Year 5 Spring 2 Curriculum Information

Welcome back Year Five! I hope everyone has had a restful holiday and is excited to be back at school after the February half term. We are now more than halfway through the academic year!

Our class read for this half-term is ‘Pig Heart Boy’ which is a brutally powerful story about a 13-year-old boy who just wants an ordinary life! He needs a heart immediately to save himself. Sadly, he finds it difficult to find a donor. I am hoping this story will inspire kindness to those who are different from us. It also links well with our ‘Everyone’s welcome book: Perfectly Imperfect Stories: Meet 29 inspiring people and discover their mental health stories: by Leo Potion.

In English this term, our non-narrative writing will focus on creating a balanced argument about ‘screen time’ where we will have the opportunity for some debates. In our creative write, we will continue to develop our ideas following the book called the ‘Nowhere Emporium.’ The Nowhere Emporium arrives in Glasgow, orphan Daniel Holmes stumbles upon it quite by accident. Before long, the 'shop from nowhere' with its owner, Mr Silver pull Daniel into a breath-taking world of magic and enchantment. For those who love Harry Potter you are certainly going to enjoy this book.

For Maths, the focus of the term will to be to continue our development of fractions. This requires a secure knowledge of times-tables. Please can we make sure that all students to continue to develop this at home; you can sing, shout, and chant those times-tables every night. Furthermore, we will be looking at area/perimeter of shapes with a more practical outlook on how the learning takes place. For many jobs in the world, it is vital to have a good understanding of measuring area/perimeter.

In Physical Education, we will have a focus on improving communication and teamwork. We shall continue with our swimming lessons and move onto Basketball. Keeping active and healthy is important and our PE lessons will compliment our PSHE topic: Healthy me for this half term - where we shall explore smoking, alcohol, vaping and our relationships with food.

In our geography lessons this term, we will be learning about New Zealand! Children will learn about the physical geography of New Zealand and plate tectonics theory. The children will return to this widely accepted theory in Year 6 when they study South America. In this unit, children look at the issue of sea levels rising and consider the impact on low lying islands such as those in the South Pacific. Children will learn about the Māori; the race of people who have lived in New Zealand and the Cook Islands since before the arrival of Europeans, descended from Polynesian voyagers. Understanding this will support children’s understanding of migration, a concept that has been woven into the curriculum from Year 2 onwards.

For history, we have the important topic of learning about the ‘Transatlantic Slave Trade’ and looking at the origins of why it began in the first place. There will be some sensitive subjects discussed but it is important part of human history. The Atlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of various enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. This unit begins by introducing children to the origins of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, including what it was and where it took place. Lesson 2 focuses in on the Atlantic Passage. Children will use primary and secondary sources to learn about what conditions were like on slave ships that transported millions of people across the Atlantic. Lesson 3 looks in more depth at the treatment of enslaved Africans and African resistance, with a focus on the significant rebellion that took place in the former French colony of St Domingue, known as Haiti, today. Lesson 4 focuses on the end of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and some of the factors that historians argue led to the abolition of slavery. Lesson 5 focuses on the lives of significant abolitionists.

In Science we will be moving away from our biology topic of ‘Living things and their Habitats’ and instead focusing on the element of physics where we will be learning about ‘Forces.’ This unit builds on learning from Year 3 Forces and Magnets, giving children the opportunity to build on their knowledge of forces as pushes and pulls. Pupils will learn that forces can make things increase their speed, reduce their speed, change direction, or change shape. They will study gravity, friction air resistance and water resistance, looking at ways in which all these forces act upon objects such as parachutes, boats, and footballs. There are some exciting experiments which are going to take place, which even I can remember doing at school.

In RE, we will be focusing on our Key Question: ‘How significant is it for Christians to believe God intended Jesus to die?’ We shall also be finishing off our ART DAYS through exploring Chinese art. Finally, we shall be focusing on textiles for our DT days, with the aim to make our own stuffed toys!

We do have lots of other exciting things taking place in school throughout the term (including trips) so please keep up to date with Dojo. Thank you as always.

