English

In English lessons we have been learning about poetry. We started by creating poetry paper chains and experimenting with acrostic poems and syllables.  We explored lots of different poems and how poets use figurative language to help convey meaning and create rhythm when the poems are performed aloud. The children created similes, metaphors and personification which were then used in their poems about a topic of their choice.  The children blew us away with all their amazing poems and the creative language they included.

Check out some of our fantastic poems below!

We have just started a topic on characterisation. We started of the topic by having a range of items in a bag; the children then had to describe the item using adjectives and the rest of the group had to draw the item. Next we will use expanded noun phrases, commas for clarity and pronouns to help build cohesion.

We have recently started using authors chairs to share our work. The children love sitting in the chair, reading out their work and asking their class for feedback. Have a look at some pictures of our authors chairs!

Reading

In Reading, we started by exploring a book called ‘The Promise’ by Nicola Davies. It is a picture book which focuses on imagery and has a deep moral story regarding the stewardship of the earth and its environment. It focused on the community and being a positive force for change. Within this unit, children learnt some of the following skills:

• Responding to illustrations
• Making predictions
• Visualising
• Reading with fluency and expression
• Exploring characters
• Hot seating in the role of the character and freeze framing
• Conscience alley
• Retrieval practice
• Writing in role as the character
• Exploring theme

The next book we will be exploring is called ‘Cosmic’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. It tells the incredible story of how Liam told some fibs, won a trip to a theme park and ended up in space by accident.

Maths

In maths this term, we started with a multiplication and division unit. We looked at how to multiply two digit numbers with up to four digit numbers. The topic started with us learning how to use the column method and we applied our new learning to solve multi-step problems. We then learnt how to effectively divide numbers up to four digits. We are now currently on our second unit of fractions. We have started using fractions as operators and we are learning how to find a fraction of a quantity. Children have really enjoyed representing numbers in different ways and learning how to simplify fractions to make the questions easier to understand.

In our next unit we will be exploring decimals and percentages.

Science

In science, we have been learning about materials. We have explored the properties of materials and learnt the terms translucent, transparent and opaque among others. We have also used magnets, testing if different materials around the classroom are magnetic.

Following on, we explored which materials were soluble. We had 5 different materials (coffee, sugar, salt, rice and flour) which we added to water and recorded if they were soluble or insoluble. Our most recent experiment led us to discover what variable we could change to affect the speed in which a solute dissolve.

Next half term we will be continuing to explore the topic of materials.

Topic

In Geography, we are exploring Asia. We started off by investigating the physical features of Asia (volcanoes, mountains, oceans) and then moved onto the human features of Asia (capital cities, population and languages). We then explored the natural borders across Asia and have started to explore tectonic plates. We learnt what tectonic plates are, continental drift and how earthquakes and volcanoes can occur.

Using biscuits and jam the children got to explore the different tectonic plates (constructive, conservative and destructive) and how they can cause earthquakes and volcanoes

We will continue learning about Asia next half term.

From the Year 5 Team 🙂

Music

In music this term the children have been expanding their knowledge of the pocket trumpet.  They have been working hard expanding their knowledge of notes on the stave.  The children have been using more complex rhythms in their playing and using articulations such as staccato and accents.  In exploring music the children have begun using dynamics in their playing learning the Italian terms piano (quiet) and forte (loud).  It has been amazing to hear their progress this term and the clarity of the sound they are making.

Reading

This term in reading we explored a collection of poetry ‘Overheard in a tower block’ by the poet Joseph Coelho.  The poems explore the relationships within his family and his experiences of growing up London.  The children enjoyed the chance to perform the poetry and interpret the language.  We also read the book ‘Journey to the River Sea’ by Eva Ibbotson.  The story of the young orphan Maia who moves in with the terrible Carter family and learns about the Amazon rainforest.  Children enjoyed the chance to explore the book using drama, acting out scenes from the book.

Writing

In writing we have been learning how to write playscripts. The children really enjoyed creating setting descriptions and giving stage directions. We have also started a unit on explanation and are focusing on our audience (who we are writing for) and purpose (why we are creating an explanation text).

Art

In art we created self-portraits inspired by Denilson Baniwa (an Indigenous Brazilian artist who mixes collage and self-portraits creating texture and tone. The children had a brilliant time exploring collage and adding elements of their culture into their self-portraits.

