There has been a real buzz of productivity in Year 5 this week, as the children have been busy typing up their spooky stories using Microsoft Word on the laptops. Along the way, we have been learning how to use a range of editing tools, as well as practising formatting and other basic features. The children are incredibly proud of their work and we are excited to share their finished stories on the blog next week.
Maths has been a little more challenging this week as we have moved on to 2 by 2 digit multiplication, as well as extending this to 3 and 4 digit numbers. The children have been learning to use both the grid (area) method and the compact written method to solve calculations. Our aim is for children to gradually become confident with the compact method, as it is the most efficient, but they are welcome to use whichever method they feel most secure with.
The practice sheets for this week can be downloaded here, and we recommend taking some time to look over a few of these at home to help build confidence and fluency : Maths week 5 Worksheets
In STEM this week, we explored the wonderful world of gears through lots of hands-on investigation. The children experimented with different gear systems and even experienced the effect of changing gears by pedalling a bike. We turned the bike upside down so we could safely change the gears, count the teeth on each cog and observe what happened as the wheels turned. The children discovered how gears can change both the direction and the speed of motion. We also introduced the concept of ratio alongside our learning, using the number of teeth on each gear to work out the gear ratios and understand how this affects how fast or easily the bike moves. It was a practical and engaging way to bring maths and engineering together.
In our history lessons, we have been learning about the fascinating Mayan writing system. The children explored both logograms and syllabograms and had a go at writing their own names using the symbols. It was quite a challenge, but great fun and really helped us appreciate how unique and complex the system is!
Fuji and Olympus classes will have their final swimming session on 10th February. Please make sure your child brings their full swimming kit with them on this day.
Assessment week will take place next week. There is nothing to worry about, as these assessments simply help us to understand the children’s progress and inform our teaching for next term.
Have a lovely weekend!
Year 5 Team