March 2020 – All things Science!
The last few weeks have been very busy for the children in 5/6S, who are developing their understanding of density, volume and buoyancy through a range of different experiments. Here is just a snapshot of the activities we have completed recently…can you guess what we got up to?
March 2020 – Class Assembly
A massive well done to all of the children in 5/6S who wrote and performed their fantastic class assembly this morning. It was lovely to reflect upon how much they have learnt and thank you to everyone who came to support them. Great job!
February 2020 – Challenging Co-ordinates
We have been studying co-ordinates in Maths this week in all four quadrants. If you would like to practise a little ore at home, check out some of these games:
Alien Attack – https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/469/Coordinates-Alien-Attack
Show the Co-ordinate – https://www.teacherled.com/iresources/coordinates/showthecoordinate/
Hit the Co-ordinate – https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/click-coordinate.html
Locate the Aliens – https://www.mathplayground.com/locate_aliens.html
February 2020 – Natural Selection
This afternoon, we have been conducting experiments to model our understanding of natural selection. From a single food source, the children worked in pairs to see how many sunflower seeds they could collect in one minute using chopsticks or tweezers. Which tool do you think was best adapted for the job? Ask a member of 5/6S to find out…
January 2020 – Hoopstars!
5/6S had a fantastic time taking part in our Hoopstars day, learning how to perform a series of different tricks with the hula hoop. Check out some of us in action…
December 2019 – Gingerbread House Competition!
December 2019 – Making Christingles
This afternoon we have been exploring and making Christingles, as part of our Christmas RE curriculum. We thoroughly enjoyed constructing these from the different elements and used the Skitch app to label the meaning behind the symbols.
December 2019 – Exploring Google Earth
As we begin to draw our topic of Earthquakes to a close, Mrs Shepherd has been encouraging the children to make links between what they have learnt and their prior knowledge from previous years. We have recapped human and physical features of different landscapes and used Google Earth to find out how tectonic activity has shaped the world. Have a go yourself at home:
Google Earth – https://earth.google.com/web/
December 2019 – Testing our Hypotheses
To conclude our work on electricity, we designed and conducted our own experiments to find out which materials are electrical conductors. In groups, we decided on our ‘plan of action’ and used our own choice of equipment to prove our predictions right or wrong!
December 2019 – Perimeter and Area
As we start a new Maths topic, here are a few games to help you with your understanding of perimeter and area:
Area and Perimeter Explorer – http://toytheater.com/area-perimeter-explorer/
Area and Perimeter of Rectangles – https://www.geogebra.org/m/Yr8kxmtU
Area Builder – https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/area-builder/latest/area-builder_en.html
November 2019 – Abundant Numbers
Do you know what an abundant number is? Can you check to see if a number is abundant? Mrs Shepherd’s set have been exploring this today with Mr Brabban and would like you to have a go at home too. Click the link below to find out more:
Abundant Numbers https://nrich.maths.org/1011
As you work, see if you spot any other patterns or types of numbers…
November 2019 – Testing the Theory
Now that 5/6S are confident with explaining how circuits work, we have been testing a range of theories with the practical equipment – will adding more cells to a circuit increase the brightness of the bulb? How will more components affect the loudness of a buzzer? The children have enjoyed testing their ideas and given scientific reasons for their predictions.
November 2019 – Starting Fires!
Despite more rain on a Friday afternoon, 5/6S have been busy lighting fires in the garden with Sam. They all gave it a really good go and they ended their afternoon with smores around the campfire!
November 2019 – Making Circuits
Our new topic in Science is Electricity and we have started by recapping what we already know. The children have used sweets to create a circuit before developing this into scientific diagrams using the correct symbols.
November 2019 – Exciting Earthquakes
Some of our children have made an excellent start today on our topic of Earthquakes. After a thrilling game of Kahoot to assess their current knowledge, the students used a live tracker to begin to plot locations of these events of a world map. We had such a good time using this app, that they children are eager to learn more – below is the link to the tracker that we used if you want to have a look at home!