Reading

In Reading, we have explored the books ‘Pax’ and ‘The Amazing Night Sky Atlas’. The children have been really exploring the non-fiction text that links closely to our Science unit. They have illustrated images, learnt new vocabulary as well as exploring the differences between non fiction books

English

In English, we started the year with abstract poetry. We wrote our own version of the poem  ‘The River’ by Pie Corbett. We then moved on to creating the opening and build-up of a suspense story and writing a letter to advise. The children have really enjoyed taking part in debates and setting up a mock court trial as well as debating if children should be allowed to use their phones at break and lunch time.

Maths

In Maths, we started the year with place value. The children learnt how to manipulate base ten numbers using concrete, pictorial and abstract representations.  We then moved onto addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division where we got to expand our understanding of different methods to help us calculate problems. In mastering numbers we have been learning about multiplication and division facts. We have been learning about fact families, factors and multiples.

Science

We started the year with a unit on Space. The children have loved learning about the solar system and have participated in practical activities such as going outdoors to represent the planets in orbit. We have also looked at the phases of the moon and used playdough to represent the different phases. Next term we’ll move on to a new unit on forces where the children will use physical resources and objects to represent the different forces.

Music

In music, we have been learning the pocket trumpet. It has been amazing to watch the children progress from using just the mouthpiece to making a sound with the trumpet and learning to read music and play notes on the stave. Children are beginning to develop a keen sense of pulse and their rhythmic fluency.

Value of the term – resilience

Our value of the term is resilience. We have been learning about Anna Nzinga Mbande. She was a warrior queen who founded a new kingdom called Matamba (modern day Angola) and kept fighting for her people and their right to be free.

Coming up next:

• In English we are continuing with our unit on discussion texts and will then move onto playscripts.
• In maths we are going to continue our unit on fractions until Christmas. Then we will move onto multiplication and division after Christmas.
• In history we are going to start our unit on Vikings.
• In French we are continuing our work on naming and understanding different animals.
• In PSHE we are continuing our unit on celebrating differences.

Welcome back to Spring Term

Welcome back to Spring Term in Year 5. We have been so impressed with how well the children have settled back into school and their willingness to learn and take on new challenges. The children have already made so much progress with their learning.  We hope you enjoy reading about some of their successes below.

Miss Khan, Miss Mason, Mr Clarke and Mrs Gibson

English

In English lessons, we have been learning about explanation texts. We started by watching some short videos from ‘Wallace and Gromit’s Cracking Contraptions’. Wallace wrote us a letter challenging us to create our very own invention and explain how it works.

The children needed to explore a range of explanation texts and pick out the key features of them. We noticed that they all use the following:

• A heading, subheadings and paragraphs to organise the text
• A diagram or ‘blueprint’
• Use of brackets to add detail
• Technical vocabulary
• Cause and effect conjunctions
• Present tense
• Relative clauses

We spent time learning about each of these features before designing and writing about our own inventions. The children really enjoyed this topic and had some excellent invention ideas such as a machine that can do your homework or cook you breakfast in the morning. We hope you enjoy seeing a few of the final explanation texts the children created.

For the rest of this half term the children are going to be exploring a ‘beat the baddie’ text which is based on Beowulf. This is an exciting unit with plenty of action for the children to write about!

Reading

In Reading, we started by exploring the poetry book ‘Overheard in a Tower Block.’  It is a collection of poems written by Joseph Coelho. The poet describes his childhood experiences growing up in London. He shares the joys and the hardships he experienced as well as of those around him. During this unit, children enjoyed engaging in booktalk, visualising, comparing and contrasting poems as well as performing poetry.

Children are currently reading the book ‘The Promise’ by Laura Carlin. It is a picture book which focuses on imagery and has a deep moral story. Within this unit, children will learn some of the following skills:

• Responding to illustrations
• Making predictions
• Visualising
• Reading with fluency and expression
• Exploring characters
• Hot seating in the role of the character and freeze framing
• Conscience alley
• Retrieval practice
• Writing in role as the character
• Exploring themes

Science

In Science, we are learning about the different types of forces. We began by revisiting pulling, pushing and twisting forces. Children have planned their own investigations to show their understanding of different forces acting on objects such as gravity, friction,  air resistance and water resistance. Have a look at some examples below:

Maths

In maths this term, we started with a multiplication and division unit. We looked at how to multiply two digit numbers with up to four digit numbers. The topic started with us learning how to use the column method and we applied our new learning to solve multi-step problems. We then learnt how to effectively divide numbers up to four digits. We are now currently on our second unit of fractions. We have started using fractions as operators and we are learning how to find a fraction of a quantity. Children have really enjoyed representing numbers in different ways and learning how to simplify fractions to make the questions easier to understand.

