It’s been a week of rain and sun, warm and cold… plus lots of great learning!
English:
We are just putting the final few touches on the drafts of our scary stories, and next week we will start typing them up. This week, we practiced building suspense, writing action with correct speech punctuation and changing scene with fronted adverbials, as well as writing to fill in the gaps of their story. The children should be so proud of their cliffhangers, diamond moments, similes, metaphors and much more! The year 5 team absolutely can’t wait to read the final bone-chilling tales.
Maths:
Continuing with our current topic, we practiced short division with numbers up to 4 digits long, including questions with remainders. We also discussed when it is not best to use the formal written method, such as when we are dividing by multiples of 10, or the number can be easily partitioned to divide mentally. Being able to choose the most efficient method for each question is a skill that will set the children up well for year 6 and beyond.
Even with a division topic, times tables have been absolutely essential, so keep going with the regular TTRS practice. Maths sheets can be found here: FINAL Week 4 Worksheets.
History:
Each week, we are discussing whether the Maya were unique, and this week we did this by focusing on their number system. The Maya used a vigesimal number system, which means their number system was based on 20, not 10 like ours is. We translated various 2- and 3-digit numbers into the Maya system to practice.
STEM:
We explored the wonderful world of gears today in stem, starting with some hands on practice, and even experiencing the effect of a change in gears by pedalling a bike. The classes explored how gears can be used to change the direction, as well as the speed, of motion.
Guided Reading:
We have read about the changes that our main character, Bradley Chalkers, is going through as he opens up to his counsellor in our reading book. The book has opened up discussions about why people might behave in certain ways, and what could be going on under the surface to cause this.
Next week:
Swimming officially begins next week, so please ensure your child is well equipped for lessons on the correct days. Year 5 will be swimming on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (4th to 6th Feb) next week and is it essential that they have the right equipment in order to participate. The following week, their swimming days will be Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Please continue encouraging your children to read regularly at home and practice their times tables. Enjoy your weekend!