Hello all, it is nearly time for the Summer Holidays! I cannot imagine how strange that must feel for you all having been out of school for so long already now.

I would really like to encourage you to relax and enjoy the time off…it is highly unlikely to happen again! There are many lovely mindfulness activities on https://www.cosmickids.com/mindfulness-activities-kids/ (I know the yoga seems young but last week I had every year 5 and 6 child from the Key Worker Provision pretending to be on their surfboards with me!)

Key skills that will best set you up for September are:

Maths

• Knowledge of number bonds to add and subtract quickly and efficiently.
• Times tables – Fluency in times tables will mean no use of fingers, counting or adding on and being able to name the times tables a particular number is in e.g. knowing that 40 is in the 4s, 10, 5s and 8s.

Writing

• Handwriting – can you read all of your cursive handwriting? Will I be able to?!
• Spelling – get practising with the 5/6 words list to ensure you know the meaning of each word and can spell them accurately.

Reading

• The BEST thing you can do over the holidays is to read daily. I am looking forwards to hearing about the authors you have enjoyed (the creators of Fortnite and Roblox are not considered an author in my mind!). I will be particularly impressed if you can compare books written by the same author. If you are not currently reading an actual book each day, please start doing so! It will help your reading, writing, talking and understanding of language and is just so important!

Enjoy and keep staying safe,

Miss Shopland

Happy Monday all!

I hope you have had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the glorious weather!

This week’s theme is sports. Therefore, I challenge you to make up a new sport/game/activity each day…

Monday: We will be designing an obstacle course in the garden when I get home from work (Arthur is loving climbing at the moment!).

Tuesday: We will be making a target game by drawing targets on the wall (with chalk!!) to see who can get the highest score with 5 throws of a bean bag.

Wednesday: Could be a variation of a water fight…

Thursday: Tennis with saucepans and a ping pong ball (we don’t have any tennis balls left after a recent visit from Stanley!)

Friday: Something beach-related if the weather continues to be so lush. Who can build 5 sandcastles first? Who can find the most crabs? The possibilities are endless…

Literacy tasks for the week:

Monday Comic_strip_template_2 Comic_strip_template_1 CompletetheSpeech

The task sheet is titled Complete the speech and the video explanation can be found here:

https://plprimarystars.com/news/friday-family-challenge?utm_campaign=1937942_HL%20Sunday%20email%2012.07.20&utm_medium=email&utm_source=edcoms&dm_i=3VTU,15JBQ,3Z12CF,430Y5,1

Tuesday: Create your own comic strip based on a game/activity you have completed with your family.

Wednesday: Create your own supermove! PLPSSuperMoversSuperCelebration_Challenge

https://plprimarystars.com/home-learning/super-movers-celebration (to watch the video links).

Thursday: Create a mind map describing the feelings you experience when you win or achieve well in a sport/game/activity.

Friday: Think about what is required to win or achieve well in a sport/game/activity. These could be physical things e.g. trainers or emotional things such as resilience and confidence.

Maths tasks for the week:

Your aim is to ensure that you are fluent in all of your times tables before returning to year 6 in September! The best way to ensure this is to practice for just a few minutes EVERY DAY. Times tables are the key to success in many areas of maths and will help you to feel confident in maths lessons, especially when learning new skills and methods.

Here are 5 days of 5 minute times tables tests – these are in the same format as the speedy times table we complete in class. It is up to you whether you see how many you can complete in 5 minutes or see how long it takes you to complete them all. The answers are on the second page…no cheating!

multiplication_five_minute_frenzy 5 multiplication_five_minute_frenzy 4 multiplication_five_minute_frenzy 3 multiplication_five_minute_frenzy 2 multiplication_five_minute_frenzy 1

Topmarks maths website has some excellent times tables games as does timestables.co.uk

I also love using chalk outside to practice my times tables when the weather is nice. This is definitely one to get parents involved with – maybe you could get to squirt someone with a water pistol each time you get a correct answer? 

Give me a call or an email if you need anything, I look forwards to seeing lots of you at the parent meetings next week, 

Miss Shopland

Hello,

This week’s theme is all about words. Your understanding of vocabulary is important (often vital) in everything you do, from chatting with your neighbour to reading instructions on an online game, to completing maths tasks.

Monday

Literacy

Go to: https://authorfy.com/10minutechallenges/

Watch the National Writing Day 1 10 minute challenge set by Laura Dockrill. Laura’s theme is choice and voice and focusses on writing about a memory you have of a special day. You could then share your memory in our Zoom call if you want to!

Spelling: Find the definition and synonyms of unidentified.

When you are confident about what the word means, learn to spell it! (Pyramids, word bubbles, coloured in, chunk it up, in a sentence, look – cover-write-check)

Maths: Have a go at a speedy times table. I recommend practising the times tables you are not yet completely confident at before starting the grid. It is entirely up to you whether you do it with a timer or until you have completed it, we work best in different ways!

Topmarks maths has (in my opinion) the best online times tables activities.

