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Summer One
We are Learning...
Shackleton's Journey
This half-term the children will continue with our a new writing scheme - Ready, Steady Write! This provides a structured approach to teaching grammar and writing through immersion in a high-quality piece of text, analysing, planning and finally writing. The children will be using the novel: 'Shackleton's Journey' by William Grill to write an endurance narrative and a biography.
Maths - No Problem!
This half term, the children will be revising all previous concepts taught in Year Six. They will be exposed to a number of problems and explore how they can use their knowledge and apply this. The children will also continue to embed their arithmetic skills focusing on: number, four operations, fractions, decimals and percentages in particular.
RE - Why do Christians celebrate the Eucharist?
Our RE unit for summer one is: Why do Christians celebrate the Eucharist? The aim of this unit is to identify the links between the Passover meal, Last Supper and Eucharist, to develop an understanding of the Eucharist and the symbolism connected with it and to develop an understanding of the importance of the Eucharist and why it is celebrated.
By the end of this unit pupil will know that:
- Links can be made between Christian beliefs, the Eucharist, the Last Supper and the Passover.
- There is important symbolism associated with the Eucharist that explains Christian belief.
- We (Christians) celebrate the Eucharist and why it is important.
We are Reading...
Title: Shackleton's Journey
Author: William Grill
Publication: 3rd February, 2014
'Shackleton's Journey is a unique visual re-telling Ernest Shackleton's landmark expedition crossing the Antarctic from one pole to the other. William Grill's impeccably researched and informative illustrations celebrate the 100th anniversary since the historic exploration by Shackleton and his crew on Endurance. Children will love exploring Grill's exploded diagrams and the fascinating details of this landmark voyage.'
Spring Two
We are Learning...
The Ways of the Wolf
This half-term the children will continue with our a new writing scheme - Ready, Steady Write! This provides a structured approach to teaching grammar and writing through immersion in a high-quality piece of text, analysing, planning and finally writing. The children will be using the novel: 'The Ways of the Wolf' by Smriti Halls to write a documentary narrative and then a balanced argument.
Maths - No Problem!
The children will explore a brand new concept: algebra! Within this unit they will explore how some of the conventions of algebra in the context of patterns and real-life problems. The chapter will begin with lessons describing patterns and using a letter to denote a variable, the children will then move on to write expressions using the four operations and fractions, while continuing to look for patterns and determine rules. Throughout the chapter, the expressions will become more complex, including more than one variable with multiple steps. After this the children will begin area and perimeter, in this chapter, they will be exploring how to calculate the area of rectangles, triangles and parallelograms. The chapter will begin with a review of perimeter and area of rectangles, and progresses by consolidating pupils' knowledge of the area of a rectangle to develop their understanding to calculate the area of a parallelogram. This is followed by finding multiple methods for calculating the area of a triangle. The chapter will end with finding the area for a parallelogram using the triangle method.
RE - The Exodus
Our RE unit for spring two is: Why is the Exodus such a significant event in Jewish and Christian history? The aim of this unit is to give pupils a greater understanding of the significance of the Exodus and Passover and to introduce pupils to the links between Christianity and Judaism.
By the end of this unit pupil will know that:
- The Exodus is a significant event in Jewish and Christian history.
- The Seder is a special meal celebrated by Jews on the first evening of the festival of Passover.
- Christianity is rooted in Judaism and Jesus celebrated Passover.
- For Jewish people the events of the Exodus and Passover are very important.
- Christians remember the Passover and Last Supper during the Eucharist.
History
This historical unit will look at the local history within Skelmersdale and will see the children understand that the past is constructed from a range of sources. The children will address and question the change, cause, similarity and difference and significance in what they learn, they will construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information and they will understand that the past comes from a range of sources.
We are Reading...
Title: The Ways of the Wolf
Author: Smriti Halls
Publication: 5th October 2017
'The wolf stalks the wilderness and our own imaginations. Uncover its mysteries in this beautifully written non-fiction picture book. Majestic and fierce, proud and strong, the wolf has always been a source of fascination - and fear. It remains one of the most misunderstood of all creatures, frequently cast as our mortal enemy. The truth is that wolves and humans are more closely connected than we dare to admit.'
Spring One
We are Learning...
A Story Like the Wind
This half-term the children at Bishop Martin are beginning a new writing scheme - Ready, Steady Write! This will provide a structured approach to teaching grammar and writing through immersion in a high-quality piece of text, analysing, planning and finally writing. The children will be using the novel: 'A Story Like the Wind' by Gill Lewis to write a flashback narrative and finally a newspaper report.
Maths - No Problem!
The children will begin this half-term by exploring the different units of measure, they will use prior knowledge of multiplying and dividing by 10, 100 and 1,000 to support them. They will explore the best way to measure time, capacity, mass and distance. After this the children will move onto their second workbook of the year, beginning with finding a percentage of a number and quantity, they will use their reasoning knowledge to transfer this skill to 'real-life' problems.
RE - Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus?
Our RE unit for spring two is: Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? The aim of this unit is to consider who was Jesus and who is Jesus? The children will generate their own personal opinion as well as studying the views of others in the past and today.
By the end of this unit pupils will know that:
- Jesus is given a variety of names to describe his character and purpose.
- There is a strong connection between Christmas and Easter and the concept of incarnation and salvation.
- We (Christians) believe Jesus was/is the Messiah and what that means.
Geography - How has the United Kingdom changed over time?
The children will name and locate the countries and cities of the United Kingdom geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (hill, mountains, coasts and rivers) and land – use patterns and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time. They will use eight points of a compass, four and six –figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world.
