🌳Welcome To Maple Class Webpage 🌳
On our page we will be sharing our learning experiences and providing key information to parents.
Our Class Teacher is Miss Williams.
Our Learning Support Assistant is Mrs Sawyers.
Our P.E day is Friday.
Maple's information
In Maple class, we are expected to complete the following homework challenges each week:
Reading: 📖
- Read independently or with an adult 5 times during the week (Friday - Friday).
- Please click the link below to find a recommended selection of Year 5 books for your child to enjoy.
Maths: 🧮
- Complete 10 minutes daily on TTRS to develop our fluency and application of the all of the times tables.
- Complete weekly tasks set on Mathletics.
Spellings:✍
- Practise and complete a spelling test (Friday) based on the Year 5 / 6 spelling list.
Key Website Links:
Our learning so far...
Autumn Term and Spring Term 1 :
English:
Autumn Term:
We started off the year by exploring the book ‘The Barnabus Project’. We looked at how the book created atmosphere for the reader. From this we learnt to:
- We designed and created our own failed pets, creating poems about each one.
- Use personification to make the setting come to life.
- Use our senses to describe what the setting was like.
Next, we explored the text “Zelda Claw and the Rain Cat”. We looked at how this story created suspense for the reader. From this we learnt skills such as:
- Making the weather seem threatening by using personification.
- Creating suspense by using fronted adverbials.
- Revealing a threatening character slowly by describing the features of the threat.
- Hiding the threat by using empty words e.g. Something crawling.
- Showing the character’s emotions through their actions.
- Revealing our character’s inner thoughts by using rhetorical questions.
After, we explored the text "Why Rain Cats are extinct". We explore the features of an explanation text. From this we learnt skills such as:
- To use rhetorical questions, titles and and opening sentence to introduce to the reader what they will be reading in their writing.
- To use cause and effect language to clearly link ideas.
- We also explored modal verbs and how they show the reader the possibity of an outcome.
- We really focused on formal writing and how to ensure our writing is formal.
Spring Term so far:
We have begun to explore the "Beowulf”. We are looking at how the author shows the development of action. So far from this we learnt skills such as:
- Using effective verbs and adverbs that help the reader create a picture in their mind.
- To increase the pace of the action by using a sentence of 3.
Talk for Reading:
Autumn Term:
In Talk for Reading, we have been examining the book ‘The Promise’ by Nicola Davies. We have dived into each page, exploring what the pictures and text tell us about the city. We explored what a promise is and the morals of the girl the story follows. In the second half of the book, we compared the pictures and text to see the contrast.
We then moved on to exploring a non-fiction text called "Perserving the Rainforest". We really focused on the skills of scanning the text to find key words. We also looked at proving true or false statements by using the information in the text as evidence.
Spring Term so far:
We have been examining the book ‘Tom's Midnight Garden’ by Philippa Pearce. We have started this unit of by focusing on literary retrevial, finding the answer to questions within the extracts we are focused on. After this, we began to focus on how the author has been creating atmosphere.
Maths:
At the beginning of the term, we expanded our understanding of place value, addition and subtraction and multiplication and division by:
Place Value:
- Exploring Roman Numerals up to 1,000. We even leant how to write the date.
- We explored numbers up to 1,000,000. Learning to write them in both words and numerals, how to compare and order them.
- We looked at powers of ten.
- Recapped rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000 and then learning to round within 1,000,000.
Addition and Subtraction:
- Looking at how to add and subtract numbers mentally.
- Add and subtract numbers with more than four digits.
- Use rounding to check answers.
- Using inverse operations to help solve problems and check our answers.
- Compare different calculations and find missing numbers.
Multiplication and Division A:
- We continued to explore multiples and common multiples, factors and common factors.
- We began looking at prime numbers, squared numbers and cubed numbers.
- We also covered multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000, before looking at their multiples.
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Fractions A:
- We explored how to find equivalent fractions using a range of different methods.
- We learnt how to convert improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa.
- We looked at comparing and ordering different types of fractions.
- How to add and subtract the different types of fractions.
Multiplication and Division B:
- We recapped how to use the short multiplication method.
