In this topic, we will continue to flourish as we learn about plants. We will learn about what plants need to grow and be able to identify, name and describe a variety of garden and wild plants as well as evergreen and deciduous trees. We will be introduced to Percy the Park keeper and think about our senses while out in nature, writing poetry and a story. Children will have plenty of opportunities to explore seeds, gardening equipment and even have a go at making their own gardening gloves.
In our second topic this half term, we are heading to the seaside! We will look at The Snail and the Whale to inspire our writing.The children will have plenty of opportunities to find out more about the history of the seaside and learn about animals (including humans) and their habitats in our science lessons.
English:
Half term 1:
We will be starting our 'In the Garden' unit at the start of this term. We will be introduced to Percy the Park Keeper. He is a kind hearted man who takes care of all the wild animals that call the park home. Some of his furry friends include the Badger, the Fox, the Owl, and the Mice. The heartwarming stories explore themes of friendship and kindness and are perfect for teaching children about nature. We will think about how we feel when we are out in nature and consider our senses to do some poetry and story writing.
Watch the video below to hear One Springy Day read aloud by the author himself!
Half term 2:
In this half term we will be inspired by "The Snail and the Whale", by Julia Donaldson. It tells the story of a snail who longs to see the world and hitches a lift on a whale's tail. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the snail feels very small in the vastness of the world. But when the whale is beached in a bay, it's the tiny snail who saves the day. We will be writing descriptions, narratives and recounts.
Maths:
At Isleham we follow the Power Maths scheme of work and across the Summer term we will be covering several units of work, which include finishing length and height and mass and capacity as well as fractions, money and time. The overview of the units are shown below and we will be sharing learning weekly on Class Dojo as the units progress.
Art:
Half term 1:
In art this half term we will explore 'Nature Sculptures'. The children will have the opportunity to learn about different kinds of nature sculptures and to explore the work of Andy Goldsworthy and other environmental artists. Each lesson in the unit focuses on a different technique using natural materials; model making, observational drawing, collecting material, ephemeral land art and group sculpture building. At the end of the unit children will create a multimedia collage to bring together and celebrate their work.
Half term 2:
This Mirό unit will teach the class about the Spanish Catalan artist, Joan Mirό, inspiring them with colour, fun, dreams, and nonsense as they create their own pieces of art. They will learn all about his Magical Realist paintings, drawing on their own experiences to create dream-like pictures about their own lives. Children will have great fun exploring printmaking with lots of different objects and materials to illustrate a nonsense alphabet. Children will love using their imaginations as they delve into Mirό’s Surrealist paintings and sculptures, learning new techniques and making their own unique, colourful, and exciting artworks.
RE:
Our “big question” is RE this half term is How does celebrating Pentecost remind Christians that God is with them always? To answer this, we will be looking at the festival of Pentecost. We will learn that unlike Christmas or Easter, Pentecost is a Christian festival neither well known, nor commercialized. In the past it was a national holiday, better known as ‘Whitsun’, celebrated with Whit ‘walks’ with new ‘white’ clothes and big banners. The lessons will include Ascension which is celebrated 10 days before and even less well known. Pentecost falls 50 days after Easter; it recalls the coming of God the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers, giving them power to be his witnesses, to spread the good news of God’s forgiveness and a new start in life in Jesus’ name.
PSHE:
Half term 1:
This unit will help develop children’s understanding of their own emotions and those of others. They will identify a basic range of emotions, developing a language to describe them, and consider what prompts different feelings in themselves and others. They will explore how those emotions affect how we think, feel and behave, including impulsive and considered behaviours. In order to enable them to develop positive selfesteem, they will identify what is special about themselves, including their skills as well as their character. They will consider ways to deal with different emotions, including being assertive, and using strategies to calm down and relax. They will revisit their personal networks, identifying those they can talk to about their feelings.
Half term 2:
In the second part of the half term we will complete our SRE unit. In this unit children will develop familiarity with the names of the main external parts of the body and become more confident in describing them. They will consider the amazing nature of their bodies, with a view to developing respect for their bodies and develop an understanding of how important it is to look after their body. Children will also consider simple hygiene practices and their levels of responsibility for these. The main themes of this unit are ‘body knowledge’, ‘body functions’, ‘body awareness/image’, ‘personal hygiene’ and ‘prevention of illness and disease’.