We are Reading...
Title: A Story Like the Wind
Author: Gill Lewis
Publication: 4th May 2017
A small group of refugees is crowded on to a boat on the sea. They share their stories as the boat travels towards the dream of safety and freedom. One boy, Rami, has brought his violin, and his story of how the violin was invented, and of a stallion that could run like the wind, weaves through the other stories, bringing them all together into a celebration of hope and of the power of music and story. A very special, beautifully illustrated, fable for all who strive to understand, and to stand together with, those around them.
Autumn Two
We are Learning...
Britten's Got Talent
To begin our next English unit, the children will be using ‘Mary Poppins’ written by P. L Travers and will write a new story or chapter using characters and/or plot structures from this classic novel. They will then move onto poetry and will be able to orally present a poem or song and will read journal entries detailing personal reflections and responses to songs and poems. Finally, the children will write a formal review of a live theatre or a life music performance.
Maths - No Problem!
The children will be focussing on fractions to begin our next half – term. They will simplify fractions by using common factors, compare and order fractions by finding common denominators, add and subtract fractions with different denominators, multiply a fraction by a fraction and by a whole number and divide a fraction by a whole number. The children will not only complete many reasoning problems based on this, they will become confident with answering arithmetic style questions too.
RE - How do Christians prepare for Christmas?
Our RE unit for Autumn two is: How do Christians prepare for Christmas? The aim of this unit is to delve deeper into the themes of the season of Advent and introduce pupils to the Christian belief that Jesus will return (the second coming).
By the end of this unit pupil will know that:
- Advent is a time when the church focusses prayer on the second coming of Christ.
- Different denominations within Christianity hold differing beliefs about the importance and status of Mary.
- The themes of advent tell the ‘big story’ of God’s salvation plan.
- Christian believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah, but Jewish people do not.
History- How do technological advances differ based on locality?
History – The children will study a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history, which is the Islamic Golden Age. Within this unit the children will explore and be able to answer the questions:
- Why did the population of Baghdad decline suddenly after the siege?
- Who is Al Mansur?
- Was London or Bagdad more advanced in 900AD?
We are Reading...
Title: Mary Poppins
Author: P.L Travers
Genre: Adventure
Publication: 27th March 2010
The original best-loved classic about the world’s most famous nanny – Mary Poppins.
When the Banks family advertise for a nanny, Mary Poppins and her talking umbrella appear out of the sky, ready to take the children on extraordinary adventures.
Mary Poppins is strict but fair, and soon Michael and Jane are whisked off to a funfair inside a pavement picture and on many more outings with their wonderful new nanny!
Needless to say, when at last ‘the wind changes’ and she flies away, the children are devastated. But the magic of Mary Poppins will stay with the Banks family forever.
The original story of the world’s most famous nanny, Mary Poppins, is a timeless classic that has enchanted generations.
Autumn One
We are Learning...
English - Survival!
To begin our new school year, the children will be using ‘Running Wild’, written by Michael Morpurgo as a stimulus in our English and Reading lessons. The children will be using this novel as a theme to begin Autumn One, they will participate in a debate relating to an issue within the text: 'Should Animals be used in the Circus?' and will use the plot as inspiration for their own survival/adventure narrative. To complete the half-term the children will then write a recount by carrying out research, writing and then presenting a biography of Charles Darwin.
Maths - No Problem!
To begin our new school year, the children will be focusing on Number and Place Value. They will use skills learnt in previous year to support them when understanding larger numbers up to 10,000,000. The children will learn how to read, write, order and compare numbers up to at least 1,000,000 and be able to determine the value of each digit, they will be exploring how to round any number up to 1,000,000 to the nearest 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 and will aim to solve practical problems that involve these. The children will also begin work on the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) where they will begin by using mixed operations to solve calculations.
RE - Life as a Journey and Pilgrimage
Our RE unit for Autumn one is: Life as a Journey and Pilgrimage. The aim of this unit is to, give children an opportunity to think about the idea that that life is a journey and what it means to make that journey as a Christian and to enable pupils to begin to understand the concept of undertaking a religious pilgrimage. By the end of the unit the children will know that:
- Some people undertake a pilgrimage as part of living out their faith;
- The life of people in the bible effects the behaviour, beliefs and life choices of Christians today;
- Being a Christian and following Jesus’ teaching has an impact on a person’s life;
- The life journey of Jesus answers questions about what Christians believe
- Christians in many countries across the words are persecuted because of their faith
Geography- How Diverse is Life in Brazil?
Geography – As part of our Geography for this half-term, the children will go on a voyage of discovery to South America as they learn all about the countries, culture and geography of the fantastic continent. The children will learn about the climate, the geographical features, the industries and the people of South America through a number of different tasks and activities. The children will get an insight into what life is like in South America in comparison to here in the United Kingdom.
We are Reading...
Title: Running Wild
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Genre: Adventure
Publication: 27th May 2010
‘The epic and heart-rending jungle adventure from the nation’s favourite storyteller Michael Morpurgo.
For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn’t just a holiday. It’s an escape, a new start, a chance to put things behind them – things like the death of Will’s father.
And to begin with, it seems to be just what they both needed. But then Oona, the elephant Will is riding on the beach, begins acting strangely, shying away from the sea. And that’s when the tsunami comes crashing in, and Oona begins to run. Except that when the tsunami is gone, Oona just keeps on running.
With nothing on his back but a shirt and nothing to sustain him but a bottle of water, Will must learn to survive deep in the jungle. Luckily, though, he’s not completely alone…
He’s got Oona.’