Inspiring Innovators

Summer Term 2024

Groundbreaking Greeks

Welcome back to the Summer term of year five! I am very excited to start the new term with our wonderful year five class. Last term, we made great strides in many aspects of our learning and with our learning behaviours so I look forward to seeing how we can develop and build on these steps this term.

The children continue to really impress me with their love of reading and how keen they are to share ideas of recommended books for one another. Reading is key to all we do and incredibly important across the whole of our curriculum, so your support is vital in helping your child develop the confidence and love of reading to reach their full potential. We do expect the children to read at home at least three times a week and have this signed weekly in their reading diaries. I will check and sign these every Friday.

This term we step into our topic – Groundbreaking Greeks

This project teaches children about developments and changes over six periods of ancient Greek history, focusing on the city state of Athens in the Classical age, and exploring the lasting legacy of ancient Greece.

Our main book for this term is "When the sky falls" by Phil Earl. We will also read "The last Wild" by Piers Torday and "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio

There are several mini topics which fit into this topic, which ensures children develop a breadth of skills and knowledge.

Architecture: This project teaches children about how architectural style and technology has developed over time and then use this knowledge to design a building with specific features.

Properties and changes of materials: This project teaches children about the wider properties of materials and their uses. They learn about mixtures and how they can be separated using sieving, filtration and evaporation. They study reversible and irreversible changes, and use common indicators to identify irreversible changes.

Mixed media: This project teaches children about paper crafts, papermaking and collage techniques, including paper, fabric, mixed media and photo collage. They use their learning to create a final piece of small-scale, mixed media collage.

Expression: This project teaches children about the Expressionist art movement and the 'Father of Expressionism', Edvard Munch. They explore different ways to portray feelings and emotions in art to create an imaginative self-portrait.

In PE the children will start off with team building and fitness. Our PE days for this term are Monday and Thursday. The children will need a full PE kit for both days-plain white T shirt, black bottoms and a red, grey or black hoodie or jumper.

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 dojo rewards will be rewarded for these.

So let’s step into our new topic – Groundbreaking Greeks and learn lots!

Homework:

Homework will be given weekly. The children will be asked to complete:

· 15 minutes of their reading books at least 3x per week (dairies will be checked and signed every Friday.)

· Two pieces of written homework given on a Friday (due in on a Wednesday)

· Spellings to learn weekly.

Reflex for times tables - please play on this at least three times a week to keep your times tables knowledge fresh and efficient.

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.

Many thanks.

Mrs Lowry