In Maths, year 5 are continuing with their theme of fractions but have moved onto multiplying fractions. As Green set have learned, multiplying fractions is no big problem, top times top over bottom times bottom! You just need to apply the process.
Year 6 maths have continued on the theme of ratio and proportion. This week they have been looking at scaling up and down with particular reference to recipes. If the recipe says ‘makes 12’ but you need to make 30, how much of each ingredient do you need? Great skill for future dinner parties! The children have also enjoyed the problem solving element of practical maths presented as word problems.
In Science, year 5 and 6 have both been reviewing what they have learned and making Google slides to demonstrate this. And well done to Niccolo who has been doing so well with his Weekly Ignite Challenges and particularly the science challenge this week all about changing states.
In History, year 5, having completed their searches for cures of the plague in 1665, have moved on to the Fire of London the following year. This week they will have completed their slideshow presentations on the cause and effect of the fire. Year 6 meanwhile, have been working on their slideshows on the life and career of Winston Churchill and how the great man survived a stroke and pneumonia during the war years to lead us to victory!
In French, year 5 have started their adventure in the world of French grammar by learning the conjugation of the verb ‘aller’ in the present tense. They have enjoyed our lesson starters saying where they go during the weekend and sharing their prior knowledge of vocabulary linked to places in town.
Year 6 have moved on to the topic of meals. They have used games and interactive activities to learn French vocabulary linked to breakfast and snacks and have begun to say and write which kind of food they enjoy. They will continue next week creating wonderful menus!
In Flourish, 5S had a discussion for Thankful Thursday about what they are grateful for during the lockdown. They took the time to acknowledge and appreciate how lucky we really are to be locked down in the technological age; with all the wonderful inventions that allow us to carry on as normal and keep busy, as well as the beautiful green spaces that surround us, we came to the conclusion that though we might be irritated at times, we really can’t complain! 5S presented their ideas neatly and clearly on the Padlet - just another example of the technology our pupils are willing to try out!
In English, year 5 learnt how to use a colon and have spent some time putting it into practise through a diary entry. They have been very conscientious and many have decided to attempt semicolons, parenthesis and other types of advanced punctuation to accompany their work on colons! Here is an excerpt from Niccolo’s diary:
She asked me all kinds of bewildering queries about “whose gang” I was in, and if I had anything to do with “the vanishings”, but when I said no, her fur stood on her grimy back. She told me to put my “puny claws away”, if I wanted to stay in the tiny shed. Right at that moment my collar tightened. I scratched at it rapidly, it reminded me of home: my warm home, my safe home, my impenetrable home.
Year 6 has been producing some discursive writing based on the book ‘Wonder’. They employed excellent behaviours for learning whilst discussing as a group live on Google Meet the advantages and disadvantages of the main character (who suffers from Treacher-Collins Syndrome), attending a mainstream school. After weighing up the pros and cons (without the benefit of hindsight!) and making a well structured plan, they put their ideas into a compelling discussion.
In Geography, year 5 were given freedom this week to choose from a variety of tasks that all involved consolidating their learning thus far exploring plastics in the ocean. I have been so incredibly impressed by the standard of work that has been submitted and the enthusiasm with which this topic has been embraced. I have included just a small selection of some of my favourite pieces.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch By Caitlin O'Keefe Dear Diary, You won't believe the day I've had. It was even worse than that time I nearly got put in the wrong bin, no it's much worse than that I'm in the OCEAN dn dn dn. One second I was being drunk from by a rather horrible man who then just threw me away into the ocean when he was finished. And then it all happened at once. . .I was being tossed and turned, shaken, thrown, my lid ripped off. And then out of a rock wiggled the wiggliest jellyfish in the world it was loads of different shades of green which was quite unusual for a jellyfish because they're normally purple pink or blue, and then I knew why my lid was wrapped up in his tentacle I tried to dodge my way through all the jellyfish's tentacles and eventually grabbed my lid flicked it back on to my head and got carried off by the current.
Suddenly I realised where I was heading. I was heading towards THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH!! I tried desperately to get out of the current grasp but failed and then before I knew it I was surrounded by RUBBISH, LOADS AND LOADS OF RUBBISH. I woke up and I was being chewed on by a fish. I knew that if I got inside that fish’s belly he would be history and so would the fish that ate that fish and the fish after that etc etc. I tried to free myself from the net that was holding me but it was no good. I just lay down and expected my fate but it never came. The fish swam away wahoo I felt like it was V.I.O day (victory in Ocean) So this is why I live to sign off this diary. Signed off by plastic bottle Jeff
Plastic Pollution TOOPE By Dara Olunloyo
Hello and welcome back to toope THERE'S ONLY ONE PLANET EARTH. In today's article we will be telling you all about plastic pollution, what a big problem it is and how you can help.
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest problems of this time. People just drop their rubbish on the floor, this might seem like it is not a big deal but trust TOOPE it is !!!
Plastic is not the only thing that is getting stuck in our oceans but it causes the biggest impact as plastic takes hundreds of years to decompose whereas other materials don’t. You might be thinking how plastic actually ends up in the sea if people drop it on the floor or put it in their bins, well the answer is natural causes as well as human error. Sometimes wind just blows rubbish into the ocean and sometimes people accidentally drop things in the oceans, but it doesn’t matter how it gets in there unless you can find a way to stop it getting there in the first place. If you can’t then our only other option is to get it out.
Have you recently heard of the name Boyan Slat ? This is the name of a 25 year old man who came up with a spectacular idea to clean up the GPGP at only the age of 19. You might be wondering what is the GPGP and what does it have to do with plastic pollution. Well TOOPE can answer all your questions. The GPGP stands for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is a great Island of rubbish between Hawaii and California. It is so huge that it would take an estimate of 5 years to clean up only half !!! Yeah it’s that big. This is just one of the smallest issues plastic is causing. Since it takes ages to decompose people are burying it underground. This is just as bad. At the same time people are burning it but this just releases bad fumes and gases into our air. The people who are trying to figure this out need our help, so let's give it to them.
The first way to help is to just recycle. The second way to help is to visit TOOPE/helping PE.co.uk and leave your Ideas and we will send them off to Boyan Slat for him to argue them forward.
Thank you for reading and we will see you next time on TOOPE.