Northern Lights
Balmoral Class learnt about where you see and what causes the northern lights. They learnt what gases cause particulate colours in the Arctic sky. We explored tie dye, making patterns with different colours and are looking forward to seeing the final product when they dry. Magnificent work!
Frozen Kingdom – Our New Topic!
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are thrilled to introduce our exciting topic for this half term: Frozen Kingdom!
We will explore the fascinating world of the Arctic and Antarctic, learning about polar animals, environments, exploration, climate and the impact of people on these special places. Our learning will be practical, creative and cross-curricular, encouraging curiosity, teamwork and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
In English, we will be exploring The Call of the Wild, developing reading comprehension, vocabulary and inference skills. The pupils will write their own imaginative stories inspired by polar animals and environments. We will also explore haiku poetry and create our own polar-themed poems.
Our focus in Maths will be fractions. We will explore equal and unequal parts, unit and non-unit fractions, and represent fractions using practical resources, bar models and number lines. We will also continue to develop addition and subtraction skills.
In Geography & History we will locate the Arctic and Antarctic using maps and globes and compare their climate, wildlife and landscapes with the UK. Alongside our work on the California Gold Rush and polar exploration, pupils will also learn about the Titanic. They will explore when and why the Titanic was built, its journey across the Atlantic and the events surrounding its sinking in 1912. The pupils will use photographs, maps, timelines and historical sources to find out what life was like for passengers and crew.
In Science we will be investigating polar animal adaptations, food chains and food webs, as well as exploring icebergs and melting through practical investigations. In Art, Music & Computing we will create artwork inspired by polar landscapes, Inuit artwork and the Northern Lights, experimenting with photography, printing, watercolour and Brusho. We will also use digital technology to research and present our learning and explore music, rhythm and movement. We will also design and create our own large-scale igloo.
Our favourite lesson PE will see us becoming Arctic Explorers! This will involve teamwork, obstacle courses, shelter building and problem-solving challenges, with a strong focus on communication. We will also develop our skills in orienteering, using simple maps, directions and landmarks to navigate around familiar environments and find checkpoints.
A highlight of the topic will be our trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where we will see polar animals and make real-life connections with our Science and Geography learning.
We are looking forward to a fantastic half term full of exploration, discovery, creativity and fun!
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries.
The Balmoral Team