Wow what a busy first week back! We are settling back in well, enjoying our lessons and even managed to squeeze in our Christmas Party that we missed!

Our learning objectives this week are:

English – Continuing with Macbeth, we shall be using freezeframes to understand and empathise with characters. We shall be writing in role after key events and using role play and diary entries to build character profiles.

Maths – We shall be looking at area and perimeter, as well as the area of a triangle and parallelogram.

Science – We shall be continuing our learning on the classification of animals.

PE – Each week we shall have a Fitness and an Athletics session.

RE – We shall be starting our learning about Holy Week.

Geography – We shall be looking at how earthquakes and tsunamis affect Japan.

 

What are we studying in English?

For this unit, we shall be using a range of different adaptations to understand the story of Macbeth.

   

What is our class reading book?

Since we are studying the Shakespeare classic Macbeth, we have decided to read from a collection of Shakespeare short stories, by Andrew Matthews.

National Shakespeare Week

We shall be watching a performance, by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), to commemorate this exciting week. We shall also be studying A Midsummer Night’s Dream in our Guided Reading sessions. Check out the blurb below:

DREAM – EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF THEATRE IN A VIRTUAL FOREST

Bringing performance and gaming technology together to explore new ways for audiences to experience live theatre.

Dream is a live performance set in a virtual midsummer forest. Inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it will give you a unique opportunity to directly influence the live performance, from wherever you are in the world.

Under the shadow of gathering clouds at dusk, lit by the glimmer of fireflies, Puck acts as the guide. You’re invited to explore the forest from the canopy of the trees to the roots, meet the sprites, Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom and Moth, and take an extraordinary journey into the eye of a cataclysmic storm.

The 50-minute online event will be a shared experience between remote audience members and the seven actors who play Puck and the sprites.

 

About Shakespeare Week:

Shakespeare’s language can cast a light on the complexity of human emotions and is a wonderful way to explore and understand our own and others’ feelings. Shakespeare Week is a national annual celebration giving primary school aged children opportunities for enriching and enjoyable early experiences of Shakespeare. It is one of the pathways to Shakespeare provided by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust for people of all ages and stages of interest.

 

Welcome back Year 6, we have missed you! Below you will find our learning objectives for the week:

English – Our first few sessions will see us plan and write a book review, based on our class text – Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell. From midweek, we shall begin our new class text, Macbeth – by William Shakespeare. Although we will be looking at different adaptations, this week will see us evaluate the language of the witches scene and be able to retell key events from the story.

Maths – 

Day 1 – Multiplying fractions by integers.

Day 2 – Multiplying fractions by fractions.

Day 3 – Dividing fractions by integers.

Day 4 – Dividing fractions by integers.

Day 5 – Four operations and fractions.

Science – It is British Science Week this week. To celebrate this, we shall be taking part in a virtual lesson run by Dr. Mandy Hartley. Here is a blurb about what we shall be learning:

Did you know that ancient skeletons have many secrets waiting to be uncovered?

Through the examination of DNA, scientists and archaeologists know how our Stone Age ancestors lived, what they ate and even what they looked like. Want to find out how they do this? Join, Dr Mandy Hartley, science communicator the author of The DNA Detectives Series to learn how DNA can be taken from bones to uncover the mysteries of the distant and not so distant past. Mandy will also share interesting facts about DNA with your class as well as demonstrate how they can take DNA from a banana using simple kitchen equipment in their homes. She will also explain how DNA is used by scientists in real life situations from solving crimes, to developing vaccines to feeding the world.

RE – We shall be starting to learn all about Holy Week.

RHE – We shall be learning all about Pantasaurus this week.

Geography – We shall be looking at how volcanoes have shaped the islands of Japan.

PE – Tower Class will have PE on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from now on. QE2 Class will have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Children will need to come in to school in full PE Kit.