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Cedar - Year 5

2018 - 19

Learning aboard the Life Bus

This week the children were fortunate enough to have a PSHE session on the Life Bus. Their session looked at how they can look after their own physical and mental well-being and why it is important to take the time to do so. They were then set a very intriguing task. On the walls of the bus were nine 'human given' statements, for example "I need to be able to make mistakes", "I need to be able to have my own opinions" and "I need to be able to say 'no' sometimes". In small groups the children then had to decide which of these 'human givens' was the most important, and rank the rest in order down to least important. Finally, the children watched a short film about a friendship dispute. They discussed which 'human givens' each character was displaying and what they might do in that situation.

Understanding area

In maths this week, the children have been revisiting area. They have been estimating area using non-standard and standard units of measure. To help understand the scale of different standard units of measure, the children were tasked with making shapes that had an area of 1cm², 10cm² and 1m². The children didn't think making 1m² would be as tricky as it was!

Cupboard Catastrophe!

Oh no, lots of different materials in the science cupboard have all mixed together to form a mixture!

The children were tasked with separating all the different ingredients (flour, dried peas, pasta, pencil shavings, sugar, paperclips and rice) so they could be put back into the science cupboard correctly. However, they were unable to use sieves because they were being used by another class...how were they going to solve this problem?

Measuring

In their maths lesson today, the chidren were practising their conversion of different units of measurement. In order to help them understand the difference in scale between the different units, they measured different objects in the classroom.

Gymnastics

The children have been practising their gymnastics skills, specifically working on their vaulting. They have been perfecting their mounting of the vault and challenging themselves with the ways in which they are dismounting.

Using Scratch to create an orbiting planet

Building on their space topic from last topic and developing their use of programming through Scratch, the children were tasked with creating an orbiting planet using the programme.

Which solid is the hardest?

First of all children were asked to consider the question, 'Is a solid always hard?'

They were then given a selection of solids (bread, toast, dry pasta, cooked pasta, a marshmallow, a chocolate button, a jelly bean and butter) and had to predict which one was the hardest. Following their prediction they had to devise an experiment to test the question of which solid is hardest.

Exploring 'The Arrival'

'The Arrival' by Shaun Tan is a fascinating book because it features only intriguing illustrations. The children have thoroughly engaged in this book and explored, through drama, what it is like for a person to be a new arrival in a strange and culturally different place.

Who is the new 'Arrival'?

On their first day back at school the children were greeted by a suitcase in the classroom. There was no label or information about where it had come from. All the children could use to identify the owner were the clues inside.

At the end of the lesson, the children were introduced to our fantastic new book 'The Arrival' by Shaun Tan.

Spring 1

Christmas bakers

In the lead up to Christmas, the children of Year 5 have combined their English learning (on instruction writing) and maths learning (on measurement) in order to become bakers for the day and make their very own miniature Christmas cake! Their ingredients were in bulk and they had to decide which equipment they would need to accurately measure out the quantities stated in the recipe. Their Christmas cake recipe needed a variety of measures, including: stated quantities of an ingredient, grams and ml. They also had some ingredients in fractions. The children worked incredibly well together in their groups and are very excited to decorate their cakes.

Testing our space buggies

For the final part of our D&T project on building space buggies, the children needed to evaluate whether their product had met the aim. Part of the aim was to build a vehicle, that when pushed forward would travel more than one metre in a straight line. The children had lots of fun testing their space buggies and seeing how far they could go. There were even space buggy races! Many space buggies did move forward...but not in a straight line! We discussed the positioning of the axles and whether the wheels had been glued on straight. Year 5 worked so hard on their space buggies and should feel very proud of all they achieved!

Let's build space buggies!

The children of Year 5 had been set a very important task. They needed to design and make a space buggy from a range of different materials and using a range of different equipment, that could travel for at least 1m in a straight line when pushed. The children started off by evaluating real space buggies (using videos) and identifying features they wanted included in their own design. After all drawing out fantastic designs, the children were then tasked with organising their time in order to complete their build. They thoroughly enjoyed being given the opportunity to use saws in order to cut their wood, using mathematical skills of measuring. They thought carefully about how to attached their axles and wheels, and greatly enjoyed adding the finishing touches. We now have an amazing fleet of space buggies all ready for action!

How to play...cards?!

