2023/2024
TERM 5
In term 5, Palm Trees will be learning about Ancient Greece in History before looking at Evolution and Inheritance in Science. Finally, we will be looking at healthy eating during our PHSE lessons. Throughout the term, we will be basing our English on the short video 'Alma' and the book 'The Promise' with our focus on 'writing to entertain'. In Maths, we will be starting the term by looking at shape before moving onto the topic of position and direction and finally ending the term with decimals. PE this term will be cricket with Mr Bentley on Mondays, which will take place outside, and swimming on Thursdays.
Evolution and Inheritance
Throughout this learning experience, Palm Trees will be learning how living things have changed over time and how fossils can help with our understanding. We will also be continuing our learning of classification and how individual species can be classified, as well as how offspring can inherit certain genetics from their parents. We will also be investigating how animals and plants have adapted to their environments in order to survive.
We looked at how living things can adapt to their environment in order to survive and evolve. We used our knowledge and understanding and adapted butterflies to their environment. We then asked Mrs Button-Hampton (our predator) to come and see if she could find them!
Ancient Greece
During this learning experience, we will be looking at whom the Ancient Greeks were, where they lived and how we can learn from artefacts about their lives. We will also be looking at similarities and differences between children's lives in Ancient Greece and today, as well as their government and language. We will be finding out about the Olympic Games and how they have changed since originating in Ancient Greece. Finally, we will be discussing and understanding the importance of Ancient Greece.
We continued to ask ourselves the question: Can we thank the Ancient Greeks for anything in our lives today? Using information about children, homes and food, we were able to create a poster to show our answers to the question posed.
We have continued our learning by asking, what do we know about the achievements of Alexander the Great? We read about his life and, using that information and images, we were able to create a chronological timeline of his life.
To start the learning experience, we asked ourselves the question, 'How can we find out about Ancient Greece?' This led us to explore 'Who were the Ancient Greeks and where did they live?' Throughout the week, we located Ancient Greece on a timeline and discussed its relation to other time periods. We were also able to understand why the location of Ancient Greece in Europe was significant. We then looked at the similarities and differences between Sparta and Athens. Finally, to end the week, we looked at artefacts, which we then discussed how they could tell us about life in Ancient Greece.
TERM 4
During this term, Palm Trees will be using their knowledge of electric circuits when creating a doorbell in DT. Then we will be looking at Classification in Science, after which we will be covering Geography by looking at Orienteering, which means we are visiting Bedgebury Pinetum! Finally, we will be having a diversity and acceptance week for PSHE to end the term. Our English will be based around books: Me, my Dad and the end of the rainbow and the Barnabus project, with our focus on 'writing to inform'. In Maths, we will be continuing our learning on percentages and decimals before moving on to perimeter and area and finally ending the term with statistics. PE this term will be Orienteering with Mr Bentley and Gymnastics with Mr Copeland.
Attendance!
Due to our continued attendance success, we were able to roll again during a 'double-roll' week. That meant we passed GO on the Classopoly board and received £20 to spend as a class on something exciting! For our second roll, we landed on computer/iPad time, which we thoroughly enjoyed!
PSHE (Diversity)
For the last learning experience of this term, Palm Trees will be having a themed week around the topic of diversity and acceptance. We will be discussing being a part of a community and the different people and groups that are also a part of it. We will be continuing our understanding of racism, homophobia, religious hate and visual and non-visual disabilities whilst extending our knowledge and acceptance of the different groups that are subjected to the types of hate crime we have discussed.
Orienteering
During the next few weeks, we will be using digital maps to name and locate counties and cities in the UK and compare Maidstone and London's physical features and characteristics. We will be creating a topographical map of the UK as well as looking at how the land has changed historically over time. Palm Trees will also be using maps to locate areas using their knowledge and understanding of the symbols and the eight points of the compass, as well as understanding 4 and 6 figure grid references. We will also be learning how to observe, measure and record data. Finally, we will be ending the learning experience with a trip to Bedgebury Pinetum to use our map skills to complete an orienteering course around the forest.
During our trip to Bedgebury, we were able to use our compass and map skills to navigate our way around the forest. We also managed to squeeze in some fun whilst we were there!
Palm Trees were able to use their map skills to navigate around Maidstone!
Classification
In this learning experience, Palm Trees will be looking into classifying living things and their habitats based on their characteristics, including any differences or similarities. They will then create branching diagrams from the results of their research.
Finally, using all of our knowledge and understanding, we create our own Linnaean systems to classify!