Miss H 😊

Year 5 Spring 1 Curriculum Information

Welcome back Year Five! I hope you all had a restful, festive holiday and are excited to be back.

Our class read for this half-term is the famous story ‘Romeo and Juliet’ written by William Shakespeare. It is a tragic love story where the two main characters, Romeo, and Juliet, are supposed to be sworn enemies but fall in love. Due to their families' ongoing conflict, they cannot be together, a captivating story with a tragic ending. The theme throughout this term has a focus on the importance of reading and developing reading skills. Our VIPERS lessons will be extended because of this. We shall also be reading ‘Migration’ by Mike Unwin and Jenni Desmond exploring the migrations of twenty animals. A double page spread is dedicated to each animal with each having a beautiful illustration spanning the full double page. The writing evokes the incredible journeys undertaken in a succinct fashion that both informs and encourages further research. An Arctic tern, in its lifetime, may fly the equivalent of three times to the moon and back, while it takes the Monarch butterfly four generations to complete its migration. Incredible! 

For our everyone’s welcome book we shall be reading: The cow who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Meino. This shall compliment out PSHE topic of dreams and goal, encouraging children to trying new things!

In English this term, our non-narrative writing will focus on biography writing where we will develop new techniques of writing. Our narrative writing will focus on Anthony Browne’s ‘Gorilla’ story. Anthony Browne's incomparable artwork illuminates the deeply satisfying story of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla, and their enchanted night out.

For Maths, our focus for the beginning of the half term will be multiplication and division. This will then supplement the second part of the term where we will move onto fractions, decimals, and percentages. Timetables yet again is key to the learning taking place. This is important that TTRS is being completed and parents help support children with this area of mathematics. There is a weekly reward of an extra ten-minute play time if the pupil completes an average of five minutes every day in that week.

In Physical Education, we are lucky enough to be able to have swimming lessons. This is a key life skill and is something which I am enthusiastic to teach. Everybody should have the skill of being able to swim. Our other sport lesson each week, will be dance. We shall focus on moving various parts of our body to the music!

Geography this term will be learning about UK Geography: East Anglia, The Midlands, Yorkshire, and Humberside and how the topography is different in these locations. This unit builds on children’s understanding of UK geography. Children will use maps and atlases to locate countries and features of the regions they are studying. They will use relief maps and topographical maps, population data and will look at climate data too. Throughout this unit children will look at how human activity can change and shape landscapes. They will look at this in different contexts such as how people drained the Fens to create waterways and land for farming. They will learn how mining in the Midlands provided resources for industrial development. The Ribble head Viaduct and the Humber Bridge will be studied as examples of how people have changed landscapes.

Moving swiftly on, in science this half term our lessons will be based around ‘Living Things.’ This unit builds on understanding from Year 3 – Cycles in Nature. Pupils will look at the life cycles of plants and animals in their local area, working scientifically to observe the life cycle of a local tree and the animals that interact with it. Developing on this knowledge, pupils will then look at the life cycles of mammals, amphibians, insects, and birds in more detail. Pupils will study the details of these life cycles and will consider the various stages, including metamorphosis in insects, amphibians, and reproduction. This unit also covers reproduction of flowering plants. Children will learn how a flower contains male and female reproductive organs. They will work scientifically to observe and dissect a flower. They will recognise the importance of pollination, which transfers pollen from the anther to a stigma within a flower, allowing fertilisation to take place. They will also recognise the importance of insects such as bees in the pollination process of flowering plants.

In History, building on chronologically from the last term, pupils will examine how France’s defeat, and loss of colonies in America, led to national debt, and exasperating feelings of social inequality which sparked the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille, a state prison in Paris, signified the peoples’ resentment and hardship felt during this time. This violent attack on the government, by the people of France, marked a major turning point which began the process of dismantling the monarchy. The people in France still celebrate Bastille Day, which they call La Fête Nationale, where they remember the time when the people rebelled against the power of the monarchy. Analysing sources & evidence, the pupils will learn about the lavish lives of King Louise XVI and Marie Antoinette. The children will be encouraged to recall previous learning about Charles I of England and compare his fate with the king and queen of France. The pupils will also discuss what is meant by the term ‘absolute monarchy’ and will be asked to discuss the similarities and differences between that, and the constitutional role of the monarchy in Britain today.