USGS – https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/
October 2019 – Raft Building
Despite the rain, we enjoyed a great afternoon in the garden with Sam Jackson again, this time building rafts! We used sticks lashed together with string and flat leaves to create a raft for our clay person to travel on. We tested these in the pond…only some of our clay folk survived…
October 2019 – Addition and Subtraction
Year 5 are working hard to develop their use of the bar model as a useful tool when deciding whether or not to use addition and subtraction in their Maths problems. Knowing a range of number fact families is also important, helping the students to make connections between ideas. Over the holiday, you may want to try some of these at home too, so take a look at some of the ones we have suggested here:
Number Fact Families https://www.topmarks.co.uk/number-facts/number-fact-families
Mission 2110 https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?a=activity11
Subtraction Bowling http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/me3us/flash/lessonLauncher.html?lesson=lessons/07/m3_07_00_x.swf
Subtraction Grids https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/subtraction-grids
October 2019 – Databases
As we conclude our Computing work this half term, the children have been using www.j2e.com to help create and develop their own online databases. They collected data about famous kings and queens to use as our records and then transferred this to a sample template. The students have shown an excellent understanding of the functions of a database and can give real-world examples of them in use.
October 2019 – 100 Leaf Challenge
5/6S had a fantastic first afternoon in the garden on Friday, working with Sam Jackson on some outdoor art. We took on the 100 Leaf Challenge, to make a shaped piece of art using exactly 100 leaves. The children had some lovely ideas and Sam was really impressed by our finished pieces – well done everyone!
October 2019 – Hockey Update
The children in 5/6S are making fantastic progress in Hockey and are really enjoying these sessions. Today we worked on the accuracy of our scoring skills, before applying them in small, quick matches.
September 2019 – Air Resistance
Today in Science the class has been investigating air resistance and how the impact of this force can be changed by thinking about the surface area of a moving object. We used different sized cake cases to see which one fell the quickest and experienced the least air resistance, before recording and analysing our results.
Here are some more useful links if you would like to find out more:
BBC Bitesize – What is air resistance? https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zsjd7ty
BBC Bitesize – Experiments to try at home https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/z7fpyrd
Science Sparks – Making parachutes https://www.science-sparks.com/gravity-and-air-resistance/
September 2019 – Timelines
To start our work in History on the British Monarchy, the children were challenged to order significant historical eras on a timeline. Although some of us found this a little tricky, we worked together to add the corresponding dates to the periods we have already studied in school. If you would like to find out more about the events we ordered, take a look here:
History Lines – http://historylines.e2bn.org/
September 2019 – Drawing Feathers
In Art this half term, we are focusing on our sketching skills to be able to draw elements of wildlife in detail. This week, we have been looking carefully at different types of feathers, sketching them and using our pencils to add shade. Although it was tricky to begin with, we have already made some great progress. Take a look…
September 2019 – Welcome Back!
Mrs Shepherd was very excited to see the members of 5/6S return to school after the summer break and has rounded off the first week with an afternoon of hockey. The children really enjoyed giving it a go and look forward to working on their tactical skills over the next few weeks!
July 2019 – Out in the garden
5/6S enjoyed their final session in the garden last week, working with Lindsey from Scouted. They completed a number of artistic activities, including colour matching and making our own paints. We rounded off our morning with cooked apples and sugar, roasted on a fire! Delicious!
June 2019 – Trip to Eden Camp
Years 5 and 6 had an amazing day this week on our trip to Eden Camp. To follow up the topic work we have completed on World War II, we explored all that the museum had to offer. It was fascinating seeing all of the primary sources that have been collected and displayed over the years, as well as the large military vehicles there too. The children were able to get a real sense of life during the war and were great ambassadors for our school. Well done 5/6!
June 2019 – Reflections
In Science, we have been following up our work on light by thinking about how we can use mirrored surfaces to reflect it. The students were set the challenge of creating a mirror maze, where an object is placed at one end and must be visible at the other – we used the mirrors to reflect light over long distances to prove that the angle of incidence is the same as the angle of reflection.
June 2019 – NSPCC Workshop
The ladies from the NSPCC returned to Ox Close yesterday to work with the children in Years 5 and 6. They recapped the advice given to us in their assembly a few weeks ago and we talked about trusted adults that we can talk to.
