the winter. We captured some fantastic descriptive language, and came up with great similes too.
Many of us had not realised that there was such an enormous variety of tea types and flavours out there - and lots were keen to go straight to the shops and start tasting at home too! Everyone had their own prefernces, and a much greater understanding of how hard it must be to be responsible for choosing the best tea in the world for 'The Empress of all the known world and the other bits that have not been discovered yet.'
WAGOLL 23.2.19
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Lewis
Lewis is an expert at converting fractions (tenths and hundredths) into decimals. He worked confidently and independently, explaining how he had made the conversion.
Cloud Tea Monkeys W/C 19.2.18
We have been mesmerised this week by the exquisite illustrations in our new class book 'Cloud Tea Monkeys'. Before reading, we discussed and analysed pictures from the book, considering how the artist had portrayed the characters and the location, and using clues from the illustration to work out when and where the story was set. We loved how the story was so unfamiliar and unlike any that we had read before, meaning that we were completely unable to predict the ending. The author's use of imagery inspired us to write our own setting descriptions using metaphors, similes, personification and superb vocabulary choices. This is the shared write that we created:
Mesmerised, Tashi gazed with wide eyes across the vast eternity that was the tea plantation. Specks of lime green burst from the bushes, grabbing their first view of the morning sun. Little sprig soldiers marched together in smart rows to form a rolling army of tea, taking over the entire landscape. The meandering rows expanded as far as the eye could see, interrupted only when the contrasting colours of the mountains collide and disrupt their onwards mission.
Children's Mental Health Week W/C 5.2.18
This week we have been thinking about ourselves and what makes us special and unique. We wrote 'all about me' profiles, detailing our strengths, what we like and dislike, and something interesting which you may not know. We didn't put our names on them. Then we had to read and guess who each profile belonged to - it showed how well we know each other, and yet we can still surprise each other with things we didn't know about each other.
We also spent some time thinking and talking about how our actions can affect ourselves and others. We discussed how sharing, helping each other, showing kindness and being independent can help our learning, help others' learning and create a happy and positive atmosphere where everyone feels good. On the contrary, saying unkind things, chattering in lessons and not caring about our environment has a detrimental effect on our emotions and our learning.
We have thought a lot about emotions too - recognising that we all experience a wide range of emotions and that these can change frequently - even within a day. We know that it is okay to have all these different feelings, and that people can feel differently about the same experience. We discussed the names of some emotions, and the various names for similar emotions. We understand that we, and others can experience different intensities of emotions. We wrote advice leaflets to help people recognise how someone may be feeling from their words, actions and behaviours, and the various ways in which we can support someone who is experiencing strong emotions.
A Mexican Feast 5.2.18
We had a fantastic time this afternoon, making and tasting a variety of traditional foods from some regions of Mexico. We learned that these traditional dishes were cooked because they use the ingredients which were grown and produced within Mexico, before international trade made other foods widely and cheaply available. Because Mexico has such a variety of climate and biomes, a good variety of ingredients are available to choose from.
We made and tasted refried beans, guacamole, salsa and cheesy Mexican corn dip, all served with soft flour tortillas and nachos. We practised our cutting and cooking skills - and everyone was keen to taste what we had made. Everyone had at least one delicious Mexican dish that they really enjoyed and want to make again. We had a lot of passing visitors dropping into our class this afternoon - we wonder why?
As requested by many of you in Class 5 - here are the recipes. Enjoy sharing them with your families!
Click here for the Guacamole recipe
Click here for the Cheesy Mexican Corn Dip recipe
Click here for the Salsa recipe
Click here for the Refried Beans recipe
WAGOLL 2.2.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLLs are...
Connor and Theo
who demonstrated great teamwork, and showed excellent questioning skills both in the classroom and whilst they were out around school investigating magnetism in science.
Matchbox Diaries - Persuasive writing 30.1.18
Should I stay in Italy or join my family in America?
This was the dilemma faced by Uncle Tony's grandma when the family wrote to her asking that she join them in their new life in the USA. In preparation for writing a persuasive letter, enticing Grandma with promises of comfort and security in a new country and dismissing her worries, we sent our own 'Grandma' for a walk down conscience alley to consider the pros and cons...