History

At the start of the term, we finished our unit on Anglo-Saxons. We are now currently learning about the Vikings. The unit started with how the Vikings invaded England. We then moved on to exploring how they traded and changed the structure of England. The children have really enjoyed looking at Viking longships and learning about how Vikings would store hoards of objects that they had raided from other civilizations. 

Reading and Writing

In Reading, we have explored the books ‘Pax’ and ‘The Amazing Night Sky Atlas’. We are currently reading ‘Journey to the River Sea’ by Eva Ibbotson. Children have really enjoyed acting out parts of the stories, hot seating characters and creating posters to show their understanding. 

In English, we started the year with abstract poetry. We wrote our own version of the poem  ‘The River’ by Pie Corbett. We then moved on to creating the opening and build-up of a suspense story and writing a letter to advise. We are currently studying and understanding the structure of a discussion text. The children have really enjoyed taking part in debates and setting up a mock court trial as well as finding slime around the classroom or outside, creating the question: do aliens exist?

Maths

In Maths, we started the year with place value. The children learnt how to manipulate base ten numbers using concrete, pictorial and abstract representations.  We then moved onto addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division where we got to expand our understanding of different methods to help us calculate problems. We are currently working on a fractions unit. The children have been using practical resources to represent fractions and are starting to solve multi-step questions. We have also been learning about what equivalence means and how fractions can look very different. Children have learnt to convert between improper fractions and mixed numbers confidently. 

Science 

We started the year with a unit on space. The children have loved learning about the solar system and have participated in practical activities such as going outdoors to represent the planets in orbit. We have also looked at the phases of the moon and used playdough to represent the different phases. We have just started a new unit on forces where the children have used physical resources and objects to represent the different forces.

Black History Month

During Black History Month, Year 5 looked at Arthur Wharton. During the week, we looked at why Arthur Wharton was an important historical figure as the first professional black footballer.  He broke down many barriers for future sports figures. To showcase our learning, we created fact files using PurpleMash, wrote a poem and created artwork based on his life and achievements.

Music

In music, we have been learning the guitar. It has been amazing to watch the children progress from playing single notes, to learning to read music and play notes on the fretboard. Children are beginning to develop a keen sense of pulse and their rhythmic fluency. 

Design Technology

In DT, we continued to develop our understanding of space. The children have enjoyed creating their own moon buggy. They researched existing designs and examined the key features needed to make an effective buggy. Using their research, they designed their own buggy, made changes and compared their designs with other children in the class. Finally, children created their moon buggies using a range of materials and evaluated it against the success criteria. 

Over the next few weeks, we will be focusing on:

• In English we are continuing with our unit on discussion texts and will then move onto playscripts.
• In maths we are going to continue our unit on fractions until Christmas. Then we will move onto multiplication and division after Christmas.
• In history we are going to start our unit on Vikings.
• In French we are continuing our work on naming and understanding different animals.
• In PSHE we are continuing our unit on celebrating differences.

Out of this world!

To kick start our new science topic on space, Year 5 visited the National Space Centre in Leicester. The children had an absolute blast! They fully immersed themselves in all of the weird and wonderful things that can be found in space. They enjoyed watching the live and explosive “It Is Rocket Science ” show, where we investigated the fiery power of rocket fuel and the explosive nature of forces and much, much more!

The children thoroughly enjoyed travelling up the rocket tower and engaging with all the exciting exhibits. Perhaps the most exciting part of our trip was the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium show. The children sat beautifully in the comfortable reclining seats, as they were transported through time and space. They were taken on a journey through the solar system, where they learnt fascinating facts about the planets, and then took part in an interactive quiz from their seats- what a treat!

Our new geography unit this term is called ‘Passport to the World’. Within this unit, we will ‘visit’ continents, countries and oceans and learn lots of interesting facts about them.  So far, the children have enjoyed increasing their knowledge about continents, oceans and have learnt a wide range of new vocabulary and their definitions. Take a look at the mini glossaries the children produced below:

The children have also been looking at a range of maps to develop their maps reading skills. We focused on ordnance survey maps and created stories using the various symbols to help us to embed our learning. Take a look:

Year 5 have absolutely loved playing Globle everyday to compliment their learning about the countries in the world! Why not have a go at guessing the mystery country with your child at home? https://globle-game.com/

English

In English, children are studying a meeting tale called ‘This Morning I Met a Whale.’ It is about a young boy named Michael who meets a whale by the River Thames.  This is a great tale as it provides children with the opportunity to learn about current issues around the world including ocean pollution, deforestation, extreme weather patterns, poaching etc. We began by looking at some of the animals that are at threat of extinction and the different causes. The children produced some fantastic art work to show the before and after scenes and have written messages from the animal’s perspective. Within this unit, children have also learned a number of skills needed to produce a meeting tale and recapped grammar tools to make their writing more sophisticated. Over the next few weeks, children will begin the process of planning and writing their own meeting tales to share an important message. Have a look at some of the fantastic work below.