June 2019 – Hitting the Mark
This week, we are starting our work on points in the first quadrant, leading to reflection and translation of shapes. Here are a few games for you to try at home to help further develop your understanding of
co-ordinates:
Hit the Co-ordinates https://www.mathsisfun.com/data/click-coordinate.html
Alien Attack https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/469/Coordinates-Alien-Attack
ITP Co-ordinates https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/79/itp-coordinates
June 2019 – Year 5 Transition Visit
Last week, the children in Year 5 enjoyed another fantastic transition visit to Whitworth Park Academy. Despite a very wet walk up to the school, they had plenty of fun taking part in lessons such as DT, ICT, PE and French. The behaviour of our students was superb and I’m sure that many of them look forward to their next visits as Year 6 in September.
May 2019 – World War Two
5/6S have been very excited to start their work on World War Two this week, first looking at key events on the timeline and then investigating different historical sources to see what they can tell us. The class have been so enthusiastic and eager to learn, Mrs Shepherd has loved the super start they have made. Stay tuned for more over the coming weeks.
May 2019 – Angles to try at home
Using a protractor to estimate and measure angles can be tricky! Here are a few games for you to play at home to help with this skill:
Measure the angle http://flash.topmarks.co.uk/651
Alien Angles https://www.mathplayground.com/alienangles.html
Measuring Angles https://www.mathplayground.com/measuringangles.html
Mission Angles https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?a=activity16
May 2019 – Measuring Angles
This week Year 5 are starting their work on shapes and angles. Today in Mrs Shepherd’s set, we had a go at using a protractor for the first time to measure the angles on our table. This was really tricky to begin with but by the end of the lesson we were much more confident. It’s a skill that we will be working on over the coming weeks.
May 2019 – Does it dissolve?
5/6S have started the next phase of their Science work on materials with a lesson on dissolving. After thinking about what dissolving actually is, we tested our ideas by adding a range of substances to warm water to see what happens. We recorded whether or not the solute dissolved…some we weren’t too sure about! The pupils are looking forward to testing out new theories in the coming weeks as well as investigating methods of separating.
April 2019 – Samson’s Shoes
Here are a few snapshots from our trip to the Beacon of Light, where our children competed in teams to research, design and present their very own shoe as part of their work with the Foundation of Light over the past term. Up against some very strong groups from other schools, Mrs Shepherd was proud of each and every one of the class and was thrilled to see ‘Team Zamb-Packed’ place second overall! A great day out for a fantastic cause!
April 2019 – Thermal Insulators
Before the Easter holidays, we started to investigate materials that are the best thermal insulators. Today, we tested our ideas by measuring the change in handle temperature when a wooden, metal and plastic spoon were left in hot water for 1 minute. The results surprised us all – which spoon do you think was the best thermal insulator?
April 2019 – Around our Classroom
In French this afternoon, e have been learning key vocabulary for classroom objects. We took photos of our group members next to different items and used them to plan a route for a BeeBot to follow.
February 2019 – Welcome to Shepherdton Vale
To finish off our topic on our local town, 5/6S have spent the day building our final model of new town, Shepherdton Vale. We worked in ‘departments’ to share and plan our ideas and have thoroughly enjoyed bringing the town to life. Take a look to see what you think!
February 2019 – A very french breakfast!
5/6S have been following up their recent work on food and drink as part of our French sessions. This week, we have been finding out about the French vocabulary for different breakfast foods and have been composing our own sentences. To celebrate such amazing work, the children have also enjoyed a taste of some of these foods, including pain au chocolat and croissants! Bon appetit!
February 2019 – Safer Internet Day 2019
As part of our e-safety work this week, we have been thinking about the issue of consent – what do we need to give or ask permission for when working online? The class thought about instances where consent is needed and created freeze frames of our scenarios. We then used these images to produce a comic strip of our story.
February 2019 – Adam Bushnell
Ox Close has been lucky enough this week to welcome author Adam Bushnell back to work with all of the children in our school. During his session with Mrs Shepherd’s English set, we planned out a piece of writing all about a quest. We thought about the setting and a treasure of Viking weapons that we might find. We will be using these ideas to inspire our writing this week and next in our lessons back in the classroom.
