Leicester's December Blog 2021

During the second Autumn half term we continued our 'Erre Hyoe' butterfly based on the settlement of Anglo-Saxons in Britain after the Roman's departure around 400BC. We also had our first 'Subject Safari' of the year. 

English

We looked at how the structure of writing helps contribute to its meaning. We learned a model text all about teachers, emphasising the use of headings, sub-headings, bullet points and topic sentences. After exploring the impact they have on non-fiction writing we created our own non fiction text all about different types of pupils and different schools. We even practised writing our opinions as if they were factual by using specific word choices and sentence structures. 

Maths

In maths, we spent some time exploring equivalent fractions. We then moved onto identifying the similarities and differences between mixed numbers and improper fractions before moving onto the equivalence between fractions and decimals. 

Science

We continued to focus on electricity and identified that a circuit must be complete in order for the electrons to flow and change the form of energy (the flow of electrons flow through a thin wire causing heat - which in turn makes the thin metal glow which allows us to see the light). We looked at which materials would conduct or insulate electricity, before explaining which materials would best be used to create a torch. 

CCCS

Our biggest project within subject safari week was to plan, design, build and evaluate our own lighthouses that had working electrical components. We looked at images of lighthouses that are currently working and in use to determine a design criteria. We concluded our lighthouses must be taller than 50cm, be free standing, be able to withstand strong winds, and be visible from far away once the light had been turned off. The children were then given free reign to plan, design and build their lighthouses in groups using a range of materials.