Literacy

The children in literacy have been learning how to write an expanded noun phase to improve sentences before using them in an independent piece of writing based on the story ‘Toby and the Great Fire of London’. After a visit from the Exotic Zoo, the children planned and wrote a persuasive letter to Mrs Crilly to persuade her to get a school pet, using a rhetorical question.

Maths

In maths, the children have been learning fractions (½  ¼ 1/3)  of shapes and amounts. They have revisited how to read and write the time to the nearest hour and half an hour before moving on to learn quarter past and quarter to. The children then moved on to learning how to read and write the time to the nearest 5 minutes. During this term, the children have continued to consolidate their understanding of 2D and 3D shapes and their properties.

Fraction ICT games

Fraction finder – https://ictgames.com/mobilePage/fractions/index.html

Firepit Fractions – https://ictgames.com/mobilePage/firepitFractions/index.html

Fraction fiasco – https://ictgames.com/mobilePage/fractionFresco/index.html

Telling the time game

Clock demonstrator – https://ictgames.com/mobilePage/clock/index.html

Hickory, Dickory, Clock – https://ictgames.com/mobilePage/hickoryDickory/index.html

History

Throughout the spring term, the children continued to research and find out more about the Great Fire of London. The children worked together to use different sources to discover the cause and consequences of the Great Fire of London and the impact it had on life in Britain following the event. The children then used their research to sequence the events of the fire on a timeline before writing a descriptive recount of the events.

Science

In science, the children have been investigating and compare the properties of different materials. They have taken part in experiments looking in greater detail of each material and their suitability for a particular use. The children have found out which materials can change shape and have discussed why some materials can and some can’t.

Music

The children have been learning how to play the notes B and A on the recorders and  have been able play the notes when following a piece of music.

Literacy

During the first half of January, the children have been learning about poetry. Together they discussed the layout of a poem and that many poems rhyme. The children then worked as part of a group to write acrostic and rhyming poems about Spring.

The children then moved on to learning about the Great Plague and understanding how to read and understand a piece of text in order to answer questions. They then used the facts learnt to write sentences about The Great Plague using co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

Maths

In maths, the children have learnt how to read and record temperature to the nearest degree using the measurement degrees Celsius. They have reviewed their understanding of how to measure the length and height of objects using a ruler and the measurement centimetres before comparing the measurement of 2 objects using the mathematical symbols:

< (less than)

> (more than)

= (equal to)

The children have consolidated their knowledge of division using objects and jottings to support solving given calculations. The children then used this understanding to solve division word problems.

History

The children have been researching the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London using a variety of information sources – iPad, non-fiction texts, painting, and drawings. The children initially worked in groups to research both historical events and shared the facts that they had learnt with the class before focussing their research of the Great Plague of London. The children shared their findings using mind maps, drawings, paintings, clay, small construction and writing.

Below are two videos used in class to research the Plague.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMRTo7diFaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBvOZO1gmOE

PE

As part of the children’s indoor PE lessons they have been learning how to follow and remember a dance routine to perform to the song Waka Waka by Shakira. They have learnt how to dance in unison and in a cannon as well as how to travel in different ways around a space.

During their outdoor pe lessons the children have been focusing on target game skills. They have been learning how to kick towards a given target, throw a ball into a bucket and to accurately throw and catch in a pair.

Maths

In maths, the children have been consolidating their understanding of tens and units with numbers to 100. They have learnt how to partition 2-digit numbers to support when adding and subtracting using practical resources such as dienes and jottings.

Please see the videos on the link below to support your child further at home with this (Autumn – addition and subtraction)

https://whiteroseeducation.com/parent-pupil-resources/maths/home-learning?year=year-2-new

Phonics/ Literacy

In phonics, the children have been consolidating their set 2 and set 3 sounds. They have also been developing and increasing their fluency through the reading of Read Write Inc text.

The children in the Literacy group have been focusing on the text ‘Amazing Grace’. In their lessons they have been learning how to make predictions before reading and recalling information from the story. The children have sequenced and retold the main events from the story. They have learnt about noun phrases (adding more information about a noun) and how to use these phases in their own writing. The group have learnt how to join two main clauses together using co-ordinating conjunctions – see the image below.

Personal Development

Over the last half term, the children have been learning about their health and wellbeing. They have been finding out how keeping active can help their physical and mental wellbeing. They have also thought more about their emotions and how people can show these emotions in different ways and exploring the different strategies they can use to help them particularly when feeling angry, sad or frustrated.

History

During the second half of the autumn term, the children have learnt about Black History. Together they researched, using a variety of sources, why black history is important and how it has had a significant impact on life today. The children then focused their attention and research on Rosa Parks. Together they learn about the significant events in her life and how this has helped to change the rights of black people today.

See images below showing the children understanding of black people’s rights in the past and present and Rosa Park’s timeline

Design and Technology

In their design technology lessons the children have learnt about hidden sugars in our foods and how to ensure we have a balanced diet. The children then used this knowledge to taste test and design their own healthy wrap containing a protein, fruit or vegetable, dairy and carbohydrates. Together the children prepared and cut their ingredients before combining them together in their wrap.

See photos below for examples of what they children know about the food they eat and the Eat well plate showing a balanced diet.

