Go with the flow ~ Rivers and water

We have started the term by fi ding out about rivers around the world. With a range of atlases available, the children found out about UK and world rivers, choosing the most useful atlas and pages to find the facts they needed.

We then found out how water can cause erosion and shape the land by pouring water on sand and observing the effects. We used this to understand how rivers form. 

We were so excited to meet the author Emma Carroll on a video call, and find out about how she forms ideas and writes best sellers! We also had the chance to ask her questions about the writing process. 

In preparation for taking the Harvest Service, we spoke to a volunteer working for the charity WaterAid. We found out about water issues that affect people around the world and how people are working to make a difference. 

As part of our work in Maths, we have practised using a range of measuring equipment to answer questions. We had fun finding the mass, length and capacity of different objects...even the length of the whole playground! 

Part of our work on rivers included us researching how different rocks are formed, and how water acts upon them. 

Bridges

Following research into different bridge types and engineers, such as Brunell, we planned, built and evaluated our own bridges. The design had to:

• span at least 30cm
• hold at least 300g
• stand alone without support

Here is how we got on!

We enjoyed using Lego in our coding to great flood defense barriers as part of our topic. We programmed alarms to sound when a flood is coming and the gate to close to protect the homes nearby. 

To complete our studies on rivers, we went on a field trip to Ashford reservoir to study the rivers that feed it and find out how water is used and cleaned. 

To start our work on news, newspaper and communication, we had a visit from BBC Somerset Radio presenter to talk about her job, the importance of the news and how shows are produced. We even took part in Playground Politics, part of her morning show! 

Follow this link below to the Video Resource age to see Class 5 record some jingles for Claire's show! 

In music we have been studying the Romantic period, looking at works by Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Shubert. After learning about the romantic style of music and instruments commonly used, we focused on Shubert's 'Trout' composition. Learning about this 5 part piece, we composed our own sections and performed them together. 

Using our sewing skills learnt last year, we designed a product to meet a brief. The product was for a Christmas tree decoration, so we formed our company, Sprout Incorporated! We designed a product that:

• could hand on a tree
• could hold a chocolate 
• had a festive appearance
• was strong
• had a shiny element to catch light. 

We had some creative solutions! 

In art, we have explored pastels and chalk, blending, using silhouette in black pen and masking tape to create panels for images depicting the seasons. We turned our images into calendars.