It has been yet another jam-packed half term so far in Year 5. The children have continued to work hard and their behaviour and attitude for learning has never been better. We are so proud! Let’s have a look at some of the exciting things we have been getting up too.

Art – The Monarchy

As part of our topic on The Monarchy, we have really been immersing ourselves in Tudor art. To say the children have been enjoying this unit, is an understatement. Nothing makes us more fulfilled then receiving the positive and excited feedback from children as well as parents, so thank you! What has truly astounded us, as a team, is the sheer number of budding artists we have in our year group. As well as technical art skills this unit has taught children the values of determination, perseverance and patience.

We kick started our learning journey by researching, exploring and discussing Tudor art. We then learnt about colour theory including how to make secondary and tertiary colours from primary colours. We explored patterns and texture in Tudor clothing and then practised our sketching skills, using a range of techniques. We used a range of paints to create accurate and realistic skin tones. This was then followed by sketching in proportion- this was challenging but we got there in the end! Finally, we put all of these new skills together to create a self-portrait in the style of a Tudor monarch.

It has been so rewarding to watch the children flourish in this subject, but even more rewarding for the children to see their progression.

World Book Day

This year’s World Book Day was absolutely amazing! The team were blown away by the sheer amount of effort the children had put in their costumes. From Gangsta Grannies, to Thing 1 and 2; From Rapunzels to Beowulfs; From Wednesday Adams to Mary Poppins; Not to mention the Gryffindor House! The list was endless!

The children took part in a range of activities including: origami bookmarks, Draw with Rob and orienteering. We also split our classes and buddied up with the Year 1s. We made comic strips, re-enacted scenes from our favourite picture books and even had a delicious Booknic! What a treat it was! We ended the week with an off the scale fashion show where the children showcased their costumes and their OUT OF THIS WORLD dance moves. It truly was so much fun. Thank you to all the parents who attended, you made it all the more enjoyable! A HUGE well done to the winners of the costume contest: Taylor (Beech) as Gangsta Granny, Sam (Linden) as George from George’s Marvellous Medicine and Sienna (Hawthorn) as Willa from Zombies 2. Well done to everyone who got involved!

Maths- Fractions

The children have been working exceptionally hard in maths this term. We have been learning about fractions- a concept that is not typically the easiest to grasp at first. We started by revising equivalent fractions and fractions greater than 1. We moved onto improper and mixed fractions, as well as comparing and ordering fractions. The children have been working on adding, subtracting and multiplying fractions too. There is a great deal of coverage, but they are showing an equally great deal of resilience to work through the challenges.

English

We finished our unit on action and have now been learning about Characterisation. This was where the writer develops and builds a character through the clues in their behaviour, appearance and traits (to list a few.) The children have been looking at a range of different texts to help build their knowledge and vocabulary bank. They have completed some excellent short bursts of writing where they have described and developed a character and practised some of the skills from our lessons.

A huge well done to everyone and their efforts. There is so much to look forward to this term and into summer 1- including our very exciting and much anticipated trip to the National Space Centre! We hope you are as excited as we are 😊

Spring Term

Wow! What a busy first half term we have had! The children returned to school after Christmas with enthusiasm and a real drive to hit the ground running. We kick started the term with a visit from Thomas Kitching and the Young’uns with whom we learnt about Luton’s heritage and wrote a song together. Please keep an eye out on Twitter and the school website where their final piece of music will be posted. Have a look at all the wonderful things that we have been getting up to in our classes.

English

In English this term, Year 5 have been learning how to write an effective action scene. Our model text is based on the book, Beowulf, by Michael Morpurgo. Within this unit, we have focused on specific writing features that we can use to make our own action scene writing. Some of the features we have focused on are:

• Repeated ED verbs– “they wrestled, yanked, heaved and lunged.”
• Sentences of three (to move the action forward)- “He tore his teeth into blood-stained hair and, with a splintering crack of a bone, ripped flesh from the creatures side.”
• Adverbials of action– “As he turned for more prey…” “held him fast by the arm.”
• Prepositions to introduce the action– “Up from his lair and through the shadows..”
• Carefully place adjectives– “ like a crazed animal” “ Grendel’s hideous skull”
• Long and short sentences – “He aimed. Fired.” “And so, finally, splattered and stained with blood, our hero stood, and at his feet, a gruesome carcass lay.”

