Spring 2
Take a look at what your child/children will be learning this half term.
This term in Maple Class in English we have been using information texts about animals and trees throughout the seasons as inspiration and wrote our own information texts about Birch trees and the animals that may live nearby. In history we have learnt about the origins of castles and how Motte and Bailey castles were the earliest ones in Britain. They consisted of a wooden structure built upon a large mound (Motte) with a large wooden fence surrounding the servants living and working area (Bailey). The whole castle was built near a river for protection. We then went on to investigate stone castles built after the Norman invasion which were stronger and more stable. In maths we have finished our numbers to 50 unit and then looked at measurements. We have measured length and height in centimetres, mass and weight using terms heavier and lighter and volume and capacity using the terms full and empty. We have compared measurements and used resources such as rulers, balance scales and a variety of containers to help us find measurements. In science we learned about materials, we have sorted materials and looked at different types of properties, rough and smooth, hard and soft, metallic and non-metallic, waterproof and non-waterproof (absorbent). We looked more closely at waterproof and absorbent materials investigating by putting them in water and sorting them. We have learnt new vocabulary such as 'opaque' to mean not see through, 'transparent' to mean see through (like glass) and 'translucent' to mean light can go through but it is not clear (like frosted or coloured glass). In RE we have been learning about the story of Easter, how Christians celebrate and what parts of Easter are particularly important to Christians. In PSHE we have been talking about how we can be healthy and why this is important for our body as a whole. We have thought about how we stay healthy with good food, sleep and clean water. How we can stay safe through learning about medicine safety, road safety and the importance of keeping ourselves clean. In computing we have looked at grouping data and how we can organise information. In PE we have created a dance inspired by zoo animals and improved our running skills and techniques by using the balls of out feet, pumping our arms and keeping our heads looking forwards. In music we have enjoyed learning a new song and playing new notes on the glokenspiels. In DT we designed and built castles with turreted battlement walls and towers. Our artist of the term was Chris Ofili and we used tissue paper to add texture to our picture as he used different media including elephant dung!! Our music genre has been Big Band and swing for March and we have listened to the music of Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington and The Andrews Sisters. This term we also had our world book day in which we had lots of activities based round the books of Tom Percival. Not to mention various Easter activities such as the egg roll and hunt and the Easter performance. All in all we have had a very jam-packed half term.