study of the Romans and try to apply our critical thinking skills to analyse evidence and ask historically valid questions Thinking about thinking will also feature through taking part in philosophical discussions
In our Zootropolis topic pupils will start by exploring animals, their characteristics and the environments they live in.They will learn how animals are classified, gain an understanding into how population size can be affected and develop a wider understanding of the environment and conservation Pupils will be encouraged to answer open ended questions and use a range of thinking skills Within the topic pupils will learn about mediaeval menageries through to modern day zoos, allowing them to develop an understanding of how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources, such as photographic evidence. Pupils will also get the opportunity to visit Colchester Zoo and debate the role and value of zoos
In RS pupils will be studying Christianity this term, looking at the New Testament and the life of Jesus. We will investigate who Jesus was and what the Gospels can tell us about him. We will also look at the role John the Baptist and the disciples in the life of Jesus
Language and Communication
In the first half of term for English, pupils will be getting to grips with recounts through looking at the world of newspapers. We will be looking at the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When and Why) of reporting a news story, reading the news and thinking about producing a report with a balanced point of view Look out for newspaper reports about Roman and Egyptian events! Pupils will also be studying Haiku poetry They will look at the features of Haiku poems, as well as developing a strong vocabulary base to allow them to write effective poems of their own.
In the second half of term, pupils will be studying the use of flash forward and flash back stories Pupils will become familiar with the key features of this type of writing They will progress to writing a story where the flashback and flashforward begins to become embedded into the storyline. Our visit to Colchester Zoo will involve a workshop debating whether zoos are good or bad. We will use this as inspiration for our persuasive arguments and practise our speaking and listening skills by holding our own debates using persuasive language We will also write persuasive letters linked to a chosen theme
In Modern Languages developing good oral communicative skills remains core to our lessons, with increasing use of written cues to help with pronunciation, comprehension and vocabulary consolidation Linking to the thematic learning topics, pupils will be language detectives, discovering patterns in words and structures, such as noticing where colour adjectives go in a sentence, or what sounds letter combinations make as well as spotting the sound in new words. In French they will extend their knowledge and use of numbers to talk
about euros. We will look at a variety of sports and link this to discussing opinions and preferences and learn about different clothing In Spanish the children will be learning vocabulary for shapes and using adjectives and prepositions to describe pictures There will be songs, games and stories to learn vocabulary for parts of the body and face in the second part of the term.
Mathematical Understanding
We will start by consolidating the 11 and 12 times tables, discussing how to find factors of a two-digit number and develop efficient multiplication strategies, including multiplying and dividing two or three digit numbers by one digit
Next our focus will be on measure, specifically area. We will look at counting squares, making shapes and comparing areas of different shapes
Then we begin work on fractions - equivalency, counting in fractions, fractions of amounts and adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator, including subtracting from 1 whole.
Finally, we move onto decimals We will cover recognising tenths and hundredths, converting tenths and hundredths to their decimal equivalents, dividing by 10 and 100 and identifying the value of digits in a number,.
Throughout the term we will include solving problems as part of the curriculum.
Physical Education and Well-being
In PE at Fitzwilliam this term the children will be working on gymnastics and dance. At Fitzwilliam, the boys will be playing hockey and the girls netball For hockey the boys will need shin pads, a moulded gumshield and a hockey stick More information about fixtures can be found at www stephenpersesport com or www damebradburyssport com
Do encourage your child to get involved with any of these sports outside of school by joining local clubs, and discuss the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle
In PSHEE this term, pupils will consider what makes up a person’s identity and learn about differing views, lifestyles and beliefs. They will look at stereotypes and the importance of challenging these. Support in the community will be another area discussed, including the role of media and the children will suggest ways in which they can demonstrate their social responsibility in caring for the environment, animals and plants The pupils will also learn
how individuals and families manage money in different ways according to culture, values and circumstances as well as discussing poverty and the role of charities As part of our wellbeing focus, pupils will consider diversity, happiness and resilience
As part of our e-safety curriculum, pupils will reinforce their understanding of using technology safely and effectively throughout the term, with Safer Internet Day on 7th February having a focus on the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’
Creative and Performing Arts
In Music this term, pupils will immerse themselves in the art of West African Drumming. Using both djembe and dunun drums, students will develop their instrumental technique and learn traditional pieces as part of a whole class ensemble, mostly through oral tradition. Learning traditional pieces through this authentic method (that is without the use of any notation) really encourages the pupils to develop increasingly mature and sophisticated aural skills.