We have learnt the meaning of new words found in our model text. These include: carcass, splintering, lair, moorland, thirsting, frenzied, seized, gnashing, inferno, thrashing

At the end of this unit the children will write their own action scenes. We are looking forward to seeing their creations!

Maths

In maths, children are currently on the topic of multiplication and division. They have worked incredibly hard to understand long multiplication using the area model and column method. They began by multiplying numbers by a single digit and gradually moved on to multiplying 4-digit numbers by double digits. The children were very thorough and worked methodically to solve calculations. Over the next few days, they will learn to solve long division using the bus stop method. Children will be supported with a range of concrete and pictorial representations to aid their understanding. Have a look at some of the fantastic work below.

PSHE

Within the Jigsaw lessons, children are working together to identify some of their dreams and goals for the future. They began by creating a dream jar- filling it with all their hopes for the future. Over the next few weeks, children will be exploring different professions and looking closely at different roles and responsibilities people have. They will understand the importance of different jobs and how they contribute to society. They will also be researching careers they are interested in and identifying the steps required to achieve those. Have a look at some of their dreams and goals below.

Reading- The Promise

The children have thoroughly enjoyed our reading comprehension lessons this half term. We have been studying the picture book called “The Promise.” The children have been building on their ability to have discussions and debates; justifying their thoughts with evidence from the text. They have learnt to empathise with character through the use of dramatical techniques like role play, hot seating, conscience alley, role on the wall and writing in role. The children have discussed the many themes and key messages that the author has tried to convey. They have looked at how language informs illustrations and how they illustrations change throughout the story, as well as the impact this has on the reader.

Topic- The Monarchy

This term we will be studying the monarchy. The children have enjoyed learning about the many different monarchs that have led our country since Alfred the Great. We have learnt how to plot key events on a timeline as well as learnt what the order of succession means. We have looked at some key figures and the impact they had during their reign, including: Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria. The children will also be planning King Charles’ coronation! Have a look at some of the beautiful art work that children made for our class displays! Do you recognise any of these royal objects?

Computing 

In Computing, Linden, Beech and Hawthorn Class have been exploring what is meant by E-safety to gain a greater understanding of the impact that sharing digital content can have. Each class created digital comic strips to highlight how to stay safe online- take a look at the examples below:

We have also spent time identifying the advantages and disadvantages of altering an image digitally as well as the purposes and reasons for doing this. The children used a fun program on Purple Mash called 2Paint A Picture to manipulate their images. You can see some great examples again below:

Wow! We cannot quite believe how quickly this term has gone by! We have been blown away by so many of the children in our classes- the quality of work has been outstanding!  Below is a snapshot of what we have been up to over the last few weeks.

Music

This term, we have been learning the iconic song ‘Livin’ on a prayer’ by Bon Jovi. We started by learning the lyrics and rhythms and then moved onto playing some key notes on the glockenspiels to accompany the song.  Look out for some of our performances on Twitter, coming soon!

Science

This term we started our new topic: “Properties and changes of materials.” We revised some of the key vocabulary and content that we learnt last year and are now building on these key concepts. We have carried out some exciting investigations too! We started by conducting a test on the properties of a range of materials e.g. the flexibility, permeability, hardness, transparency and magnetism of objects. We will soon be moving onto carrying out comparative investigations, like testing the best thermal conductor and insulator. Do you recognise these words? Can you think of everyday objects that are thermal conductors/insulators?

Design and Technology  

As part of the ancient Egypt topic work, the children in Year 5 have learnt the importance of a Shaduf and the river Nile. In DT this term, they will be creating a shaduf by applying their knowledge of levers from science. By working as a group, they have begun planning their ideas- trying to select the best materials and resources to create their prototypes. Over the next few days, they will be bringing their ideas to life and creating their final product, ready to put it to the ultimate test. Will their shaduf be strong enough to carry the water from low to high ground? Take a look at some of the initial research they did.

Feeling Festive!

A huge thank you to all the parents and carers who came along to our Christmas craft morning- we had so much fun creating wreaths, reindeer hot chocolate and snowmen bookmarks!

We are absolutely loving Bookvent and have enjoyed listening to the children read out their favourite chapter of their favourite book to the whole class.

We are very much looking forward to walking up to Queen Elizabeth School on Wednesday 14th December to watch their Christmas Panto: Robin Hood and His Merry Men. Please do remember to sign and return the permission slip before Monday.

We would like to take this opportunity to say happy holidays and we hope that you all have a restful break ready to return on Wednesday 3rd January 2023.

Miss Islam, Mrs Parkar and Miss Khan