Year 5

Welcome to Year 5

Kestrel class is taught by Mrs Martin and is supported by Mrs Roberts.

Owl class is taught by Mrs Stevens and Mrs Morgan and is supported by Miss Bardel alongside Mrs Cozens and Mrs Lovekin.

Y5 Curriculum Map Summer 2013

Y5 Summer Term Topic Letter

Birds, bugs and biodiversity!

As one topic comes to an end, another starts! On the first day of the summer term, Year 5 took full advantage of the (overdue!) beautiful weather to begin exploring our new learning enquiry, What does biodiversity mean to us?  The children looked for evidence of biodiversity in the school grounds and found a rich variety of habitats and species under our noses.

During this topic, we will be building on our learning and experience of the natural world from our visit to Kew Gardens, including the work of Marianne North, a Victorian botanical artist, who has a whole gallery dedicated to her paintings.

India Day in Year 5

To round off our Indian topic, the children and staff in Year 5 celebrated with India day at the end of term. After a morning of food preparation, including making chapattis, raita and mango lassi, we tucked into a feast, discussing the new flavours and textures of the food we shared. Thanks to everyone who sent in contributions and to the parents who visited at the end of the day to celebrate and share our learning.

 

In response to our learning question for this topic What story does and Indian image tell? , the children suggested some in-depth answers…

‘I think an Indian image can tell us lots of things. For example, it can tell us about the problems. the society, people’s busy lives, people’s simple lives, the contrast in climate and how hard different people have to work.’ Harriet, Kestrel Class

A taste of India in Southall!

Our learning enquiry this term is ‘What story does an Indian image tell?’. We started the topic by exploring Indian textile designs and motifs. In Maths, we investigated the construction techniques used in a range of canvas bags using careful measurement to record our findings. In Art, we explored a variety of media to create Indian patterns using reflection and rotational symmetry. The children then used this learning to design and plan their own Indian canvas bags, which we are currently working on in DT. Watch this space for the finished Great Works!

 

 

Our learning took us to Southall to visit the largest Sikh Gurdwara outside India. After taking off our shoes as a sign of respect, washing our hands and covering our heads, we taken on a tour of the kitchens where the volunteers cook enough to feed around 1,000 people every day free of charge! To cook for this many people you need… BIG POTS!

 

We watched the women preparing the chapattis for the midday meal, then we got to taste the food we had seen being prepared for ourselves. Delicious!

After lunch, we visited the shops and markets along Southall high street where we had the opportunity to buy Indian instruments, fabrics, scarves, shoes, bindis and bracelets.

A journey along the river to The Maritime Museum

58 intrepid Year 5 explorers, along with their teachers and some parents experienced, what some of the children claimed to be, one of the most exciting day so far this year. Despite the wind and rain they all had a most enjoyable and stimulating day. They learnt a great deal about the London sights situated along the River Thames as we journeyed, on a Clipper, from The London Eye to Greenwich Pier. The excitement and interest was intense and the children clearly sapped up the whole experience. The Maritime Museum, just a short walk from embarkation, was a perfect destination. The children learnt much about the oceans and what they can do to protect and care for them. We now have a wealth of information to support our learning enquiry this term: What amazes us about the Oceans?

Year 5 make Willow Lanterns for the Festival of Light

Both Kestrel Class and Owl Class spent a whole day working with Donagh from R C Sherriff Trust creating beautiful willow lanterns for the Walton Festival of Light. Each day was challenging with the children learning how to work closely and carefully with a partner.

The children learnt many new skills including: measuring, anchoring and securing the wet strength tissue paper to the willow. The final result is fantastic; all children now have an amazing willow lantern to carry in the festival.

Harvest Festival 2012

The theme of this year’s Harvest Festival celebrations was the mighty British spud and 26 heritage varieties were grown on the Ashley field in preparation. In Year 5, we presented a total of four potato varieties to the school at Harvest Festival: Flourball and Catriona (Kestrel Class) and Mayan Twilight and Witchill (Owl Class). 

We celebrated Harvest with a year group recital of a performance poem written for the occasion (the words are below for those who missed it). This explored the different stages of growth the potato plant goes through to produce the potatoes that appear on our plates. We also remembered that, while potatoes are often an accompaniment to a meal for us, in other parts of the world the potato is an essential, energy-giving staple in people’s diets.

After their moment in the spotlight, our potatoes were turned into potato bread by the budding chefs in  Owls and Kestrels. We shared our loaves together in class and took some home to share with our families. We’d have given the contestants on the Great British Bake Off a run for their money with our bread-making skills!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the potato

This is the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

This is the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

This is the rain, vital and fresh,

That watered the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

This is the sun, warm and bright,

That came after the rain, vital and fresh,

That watered the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the leaves, yellow and old,

That dried in the sun, warm and bright,

That came after the rain, vital and fresh,

That watered the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the potatoes, Catriona and Flourball, Witchill and Mayan Twilight,

That appear when the leaves, yellow and old,

Are dried in the sun, warm and bright,

That came after the rain, vital and fresh,

That watered the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

These are the chips, salty and hot,

This is the mash, fluffy and light,

These are the jackets, golden and piping,

These are the crisps, crunchy and thin,

These are the roasties, delicious and crispy

That we make with potatoes we have grown,

That appear when the leaves, yellow and old,

Are dried in the sun, warm and bright,

That came after the rain, vital and fresh,

That watered the plant, healthy and strong,

With dozens of leaves, green and broad,

That sprouted from stems, straight and tall,

That sprang from the shoots, tender and small,

That grew from the tuber, smooth and firm,

That was placed in the soil, rich and dark,

In the fields in the country where we live.

 

This is the stew, the life-giving stew,

That we make from potatoes, precious potatoes,

That keep us alive, that keep us alive,

If the crops don’t fail, and the rains do come,

In the country where I live.

 

River Walk September 2012

 

 

 

‘After we arrived we found some stone steps to sit on.  The stone was grey and white but not very comfortable.  I got out my planning book. and a pencil and sketched the elegant swans, whilst we listened to the rushing water and felt a light breeze silently whip our faces.’

 

 

‘The lush green riverbank was full of life with dragonflies lazily buzzing across the blue water. In this greenery, we stoppped to have lunch. When we finished we walked to the lock. A boat went in and then the water level dropped and the boat sailed out. After that, we headed back to school. It was a very eventful trip and I loved it!’

Extract by Seth Wild, Kestrel class