Sharks Spring 2 2020 Newsletter

Geography
This half term we will be learning to name and locate the countries of Europe and their capital cities.  We will learn about some of the main human and physical characteristics and how these have changed over time.
We will then focus in on a region of Italy; Naples, linked to our previous work on volcanoes and Mount Vesuvius and make comparisons with Amble.  The geographical features we will study and compare will include location, cities, population,climate, coasts, mountains, rivers and lakes.
We will use fieldwork to observe & record human & physical features in the local area, including looking at types of homes and comparing them with homes in the past (Prehistoric Britain).
Maths
We will continue our work on multiplication, focussing on the eight times table and investigating patterns when multiplying by eight.  We will continue to become fluent in our 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables.  We will also be consolidating our understanding of division and further exploring the links between multiplication and division.  We will consolidate our understanding of multiplying and dividing a two digit number by a one digit number and solve related problems.  We will be measuring a range of lengths and calculating perimeters, reasoning about length and solving related problems.
Key vocabulary: multiply, divide, perimeter, length.
 
English
This half term we will be enjoying our class book 'The Abominables'.  We will be continuing to improve our pace and fluency using the reading scheme and developing our own preferences through making good use of the library.  Please support your child's reading and help them to earn books and bookmarks by reading both their scheme book and their library book with them; one choice each night, and signing their reading record.  We will continue to develop specific reading skills through whole class guided reading using a variety of texts.
We will be developing our ability to write non-fiction texts using the Talk for Writing approach and writing our own Holiday Guides to Naples and Amble, linked to our work in Geography.  We will continue to explore the Read, Write Inc interactive spelling programme which includes follow up practise in class.  Any help you can give your child with learning weekly spellings makes a huge difference and is greatly appreciated.  We will continue to learn the basic handwriting joins, encouraging children to apply these to independent pieces as soon as they know them and feel confident.
R.E.
We will be exploring the question 'What did Jesus do each day during Holy Week?' looking at the key events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  We will be making our own Easter cards.
Science
We will be exploring the topic of Light.  We will be learning how light travels and is reflected from surfaces.  We will learn to recognise sources of light and to understand that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by a solid object.  We will learn that light from the sun can be dangerous and about ways to protect our eyes.

 

Key vocabulary: Light, dark/darker/darkest, bright/brighter/brightest, dim, light source, eye, reflect, reflective, shiny, dull, shadow, block, transparent, opaque.
P.E.
We will be continuing our work in gymnastics, working in small groups to plan and perform a sequence including a point balance, a patch balance, a roll and a jump.  We will learn how to incorporate different levels into our work.

Key vocabulary: balance ,roll, jump, sequence, level. 

Design Technology
We will evaluate a range of pencil pots on the market.  We will design, make and finish our own pencil pots using recycled materials and a range of cutting, joining and painting skills.  We will evaluate our finished products according to the design brief.
 
Art
We will continue to express our ideas and preferences about the work of Andy Goldsworthy.  We will widen our repertoire of sculpture through making Sand Art pictures from natural materials found on the beach.   
Computing
This half term's Online Safety Work will be focused around emailing on online messaging. We'll discuss what email is and how it compares to face-to-face communication, we'll identify emails that we should not open, write emails with ad address and a subject and know how to safely send and receive emails.
Vocabulary: email, secure, subject, inbox, outbox, spam, phishing, conduct
 
The focus if this half term's computing work is all around email.  We'll be accessing our own School360 email accounts (these are secure and can only be used to other School360 email addresses), learning how emails work, how to word emails appropriately and how to send attachments. We'll complete a silent activity in which the children work in pairs to complete a challenge by emailing each other to answer a series of questions that they have been set!
Vocabulary: attachment, reply, reply to all,  forward, address, read, unread