Term 5 and 6 Project - Ground Breaking Greeks
                  

In the Groundbreaking Greeks project, your child will learn about different periods of Greek history, exploring the earliest civilisations, the devastation of the Dark Age and the breakthroughs and developments of the Archaic and Classical periods. They will understand how the geography of Greece affected the development of city states and explore Athens, learning about the structure of the government and society. They will get to know some of the most significant Athenians and understand why Greek art, culture, architecture, philosophy, medicine and mathematics were so significant. Your child will learn about the leadership of Alexander the Great and discover how ancient Greece became part of the Roman Empire after the Hellenistic period. They will explore how the Romans respected and developed Greek ideas, making them their own and spreading them throughout the Roman Empire. To end the project, your child will decide which was the ancient Greeks' greatest idea, and explore how the legacy of ancient Greece affects their lives today.

 

Maths	Y4 - Shape, Stats, position and direction, time Y5 - Shape, stats, position and direction, negative numbers and volume Y6 - Shape, stats, position and direction, negative numbers and themed projects (application of learning post sats.)
English/Literacy	Term 5 The highwayman - Narrative poetry Term 6 Hercules - Myths, Groovy Greeks - Non-fiction text Just read - Who let the Gods out? Hooked on books - Greek Myths by Jean Menzies
Groundbreaking Greeks - Memorable Experience	Trip to The Ashmolean
History	Mycenaeans, Minoans and Classical Greece We will explore the formation of city states, the geography of Greece, The Mycenaeans, The Minoans, Classical Greece and the dark ages.
Religious Education	Hinduism Do beliefs in samsara, moksha and karma help Hindus to lead good lives? The children will explore these Hindu concepts while making links/comparisons to other religions.
Science	Properties of materials The children will test and talk about the different properties of materials. They will explore: transparency and translucency; Thermal conductivity, Electrical conductivity and solubility. We will then move on to exploring space and the solar system.
Design and Technology	Architecture The children will explore why Greek architecture has been emulated so much and why it has survived this long.
Art and Design	Mixed Media The children will explore mixed media collage with a focus on shape, colour, lines and texture before moving on to creating their own mixed media piece with a message. We will also be exploring expressionism and in design we will be looking at why Greek architecture has withtood the test of time.
PD/ PE	Dance; Gymnastics; Agility, Balance and Coordination; Athletics
Music	Ukulele - The children will receive expert lessons in Ukulele. Learning about the instrument, how to read tab music and how to play chords
Forest school	The Children will learn to how to start fires safely in the outdoors and how to cook in the outdoors.

Please ensure that children arrive on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in their PE kits and bring a named water bottle with them on these days. They will also need to make sure they come in old clothes with water prrof and sturdy footwear on Thursdays for forest school.

 

Home learning

Homework will be set on a Friday. Home learning journals will be sent home to be returned by the following Thursday. Activities and reading logs can be accessed via our online learning platform, Learning with Parents. 

Log on to TTRS or Numbots to practice your times tables and number bonds. Try to do this 5 minutes a day - it really makes a difference! Log in details can be found in your home learning journal. 

 

Reading Books

We hope that you will be able to read with your child for at least 10 minutes per day.

Every Friday we will have a library session during which your child will choose a new reading book to take home or continue with one they are already reading.  Books cannot be changed for a new text unless the previous one is returned.

 

Times Tables Rock Stars, Numbots and Complete Maths

Please use your username and password to log into the platforms (it is the same for both).  Here you can practise your number bonds and times tables. Certificates will be given out in Celebration Assembly on Fridays.

On Complete Maths the children will be able to acces learning to support whatthey are doing in class. These are bespoke projects, designed by their teacher to push their learning on.

https://ttrockstars.com/ - Time table practice. A specific times table will be set by your teacher weekly

https://numbots.com/ - Number bond practice.

https://auth.completemaths.com/login - Complete Maths Log in

 

 

Memorable experience - The Ashmolean

On May 10th, Cedar class travelled to the Ashmolean Museum. A memorable experience for their topic, Groundbreaking Greeks. The children were very excited as it was, for some, their first trip with Cedar, and for others, their first trip to a museum.

The children represented themselves very well. They were mindful of the public and moved around the museum sensibly. 

We began our day by having a look at ancient civilisations, before moving into the Japan section for our Club Japan group. The children were amazed at just how small the samurai armour was. This prompted an interesting conversation about why, on average, humans are taller now.

After having lunch together, we joined our guide, Niel, for an expert tour of Classical Greece. We looked at the statues and pots and tried to interpret the subject of the art, and we got to hold real artefacts from ancient Greece, to explore thier possible uses.