Each week, pupils will continue to expand their recorder repertoire and use their own instruments in a class orchestra ensemble context to develop their instrumental technique Being a member of either ensemble enables the pupils to develop their group performance skills, build their confidence and fluency with reading staff notation, and experience playing their instruments in a new context with increasing competence Pupils will prepare instrumental and choral repertoire for the much anticipated Spring Concert
In Create Design Engineering we will begin with a focus on the architectural blueprints of bridges Looking briefly at the history of bridge building from an aesthetic, geographic and engineering viewpoint, we will re-engineer our own Da Vinci bridge Throughout our design, plan, build, test, rebuild tinker process, we will ignite our engineering design and visit concepts, such as force and centre of gravity After many expected attempts, we will successfully build a few bridges! Along the way of our constructional journey, we hope to investigate both 2D and 3D shapes and structures and design techniques We will then work on animal drawings and collage work
For their Drama work this term, pupils will explore the crime genre, becoming detective characters and solving the mystery of ‘The Great Museum Theft ’ Students will begin to consider how to build tension and suspense within a scene and explore some of the key characters, themes and storylines of the genre. We will create stereotypical stock characters, taking inspiration from the board game ‘Cluedo.’
In Zootropolis, we will explore how animals have appeared on the stage through time - from shadow puppetry to mask and physical theatre. Students will explore extracts from ‘The Lion King,’ musical and African folk tales. This term will also give students the chance to explore both verbal and non-verbal communication. Pupils will evaluate their skills through peer-assessment.
Scientific Understanding
This term’s Science has a focus on Physics. The first topic, on Friction, helps the pupils to develop a deeper understanding of forces and how to measure them more precisely, and we will look in detail at important examples of friction - air and water resistance - including carrying out an independent scientific investigation
We then move on to a topic on Sound, learning about how sounds are made by vibrations, the various ways in which they can be changed in terms of pitch, frequency and volume, and we will end with a fun lesson in which pupils can demonstrate their abilities to alter sounds tunefully, using their favourite musical instruments!
We will conclude this term with a topic on Circuits & Conductors, in which pupils will learn about how to identify materials as conductors or insulators, how to build electrical circuits, how to use component symbols to draw circuit diagrams and how to keep safe when using electricity
How you can help:
Visit local museums, such as the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Saffron Walden Museum and Cambridge Science Centre
These institutions have extended their online resources since lockdown, as has BBC Bitesize Science Look out also for science programmes onTV orYouTube
With the Google apps at the heart of digital curation our pupils use Google Classroom to complete work digitally and hand in work that is produced in a variety of ways. We have identified 7 main apps, our EverGreen apps, that help to showcase our pupils’learning.An animation, movie or annotated piece of work provides richer feedback for the teacher and ultimately helps to make greater progress.
Explain Everything www.explaineverything.com Green Screen www.doink.com Stop Motion wwwcateatercom
Strip Design wwwvividapps com/Strip Designer/ Notability wwwgingerlabs com Book Creator wwwbookcreatorcom Puppet Pals wwwpolishedplaycom
The Outer Wheel
We have a number of apps that we use consistently throughout our curriculum that lend themselves to our creative approach We avoid apps that are specific to a particular outcome, preferring content free apps that can help to enhance our pupils work and understanding Some examples are: Minecraft, iMovie, KeyNote, Pages and Padlet
Coding
Another aspect of our digital curriculum is the coding/programming skills that are embedded in all subjects or taught discretely inYears 5 and 6. We have identified a progression of apps that help to develop our pupils ability to code.The apps provide variety and challenge and help to develop the computation skills that are crucial learning in our digital work.
We combine the coding experiences with physical output Using Spheros, BBC Micro:Bits and Ozobots provides visual outcomes that bring our code to life As our pupils develop further they transition on to written code
