Mr Applegate

The children have well and truly engaged with our project for this term: Globe Trotting Around North America. There has been so much learning in the last two weeks, let alone what is left to come for the rest of this term! Hopefully, you have received our ‘knowledge organiser’ and ‘topic web’ so that you are aware of what we are teaching this term. Our knowledge organiser is packed with facts, useful information, vocabulary and ideas for additional learning so please take a look this weekend if you haven’t already.

Our project started with our ‘Hook’ early last week where the children were put into teams and given a list of 20 places in North America. They then had to go on a search around school to find a picture clue which they read and tried to match to one of the places on their list.

Here are some of the clues which they were given…

Since the hook, the children have been busy learning about so many aspects of North America within Geography, English, Reading, DT, PE and Maths lessons making it a great project for cross-curricular learning and enhancing knowledge.

In Geography, the children have been locating the seven continents and have found out the names of the countries in the continent of North America. Additionally, the children have learned what ‘states’ and ‘territories’ are and located the states in the USA. As you may have read, Year 5 are having a ‘state off’ next  month; the teachers and children are already busy revising them for this fun Geography competition!

The children have also discovered that North America is the only continent which contains all the biomes! The children have found out the characteristics of each biome and where each biome is located in North America.

In Maths, the children have just finished a two-week unit about line graphs and different types of tables. We used this opportunity to teach them more about North America such as the temperatures of different parts of this vast continent. They also looked at information such as country size, country population and the native languages of these countries.

Our new English unit, based on the book ‘The Midnight Fox’, has captured the children. This book was written around 50 years ago and is based in the USA so both the subject matter and language is certainly a talking point. In this book, the main character has been sent to his Aunt’s farm for a couple of months whilst his parent are away. Despite not wanting to go originally, spotting a rare black fox has left him mesmerized. Using this book as a stimulus has produced such high-quality writing which we are looking forward to sharing with you later this term.

It’s quite amazing how much learning has happened over the last couple of weeks! We look forward to giving you an update on our DT and Art projects in a few weeks’ time.

Guten Tag! Yesterday we held our exciting ‘hook’ to immerse the children into our new history-led WW2 topic, Keep Calm and Carry on! We began with a ‘slow reveal’ of the first illustration in our focus book, Rose Blanche. Piece by piece, more of the interesting illustration was uncovered and the children made brilliant predictions about what this book might be about.

Initially, many of the children thought the image showed British soldiers either about to go to war or returning, hence the happy faces. Once the Nazi flags were revealed, the children then realised that this was in fact set in Germany showing a celebration of war being announced. We gathered together as a year group to discuss the whole picture, before being rudely interrupted by the ‘fat mayor’ who can be seen in the illustration overlooking the town square below him! He gathered us all together in our very own German market square outside Year 6 where we had to put ourselves in the shoes of the German children at this time. We learnt that the idea of war and Hitler’s views would have been welcomed by many German people in order to build a stronger nation as the years between WW1 and WW2 were punitive. Although this was initially tricky for some of the Year 6 children to understand, they were able to try and empathise.

Imagining they were German children, they took part in 3 activities: learning some German numbers and phrases, looking at propaganda posters and trying some German delicacies!

We will be exploring ‘Rose Blanche’ further in our Book Club and English lessons, following Rose’s experience of WW2. As tempting as it may be, please avoid sharing this book with your children until after we have finished using it!

Of course in history lessons, the children will learn how our amazing country was able to ‘Keep Calm and Carry on’ in order to eventually win the war and shape our nation as it is today.

Our key question for this half term is “Were there any true winners from WW2?”, with a key concept of ‘peace’.

On Friday, children will come home with their knowledge organisers for them to share with you. We would love for older generations in your family to share any experience of WW2 with the children to make it even more meaningful for them. If any family members are willing to come in and share experiences with our Year 6 children in a small assembly, we would greatly appreciate it. Please let your child’s class teacher know if this is something you could offer.

What a super start to our new topic ‘The Mystery of Metal’ we have had! Last Monday Mr Blake had left the children a note asking why all of the metal things had been gathered and put into a huge pile and asked us to investigate. We then discussed, ‘is it ok to destroy something?’

On Tuesday the children were very excited to find a wrapped book from their teachers linking with our big question ‘Should we judge a book by the cover?’

We made predictions about the story and started to read the Iron Man chapter 1. The children were completely engrossed as they read. We have focused on the vocabulary within the book and the Iron Man’s feelings throughout the story.

We have many exciting activities planned in the coming weeks and we need your help. Please can you send in the following items (remember to name):

• An empty drink can (coke/ lemonade can etc)
• A shoe box
• A cereal box

Please send in ASAP

Year 3