In the statuary, some of the children were ver excited to see the statue of Laocoon (see the picutres below). We have been reading about  the Trojan war and heard about how he was punished by Athena for throwing a spear at the Trojan horse. Athena lived up to the reputaton of the gods and sent a VERY harsh punishment. Laocoon AND his two sons were devoured by sea serpents.

Pupil voice:

'It was very fun and inspiring' Ellie C

'Very inspirational and educational. Every artefact had me jaw-dropped'  Jack N

'My favourite part was the statuary, because they helped me learn a lot and they were really fun and interesting' Elliot C

'I loved the samurai sword and armour in the Japanese section. I loved reading about how they were made.' Charlie S

 

 

Learning Area

This week in science we looked at thermal conductors and insulators. We tested various materials on thermally conductive paper to see if they conduct heat. We found that electrical conductivity is closely related to thermal conductivity. When looking deeper into the subject we found that the reason for this is the way particles are bonded in the materials we studied. We found that solids that had strong bonds, like metals, conduct heat and electricity. We then thought about practical applications for these properties.

 

Pupil Voice

'I'm really looking forward to learning more about Greek Mythology, finding out how they lived and how different they were to us'.

Luther F-A

'I love Greek myths especially the mythological creatures and I am really looking forward to our trip to the Ashmolean'.

Ellie C

 

 

Term 6

Religious Education

What does it mean for Christians if God is holy and loving?

This term we will be exploring Christian belief in God. We will be looking at how this belief is expressed through art, architecture and worship. We will explore what God would like to see in us by looking at the things loved and hated by God. We will develop our understanding of what it is to be holy and loving and what that means to Christians. We have begun this topic by looking at our ideas about God and then comparing that to scripture. We responded to this learning by writing Haiku and Cinquain.

"His power unmatched,

His passion moves mountains,

His love transcends all."

Jack Nicholls Year 6

TERM 5

Religious Education

In RE this term we have been looking at Hinduism and exploring the BIG Question: Do beliefs in Karma, Samsara and Moksha help Hindus lead good lives?  The Children are learning about the Hindu belief in reincarnation, and how karma can influence where you are on the cycle in the next life. They are also learning that, through devotion to one of the paths and dharma (right living) Hindus believe they can leave the cycle of reincarnation and gain moksha (freedom).

Do beleifs in Karma, Samsara and Moksha help Hindus to lead good lives?

 

 

TERM 4

Religious Education

In RE this term we have been exploring the BIG Question: In RE this term we have been looking at sacrifice and how sacrifices big or small can create change for the better. We looked at the sacrifices Jesus made but also those of the modern martyrs celebrated at Westminster Abbey.

What did Jesus do to save human beings?

TERM 3 

Religious Education

What would Jesus do?

In RE this term we have been exploring our BIG Question: 
We have been focussing on Jesus' miracles and how he resolved problems. We have then been looking at how we can apply the messages in these stories to our everyday lives. 

TERM 2

Religious Education

In RE this term we have been exploring our BIG Question:

Was Jesus the Messiah?

We have been learning about Jesus, the menaing behind his visit, and his messages to us. We have also been lookling at evidence in text to support our views.  Cedar mader links to other cultures, religions and areas of learning while drawing their conclusions. We finished the topic off by examinging his messages to the world and imagining what messages he would share with us if he were to return to Earth today.

TERM 1 

Religious Education

In RE this term our big Question was:

How do Hindus show commitment to god?

We looked at routines and rituals around prayer, such as puja worship, and we looked at pilgrimages, particularly those like the pilgrimage to the sacred river Ganges alongside the concept of Dharma.

 

Collective Worship

Terms 5 and 6

In Cedar class this term we are focussing on the value of Justice. We have been unpicking bible stories and looking for the central message or theme, then considering how this knowledge and understanding affects us. 

Isaiah 30:18 And Psalm 33:4-6'Therefore, the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. '

 

Terms 3 and 4

In Cedar class this term we have been focusing on the value of Perseverance. We have been reading related bible stories and discussing how we can take this learning and apply it to our lives. We also tried some physical activities to see how persevering, even when it is tough, can be rewarding.

 

 Romans 2:6-7 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, he will give eternal life.

 

Prayer space

Prayer spaces enable children and young people, of all faiths and none, to explore life's questions, spirituality and faith in a safe and creative ways.

In prayer space this term we are engaging in a variety of activities:

1. World Vision: World Hunger Kenya - in which students are encourged to offer thoughts and prayers to the starving in Kenya.
2. Christian Aid: Women - In which the children will learn of the plight of women around the world and offer up thought and prayers.