Owl Class - Years 5 & 6

OWL CLASS GALLERY

 Welcome to the Owl Class page.

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 Welcome to Owl Class. This term our topic is ‘What were Dinosaurs?’ We will be finding out all about how fossil-hunters were the first to come upon the idea that these creatures had existed long before humans. We will look at some of the fossils that tell us so much about these ancient creatures, including some of the most recent and exciting finds. We will look in depth at the different periods of the dinosaur age, and find out which species were living in each period, and whereabouts on the globe they were to be found. We will also learn about the way that dinosaurs are now classified into separate groups, and how this reveals the way in which they evolved.

 In literacy, we will begin by writing a descriptive piece in a mythological style, set in ancient China. We will then be looking at the work of Mary Anning, one of the world’s first fossil-hunters, from Dorset (now known as the Jurassic coast, for its wealth of fossil specimens). We will find out about her life and her importance in the story of palaeontology, turning this knowledge into a newspaper article from her time, celebrating her achievements. Later in the term, we will look at writing instructions, and write our own, informing our reader on how to hunt for fossils and then prepare them for show. We will also cover the range of punctuation and grammar required by the National Curriculum.

In group reading, we will continue with our faster-reading text, Pig-Heart Boy, before venturing into Tolkien’s world with The Hobbit. We will continue to practise the skills we need to cover all aspects of reading comprehension, and continue our developing our prosody using selected short excerpts from a range of texts.

 In maths, we will work through the broader curriculum for the Year 6s, in preparation for the SATs tests in May, while Year 5s will have a particular focus on statistics, geometry and decimals.

In science, we will be looking further at Evolution and Inheritance, and how Charles Darwin’s idea revolutionised our understanding of life on Earth- in particular, how to build our own cladograms. Later in the term, we will look at what it means to be human, including the workings of the human body, and reproduction.

For trips this term, Owl Class have a day at Whitlingham Broad Outdoor Centre booked, for 5^th June, which will be a great day of paddle-boarding and raft-building. Also in June, the whole class will be going to Crucial Crew in Stowmarket (more information to follow). Year 6s have their Bikeability at the end of May/

Homework this term will continue to focus on the maths skills taught each week, and for some pupils there will continue to be an emphasis on knowing the times tables. Homework will be given out on Fridays, and books must be handed back in on Wednesdays at the latest. Times tables and spellings tests will be on Wednesday mornings.

 Brass instruments should be brought in on Mondays, and PE kits on Tuesdays. There is no swimming this term.

 If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask, or leave a note in the Owl Class message book.

Kindest regards,

Mr Haynes