January 2019 – Drawing in perspective
This term, we are concentrating on drawing in perspective in our art lessons. To begin with, we have been practising finding the horizon line, vanishing point and perspective lines to create a guideline for our own sketches. Although it was tricky to begin with, we are looking forward to making lots of progress this term!
December 2018 – Out and About in Spennymoor
The students in 5/6 have been planning and conducting their own Geography fieldwork to find out what makes a good town. As well as taking photographs of key places in Spennymoor, we composed a questionnaire for the children to discuss with local residents. Our children were great ambassadors for the school and found out lots of interesting things about how people view our town.
December 2018 – Fantastic French!
During the last few weeks of our Autumn term, the children have been completing a French task each day, linked to our topic of ‘Ourselves’. To assess what we already knew, we had a go at matching the picture cards to the French vocabulary for parts of the face and body. Some of us found it tricky to begin with, but by the end we were able to identify them with ease, and some of us even had a go at a short conversation using what we had learnt.
Are you confident at French? Would you be able to match the words and pictures? Take a look at how we got on…
November 2018 – Anti-Bullying Week
As part of our whole school work on anti-bullying, our class spent the afternoon designing their own video game and characters to help ‘beat the bullies’. Our display is up in the media room, where everyone can refer to it when using our computers safely. Here are a few examples…
November 2018 – Make your own paints
We have spent the afternoon looking at natural pigments and how we can use them to make our own paints. We added beetroot, turmeric and many other items to a base of flour and water to create our very own Autumn palette. See for yourself…
November 2018 – The Process of Digestion
Following on from our last Science lesson, 5/6S had a go at recreating the process of digestion using some household supplies. We saw the journey of a banana and a biscuit throughout the digestive system and enjoyed getting a little bit messy! Take a look at how we got on.
October 2018 – The Digestive System
As we continue our work in Science on the human body, we have been assessing what the children already know about the digestive system. We drew around a volunteer and labelled as many key organs as we could. As we learn more, we will keep adding to our life-sized drawings.
October 2018 – Perfect Portraits!
Over the course of last half term the pupils have been working on their drawing and sketching skills. Having looked at shading techniques, drawing in 3D and choice of pencils, they had a go at drawing a second draft of their first portrait from September. Just look at the progress we have made…
October 2018 – Sensational Shakespeare!
Today 5/6S have completed a fantastic workshop linked to the writing of William Shakespeare. Tackling the story of Macbeth, we re-enacted the battle and used our experiences to inspire our 15 minute Magic Writing session. The afternoon was taken up by an intense debate over the future of the King…to kill, or not to kill? That was the question!
October 2018 – Try this at home!
Mrs Shepherd’s Maths set have enjoyed playing a range of interactive games this half term on the whiteboard. Just click here if you want to try Hit the Button and Beat the PC at home!
October 2018 – Move that jelly!
To help us develop our ability to record and explain our results in a science investigation, 5/6S have been having fun involving jelly, oil and a set of tweezers! We timed ourselves moving the jelly cubes from one plate to another using the tweezers and then repeated the experiment after covering the jelly in oil. We predicted that making it more slippery would make the challenge more difficult…but do you think that is what our results show? Ask a member of our class to find out!
September 2018 – The Gurdwara
This week in RE, we have been finding out about the Sikh place of worship, the Gurdwara. Having read all about it and looked at different examples, we labelled the key parts with an explanation of their significance. The children worked well in groups and it prompted lots of super discussions.
September 2018 – Heart Dissection
Today the children across Years 5 and 6 have been following up their work on the circulatory system with the dissection of a pig’s heart. Under the direction of our resident scientist Mrs Cox, the students worked in pairs to observe, dissect and investigate the composition of the heart. They did fantastically well and thoroughly enjoyed finding examples of arteries, veins and even the odd heart string! Well done everyone!
September 2018 – The wind in our sails
To help us back into the swing of things, 5/6S have been working together to design and build a sail buggy out of classroom materials. We thought about how we could create wheels and an axle to help it move, as well as making a large sail to take advantage of wind power. Although some designs were more successful than others, the children worked well with their new classmates and were very creative with their designs. Take a look…