In art this term we shall be exploring Chinese Painting and Ceramics. Becoming familiar with examples of Chinese art, including silk scrolls, calligraphy, brush writing and painting, porcelain.

There will be loads more exciting learning opportunities and sessions going on, so please check our class dojo regularly for pictures, updates and much more!

Year 5  Autumn 2 Curriculum Information

After a great first term I am very excited to welcome the class back. Our class read for this half-term will be Our class novel is ‘Mayowa and the Sea of Words’ by Chibundu Onuzo. Ten-year-old Mayowa has always thought that her Grandpa Edward, who dyes his beard emerald green and jumps on books in private, is rather unusual too. Until one day she jumps on a book for herself and uncovers a huge family secret …Mayowa can book jump! By jumping on a book, she can harness the emotions inside it and channel them directly into other people. And when the opportunity to use her power to save the lives of countless refugees presents itself, Mayowa wants to jump in with both feet. But Mayowa and her grandpa aren't the only book jumpers in existence. And not everybody wants to use this power for good…

In English last term, our writing focused on refugeeism and climate change. This term during our non-fiction writing we will be writing about the tallest mountain on the planet ‘Mount Everest’. We will read the picture book ‘First to the Top’ which is about Edmund Hillary and his sherpa Tenzing Norgay being the first people in history to reach the summit of Everest. The English lessons will be heavily complemented by our geography lessons as we are learning about mountains- this is one of my favourite topics to teach. Our big question for geography is ‘How are different mountains located?’

For Maths we will be continuing to develop our timestables knowledge. Our focus of this half term will be focusing on multiplication and division. This is such an important part of mathematics at primary school because all other elements of maths that we must cover like: fractions, decimals, area etc all require good knowledge of multiplication and division. This is important that TTRS is being completed and parents help support children with this area of mathematics.  

In Physical Education we will be using our fitness from last term to help us with other parts of P.E. Our focus will be on tennis and dodgeball. We will also continue with our PHSE lessons focusing on ‘celebrating difference’. This will complement our Everyone’s welcome book, ‘Acceptance is my Superpower: A children’s Book about Diversity and Equality’.

Our history topic this term is ‘The Early British Empire’ and how Britain created an empire across the globe. Last term, we were very lucky to have a historian from Leicestershire libraries join us in class to teach us how to think like historians and source different types of evidence. The big question for history will focus on ‘Do British Values extend further than Great Britain?’ This will enable the class to look in detail at other countries that were part of the empire.

Our science lessons will be looking at different types of ‘materials’ where at the end of the term the pupils will be answering the big question ‘Why do materials have different properties and states of matter? In science lessons we will be completing a range of experiments, and the class will look at how to complete a fair test.

In Music, we will continune with our superb clarinet lessons with Mrs Gray. Practsing putting the instrument together and learning more chords.  In RE, we shall be focusing on the Key Question:  Is the Christmas story true? We will be learning to evaluate different accounts of the Christmas story and understand that stories can be true in different ways.

Finally, in DT, we shall be exploring structures such as bridges. We will identify stronger and weaker shapes.

Recognise that supporting shapes can help increase the strength of a bridge, allowing it to hold more weight. Identify beam, arch and truss bridges and describe their differences. Complete a bridge, with varying ranges of accuracy, before identifying some areas for improvement, reinforcing their bridges as necessary.

Please keep a look out on Class Dojo for photos of our learning, information, and updates. We have lots more exciting experiences planned for this half-term!

