We have launched our new topic – What happens at night? As part of this, the children wrote their own questions they would like to find out about the night. They also made Nocturnal Animals out of craft materials for our topic display.
In maths we have been learning all about division and how it related to multiplication. We have been finding out the difference between grouping and sharing. We have also been learning about how we can present data using tally charts, pictograms and bar charts.
We have had a jam packed couple of weeks back at school after the holidays! Our topic this term is based around The Great Fire of London. We started off with a visit from Partake Theatre Company where we danced and acted our way through the events. We have also started writing our own reports about what happened at the time of the fire.
Our words of the week this week are flammable and destroyed.
Flat Stanley travels to California in the story so Mr Riley transported us to the beach in class last week! We made healthy smoothies to enjoy in the heat and then wrote instructions using imperative verbs (our words of the week) and time openers.
Maps
We designed our own 3D maps of Spring Town in geography. We had to think about what the residents would like and where to place the rubbish dump!
Instruments
We made our own instruments using everyday materials. We made instruments to blow, hit, shake and strum which linked to a song we are learning in class.
Poetry
We have written our own class poem called ‘Our Musical Mouths’ which is based on a text we have been reading in our guided reading work. As we are going to perform the poem, we had to think about using expression and projecting our voices.
If you would like to find out more about learning in Birch class this half term, we would love to see you at our class assembly next week!
Wow, it has been a busy week in Birch class this week and we’ve had some great fun! In art we brought in some of our favourite things and took photo portraits of each other. Our challenge zone this week was to see how many different ways we could represent the number 9 – there were some really interesting examples!
Mr Riley taught some exciting lessons about everyday materials. In the first lesson we went outside to explore how many different materials we could find in the playground. In the next lesson we investigated materials which change shape and had to sort them in to different groups.
We also took part in the NSPCC Buddy challenge with Elm and Willow class. Mrs Dilnot and Mr Clarke made sure we were all out of breath with their energetic routines!
Our words of the week are suffix, temporary, changing and aerial.
We have had a great first two weeks back at school and are enjoying our new topic ‘Around the World!’ Last week the children made their flat characters ready to send to their relatives. We are going to start writing our letters tomorrow. Mr Riley started working with us this week in class. He has enjoyed meeting the children and seeing them working hard! Our words of the week are partitioning, aerial, man-made and natural.
This week in Birch class, we have been designing and making our own Inuit boats as part of our DT learning. The children had to decide whether to make a Kayak or an Umiak – ask them the difference between the two! They had to think about which materials to use and how to put them together. Then we tested them on the water. The children will bring these home next week when they have dried!
Last week in Birch class, we started to read the book Ice Boy which is all about an ice cube which goes on an adventure. In pairs we made our own ice characters which went in the freezer over the weekend. On Tuesday we were able to play with our characters until they all melted! Then we wrote instructions about how to make your own ice friend.
This week, Birch class were invited to plant some trees in Lawrence Milbourn’s field, who is one of our school governors. We went on a lovely walk through Lambley village and then out on to the fields – luckily we were all wearing wellington boots as it was a bit wet! The children all managed to plant at least two trees each with their friends. They had to dig the hole, plant the tree and then use the plastic covers to protect them. We had a brilliant time and when we got back to class we had juice and snacks!
Last week Birch class went to the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham to find out all about ocean creatures and habitats. We were taken on a VIP tour of the centre and saw lots of different animals. We even got to touch some starfish and crabs in the rock pools! We finished our trip with a quick play in the soft play area and each bought a souvenir from the shop. Have a look at the photographs below!
Last week in Birch class we got creative! We made paper plate sea creatures for our ocean habitats display, and then used chalk on black sugar paper to create a lighthouse scene at night. We also made sock seagulls which got extremely messy! These are on display in our classroom if you want to pop in to have a look. The class also met Sebastian, our Giant African Land Snail. We learnt how to look after him and got to hold him if we wanted to.
We have launched our class challenge board. Each child has set themselves a challenge target which is something they would like to get better at this year, and I will also set them a weekly challenge on our class grid.
The children took part in a ‘Get Caught Reading’ challenge and the entries were fantastic! The winner was chosen by Mrs Smith who comes in to hear the children read. I will post the photographs on the blog so that you can see their fabulous entries. Well done Birch class! Isaac Quinn was the overall winner, winning the prize of a book. All of the other children were given a runner up prize of a personalised book mark for their hard work. These are all on display in our reading garden if you would like to come and have a look!
Birch class have had a great start to Year 2. We started our new topic ‘I do like to be beside the seaside’. As part of this topic, we are reading the Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch. We worked together in buddies to make puppets, then we made scenery and props with materials found around the classroom to re-tell the story. We have also made some sea creatures for our underwater display in class.
Last night Birch class had a sleepover at school. We came back to school at 6pm and we were full of excitement. First we went to play on the park and then some of us went to play football on the field. After that we got wrapped up and went back outside to toast marshmallows on the BBQ. When we came inside we played musical statues and musical bumps and then we had a glow stick party in the dark with Billy’s glow sticks! Then we had hot chocolate and cookies before bed. In the morning some of us woke up at 5am…! When the rest of us were awake we watched a bit of a film. Then we got ready and went outside to play while some of the adults got our breakfast ready. We had juice and toast with lots of chocolate spread! This was the best night ever!!! From Birch Class.
On Thursday 13th July, we went on a trip to Gedling Country Park with Oak, Maple and Beech class. We played on the park, had a picnic and went for a walk around the country park with the rangers, finding out lots of interesting facts. After a day filled with lots of walking and playing, we were all exhausted when we got back to school. A fun day was had by all!
This week in Birch Class we have been getting up to some fun activities in Mathematics and History.
We have been working hard to defeat the Times Table Superheroes. We’ve even been having some tutoring from Year 6 children which was really helpful! We made Mathematics information sheets about ourselves which included our shoe size, age, number of people in our family and number of letters in our name. The twist was that we had to use mathematical clues including fractions, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.
In History we have been learning all about Florence Nightingale, how she helped people as a nurse and how she improved conditions in hospitals. We found out that she was named ‘Lady of the Lamp’ because she was always there in the evenings to look after the soldiers. We all made our own lamps.
We had a fun week in Birch Class last week. In Science we have been learning about what humans need to survive. After we came in from break we found that the class had been turned in to a Desert Island and we were stranded! We had to think about what we would need to survive – the essential items and one luxury item. We wrote messages, put them in bottles and threw them in to the sea.
Later in the week we had a visit from Mrs Grinnell and her daughter, Amelia. Mrs Grinnell answered all of the questions we had prepared about what parents do to look after their babies and what babies need as they grow up. The children thoroughly enjoyed this and it was nice to have Amelia in our class for the afternoon!
In our Maths lessons this week, the children were photographed and filmed showing how we use resources to help us and reason about our mathematics using mathematical vocabulary. This was used by Miss Hall at a workshop at Candleby Lane School with lots of other teachers.
Following the General Election on Thursday, we watched Newsround to find out all about it. The children then wanted to send in their own question which was – Why do you have to be over 18 to vote? We are currently waiting for our reply!
Finally, we have a Survival Camp planned which will involve a sleepover at school. If you would like your child to be involved then please return the reply slip. Thanks!