We then looked at the Linnaean system and how Carl Linnaeus was able to classify anything by creating kingdoms.
To begin with, Palm Trees looked at the different characteristics of animals, plants, bacteria and a choice of their own to establish the characteristics.
DT
We will be creating doorbells in DT. During this experience, we will be focussing on the design process. We will be looking at whom the target audience could be and then looking at the costs and aesthetics of a doorbell. To create the casing, we will be using our knowledge of nets to create a cuboid which we will decorate based on whom the chosen target audience is.
To begin with, we looked at who our target audience would be, and we created our design based on that.
We were then able to use our mathematical skills to create a net which we constructed to create a casing for the circuit. Take a look at our final products!
TERM 3
Palm Trees will be kicking off term 3 with Electricity in Science, then Web Design in Computing. In RE, we will be finding out about Muslims. Our English will be based around the book, Holes, with our focus on 'writing to persuade'. In Maths, we will be looking at Multiplying and Dividing and Fractions. Our PE lessons will be Netball on Wednesdays with Mr Bentley and on Thursdays we will have Dance with Mr Copeland.
Reading Challenge
As part of term 3 and 4's reading challenges, we needed to read with a child in Key Stage 1. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and after speaking to Miss Harrison, we are hoping to do it at least once a term!
Attendance Rewards
Due to our fantastic attendance, we have been able to move around the Monopoly board and win great rewards! Since it started, we have enjoyed popcorn and animation, hot chocolate, extra playtime, extra PE time and extra play in the large construction area to name a few!
Muslims
To start this learning experience, Palm Trees will have the opportunity to visit Maidstone Mosque, where they will have an opportunity to ask the Iman questions and see the sacred text The Qur'an in person. Palm Trees will gain knowledge and understanding of the religion by having 'fingertip knowledge'. This will include: Place of Worship, Religion, Followers, Sacred Text and Deity. They will then learn about the five pillars which Muslims follow as part of their religion. Finally, we will look at what it means to be a Muslim in Britain today.
Finally, we were able to use all of our knowledge to complete the Palm of our fingertip knowledge. We were able to answer the three questions we had discussed throughout the experience.
Another question we looked at is what life is like for a Muslim in Britain today and we decided there were positives as well as challenges to this question.
We also looked at the question: Is it better to express your religion in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity? After a discussion, Palm Trees decided that both were equally important to a Muslim.
Next we looked at the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars represent different areas which a Muslim lives their life. They are Shahada (proclaiming your faith), Salat (prayer), Zakat (charity). Sawm (fasting) and Hajj (pilgrimage). Palm Trees learn lots about the five pillars whilst at the Mosque. We were lucky enough to witness Salat.
At the beginning of the experience we used fingertip knowledge to understand about Muslims. These included, the Place of Worship: Mosque, Deity: Allah, Religion: Islam, Followers: Muslims and Scared Text: The Qur'an.
We really enjoyed our visit to Maidstone Mosque and learnt lots of interesting information about the Qur'an, what it is like to be a Muslim and the Islamic faith. Whilst we were there, we were lucky enough to observe the prayers!
Web Design (A spider's favourite hobby!)
Palm Trees are very excited about this learning experience as they are able to create their own website! To begin, they will analyse existing webpages to see how user-friendly they are before planning their own pages. They will learn specific skills such as linking pages to the homepage and vice versa, as well as learning how to embed videos and other websites.
Creating our websites!
Electricity
During this learning experience, Palm Trees will be finding out about electricity and understanding what the different components of a circuit could be and how they are drawn scientifically. We will have an opportunity to experiment and create different circuits and investigate what could happen if different components are added or taken away. Finally, to finish the learning experience, we will be visiting the Science Museum in London.
Finally, to finish off our learning about electricity, we visited the Science Museum and had the best day!
Look at the series and parallel circuits we made!
We then experimented with the different components and created circuits. We then drew them scientifically into our books.
We began this experience by looking at the different scientific symbols that are used in electrical circuits.
TERM 2
During Term 2, Palm Trees will be covering the human body in Science, set designs in Art, Rock 'n' Roll to Rap in Music and drugs and alcohol in PSHE. Our English will be based around the book, Crater Lake, with our focus on 'writing to entertain'. In Maths, we will be looking at Multiplying and Dividing and Fractions. Our PE lessons will be on Tuesdays with Mr Copeland and Thursdays with Mr Bentley.
