Class 5

Knowledge Rich Project (KRP): Maafa.

History This is the driver subject for our ‘Knowledge Rich Project’ (KRP)

This term, we will be studying the topic ‘Maafa’.  This project teaches children about Africa past and present, with a particular focus on Benin. It traces the development of the slave trade and explores Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, the causes and consequences of the European colonisation of Africa and the worldwide communities that make up the African diaspora.

English 

Along with focusing on grammar, spelling, handwriting and reading skills, this term we will use the ‘Talk for Writing’ approach to explore autobiographies, recounts and traditional African tales.  We will also be exploring Shakespeare’s The Twelfth Night, which will culminate in a RSC showcase at the Hall for Cornwall.  The English genres that we cover will be based on our KRP as well as experiences that the children will enjoy this term,  including the residential to London and, for Year 6 only, their transition day to secondary school. Much of our writing will be cross curricular and we will be continuing to transfer skills learnt in English, to other curriculum areas.

Linked Text Freedom is written by the award-winning author, Catherine Johnson. The story is based around an enslaved Jamaican boy who is separated from his family and taken to work in England. His owners, the Barratts, treat him cruelly, but he is determined to escape and earn the money needed to buy his family’s freedom. While in London, he attends the Zong slave ship’s court hearing and learns about the horrors that took place on board.

Maths

We will continue to follow the White Rose units for Year 5 and Year 6 in this subject: Fractions, Decimals and Percentages; Area, Perimeter and Volume; Statistics; Shape; Position and Direction Converting units.  After the KS2 SAT’s, Year 6 will go onto explore investigative maths and consolidation topics which take abstract maths concepts and set them in real- world scenarios.

Geography

‘Our Changing World’ is an essential skills and knowledge project which revises the features of Earth, time zones and lines of latitude and longitude to pinpoint places on a map. Children find out more about map scales, grid references, contour lines and map symbols. They learn about climate change and the importance of global trade. Children analyse data and carry out fieldwork to find out about local road safety. They study patterns of human settlements and carry out an enquiry to describe local settlement patterns.

Art

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.

Trailblazers, Barrier Breakers: This project teaches children about significant black artists and their work, and provides opportunities to analyse and create artwork inspired by them.

Science

The Circulatory System: This project teaches children about the transport role of the human circulatory system, its main parts and primary functions. They learn about healthy lifestyle choices and the effects of harmful substances on the body.

DT

Food for Life: This project teaches children about processed food and healthy food choices. They make bread and pasta sauces and learn about the benefits of whole foods. They plan and make meals as part of a healthy daily menu, and evaluate their completed products.

PSHE 

We will follow the SCARF units for PSHE which will include the units ‘Being My Best’ and ‘Growing and Changing’.  The themes and content covered in this unit will also be revisited through our assemblies during the term.

RE

We are following a two-year programme of study from Curriculum Kernewek.  Our first topic for this half term is a unit covering the Christianity unit of GOSPEL: What Would Jesus Do? This considers the messages conveyed in the teachings of Jesus. This will be followed by a unit that looks at Christianity in the locality of Cornwall and we will consider the question: How can people in Cornwall express their spirituality through the arts?

MFL

In Year 5 we will continue to build on our French vocabulary, listening and writing skills through the units of 'Time Travelling’ and ‘School Life’.  In the first unit, we will apply previous skills and knowledge of topic areas such as numbers and dates, extending this to talk about key events in French history. In our second unit we will learn key vocabulary and phrases connected to the theme of school: objects, subjects and prepositional language and the names of 2D shapes. Children will learn questions and answers which they would use at school. Year 6 will be looking at the units ‘Our Precious Planet’ and ‘More to Explore’.  These units will develop vocabulary skills and practise a range of key French sounds including accents, liaisons, silent letters and nasal vowels. The children will learn more about France and French speaking countries, read a story in French and perform a rap to practise key rhyming sounds. They will take part in conversations, interviews, games, activities and surveys, as well as fun reading and writing challenges, all with the goal of improving their literacy and oracy skills in French.

Music

We will explore two units: ‘Race!’ and ‘Exploring Identity Through Song’.  The first unit aims To create music to accompany a short film about a race, composing an extended melody and accompaniment. It has a focus on the terms motif, ostinato, beat. It uses the ‘Theme’ from Chariots of Fire by Vangelis as its musical inspiration.  The second unit This unit features two songs taken from the Model Music Curriculum listening list for Year 6, plus another contemporary pop song on a related theme, and uses them as a starting point for exploring themes around identity, as well as aspects of lyric writing and expressive singing to convey mood and emotion. 

Computing

ICT will be used throughout all the other subject areas to enhance the children's understanding and for research purposes.  Children will be encouraged to use ICT as a tool for furthering their understanding in other curriculum areas. Throughout the term there will be an emphasis on keeping ourselves safe online.  Both Year 5 and Year 6 will follow two units this term.  For Year 5, the first looks at ‘Vector Drawing’, and the second will be a unit about ‘Video Editing’.  For Year 6, we will explore ‘Variables in Gaming’ and ‘Sensing with Microbits’.

PE

The first half term will have a sport focus of Nimble nets, a fitness focus of Pilates, and a health focus on healthy bodies.  The second half term will have a sport focus of Young Olympians, a fitness focus of cool core, and a health focus on ‘germ busters.’ There will be opportunities for children to participate in extracurricular clubs and sporting events and festivals as part of our links with both the Newquay Schools sports partnership and the Aspire Sports Network.  We are also excited to be able to enjoy some rugby sessions with the Cornish Pirates.

Class 5 have PE on a Friday. On these days, for the time being, children must wear their PE kits to school. There may of course, be additional days when the children may be required to wear a PE kit, which they will be clearly informed about.

PE kit:

•         Black shorts, leggings or tracksuit bottoms
•         Green T-shirt with logo
•         Trainers or plimsolls
•         Tracksuits may be worn for outside PE during colder weather
•         No earrings or jewellery

Please can all items of kit and school uniform be named.

Homework

1.    Reading: this should be enjoyed on a daily basis. Reading independently, reading together and across a variety of genres are all beneficial as are audio books. Reading records are to be handed in on a Monday morning, checked and then returned by Tuesday.  Please keep your reading materials in a book bag so that nothing is lost or misplaced.
2.    Spellings: These will be uploaded onto Google Classroom each Monday and tested the following Friday. They will also be practised throughout the week in class.  A paper copy will also be sent home at the start of each half term.
3.    Times tables facts – by year 5 and 6 all tables should be fluent.  Please practise these regularly as part of the weekly homework. Practise the tables that are found most difficult.
4.    Optional Curriculum Project activities: these will be sent home in paper format at the start of the year and will also be placed on Google Classroom.

Open Door Policy We welcome your feedback on any aspect of your child’s time in Class 4. Please drop us an email via the office (hello@mawgan-in-pydar.org.uk) to raise any questions, queries or problems that you may have. We are very much looking forward to the term ahead and thank you in advance for your support.