Zebra (Year 6)

Spring Term 1

Well, the Christmas break certainly disappeared quickly! I wish all of you a happy new year and a massive thank you for the wonderful gifts that I got at Christmas. 

 

English:

In English this term, Zebra class will be reading 'The Song from Somewhere Else' by A.F Harrold and illustrated by Levi Pinfold: Sometimes you find friendship where you least expect it. A story about strangeness, strength and keeping the shadows at bay. 

We will be focusing on: writing in role as the two main characters of the story; writing a newspaper report; persuasive writing and a balanced argument. Grammar topics will be taught once a week as a discrete lesson and as starters five times a week. This term, we will be revising all KS2 concepts. Finally, spellings will be taught three times a week after lunch, with all practising and testing completed within school. However, attached are the spelling rules for this term which you can look over with your child if necessary. This includes: year 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 word lists (found online if searched for), all KS2 homophones, -ant, -ance and -ancy and -ent, -ence and -ency, prefixes and root words. 

 

Maths:

In maths this term, Zebra class will be recapping on a number of concepts and learning new topics. This includes: numbers to three decimal places; multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1000; multiplying decimals by integers; decimals as fractions; equivalent FDP; finding the percentage of an amount; metric and imperial measures; area of a triangle and parallelogram and volume. 

 

Topic: Fairtrade

Science: Evolution and inheritance

Computing: Blogging

Art: Pop Art and Andy Warhol

RE: describe impacts of religious commitments on life

Music: Music Express

French: shopping and having a conversation. 

 

PE will continue to be on a Monday with Mr Dickinson so please ensure that you have both indoor and outdoor PE kits at school throughout the term. Please also ensure that piercings are out that morning or able to be taken out at school. 

Autumn Term 2

I hope that the half term didn't speed past too quickly - it won't be long until Christmas! From this term, we will be welcoming Mrs Cripps on a Friday morning into year 6. We will still have Mrs Jacobs from Monday to Thursday and Mrs Jones on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. 

 

English:

In English this term, Zebra class will be reading 'The London Eye Mystery' by Siobhan Dowd:

11.32am - Ted and his sister, Kat, watch their cousin Salim board the London Eye. The pod rises from the ground, high above the city. 12.02pm - The pod lands and the doors open. Everyone exits - everyone but Salim. 

We will be focusing on: writing in role as the narrator of the story, Ted; writing a police report; persuasive writing about a famous landmark in London and performing a news broadcast. Grammar topics will be taught once a week as a discrete lesson and as starters five times a week. This term, we will be focusing particularly on vocabulary, including prefixes, suffixes, antonyms and synonyms. 

Finally, spellings will be taught three times a week after lunch, with all practising and testing completed within school. However, attached are the spelling rules for this term which you can look over with your child if necessary. This includes: year 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 word lists (found online if searched for), -able and -ible words, suffixes, proof-reading, strategies and homophones (-ce/ -se). 

 

Maths:

In maths this term, Zebra class will be recapping on a number of concepts and learning new topics. This includes: comparing and ordering fractions, adding and subtracting fractions, adding and subtracting mixed numbers, multiplying pairs of fractions, dividing proper fractions by whole numbers, quadrants and coordinates within a grid and translation of a shape.  

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of maths! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

 

Topic: London and other capital cities in the world (famous landmarks, capital cities in Europe, comparison study of two cities, London Underground). 

Science: Electricity (circuit symbols, how differing components affect an electrical circuit, making a dimmer switch, designing and creating a Christmas decoration)

Computing: Spreadsheets

D&T: designing and creating a Christmas decoration using electrical circuits

RE: Is it better to express your religion in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity?

Music: Christmas carols;

PSHE: confidence and self-esteem; 

French: pocket money. 

Spelling patterns for term 1 and 2

 

Term 1

- year 3 and 4 word list (attached to class page).

- year 5 and 6 word list (attached to class page).

- words ending ably/ ibly and able/ ible. Examples include: adorable, respectable, horrible, terrible. 

 

 

Term 2

- year 3 and 4 word list (attached to class page).

- year 5 and 6 word list (attached to class page).

- Homophones (ce/ se). Examples include: advice/ advise, device/ devise, practice/ practise, licence/ license. 

- Endings spelt like -cious or -tious. Examples include: vicious, delicious, cautious, infectious.  

 

 

Strategies to support the teaching of spellings

- Look, say, cover, write, check: This is probably the most common strategy used to learn spellings!

- Trace, copy and replicate (and then check).

- Drawing around the word to show the shape.

- Drawing an image around the word.

- Words without vowels: Write the words without the vowels and children have to choose the correct grapheme to put in the space.

- Pyramid words: This forces you to think of each letter separately. 

- Rainbow writing.

- Making or memorable 'silly sentences' containing the word. 

- Saying the word in a funny way; for example, pronouncing the silent letters in a word. 

Autumn Term 1

I hope that you all had a relaxing and safe six weeks holiday and are ready for the new school term! This year, the children will have Miss Walker, Mrs Jacobs (Monday-Thursday) and Mrs Jones (Tuesday and Wednesday morning). We have so much to get through this year and will be starting as we mean to go on! This term, we also have the Kent Test(!), Bikeability, voting for Head Boy/ Girl and prefects and a Magistrate's visit!

 

English:

In English this term, Zebra class will be reading 'Running on Empty' by S.E Durrant: AJ's grandfather has always been the one to keep his unusual family together, so when he dies things start to unravel at the edges. AJ is worried about his parents but they don't really seem to notice. In order to deal with his grief and anxiety at bay, AJ does what he and his grandfather did best: running. Running round and round the Olympic Park, aiming for the cross country, running to escape. He discusses false starts and emotional journeys, with hope as the ultimate finishing line. 

 We will be focusing on: newspaper reports relating to Usain Bolt; writing in role as a wide range of characters within the book; letter writing; a manifesto for equality and a personal narrative. Grammar topics will be taught once a week as a discrete lesson and as starters five times a week. This term, we will be recapping concepts from year 3 - 5, including: nouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions, commas in lists, fronted adverbials, synonyms and antonyms and formality/ informality.

Finally, spellings will be taught three times a week after lunch, with all practising and testing completed within school. However, attached are the spelling rules for this term which you can look over with your child if necessary. This includes: year 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 word lists (found online if searched for), -able and -ible words, suffixes, proof-reading, strategies and homophones (-ce/ -se). 

 

Maths:

In maths this term, Zebra class will be recapping on a number of concepts and learning new topics. This includes: reading, writing, ordering and comparing numbers up to 10,000,000; determining the value of digits up to 10,000,000; rounding whole numbers and decimals; negative numbers; algebra (generating linear sequences, finding all possibilities of combinations); multiplication and division; common factors, prime numbers and estimation. In lessons, children will have the choice to practise the 'fluency' of each concept before moving onto reasoning and problem solving. 

Each week, the class will get a chance to use Times Tables Rock Stars at school, as mental calculations are so important in all aspects of maths! Children can also use this website at home to develop their efficiency and accuracy in times tables. 

 

Topic: Mayans (civilisation, number and writing system, art, religion, atlas work);

Science: Animals, including Humans (heart, lungs, digestive system, diet and exercise, working scientifically);

Computing: Coding;

Art: creating Mayan masks using ModRoc;

RE: Is it better to express your religion in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity?

Music: exploring rounds;

PSHE: different types of relationships; bullying and rules/ legal system;

French: pocket money.