Spring 1 2024

English
 
This half term, the children will focus on 'The Last Wolf' by Mini Grey.
Within this unit of work, the children will explore the meaning of the text in a variety of different approaches, including drama and role-play. This story will be a model of creative storytelling through its language, structure and illustrations.
In writing, the focus will be on writing an information text based on endangered animals. The children will continue to create sentences, ensuring that the use capital letters and full stops. The children will extend their ideas by using a range of conjunctions. For example, because, but, and. They will develop their use of expanded noun phrases to describe.
 
Monster Phonics
This half term we will review all previous taught spelling patterns and revisit the Year 2 Common Exception Words. These words were part of the children's spelling homework last term. It is important that the children can read and spell all of these words. At home, spend some time each week to look over the children's spellings in their homework book and practise spelling these words in different ways. Look at the Spelling Challenge Cards for inspiration!
 
Science: Animals including Humans
Within this unit, the children will find out and describe the basic needs of animals for survival and the importance of exercise and nutrition for humans. They will investigate how exercise affects our bodies by completing tasks; recording their observations and discussing their findings.
Watch this video to find out more about life cycles.
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Geography
 
Enquiry: Why does it matter where my food comes from?
 
This enquiry provides an introduction to farming and farms. It will enable the children to explore a number of key geographical concepts such as location and distribution, as well as establishing a clear grasp, in simple terms, of fundamental geographical processes including economic activity and trade. The enquiry therefore is not just about the children knowing ‘where’ their food comes from but also – and equally importantly – it’s about enabling them to understand ‘why’ it’s important to know. To this end the children have opportunities to begin to understand and reflect upon, in basic terms, why locally sourced food and free-range production regimes are considered environmentally friendly and sustainable.
 
 
 
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Design Technology: Mechanisms 
Making a Moving Monster
After learning the terms; pivot, lever and linkage, children set to designing a monster that will move using a linkage mechanism. After practicing making linkages of different types and varying the materials they use. The children can also bring their monsters to life with the gift of movement.
 
Physical Education: Gymnastics
Within this gymnastics unit, the children will be challenged to explore different ways that they can link movements and balances together. The children will perform a sequence on apparatus focused on; jumps, rolls and balances.
Computing
The children will be developing their understanding of instructions in sequences and the use of logical reasoning to predict outcomes. We will use given commands in different orders to investigate how the order affects the outcome. They will also learn about design in programming. They will design algorithms and then test those algorithms as programs and debug them.
 
Why not try the pinned activities for the Code Disco on Busy Things!
Mathematics
Multiplication and Division
The children will practice and become fluent in the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables and begin to make links to the related division facts practically and mentally. They will group objects and share quantities as well as using arrays to link repeated addition to multiplication. Keep practicing at home using the MathsFrame Tables Check.
 
Money
The children will combine amounts to make different values and think about solving addition and subtraction, including giving change. At home, show children different coins and notes and discuss the value of each one.
Religious Education
 
Who is a Muslim and how do they live? (Part 1)
 
In this unit of work, the children will find out about Islam, key beliefs and ways of living for Muslims. They will learn about some of the key beliefs about God found in the Shahadah and learn the 99 names of Allah. The children will encounter stories about the Prophet and find out about what these teach Muslims today about ways of living. They will learn about the five pillars of Islam and how these impact upon the lives of believers. The children will learn about the importance of prayer and what it means for Muslims all over the world.
PSHE: Dreams and Goals
In this puzzle, the class talk about setting realistic goals and how to achieve them. They discuss perseverance when they find things difficult as well as recognising their strengths as a learner. The children talk about group work and reflect on who they work well with and who they don't. They will also talk about sharing success with other people.
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History 
 
Enquiry: How do we know so much about where Sappho used to life?
 
This enquiry enables the children to explore a number of key historical concepts, particularly the nature of evidence and cause and effect. It also introduces the pupils to studying the past to understand the present better and to inform the future in a more enlightened manner. The children are able to think about how historians and archaeologists go about obtaining the evidence they need to reconstruct and interpret the past
and particularly the distinction between primary and secondary evidence. The destruction and reconstruction of the iconic city of Pompeii provides an ideal context for achieving this and this historical event is brought to life through the circumstances of one young person, to whom the children are able to relate easily. The enquiry also emphasises that the value of studying a specific event in history, such as the destruction of Pompeii, lies more in what the event tells us about the lives of ordinary people at the time rather than the specific and intricate details of the event itself. 
Art
 
The focus for this half term is sculpture. The children will be introduced to the artist Kimmy Cantrell and have the opportunity to share their opinion of his work. They will base their own sculpture on the work of Kimmy Cantrell. The children will experiment with clay using different techniques and then produce their final piece using this medium. Once completed, the children will evaluate and analyse their own and others sculpture. 
 
Music: Singing and Ocarinas
The children will continue with their weekly music lessons; alternating between singing and ocarinas. The singing lessons will be taught by an external teacher. In ocarinas, the children will continue to develop their skills playing notes they already know as well as learn new notes.