Autumn 2

Our Geography driver theme this half term is called, ‘Can we map a local settlement?’  The settlement we will be focusing on is Brinklow. The children will learn where Brinklow is and will be analysing a map of Brinklow using a key, four figure grid references and compass points. The children will identify human and physical features in Brinklow and compare an aerial photo of Brinklow to a map of it. Next, the children will discover why people settled in Brinklow (putting it into its Historical context). After this, we will spend a day in Brinklow. During this fieldtrip, the children will use a map to navigate around the village, link features to prior learning in History (Roman Road), visit landmarks like the Motte and Bailey and other places they identified on their map previously. The children will also be creating their own sketch maps, photographing features of land use and continue to consider: why people settled there? Why do people choose to live there now? How has land use changed – economically, trade etc? Once we have returned to school the children will create finished versions of their sketch maps with photos and clear labels for land use.

English

In English this half term, the children will be focusing on narrative poetry. We will be reading ‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes in our English lessons. Some of the vocabulary in the poem is quite complicated so we will be working on the poem in verses to help the children understand it. We will also be identifying different types of figurative language Noyes has used and for what effect.  As part of this work, we will be learning some of the poem and completing lots of drama work linked with it. Using all the new vocabulary the children have learnt, they will then turn the narrative poem into a narrative story. Next the children will write a diary entry as if they are a character in the poem. Finally, they will write a newspaper report about an event in the poem.

Maths

In Maths our first unit will be, continuing ‘Timetables’ and then we will be moving on to our next unit called ‘Multiplication and Division’. During this unit the children will be learning about multiples, factors, prime numbers, how to multiply and divide whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1000, how to multiply numbers up to 4 digits by a one or two-digit number using a formal written method and how to divide a 4-digit number by a one-digit number using the formal written method. We will then start our next unit called ‘Perimeter and Area’ where the children will measure and calculate the perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes in centimetres and metres and calculate and compare the area of rectangles (including squares), including using standard units, square centimetres (cm2) and square metres (m2) and estimate the area of non-rectilinear shapes.

Science

In our Science lessons, our new unit is called ‘Circle of Life’. During this unit, we will be learning about life cycles of mammals, birds, amphibians and insects and we will be answering the following questions: What is a life cycle? What do we know about the life cycles of mammals? What do we know about the life cycles of amphibians? What do we know about the life cycles of insects? What do we know about the life cycles of birds? What makes a successful life cycle?  How are humans helping endangered animals to complete their life cycles?

RE

In this unit of work, the children will explore the questions: 'Is the Christmas story true?' and 'Do sacred texts have to be ‘true’ to help people understand their religion?'

The children will learn to evaluate different accounts of the Christmas story and understand that stories can be true in different ways.

PSHE

In this Puzzle (unit) the children will explore culture and cultural differences. These lessons focus specifically on difference and diversity. They link this to racism, talking about what it is and how to be aware of their own feelings towards people from different cultures. They revisit the topic of bullying (including racist, homophobic and cyber bulling) and discuss rumour spreading and name-calling. Children talk about direct and indirect bullying as well as ways to encourage children to not using bullying behaviours. The children will talk about happiness regardless of material wealth and respecting other people’s cultures.

Computing

 During the Coding unit in Year 5, the children will learn the following:

• To begin to simplify code.
• To create a playable game.

• To understand what a simulation is.

• To program a simulation using 2Code.

• To know what decomposition and abstraction are in computer science.

• To a take a real-life situation, decompose it and think about the level of abstraction.  

•To begin to understand what a function is and how functions work in code.
• To understand what the different variable types are and how they are used differently.

• To understand how to create a string.

• To understand what concatenation is and how it works.

Art

In Art, the children will explore The Bayeux Tapestry, they will make observations of the tapestry and then design their very own tapestry, but a Christmas version. The children will spend time practising the skill of sewing using various stitching techniques, before creating their final piece. They will practise: threading a needle, tying a knot, cutting fabric/felt and creating a stitch to join two pieces together, layering fabric, weaving or stitching into areas of fabric, cutting shapes from the fabric and applying different fabric behind the shape, pulling the fabric into folds and pleats and securing with stitching.  

    PE

The children will be learning lots of skills relating to gymnastics and volleyball.

Children should come to school wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts/joggers, school sweatshirt or cardigan and trainers.

Useful Links to Practise Key Skills

English:

Oxford Owl- provides access to free e-books (you have to create a free account to view them) 

Your child has an individual log-in for this website. They can play spelling games based on lists of words. 

Use these links to find an interesting image. What do you think is happening? Can you describe what is happening in your exercise book? Can you write a story about it?

On the Pobble 365 website, there is a different image everyday for you to use. If you click on 'Pick a Day' in the right hand corner of the Pobble 365 website you can select an image from any day. 

This blogger has compiled a list of children's authors with great books to read, each author has a few reading based activities on their website. 

Audible has lots of free audiobooks for children while you're learning at home.

KS2 Bitesize English is a fantastic resources to revise SPAG, different types of text and reading.

Maths:

This website has lots of age appropriate maths resources and they have produced home learning packs for each year group with helpful videos and activities for each day of home learning. 

Maths Mastery have produced lots of fantastic free resources for children to use at home.

This website has lots of interactive Maths games. 

This website groups games together well and you can search by subject.

Times Table Rock Stars - your child has an individual log in for this.

This is a story based maths game which your child can log into with their TT Rock stars log ins.

Other Subjects:

This is a fantastic website with lots of videos, interactive activities and printable resources around all the subjects as well as current events. Great for exploring if you want some extra material in your home learning. Children you can watch the '60 Seconds News' following this link (the same as we watch in class!). 

Once clicking this link, choose 'Espresso' from the drop down log-in menu in the top right hand corner. You have been given, in the front of your exercise books, a username and password for this website. 

With this link you can take a virtual tour around the British Museum, London. 

This website has lots of activities you can do in the garden, as well a lots of information about animals and plants for research tasks.

Find out information and take quizzes using this link.

These games are the first steps of computer programming, they are very engaging for children. 

This is a typing game for children.

Joe Wicks 'The Body Coach' has a series of 5 minute videos aimed at children. He is also running a 30 minute PE session every morning at 9:00 on his YouTube channel (The Body Coach).

This website has fun movement videos for children