Year 5 Autumn Term 1 Curriculum Information

We have an exciting half-term planned! Our class read will be based on the ‘Windrush Child’ which we have already began reading in school. Benjamin Zephaniah the author of the book describes the book as "historical, fiction, but true story" about a young boy's journey from Jamaica to England. The character in the book Leonard finds himself in complete shock when he and his Mother arrive off the ship to find themselves in Southampton port. His Father who is living in Manchester already, moved from Jamaica to better his life for him and his family, however Leonard struggles to adapt to life in England and not really knowing his Father. The book follows an exhilarating, eye opening journey which opens the eyes to the reader to all the issues people face trying to better themselves by moving country. This is a story which is extremely relatable to some members of our class who have moved from a different country. This book encourages all of our school values and links nicely to our Personal, Social and Health and Education lessons where we are looking at ‘Being Me in My World’.

In English we are following a similar kind of story to our class novel. The fascinating picture book is called ‘The Journey’, which follows a family trying to flee a conflict. This book will be the base to our English writing lessons. Our writing will follow the journey of the family fleeing the conflict area, which will then result in an independent write about a new beginning.

Year Five will also be exploring ‘The Proudest Blue’ by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali. An uplifting picture book with Islam at its heart, which complements our history topic: ‘Baghdad’. This is a universal story of new experiences, and the unbreakable bond shared by siblings and of being proud of who you are, from Olympic medallist and celebrated Muslim author Ibtihaj Muhammad.

We shall also be exploring our Everyone’s welcome book: ‘Little people, BIG DREAMS by Stevie Wonder. At just 8 years old, it was clear that Steveland Judkins was going to be a star. Renamed Stevie Wonder for his astonishing talent on the piano and other instruments, he wrote and performed some of the biggest hits of the 1970s. Stevie became known for his inventiveness, his soulful voice and the social commentary in his lyrics. He is a UN Messenger of Peace and remains one of the music world’s most iconic figures. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the great musician’s life.

For Maths we will be continuing to develop our timestables knowledge. However, our main strand of Maths is a really important part to learn which is ‘Place Value’ that’s why we are beginning our maths with this strand. We will be dealing with numbers up to 1,000,000.

In Physical Education we will be focusing on Fitness and Hockey. Improving our hockey stick skills, ball controlling skills and much more!

In Music, we shall begin Clarinet music lessons and focus on Melody and Harmony in Music.

In Art, we shall be looking at art from Western Africa - Antelope headdresses of Mali, ivory carvings and bronze relief sculptures and panels. We will explore spiritual purpose and significance of many African works of art, ceremonial masks, cultural changes reflected in artwork, for example the influence of the Portuguese traders on West African art.

 Mainly focusing on using 3D mixed media to design and create relief sculptures.

In RE, Year Five will learning to compare the different ways Sikhs put their religion into practice. Thinking about our key Question: How far would a Sikh go for his/her religion?

For our Geography lessons, we are going to focus on ‘Spatial Sense’ which means the study of the locations of things, the conditions at different places, and the connections between places. Thinking about the world in spatial terms (spatial thinking) allows students to describe and analyse the spatial patterns and organisation of people, places, and environments on Earth. Particularly we will be focusing on the different hemispheres. Our BIG QUESTION: How do maps help locate places?                  

In History, we are going to be focusing on our topic of Ancient Baghdad, where we will be looking at the rise of the Islam. Baghdad was the centre of learning during the golden ages in the year 900CE. Baghdad was home to the first universities, hospitals and the largest library ‘House of Wisdom’ in the world. Many scholars travelled to this amazing circular city to study. The class will also take part in some drama and look at how Baghdad was destroyed by the Mongols leaving the river Tigris completely black from the ink from the ‘House of Wisdom’.

Finally, our science lessons will be looking at ‘The Human Body’ particularly the different stages of the human body growing up. Therefore, we will be looking at adolescence, puberty, adulthood and then slowing down in later life. Throughout our learning this half-term, we will be trying to answer our BIG QUESTION: How does our body change overtime?                  

Please keep a look out on Class Dojo for photos of our learning, information, and updates. We have lots more exciting experiences planned for this half-term such as a farm trip, CLS learning days and much, much more!