In their English lessons, the children have begun a unit on instruction writing. This will feed into something very exciting we have planned for tomorrow. In order to re-familiarise themselves with non-fiction instruction writing, the children were set a very strange task. They were asked to talk about any card games they play and how they knew how to play them. Instructions! The children read through the instructions and identified the features of the text. Working together, they then followed the instructions to play the game. Quickly, the children realised it was very similar to another game they knew!

Can we stop gravity?

The children recapped different forces that worked on a stationary object, such as a block on a table. We spoke about how another force, friction, would also be affecting the block if someone was pushing it along. The children were shown a balloon falling to the ground and discussed the forces they were observing. They were then given the challenge of trying to beat gravity by keeping the balloon in the air for as long as possible. The children decided to use handmade fans, their hands, heads and feet and blowing to keep the balloon in the air. As a class, they then watched the effect of a hair dryer blowing air onto the balloon and discussed which of their strategies had the greatest effect.

Who is correct, Aristotle or Galileo?

Linking our learning on space and forces the children were presented with a historical and scientific challenge. Aristotle believed that heavier objects fall faster, whilst Galileo thought that all objects fall at the same speed regardless of weight. It was decided that Year 5 were the exact group of children to settle this debate once and for all! Using first film canisters and marbles, and then a piece of A4 paper the children started their investigation...

Aliens have landed

In our English lessons the children have begun to look at the short story 'Alien Landing'. In the story, two boys are fishing at night when they are suddenly mesmerised by silvery light. It is an alien space ship!

"Out of the dark interior a shadow began to move..."

The story then jumps to 24 hours later, where the main characters are suffering from amnesia and cannot recall anything that has happened since they initially saw the spaceship. The Year 5 children then explored the story through drama by creating freeze frames. As the week progresses they will be planning and writing the missing 24 hours of the story!

Take Off!

We are now moving onto our new topic, Take Off! This will continue to link with our learning on space, but the focus will be on understanding how different forces work. Today the children began to investigate the force of friction and learnt how it was caused between two surfaces rubbing against each other. In order to understand friction, the children had to investigate whether different amounts of force were needed to pull the same object across different surfaces. It was obvious to the children who had invented the measure of Newton's! A lot of fun was had investigating how Newton meters worked and conducting their own experiments. Well done for all your hard work!

Creating our own piece of abstract art

In their Art lessons, the children have been studying the abstract artist Peter Thorpe. He creates paintings using left over paint colours and themes them around his passion - space! The children have looked carefully at a variety of his different paintings and have begun to design their own piece of abstract space art using Peter Thorpe's work as inspiration. Previously the children were given an opportunity to experiment with different colours and painting techniques, using tools such as paintbrushes, sponges, cardboard and straws. They have used the knowledge they gained from this to decide on a final design. The children had a lot of fun being abstract artists and creating the background for their piece of art!

Identifying themes in the story of Moses

In their RE lessons, the children have been talking about the main events in the story of Moses. They have begun to identify and discuss where and when different themes appear in the story, such as: freedom, justice, evil, suffering, leadership, vulnerability and obedience. In small groups the children created a tableaux depicting a moment in the story that evidenced one of the discussed themes. We then finished our lesson by discussing if these themes were present in modern society, and providing examples of this.

Developing our gymnastics skills

During their gymnastics lessons, the children have been developing their flexibility, strength, control and balance skills. They have been practising techniques on how to mount and dis-mount apparatus safely. This has involved the children jumping off apparatus of different heights using various types of jump. For example: half turn, full turn, half turn tuck and full turn tuck. During a recent lesson, the children were able to practise these skills whilst also building up their upper body strength.

Remembrance

In the week leading up to the centenary of the end of the First World War, Year 5 have been reflecting upon the conflict and why poppies are seen as the recognised sign of remembrance. At the beginning of the week they were introduced to the poignant poem 'Where the Poppies Now Grow'. Using this as inspiration, the children captured a range of emotions through their writing of group and independent cinquains. Following this, each child stitched a felt poppy together to make wreaths for our school memorial service. Each poppy was adorned with a leaf, upon which each child has written a short but powerful message to the soldiers of World War One.

Drawing the galaxy

Inspired by our work on space, the children have used shading techniques to create a 3D image of the galaxy using oil pastels, chalk and paint. Can you spot which parts of the picture were created with which medium?

