Science: staying warm
King Charles of all people wrote an impassioned letter to the children of Scholes asking them which material would keep his tea warm the longest.
Pupils in 5/6 investigated three materials:
- tin foil
- felt
- bubble wrap
They considered the independent, dependent and control variables before conducting the experiment.
Help at home:
- Repeat the experiment with different materials
- would a lid have changed the results
- Consider why the results were so similar
Writing: Letters So Good Even Gods Would Listen
This week in writing, the children have been stepping straight into the world of our class novel Viking Boy, writing powerful letters from the perspective of its brave protagonist, Gunnar.
Their challenge was to persuade the mighty Viking god Odin to return Gunnar’s father from Valhalla so he could help on his dangerous quest, and let’s just say that Odin would have found it very hard to say no. The children focused on persuasive techniques such as emotive language and rhetorical questions, carefully choosing words to tug at Odin’s heart (if gods have hearts!) and make their arguments as convincing as possible.
There was drama, passion, bravery, injustice, and even a hint of Viking fury, all wrapped up in beautifully crafted letters that were both moving and memorable. We had huge fun writing them, and a few of the letters were so emotional that they genuinely brought a tear to a couple of readers’ eyes. If Odin has a postbox, it is definitely overflowing by now.
Help at home: Ask your child to explain the persuasive techniques they used in their writing, such as emotive language and rhetorical questions, and see if they can give you examples from their Viking letter.
Manipulating Maths
Maths this week for Year 6 has been all about manipulating numbers. We have been looking at equations and seeing if we multiply one factor and divide the other, the product (the answer) always stays the same. This can be a really useful tool within mental maths as it can make an equation easier to solve. Here is a little example of a few calculations. We discussed whether they helped us solve the answer or whether there’d be an easier alternative.
Class novel crazy!
We are still continuing to enjoy our class novel – Viking Boy by Tony Bradman.
The story follows a young Viking boy who navigates through some emotional and difficult challenges. The children are really engrossed so far and we are definitely invested in Gunnar’s fate. After each chapter, we add to our story maps where we write a 5 word summary of the key points and add any images that might help us to recall the main events.
Help at home: Ask your child to summarise the main events so far. Who are the main characters? What historical knowledge can they remember from the text? What do they predict will happen next?
Watch Us While We Work – Authorfy
For those parents who were unable to attend the Watch US While We work session this week, here is a link to a website that we used in the session.
This is fantastic online resource we have been using called Authorfy, which has been proving extremely popular with our Year 5/6 pupils.
Authorfy is a child-friendly writing platform created by professional authors. It offers engaging videos, clear writing guidance, and creative challenges that help children develop their storytelling, vocabulary, and confidence as writers. The content is age-appropriate, inspiring, and aligns well with the skills we focus on in upper Key Stage 2.
The best news is that Authorfy is completely free to access this year, meaning your child can enjoy all of its features at home at no cost.
Help at home: We highly recommend exploring Authorfy together if your child enjoys writing or would benefit from extra encouragement and inspiration. It’s a wonderful way to support learning beyond the classroom in a fun and meaningful way. Have fun exploring new authors.
Raiders, Runes and Really Good Reading
This half term, our classrooms’ have travelled back over 1,000 years as we launch into our brand-new history topic all about the Vikings in Britain. The children have started by placing the Vikings on a timeline, exploring where they fit within British and world chronology and discovering what else was happening around the globe while Viking longships were slicing through the seas.
We have already zoomed in on one of the most famous moments in Viking history – the raid on Lindisfarne. The children were fascinated (and suitably shocked!) to learn how this peaceful monastery was attacked and why this event is often seen as the beginning of the Viking Age in Britain. There have been some excellent historical questions, thoughtful discussions and a few dramatic gasps along the way.
To bring the era to life even further, our new class novel this half term is Viking Boy by Tony Bradman. The children are loving following the story and using it to deepen their understanding of Viking life, beliefs and adventures, while also developing their reading and inference skills. We are very excited to see where the story (and our Viking journey) takes us next.
Help at Home: You can support your child by chatting with them about our new Viking topic and testing them on key vocabulary.
Material World: Testing Properties in Science
This week in science, our new topic Materials and Their Properties kicked off with plenty of excitement, curiosity and the occasional buzz. The children explored magnetic materials, discovering which objects were attracted to magnets and which were not, before moving on to electrical conductors and insulators.
They had great fun building simple circuits and testing different materials to see which allowed electricity to flow and which stopped it in its tracks, making careful predictions and observations like real scientists. There was lots of brilliant discussion, problem-solving and teamwork as they worked out why some materials behaved the way they did.
Help at home: Ask your child to explain and use their new science vocabulary or challenge them to spot and name conductors and insulators around the house.
PE – dance
Our new topic in PE is dance this term so I hope the children have brought their dancing shoes to school.
The children are becoming familiar with different genres of music. This week, we listened to ‘Le Freak’ which has a pop/disco vibe to it. Lots of the children recognised the piece of music so their adults must have great music taste. You can listen to the song here if you would like to reminisce about your disco days!
They spent the session creating a dance routine in small groups that matched the rhythm of the music. They then performed them in front of the class. They were fantastic!
Christmas fun!
Yesterday was a great day! Not only did we enjoy a very delicious Christmas lunch, we had the opportunity to visit all the Christmas inflatables that magically appear every year. They were fantastic!
Here is a lovely photo of the class. Hopefully, everyone is smiling!
Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas and looking forward to seeing all the children back in January – hopefully germ free!
Science: A World That Never Stops Moving
This half term, the children have been exploring space and developing a deeper understanding of our place in the universe. They have learned that the Earth orbits the Sun and that this journey takes a whole year, helping to explain why we have seasons, while also discovering how the Moon orbits the Earth and changes shape as it moves through its lunar cycle. Through models, diagrams and thoughtful discussion, the children have been able to visualise these movements and explain them using accurate scientific vocabulary, showing great curiosity and a growing sense of awe about the vastness of space and our small but important place within it.
Help at Home: Talk together about what causes day, night and the changing shape of the Moon.