- We then used the long multiplication method to support us when multiplying a number by 2-digit number.
- We then used our knowledge of multiplication to work out problems.
- After, we moved onto dividing. We looked at the bus stop method.
- Once we were confident with the bus stop method, we began to learn how to divide with remainders.
- After, we used our knowlegde of division to help work out problems.
Fractions B
- We have learnt how to multiply fractions.
- How to calculate a fraction of a quanity and an amount.
The Vikings:
Our topic this term is The Vikings.
We began our learning of the Vikings with an immersion day, where we learnt about the Norse language and how they used different symbols to represent letters. From our knowledge, we wrote our name in Norse.
In art, we practiced our skill of sketching by recapping different techniques and using them to sketch a castle. From this we began to explore different techniques used by artists when using water colours. We brought all of those skills together in our final piece, which was a watercolour painting of a castle.
In history, we explored who the Vikings were and what life was like for them. We explore how they attacked Lindisfarne and thought deeply about how each side of the attack may have felt about it. Lastly, we looked at the impact of the Viking invasion on Britain and how the Danelaw was created and the conflict the Vikings had with Alfred the Great.
Our geography interlinked with our history, we explored using maps where the Vikings came from and where they invaded throughout their history. We looked at the geographical reasons why the Vikings may want to come to Britian, using maps of Norway and Britian to support our reasoning. We then looked at co-ordinated and grid references, creating our own Viking settlement using references and co-ordinates.
Topic:
French:
In French, we have looked at improving our pronunciation of words by looking at French phonetics. We have also explored how to ask someone what the date is and how we can reply.
P.E:
In P.E so far, we have put our dancing shoes on and learnt a Bollywood style dance moves and created our own dance in groups. After this we have explored the different movements used when line dancing, we put all these together to create our own routine.
We have learnt the skills and rules needed to play handball.
We have recapped our hockey skills, looking at the correct way in which to hold the stick. How to keep control of the puck and how to tackle in a safe and effective manner.
R.E:
In R.E, we were posed with the question “Is believing in God reasonable?”. To answer this question in a balanced manner, we explored both sides of the argument, looking at philosophers William Paley and Blaise Pascal beliefs and how a humanist may answer this question. We used all our learning to create a balanced argument to answer this question.
In R.E, we also explored how the belief in Christiantiy and Islam impacted on music and art through history. This began by looking at expression and how people express themselves, whether through music or art or how they decorate their room. Moving onto the history and symbolism of Christian art, looking at different kind of art forms in Christianity. We then compared this to the different art forms of art in Islam and created our own version of Islamic art. After which we evaluated the impact of different cultures on the Hagia Sofia. Leading us to debate the question "Should the Hagia be a secular museum?".
Science:
In science we have been testing the properities of materials such as - magnetic, transparency, hardness, electrical conductivity and insulation. In order to test the properities of these materials we have completed a range of experiements. One included insulation, where we had three materials and tested which one kept the heat in more effectively.
After this, we explored reversible and irreversible changes. We looked at what happened when something disolved. How to seperate materials by using methods such as filtering, sieving and evaporating. After learning that their are reversible changes such as freezing water or melting an ice cube, we looked at changes that could not be reversed. We explored that items that are burnt or are mixed with a form of acid cannot be undone.
Fairgrounds:
Our topic for the spring term is Fairgrounds.
We began our exploration of fairgrounds with an immersion day, where we looked at different fairground rides and created a poster for our own fairground.
In art, we have been learning about the aritist Fred Fowle and explored the impact he has had on Fairgrounds. We have started to use our knowledge to create our name in the style of Fred Fowle.
Topic:
French:
In French, we have began to look at the topic At the Tea Room.
P.E:
In P.E so far, we have been brushing up on our netball skills. Focusing on the different types of passing. How to move while you have the ball in your hand - pivot. Then exploring the different roles of each player.
R.E:
In R.E, we were posed with the question “Why should we be good?" To support our answer to the question we have explored Plato's thought experiment 'The Allegory of the Cave'. Compared the Karmic and Christian beliefs and how they affect the moral behaviour of their followers. We have also examined Buddhist teaching on how to live a good life.
