Year 5

ENGLISH

Using the book, ‘The Wind in the Willows’, we will explore and compare settings, characters and storyline.  We will transfer parts of the story into a playscript, focusing on portraying the characters’ different personalities.  We will also look closely at the character of Toad and explore reasons why he behaves as he does, resulting in him ending up in jail.  We will write letters to persuade the judge to be lenient with Toad and allow him to be released from jail, whilst exploring reasons for and against him being released as part of a debate and discussion writing.  For our non-fiction work, we will be combining our knowledge from science about life-cycles with research into the lifestyle of the four animal types from the story in order to write non-chronological reports.

Alongside our reading work, we will be exploring a wide range of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary taken from the texts.  We will play with vocabulary to aid our understanding and extend our understanding through finding synonyms and antonyms, analysing prefixes, suffixes and root words, investigating shades of meaning as well as using words correctly within and across a range of contexts.

 

MATHS

This half term, our learning will continue to focus on Geometry, learning about properties of shape as well as position and direction.  We will also learn about measures, focusing on converting units of measure and measuring volume.  For mental maths, we will continue to practise a range of fluency calculations with our daily Fluent in Five questions.  Children also undertake a weekly multiplication or division tables challenge.

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SCIENCE

Our Science this half-term is ‘Living things and their habitats: Life Cycles and Reproduction, building on last term’s learning about reproduction in plants as we learn about reproduction in animals as well as animal life cycles.  We will also learn about changes in animals, including humans, from birth to old age.

 

GEOGRAPHY

In Geography we will learn about extreme events such as Earthquakes and Volcanoes.  We will revisit prior learning about plate tectonics and how this causes these events to happen.  We will explore where in the world volcanoes are located and where earthquakes are most likely to happen as well as the impact on the lives of people who experience them.

 

RE

This term we are learning ‘What matters most to Christians and Humanists?’ We will consider ‘good’ and ‘bad’ choices and behaviour and explore some reasons why these choices might be made.  We will learn about and develop codes for living and consider the morals and values that guide our own lives.

PE

Children will have two PE sessions each week – please make sure your child wears their PE kit in school every Monday and Tuesday.  Please make sure your child has their school PE kit on, including a school jumper.  For safety reasons, all watches and jewellery must be removed for PE lessons. If your child wears earrings, they must be able to remove them  independently or cover them with medical tape.  Please send medical tape in with your child if needed.  Alternatively, it may be easier to leave earrings at home on PE days.

This term we will also be learning the skills involved in striking and fielding games and take part in cricket and rounders-based activities and games.

 

COMPUTING

The children will continue to learn about online safety through our new resource, ‘Gooseberry Planet’.  We will also be exploring digital film- making.

 

DT

In DT this half-term, we will be carrying out market research activities, then using the research to design and sew mobile phone cases.

 

MUSIC

This term we will be learning to listen to, appraise, respond to and perform music as part of Charanga: Battle of the Bands!

 

PSHE

During this half term, the children will be learning about different aspects of life using LifeWise PSHE.  We will about the human body, how to keep ourselves safe and how the human body changes from children into adults through puberty. We will also learn about relationships, including marriage.

 

MFL

This term we will start learning about places in town, asking the way and giving directions as well as saying when and where we are going.

 

HOME LEARNING

In year 5, children still need to read lots! All children are expected to read at home most nights for 15 – 20 minutes either to themselves or with an adult. This could be their school Accelerated Reader book, listening to a story read by someone else or sharing a favourite book. All are equally valuable. Talking about what they have read is also vital to help develop comprehension skills. This is particularly beneficial to the children when completing their Accelerated Reader quizzes.  All children have a reading record book in which parents, carers or the children themselves can record what they have read or make any comments.

In addition, children all have access to Times Tables Rockstars, and Spelling Shed – online sites for practising their times tables and spellings.   Please encourage your child to learn their spellings and times tables regularly – five or ten minutes a day is likely to be more beneficial than an hour once a week.