WAGOLL 26.1.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
William
William is truly a master of vocabulary! He has edited and improved his 'Matchbox Memory' story with great enthusiasm, up-levelling his language choices and discovering the magnificent phrase 'With a sense of nostalgia...'
Times Tables Challenge W/C 22.1.18
As well as working hard to learn and recall our own individual times tables 'Learn-its' at home so that we can climb up the Learn-its Ladder, this week we have begun a times tables championship in class using the website 'Hit the Button'. See if you can beat your score in class, and improve your chances by practising at home.
Click here to play 'Hit the Button'
Remember to practise the times tables you don't know so well - not just the ones that you are already an expert at!
WAGOLL 19.1.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL star is...
Isaac
Isaac's 'Matchbox Diary' story was fantastic, he was able to really bring the characters to life through dialogue. He used a range of interesting adverbials to create cohesion. He also included - and identified relative clause sentences in his writing!
Adding and Subtracting Fractions W/C 15.1.18
In maths we have been learning to add and subtract fractions. When the fractions have the same denominator this is easy! However - it's a bit trickier when the denominators are different. We had to convert fractions with different denominators into fractions with the same denominator. We had to look for a common multiple of both denominators - ask us about the clever trick we used to make this easier. Last week's learning about equivalent fractions really helped us to understand this.
Magnificent Mexico 15.1.18
We have begun to explore the fascinating country of Mexico in Class 5 this week. We have discovered that there are a wide range of biomes, landscapes and climates in Mexico, which has led to it being one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of plant and animal species. We learned about the ways that people live, some very similar to our own lifestyles and some very different. We looked at lots of pictures of Mexico and noticed the bright colours which are apparent across the country. We sorted the colours into human and animal colours, then we used bright, contrasting colours to paint our own representations of this vibrant nation.
The Matchbox Diary W/C 8.1.18
We are really enjoying the book 'The Matchbox Diary' in Class 5 this week. Our learning journey began with a visit from Mr Taylor's Uncle Tony, who emigrated from Italy to America when he was only a young child. He shared his memories - objects collected in matchboxes and inspired us to reminisce about our own memories.
We noticed that the book was a story told entirely through dialogue, and we practised reading extracts aloud, each as one of the characters, and using effective intonation and volume in our voices to convey the emotions and the atmosphere of the tales.
In drama, we rehearsed telling the story in our own words, as if we were a grandparent and a grandchild, then filmed them. Why not watch, listen and enjoy...
.. .and our WAGOLL Video from
Ben and Joseph
Who worked fantastically well together to tell the story of Grandad's journey, including specific details from the book.
WAGOLL 5.1.18
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Freya
Freya has worked hard to understand equivalent fractions this week. She could even spot and explain mistakes. Freya challenged herself to calculate equivalent fractions using division as well as multiplication.
P.E Multiskills 4.1.18
This week, with Mrs Lilley, we have enjoyed learning various ways to control a ball using different parts of our body.
Marvellous Mechanisms or Crazy Contraptions? 7.12.17
Today we brought together all our science knowledge and our learning about the Loch Ness Monster to design and build a system for transporting this rather large beastie from a small lochan to a very big loch. We considered all the different issues which might affect how we transport it, such as it's size and weight, the need for it's skin to be continually hydrated, and how ferocious it may be. We thought about the best materials to use, describing the properties they would need to have. We discussed which different forces would be in action during the process of moving a monster, and whether they would help or hinder us, and we thought about whether levers, gears or pulleys would be useful mechanisms to use in this challenge. This is what we came up with...
Christmas Craft Activity Morning 7.12.17
What a fun and creative time we had this morning, when we were delighted to welcome our families into class to help us to make:
Rosette Snowmen Sparkling Icicles Melted Snowman Biscuits
Fingerprint fairy lights Penguin cards ... and possibly the longest paper-chain in the world!
Loch Ness Landscapes 1.12.17
Following our trip to Leeds Art Gallery, we used our learning to create beautiful landscape art of our own.
In topic, we have been learning about the hunt for the Loch Ness Monster, and we have been reading the book 'The Water Horse' in English, also set in and around the lochs and highlands of Scotland.
Using images of Loch Ness as our inspiration, we made preliminary sketches in our art books to map out how we would like our landscapes to be laid out, and practised specific details that we would like to include. Then we brought all our ideas together, working in watercolour paint, to create beautiful Scottish landscape paintings which our families will be able to enjoy for a whole year as we convert them into exquisite calendars.