A biographical recount of Sir Isaac Newton

In Science the children had been learning about how scientific thoughts on the formation of the solar system had changed throughout history. Building on this, they were tasked with writing a biographical recount all about Sir Issac Newton. The children began by researching Newton's life, and used the iPads and class books. It was wonderful to see children continuing their research at home and bringing it into class to share. After they had gathered all of their research, the children planned how to structure their recount and the facts that they would include. They edited and improved their work before publishing their work, a fantastic and informative piece of factual writing.

Reading with Reception

Year 5 were incredibly excited to start shared reading with the children in Reception. Each Reception child chose a book for their Year 5 reading partner to read to them, and they all listened fantastically well. There was time after reading the story to talk about their favourite parts of the book and what they found funny, and it was wonderful to see the interaction and excitement between all the children. Cedar Class were so enthusiastic about sharing this time and being given the responsibility to help younger children fall in love with reading, that they described it as "an absolute joy!" We cannot wait until our next shared reading time Oak Class!

Investigating the orbits of the planets

In order to support their understanding of the orbits of all the planets in our solar system, the children recreated the solar system in the playground. Placing the sun at the centre, they worked together to draw out the orbits for each planet. The children agreed they needed to start with the orbit of Neptune because it is furthest from the sun. They worked inwards until they reached the planet with the shortest orbit - Mercury. All of the children were given an opportunity to be a planet. Using pigeon steps they walked around their orbit, and it enabled the rest of the class watching to visually see what it meant for a planet to have a longer or shorter orbit. The children rotated so they each got to experience this.

Investigating the solar system

This week in Science the children were challenged to make the solar system out of fruit and vegetables. They had to recall the number of planets, their names and then justify why they had chosen a certain piece of food for each planet taking into size and comparison to other planets. Finally, the children ordered their fruit and vegetable version of the solar system.

Autumn 1

Welcome to Cedar class, Year 5!

2017-2018

Cultural Day

Year 5 had a great Cultural Day today. We focused on Australia and learnt lots about ancient and modern Australian life. The day started with a look at the geographical features of the country and how life in Australia started many years ago. We then had a go at speaking in Australian lingo, before playing the traditional aboriginal ball game, Boogalah (we had to substitute the kangaroo skin ball with a football!). The afternoon was spent creating some beautiful Aboriginal pieces of artwork.

We were fortunate enough to welcome Sasha's Mum and Ruva's Dad into the classroom to teach us all about growing up in Slovakia and Zimbabwe. It was an absolute privilege having you in the classroom- thank you so so much!

Hertford Class Trip

To finish off our local study on Hertford, we went on a trip to the historic town and learnt lots about its history.

We went on a guided tour around the town, learning lots about the buildings and what lies beneath our feet (some of us found it pretty cool that we were standing on an Anglo-Saxon cemetery!); we then explored ordinary life in Hertford during the Second World War, looking at authentic and replica objects, documents and photographs; we finished off the day by having a picnic at Hartham Common and enjoyed the sunshine!

Outdoor Day

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed Outdoor Day- it was great being out all day in our beautiful school grounds. We started off the day by playing active games about decimal numbers; we then used our drama techniques to think about what we would do if we were deserted in Hertford to help with our Explorer's Guide explanation text; and we finished off the day by using the music garden with Mrs Mo. Fantastic day had by all!

Ian Green Wildlife Photography workshop

Year 5 had the fantastic opportunity to work with the professional wildlife photographer, Ian Green. We spent the morning outside in our wonderful grounds, learning how to take interesting, beautiful and captivating pictures. We learnt that, often, the most poignant picture comes from looking at the small details and taken from different and unusual perspectives. Thank you so much Ian, you have really inspired the children. We can't wait to see the pictures!

The Life Bus

Year 5 had a great opportunity to go into the the Life Bus and explore the concept of friendship and peer pressure; the children investigated different ways to say 'no' and gained an understanding of the correct way in which to do so. Thank you Nancy for, yet again, a fantastic experience on the Life Bus - we look forward to seeing you again soon.

All Change

The classroom has had a makeover! We have our new Harry Potter-themed reading hub and our walls look a little different too... The children have already immersed themselves into their new topic and are looking forward to all the fantastic new learning in store!

