Writing
Year 5/6 have been writing their own tension building texts this week. We used a video called Francis as inspiration. We talked about the use of figurative language, short snappy sentences and repetition to help put the reader on the edge of their seat.
Help at home: Use your child’s favourite TV show or film as a stimulus. Can they write in the same style? What language has been used? How does this help create the world of the show?
PE – yoga
Tuesday saw 5,6B having a go at yoga. We began the session with some breathing exercises to some relaxing music. We then began to learn some yoga poses such as river and tree. These are based on stretching and balancing and were actually very tricky. We also did some poses that involved working with a partner and it was great to see the children working together. By the end of the session we were very relaxed and chilled!
Reading
We have linked our reading to writing this week and looked at the use of vocabulary. The children are noticing that authors make choices in their writing to help create a mood and effect on the reader. They have read lots of extracts over the last couple of lessons and identified the effect it has on them. Did it make them feel anxious? Elated? Petrified? They found evidence in the text to identify the deliberate word choices that the authors had used.
Viking Artefacts
Year 5/6 have been exploring some Viking Artefacts. They made predictions about what each item was used for. We then discussed how the items have changed over time. There were some items that we still use today which have not changed very much in 1000 years.
Reading: class novels
Year 5/6 have thoroughly enjoyed their class novels this year. From tales of escaping from harsh environments in David Long’s Survivors to the thrilling tale of Gunnar in Tony Bradman’s Viking Boy, children have been captivated by these fantastically rich texts.
In 56C, children are now enjoying reading a book which is structured in a different way; You are the chracter and you get to choose the path your story takes.
Help at home: discuss the class novel. Which one is your child’s favourite? Go to the library and ask for similar books to share at home.
PE – dodgeball
We have been having a great time over the last few weeks learning lots of new dodgeball games. As a class, we are very competent players at the original game, however the children needed to test their skills at some brand new games. Dodgeball is a fast paced game that requires quick movements, good defence and an accurate aim. The children played games of ‘poison ball’ which is a ‘last person standing’ game. They played large team games such as ‘benchball dodgeball’. This involves losing your team to a bench on the opposite side of the court if they are hit. It’s a game of attack and defence. These new games have definitely been great fun and we are all out of breath by the end of our PE sessions.
Leeds United Primary Choices
This half term, Year 6 had a workshop from the Leeds United Foundation about Choices. The workshop covered a range of subjects: antisocial behaviour, being aware of apps, moving on to high school, making friends and legal ages.
Two children were also lucky enough to win two tickets each to watch Leeds vs Leicester. What a fantastic prize!
Safer Internet Day
This week at school has been our online safety week and lots of our learning has linked to being safe online.
Reading
Exploring vocabulary was the focus of our reading lessons this week. We read a text about the Islamic Golden Age and identified lots of facts that we previously didn’t know. We then went on to identify unknown words within the text. Using dictionaries and iPads, we identified the definitions of these words and also searched for antonyms and synonyms. We were able to use these words in our own sentences to show our understanding.
Science: we are chemists
Science this week has led to the children investigating which materials make the best thermal insulators. Thermal insulators don’t let heat pass through easily or quickly. They planned their enquiry and tested bubble wrap, tin foil and fabric. Which one would keep the water hottest for longest?
The children used thermometers to measure the temperature every five minutes and they recorded their results. Next week we will analyse the results to see which was the best insulator.
