Inspiring Innovators

Autumn Term 2023

Dynamic Dynasties

Welcome back to the Autumn term of year five! I am very excited to start the new year with our wonderful year five class. Our class name is "Inspiring Innovators" So let us see if we can live up to the name and really challenge ourselves to be the best we can be all year!

The children really impressed me with their love of reading last year with lots of them reading and sharing recommended reads, I cannot wait to share new books and continue with them on their reading journey. We have six new recommended reads, which I look forward to hearing the children's views on as well as some excellent class texts and many more books in our exciting class reading area. We also have a weekly newspaper in class which proves to be very popular so keep a look out for the new arrivals this term! 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 every Friday.

This term we step into our topic – Dynamic Dynasties

This project teaches children about the history of ancient China, focusing primarily on the Shang Dynasty, and explores the lasting legacy of the first five Chinese dynasties, some of which can still be seen in the world today.

Our main book for this term is Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan. Our second book is: Usbourne illustrated stories from China.

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

Taotie: This project teaches children about the significance and art of the taotie motif, including ancient and contemporary casting methods.

Forces and Mechanisms: This project teaches children about the forces of gravity, air resistance, water resistance and friction, with children exploring their effects. They learn about mechanisms, their uses and how they allow a smaller effort to have a greater effect.

Earth and Space: This project teaches children about our Solar System and its spherical celestial bodies. They describe the movements of the Earth and the other planets relative to the Sun, the Moon relative to Earth, and the Earth's rotation to explain day and night.

Tints, tones and shades: This project teaches children about colour theory by studying the colour wheel and exploring mixing tints, shades and tones. They learn about significant landscape artworks and features of landscapes before using this knowledge to create landscape paintings.

Investigating our world: This essential skills and knowledge project teaches children about locating map features using a range of methods. They learn about the Prime Meridian, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and worldwide time zones and study interconnected climate zones, vegetation belts and biomes. Children learn about human geography and capital cities worldwide before looking at the UK motorway network and settlements. They carry out an enquiry to identify local settlement types.

Moving mechanisms: This project teaches children about pneumatic systems. They experiment with pneumatics before designing, making and evaluating a pneumatic machine that performs a useful function.

To help the children deepen their understanding of these topics we will be going on a trip to Magna and carrying out a workshop on forces. The children will also develop a presentation about ancient China, which they will deliver to parents on their learning.

In PE the children will start off with the Joy of moving lead by RUFC and football with myself and Miss Tyson. After half term this will swap to gymnastics and golf. Our PE days for this term are Monday and Tuesday. 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 – Dynamic Dynasties 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.

TT Rockstars 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