Leeds Art Gallery Trip 30.11.17
Today we really enjoyed our trip to Leeds Art Gallery - and we made lots of people smile as we sang Christmas songs whilst we walked through Leeds!
We began our visit by exploring the exhibition of work by the famous landscape artist John Sell Cotman. We looked at all the preliminary sketches that he made before beginning to put together a complete landscape painting, and notice how he mapped the foreground, middle and background. We saw how he practised sketching key features such as boats, animals, people and plants before including them in his finished piece. Then we had a go at copying some of them. We learned how to use different parts of our pencil, and how to vary the pressure that we used to create different effects and to bring our sketches to life.
After that, we saw the finished art work,and identified many of the preliminary sketches as part of a finished painting. We ended our time in this gallery by 'deconstructing' the completed work, taking it back to a map of the shapes and position of the foreground, middle and background, and pulling out the details that we might have practised sketching if this was our landscape painting.
WAGOLL 24.11.17
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is...
Grace
Grace has shown great resilience and persevering in maths this week. All her hard work has meant that she is now marvellous at column multiplication!
Investigating Air Resistance 22.11.17
In Science, we have been learning about forces. This week, we investigated the effects of gravity and air resistance by designing a parachute to allow a steady and safe descent from a height.
Some groups varied the materials they chose for their parachutes. Others considered how size or shape could affect air resistance.
We built and tested our parachutes, then discussed our results. Ask us what we discovered!
Pen Licences 21.11.17
Congratulations to:
Mia, Anya, Olivia, Joseph, Grace and Zoja
Your hard work to perfect your handwriting means that you have earned your pen licence this week - keep up the beautiful presentation!
WAGOLL 17.11.17
This week our Class 5 WAGOLL is
Zaynab
For her marvellous multiplication using the column method.
Green goo and whiskers 17.11.17
When Nyle and Joseph came into our classroom this morning, they were astonished to notice green goo splattered across some of the tables and leading towards the window - which was slightly ajar. Tracing the goo back to it's source, they discovered that the peculiar rock that had been in our classroom since Monday was now in pieces, covered in green ooze, and was empty and hollow inside. When the rest of the class joined them to examine the evidence - it was decided that something must have been inside what we now strongly suspect to be an egg. Using the magnifying glasses to explore our environment in more detail, some children noticed what appeared to be whiskers and hair in an untidy pile beneath the table. We asked Mr Mir to check the CCTV across the carpark over night, and he saw -
"A small, lizard type creature, about the size of his hand, slithering out of our classroom window and gliding down into the carpark on what appeared to be bat like wings. "
What is was, or where it may be now we do not know. But we are keeping our eyes peeled!
Something Strange... 13.11.17
On Monday, Mrs Wyles brought something very peculiar in to school that she had found whilst walking her dog near a reservoir. It looked like a rock, but had brown crumbly bits on it's surface and a metallic shell type thing stuck into it's surface. Some said they could see it vibrating; others thought they heard a faint noise coming from within. We examined it and listened to it, felt it and smelled it. We even tested to see whether it glowed in the dark, and whether heat emanated from it. We discussed lots of different theories about what it could be, or where it may have come from. It was suggested that the object could be an asteroid or an egg, but really, we don't know what it is. We decided to keep it in our classroom to observe for a while...
WAGOLL 10.11.17
This week our WAGOLL star is...
Wilf
for his amazing independent research into the unexplained mystery:
'The Green Children of Woolpit'
Maths Vocabulary - w/c 6.11.17
This week in Class 5 we have learned lots of new maths vocabulary, and have been trying to use the correct words when justifying our discoveries about numbers. We can talk about factors and multiples, and have learned some useful rules to help us decide whether a large number is a multiple of 2,5,10,3, 6 or 9. Ask us to explain this to you...
We moved on to learning about prime numbers and composite numbers - using the rules of divisibility to help us test whether 3 digit numbers were multiples of anything other than 1 and themselves.
Now we are exploring square numbers and cube numbers. What a busy week!
WAGOLL 3.11.17
This week our WAGOLL Stars are...
Eden and Jacob
for their articulate and well considered contributions to our group discussions about what could have happened to the captain and crew of the Mary Celeste.
