Throughout this term, we are going to be looking at volcanoes and earthquakes where we will be making our own model volcanoes in design and technology. We are also going to be looking at different materials and states of matter.

Our key text this term:

Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit

Travel back in time to the days of the Roman Empire and join Tranio, the son of an actor, and his friend Livia, the baker’s daughter, in witnessing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Tranio, like most Roman boys, likes to watch whatever is going on: tradesmen selling their goods, ships unloading their exotic cargoes, politicians making speeches in the forum. But one hot August day a very different scene unfolds. The ground begins to shake, the sky to darken. People run gasping for air. Heading for the harbor, Tranio and his friend Livia hide on a boat and witness one of the most terrifying moments in recorded history-the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of their beloved city, Pompeii.

The Hook

This term our book is all about Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii. For our hook, we made a volcano, used papier-mâché and then painted them.

Once our volcanoes had dried and set, we asked the parents to come in and we made them erupt on the playground. We used baking powder and vinegar with red food colouring to make it look like lava.

Our Experience:

For our experience afternoon, we asked the Past Presents people to come in and the children experienced what it would have been like to spend a day in Pompeii when the volcano had erupted. We did a mixture of activities of lifting things off of buildings, putting the fires out in the houses and crawling around on the floor to get out of a building.

In Traders and Raiders, we will be focussing on the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons. We will be looking at where the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons lived and how the counties have changed over time. In art and design, we will be printing on fabrics, creating Anglo-Saxon textile designs.

Our key text this term:

Thor and the serpent

Everyone in the village feared for what they thought was in the sea. Until one day that their thoughts became true, when a fisherman saw a monster in the sea. Thor sets off with his fishing rod and has a battle which uses all his strength.

The Hook

For our hook this term, we watched a video about a Viking and then we made a longboat which would have helped him to escape the monster.

Our Experience:

For our experience this term, we had the Past Presents people in again to teach us all about the Vikings. We learnt about how the viking prep their ships for battle, how they fought and what happened to them when they died.

In Burps, Bottoms and Bile, we will be looking at animals and humans digestive system and their skeletons. We will will also be looking at healthy diets and how to prepare and cook food in design and technology.

Our key text this term:

Poppy, Waldo and the Giant by Pie Corbett

The day that Poppy thought she saw a giant was the first day of the summer holidays.

Who is this giant and what are they doing around where Poppy lives?

The Hook

Someone raided our classroom!

Whilst we were out, someone helped themselves into our classroom and raided our book corner. They left huge white footsteps and they left us a piece of paper with a strange story on it.

Our Experience:

Coming soon!

As part of Design and Technology, we will create a moving robot – how exciting!

We are very lucky this term to be having a community artist Kate to help deliver our art lessons – we will be making metal structures. Parents will be able to come into school on the 16th May to create metal jewellery with the children – Yay!

In PE, we shall be learning to play badminton.

Our key text this term:

The Robot and the Bluebird by David Lucas

There was once a robot with a broken heart, good for nothing but expiring slowly on a scrap heap. Then one winter’s day a migrating bluebird lands on his shoulder, too exhausted to go further. The robot offers her shelter in the place where his heart used to be, and her warmth and singing and companionship stir up the last glimmer of energy the robot has; he carries her across snowy wastes to the warm south, whereupon his strength dies out finally. And there he still stands today like an old hollow tree, home every year to singing birds.

The Hook

Junk Model Robots

For the hook of our topic, we made some junk model robots. We used old cereal boxes, tubes and paper to create our very own robots. Some of us made actual robots, and some of us turned each other into a robot, by making a robot head, or arms!

Our Experience:

Jewellery Making

To start off our jewellery making activity, we asked the parents to come in and we designed our own jewellery. Once we had finished our designs, we then made the jewellery by manipulating metal wire into necklaces, earrings and bracelets. We also added beads and charms to our jewellery to make them look pretty.

In Blue Abyss we are going to be looking at living things and their habitats and food chains. In Geography, we are going to be identifying the positions and the importance of many key parts that a globe tells us. We are also going to be thinking about climate change on the water cycle and the availability of drinking water.

Our key text this term:

The Tear Thief by Carol Ann Duffy

Each night, in the hours between supper and bedtime the Tear Thief carries her waterproof, silvery sack over her shoulder as she soundlessly steals the tears of every child who cries. But what does she do with all of those tears? This tale illustrates a message to teach children to value true feelings.

The Hook

We found some tears!

When we came in from break time today, we found a bag with something in it. We opened the bag and it was a bag of tears. We talked about who we thought the tears had come from.

Our Experience:

Coming soon!