Fantastic Ancient Greek Projects

Wow! This half term, the children were asked to create an Ancient Greek artefact as homework, for our Ancient Greek Museum. The children have spent so much time and effort on these amazing pieces of work. I am so incredibly impressed. Well done Year 5!

Ancient Greek Day

Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed our 'Ancient Greek Day' which finished off our exciting

topic! The morning was filled with Ancient Greek pottery making; then we tucked into our Ancient Greek Feast for lunch (some were more taken with the Mediterranean cuisine than others) and the afternoon was full of Greek dancing, Olympic Games and we finished off the afternoon by welcoming the parents into our classroom to enjoy our Ancient Greek Museum. A great day was had by all!

Olives, Urns and Olympics

We have started our new exciting topic learning all about the Ancient Greeks. We have transformed our 'reading hub' into the Ancient Greek Parthenon; we have been writing our own 'deathly' versions of Pandora's Box and have taken part in 'Madusa's Maths' - Year 5 have really got into the spirit of things!

On top of that, Year 5 have produced some beautiful Greek vases...

Which will fall first, the feather or the apple?

Linking with forces, the children explored the shape and texture of an apple and a feather. Through close observations and careful sketching, the children produced these stunning drawings. Well done Year 5!

Forces

We have been enjoying our science this term. Year 5 have taken part in numerous (messy) investigations and experiments! What fantastic enquiry skills they have!

Measuring

In maths, we have been practising measuring and converting skills before using them to help us with our problem solving skills. Well done for working so hard Year 5; keep it up!

Manor Adventure

Wow, what a fantastic trip the children had at Manor Adventure. It was a privilege to go with them - the team work, encouragement, kindness and resilience they showed was truly fantastic. Here are some pictures to show what the Year 5's (and 6's) got up to!

Freedom and Justice

In R.E., we have been looking at the question, 'How can following God bring freedom and Justice?'. We have explored the story of Moses and have thought carefully about the themes presented. We have thought closely about what 'justice' means to us personally. The children have created some beautiful phrases illustrating their thoughts about justice, freedom and God, which are displayed in our classroom.

Growth Mindset

Year 5 have started the first 7 weeks, looking very closely at Growth Mindset; in particular, the many functions of the brain. We have learnt how to look after our brain and keep it healthy. We have been reiterating our class motto, 'You never you can't do something, you just can't do it...yet'.

2016-2017

Y5 KNEX Challenge: April 2017

Year 5 enjoyed a busy morning, building moving bridges as part of a KNEX challenge. They worked together to design and create their unique bridges, ensuring that they had a moving part and were able to hold a weight! Well done to all the children who worked hard throughout the morning, especially our class winners, Sam and Aaron!

Ancient Greek Day Spring term 2017

Manor Adventure 2016

Welcome to Year 5!

Recently the whole class took part in an inter-school sports competition at Wodson Park, Ware. The children had the opportunity to try various different sports and did remarkably well, bringing home several medals!

We have been learning about historical places in the county of Hertfordshire. We are focusing on St Albans and Hertford and recently took a trip to visit the St Albans Cathedral and the Verulamium Museum. Both places are built on important historical sites. The cathedral was built on the site where Saint Alban, the first Christian martyr, was killed, and the museum is located where the Roman town of Verulamium was once built.

To link with our RE topic, we learned about the importance of pilgrimages to the shrine of Saint Alban. The children were given roles in which they had to make offerings to the shrine and talk (in role) about what bought them to the Cathedral. Some were giving thanks but others were asking for forgiveness!

Trip to St Albans

In Year 5 we have been learning about the Ancient Greeks. We took part in a Greek Day where we tried Greek food, listened to Greek music and made Greek puddings!

The class also took part in Greek style games and made some Greek style pottery.

Greek Day pictures

Gravity Egg Experiments

In Year 5 we have been learning about gravity. We tried an experiment to see if we could beat the force of gravity! Could we drop an egg from a height and stop it from breaking?

Working in teams of four, we used a range of materials to build a contraption that might help the egg float or glide - and something to cushion the impact.

We had seven groups. The egg smashed in five of the groups but two groups managed to successfully protect the egg. We discussed air resistance, parachute designs and cushioning effects. We also thought about whether it would be easier or harder to do this experiment on the moon (less gravity but no air)...

Dance Mat Typing Learn to type the fun way!