Religious Education

The children have been learning about the similarities and differences between each other and between different religions. The children began the unit sharing those things that make them special – their favourite place, celebration, book, and a symbol to represent themselves. The children read the Christian story ‘The good Samaritan’ and discussed how the good Samaritan showed that he cared before sharing how they could show someone they care about them. They then learnt about what matters most what we see on the outside or how a person is on the inside using the Jewish story of King David’s anointing to support.

Below are examples of the children’s thoughts about what makes them special.

The children have had an amazing start to Year 2 and have settled into the new routines extremely well.

In Phonics, the children have been continuing to learn and consolidate their set 2 and set 3 sounds. They have been using this knowledge to write about the Read Write Inc texts their group has read during the week.

Below are a copy of set 2 and set 3 sounds:

During Maths, the children have been securing their knowledge of numbers to 50 and then 100. They have partitioned and represented the tens and units and have used the mathematical symbols < > = to compare two numbers:

<    less than e.g. 34 < 50

>    greater than e.g. 45 > 24

=     equal to e.g. 29 = 29

Super Shropshire

During their afternoon learning, the children have been learning about human and physical geographical features in our school environment. The children have used a range of resources to represent the different geographical features and have drawn simple maps of the school grounds, using aerial maps.

As part of this learning, the children and parents walked from school to Ironbridge to observe the human and physical features surrounding a local landmark.

In PE the children have been learning the basic skills of cricket. The children have enjoyed learning how to pass a ball in a variety of ways and aiming for a target given.

At the beginning of our Design Technology lessons, the children were given the opportunity to explore a range of wheeled objects and tried to work out how each object moved. As the children investigated, they were asked to think about the following key questions:

• How do you think the wheels move?
• How do you think the wheels are fixed on?
• Why do you think the product has the number of wheels it does?
• Why do you think the wheels are round?

The children learnt that wheels and axles joined together and are able to turn but the axle holder is fixed to the body of the object. Together they reinvestigated the wheeled objects to identify the moving and non-moving parts of the object. They were then asked to draw a diagram of the wheeled object, identifying the wheel, axle, and axle holder.

I wonder how you can attach a moving part to a non-moving part…

The children were provided with straws, paper, scissors, glue, masking tape. They were then asked to create a wheel, axle and axle holder using the materials provided. The children experimented with the different ways that they could attach the moving part (wheel and axle) to the non-moving part (axle and chassis) remembering to ensure that the wheels were able to move.

The children were shown a range of vehicles that the designer had built incorrectly and were unable to move. The children discussed where they believed the designer went wrong and how they could fix the problem to ensure that the wheel and axle’s move.

They were then asked to design their own moving vehicle using their understanding of wheels and axles. A design criteria was shared with the children, showing what their design had to include.

Once they had completed their designs, the children were asked to select the correct materials and tools they needed to make their moving vehicles. They did a great job and showed great resilience and perseverance throughout the making process.

The children have made a brilliant start to the new year and have been working extremely hard in all their learning.

Phonics

The children are continuing to practise and learn their set 1, 2 and 3 speed sounds and transferring this knowledge and understanding into their reading of texts during their phonics lessons and Guided Reading.

Maths

In maths the children have been continuing to develop and deepen their understanding of number and place value. They have used a variety of model, images, and resources to represent the tens and units in numbers up to 50. They have also been learning how to recognise coins and are beginning to understand the values of each coin. The children used their understanding to select the correct and problem solve when buying items. Towards the end of January the children have returned to addition and subtraction and have learnt how to use jottings and number lines to solve their calculations.

Science

The children have been learning about Animals, including humans. The children have learnt the names of the different body parts and have been able to label these on a body outline. They then found out which body part supported our five senses before taking part in a senses investigation – Can you identify the substance using only one of your senses?

Foundation subjects

Within Personal Development, the children have used circle time and circle games to explore, discuss and reflect upon Respectful relationships. Together the children discussed the practical steps they can take in a range of different situations to improve or support respectful relationships. The children thought about what might have happened to cause the falling-out between friends and discussed how they could help resolve the problem.

During Art, the children have been learning how lines can be used in a variety of ways when drawing.

They have explored using these lines in their own drawings in response to music and artist’s’ work.

Together, the children create a group piece of artwork using lines to represent water and waves. They thought about how to use the various mark making materials to create different effects e.g., darker lines, thick lines.

Finally, the children applied their learnt understanding of lines to produce an observational drawing of shells.

In Music, the children have been listening and appraising different music styles – Blues, Baroque and Latin. They have shared how the music style made them feel, the instruments they could hear and whether they enjoyed listening to it. During the music lesson, the children have used glockenspiels and recorders to follow a piece of music in response to the weekly musical style.

Maths

During this half term, the children in year 1 have been learning all about place value of numbers to 20. They have been finding out about how these numbers are made up of tens and units and have used practical resources such as dienes to represent given numbers. The children have also been learning how to use practical resources and part whole diagrams to find the number bonds for 5/10/20.

Geography 

The children have explored atlases, maps, and Google Earth to locate the UK on the world map. They then used this knowledge to look more closely at the country where they live, the United Kingdom. Together the children found out that the UK is made from four different countries England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and discovered that Telford is in England. The children researched the similarities and differences between the weather in England and Scotland before comparing our weather with that in Ghana and Iceland.