Year Six
SPRING TERM
Welcome back Year 6, and Happy New Year to you all!
We have lots and lots of exciting learning to do in the forthcoming weeks. We will start our new project in Geography, complete scientific investigations, continue our learning with fractions in maths and learn all about a very selfish giant in English. Super excited!
I have attached the knowledge organisers which go with each of these topics as well as ideas which the children can do at home for extra homework, to further their learning. When children do any tasks at home, please bring these into school to share at the end of each half term – extra rewards will be rewarded for these.
PE days have moved and are now on a Tuesday (outdoor) and a Thursday (indoor)
Homework:
Homework will be given weekly. DUE IN WEDNESDAY (marked on Friday). The children will be asked to complete:
15 minutes of their reading books at least 3x per week (dairies will be checked every Monday.)
Two pieces of written homework given on a Friday (Spag and maths related - due in on a Wednesday)
Reflex maths/ Frax (Times Tables app)
Spellings to learn on alternate weeks. Here's a link to the Y5/6 words: LINK
In addition to the above, additional homework includes:
Selection of creative topic work (from the working at home ideas sheet) –to be handed in at the end of each half term.
If you have any questions about any of this information or other questions not relating to this please do not hesitate to contact me.
This project teaches children about the characteristics and features of polar regions, including the North and South Poles, and includes a detailed exploration of the environmental factors that shape and influence them. (Linked Text – The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell).
Geography
Arctic and Antarctic regions; Lines of latitude and longitude; Polar climates; Polar day and night; Polar oceans; Polar landscapes; Climate change; Natural resources; Indigenous people; Tourism
History
Polar exploration; Significant people – Robert Falcon Scott; Ernest Shackleton; Significant events – Titanic
Science
Classifying living things; Classification keys; Adaptation; Investigations
This project teaches children about the Inuit way of life, including some of their cultural and artistic traditions.
Science – Electrical Circuits and Components
This project teaches children about electrical circuits, their components and how they function. They recognise how the voltage of cells affects the output of a circuit and record circuits using standard symbols. It also teaches children about programmable devices, sensors and monitoring. They combine their learning to design and make programmable home devices.
DT – Engineering
This project teaches children about remarkable engineers and significant bridges, learning to identify features, such as beams, arches and trusses. They complete a bridge-building engineering challenge to create a bridge prototype.
Reading
All of our reading is based around Emma Carroll’s ‘When We Were Warriors’ which is an is an interlinked novel of adventure, incident, familiar places and characters living through World War II and explores the resilience, resourcefulness and inventiveness of children when their lives fall to pieces. We will touch more on these themes in the Summer term (such as evacuees) (LINK TO BOOK REVIEW)
Writing
Writing in Spring one is based around Oscar Wilde’s “The Selfish Giant”. The story focuses on a giant, who over time has become selfish and as a result, has forgotten the joys of life. With Spring comes visitors to his garden who bring new life and joy to the giant’s abode. But, will he accept this change in his life, or will he banish the visitors and be plagued with darkness for the rest of his days. Our main foci throughout the term are:
*Using dialogue to express thoughts and feelings and to move the story on.
*Use of passive verbs
*To recognise vocabulary and structures for formal writing (including subjunctive forms)
*Use semi-colons to mark boundaries between independent clauses.
Maths
This term in maths, we revisit and consolidate the building blocks of maths. We continue to revise long multiplication and long division and prepare ourselves fully for the arithmetic test.
We also continue our learning of fractions, decimals and percentages, consolidating our understanding of the links between the three. Following this, we move onto ratio and proportion and then onto algebra before finishing the term with area, volume and perimeter… So lots to cram in!
As always, we will be running boosters in maths, so please do let me know if your child comes home and states that they are struggling with any area.
Many thanks for all of your continued support.
Again, please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions.
Mr L & the Y6 team