Set Design
We will kick-start this learning experience with a very exciting trip to the Harry Potter studios to discover how set designer Stuart Craig created the amazing sets in all eight films! We will then investigate different types of materials and how these could be moulded or shaped to create different patterns or textures. We will also explore mixed media and how we can manipulate materials such as felt to create texture. Palm Trees will also learn the importance of using scale when they construct their 3D designs.
Harry Potter Studios!!
We explored different materials!
We be-lung together, you Aorta believe it!
During this Learning Experience, we will be looking at the organs, circulatory and digestive systems and the impact of exercise on the heart. We will also be having an explorer dome visit, which is very exciting! We will discover the different chambers of the heart and how the blood travels through our body. We will also learn what happens to the food we digest and how our bodies turn it into waste! The children will be able to cement their learning by dissecting a heart as well as creating feaces!
To start this experience, we had an explorer dome visit which we thought was very cool! We found out all about the digestive and circulatory systems!
We then discovered all about the circulatory system, how the heart and lungs work together to ensure oxygen and carbon dioxide are used efficiently in our bodies. We learnt how a red blood cell travels through the body and how gas exchange works.
We then dissected a heart! We were able to find the Aorta, the left and right atrium and ventricles and the different valves in each chamber!
To finish off our understanding of the circulatory system, we 'made' blood, which contains plasma, white and red blood cells and platelets. Did you know that platelets helps the blood to clot and creates scabs?
We used cheerios to represent red blood cells.
We then added marshmallows to represent the white blood cells.
We added platelets (rice crispies). The blood is starting to include all the components, but we realised plasma was still missing!
We added the plasma to complete our 'blood'!
TERM 1
During Term 1, Palm Trees will be covering The Mayas in History, Natural Disasters in Geography, HTML in Computing and Money in PSHE. Our English will be based around the book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and our focus will be 'writing to inform'. In Maths, we will be looking at Place Value and Addition and Subtraction. Our PE lessons will be Yoga (Tuesdays) with Mr Copeland and Tag Rugby (Fridays) with Mr Bentley.
Money
During this week, children will learn about the importance of money. They will have a series of families with different scenarios to work with. To begin the week, they will investigate the prices of houses and whether it would be more beneficial to rent a property or have a mortgage. We will then look at the price of food items and shop around to find the cheapest options for a weekly food shop. Afterwards, we will investigate the different bank accounts and cards available and look at the differences between a debit and credit card and loans. Finally, at the end of the week, the children will work in groups to find the most cost-effective way our families can live, working out their incomings and outgoings.
HTML
For this learning experience, we will be understanding how to create a webpage using HTML. We will learn new skills and apply this to create a page on a natural disaster of our choice. We will learn how to write the codes for the webpages and what each code means.
We learnt about the different icons that make up a tag that are then used to create HTML. We then experimented and had a go at creating HTML.
Theo
Ruby
Blossom
Kian
We then learnt how to add colour to the background and line breaks.
Aashiyana
Carly Anne
Harley
The Earth-Quakes with fear!
For our next Learning Experience, Palm Trees will be looking at Natural Disasters. We will start by looking at the layers of the Earth and the tectonic plates. We will then discover how these plates can cause mountains to form, earthquakes to happen and volcanoes to erupt! Finally, we will choose a disaster to research and create a report on it.
We looked at the layers of the Earth and investigated the temperature, state and composition of each layer.
We then looked at the tectonic plate boundaries that make up the surface of the Earth. Did you know the Earth used to be a giant mass of land called Pangaea?
Next, we looked at how the movements of the plates cause different hazards.
Finally, we looked at earthquakes (including tsunamis) and volcanoes. We looked at the different types that can occur and how and when they occur.
Maths
In Maths, we have been using Manipulatives to cement our understanding of place value. We are able to physically exchange from one column to another using counters.
Murderous Maya!
During the learning experience, Palm Trees will learn all about the Maya way of life! During the workshop, we will play the brutal game of Pok-A-Tok, discover artefacts and witness a human sacrifice ceremony! Palm Trees will learn about the gods they worshipped, their calendar, government and how they were masters in maths and astronomy!
To begin the workshop, we had a quiz on Maya facts. Did you know the Maya believed if they flattened their babies' heads with a wooden paddle, it would make them more attractive?
We then learnt how to play the deadly game of Pok-A-Tok. This involved passing the ball without using and hands or feet!
After Pok-A-Tok, we looked at Maya artefacts. We were blown away by the King who lived until he was 80 years old and actually became King when he was just 12!
We then had an opportunity to create a headdress or bracelet!
After lunch, we learnt traditional Maya dancing.
Finally, it was time for the human sacrifice!