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste w/c 30.10.17
What could have happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste?
In class this week we have been discussing and evaluating the theories about how this ship came to be floating, unmanned, 600 miles off the coast of Portugal, with little damage and with none of it's cargo or the crew's personal belongings missing. We held an 'It's a knockout' debate to decide which theory was most plausible. We learned how to use modal verbs to express possibility, and how to write 'some; others' sentences to demonstrate the differing opinions about our twelve theories. We also practised asking rhetorical questions to make our point when discussing these contentious ideas.
To find out more about the mystery, click here.
UFO Dance 18.10.17
Have a look at our fabulous UFO Dance that we have been working on all half term in our PE lessons with Miss Booth...
Understanding Time Zones 12.10.17
In Science this week we have been learning about different time zones around the world - why we have time zones, and how they are caused by the rotation of the Earth on it's axis. We looked at the globe and the world map, and tried to predict where in the world the sun would be rising and setting if it was midday in the UK. Then we used a time zones map to check our predictions. We learned that time zones are not always in a straight line, sometimes time zones have been adjusted to make everyday life, and trade relationships easier. Some, very large, countries are within more than one time zone.
WAGOLL Star 6.10.17
This week our WAGOLL Star is
Peggy
Peggy has learned how to write sentences with relative clauses. Here are some that she constructed about characters from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats:
Jennyanydots was concerned about the mice when they ate too much food.
Macavity, who is tall and thin, is sought by the police.
Day and Night 5.10.17
In Science we have been learning about day and night. We modelled the Earth's rotation using our class football, and then wrote explanations describing how the rotation of the Earth, which takes 24 hours, causes day and night to happen in different areas of the world.
WAGOLL Star 29.9.17
Listen to this week's WAGOLL star reading his astonishing 'alien encounter' witness statement...
Maths - Roman Numerals 25th-29th September
In maths this week we have been practising reading, writing and using Roman Numerals. Even though there are only seven letters for Roman numerals, you can make all the other numbers from them - except zero! We have worked hard to remember the rules about when you add numbers, when you subtract them, and how many of the same letter can go together. Most of us can read and write Roman numerals to 100, many of us to 1000 too!
WAGOLL Star 22.9.17
This week our WAGOLL Star is
Zoja
who has shown herself to be a super enthusiastic scientist in our Earth and Space science topic.
19.9.17
Close Encounters with visitors from another galaxy
In topic this week we have been examining evidence and witness reports from U.F.O sightings and incidents around the UK. We imagined having a 'close encounter' ourselves, and collected interesting and unusual vocabulary to help us describe what we saw, heard, touched, smelled and how we felt. We used thesaurus to select verbs for describing how the mysterious craft and creatures moved. Then we sketched out an artists impression of the incident using oil pastels, which we will use as a stimulus for writing our own witness accounts.
WAGOLL Star 15.9.17
This week our WAGOLL is...
Rhea
Rhea has been rounding 4-digit numbers to the nearest 10. It was tricky at first- but she is now confident in explaining which two 10s numbers a 4-digit number lies between, and she can quickly decide whether to round up or down using the rules she has learned.
WAGOLL Star 7.9.17
Our first WAGOLL star of the year is...
Harvey
What an amazing start Harvey has made to Year 5. He has shown a wonderful, positive attitude, tried hard in everything he has done and had a fantastic score in the 'Big Spelling Challenge' too.
The Big Challenge Week 4th-8th September
"My favourite challenge was the Anthony Goldsworthy art, I liked using the white rocks to create a sculpture." - Lewis
"I liked the big spelling challenge this week and I got a really high score." - Harvey
"It was funny when we dressed up in crazy costumes for the science challenge, mine had wings!" - Savanna
"I liked the science challenge because we got to build creative air-resistance suits." - Joseph
I enjoyed it when we were doing our art challenge because we built sculptures and designs from stones and sticks and straw." - Zaynab
"I really enjoyed the maths challenge. We had to do lots of different puzzles and worked with our friends." - Eden
"I enjoyed the maths challenge because I was struggling with one of them but I gave myself an extra push, and then I did it!" - Frank
" I enjoyed the word challenge because I got to learn new words. My new word was ghastly, it means really horrible." - Tracy