Reading: If you have not been reading consistently (at least every other day) you really need to find a book to get into. Reading is THE MOST VALUABLE thing you can be doing at home right now and can be completed just about anywhere and just about any time. I would love to see the books you are currently reading in our next zoom chat.

Tuesday

Literacy: Sticking with the focus of words for this week’s learning suggestions…How about keeping a notebook and pen handy today to record all of the new words you hear across your day? These could be from the television, family members, online…you name it!

If you are not coming across many new words, maybe you could drop some into your conversations and see who notices?! If you are going to try this, here are some suggestions for you:

Relinquished

Plethora

Devoured

Dwindle

Simultaneously

Impeding

Grammar and spelling: Ensure you know what the unusual words you have heard/read today mean. Can you think of a synonym to test your understanding?

Then learn to spell the word 😉 

Reading: Please read – that’s it! Find a book you enjoy and get lost in reading.

Maths: I am unable to upload any maths activities for you at the moment due to issues with our website so please keep practising your Times Tables and using Prodigy (I have set some new assessment questions on there to track your progress!)

The challenge is to overtake the current leader on the leadership board…

Wednesday

Literacy: Here are some new words to think about today:

Jubilant

Flail

Profound

Contemplate

Participate

Can you drop them into a conversation?

Can you learn to spell them?

Do you know what they mean? Do you know the antithesis?

Maths: More times tables practice, please!

Reading: I highly recommend The Indigo Flamingo (Page 342 in the Book of Hopes) due to the rather amusing ending!

How about listening to David Walliams today?

Thursday

Maths: Nrich task https://nrich.maths.org/223/index

The Puzzling sweet shop

This task requires you to apply your 2,3,5 and 7 X tables to find all of the possible combinations. Think about the word systematic when thinking of all the different combinations.

Literacy: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/spelling-and-grammar

Then click on the Points of View Newspaper Article activity. The website then takes you through an activity where you consider how the language used affects the reader (similar to the reading activity from last Thursday). Warning: The website is interactive so it took a little longer than usual to load when I tried it again today.

Spellings:  Choose 10 words at random from the 5/6 spelling list and test a family member! Remember to be kind to your parents!

Reading: Choose three stories/poems/extracts to read from the book of hopes and decide which one you liked the most and why. https://literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/9-12/book-hopes/

You know the drill by now; contact me if you need ANYTHING!

Miss Shopland

Hello,

I would just like to say how much I enjoyed seeing you all last week! I went home with an enormous smile on my face every day, so thank you.

This week’s tasks are all around the theme of ‘space’.

Monday:

Literacy: Google Authorfy 10 minute challenges to see the website that we looked at together in class. Scroll down and click on the 10-minute video by Guy Bass where he challenges you to find a key to a hidden world and then step through…

Science: Make a balloon rocket using the ‘How to’ guide. How to Make a Balloon Rocket

Maths: Use your balloon rocket to collect data to complete a table of results. Then use this table of results to find the Range, Mode and Mean scores. The definitions of Range, Mode and Mean are all on the activity sheet for you. Finding the Range, Mean and Mode

Prodigy at 11:00 if you want to battle against or with a friend.

Reading: How about checking out the updates on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter website as suggested by Ebony last week?

Don’t forget we have a zoom meeting for 13 of you today at 3:30 😀  

Tuesday

Literacy: What is the most interesting word you can find that links with space and our solar system? How can you show what the word means?

Can you include the word in your short story from yesterday?

Maths: http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/phase4_20030829/Mathematics/Keystage2/Numbers/Tenthsandhundre/Introduction/whiteboard2.htm

Complete the activities on this website to remind you how to divide by powers of 10 (You will need this for tomorrow’s maths task!)

Reading: National Literacy Trust – Book of Hopes. What is your favourite poem?

Wednesday

Literacy: Design your own planet. When writing about your planet, try to include the vocabulary you were learning yesterday. Design your own planet

Maths: Use the chart and your understanding of rations and dividing by powers of 10 to create a scale drawing of the planets in the solar system. scale drawings maths activity

Science: Who is Elon Musk and how is he linked with Space? Warning – you will find a lot of information so will need to pick a focus area to look into!

Coding: This website takes you step-by-step through an hour of coding. Warning – it starts very basic! https://www.tynker.com/ide/v3?type=course&slug=activity:space-quest&chapter=0&lesson=1

Thursday

Reading: Read the sentences below aloud, emphasising the word in bold each time.

1. She said she did not take his money.
2. She said she did not take his money.
3. She said she did not take his money.
4. She said she did not take his money.
5. She said she did not take his money.
6. She said she did not take his money.
7. She said she did not take his
8. She said she did not take his money.

How does the meaning of the sentence change? E.g. In sentences 1, I am thinking that only one person said they did not take the money, so who did? In sentence 2, I am thinking that she said she did not take the money but the emphasis makes me wonder if she is telling the truth.

Literacy: Create an information poster about the planet you have designed. Talk to somebody about the planet; think about the words you use and the tone of voice that you present the information in.  

Maths: Practice your 13 X tables! Are there any patterns?

Friday

Literacy:

Can you write a space-themed sentence including these words from the 5/6 list?

Occupy

Occur

Controversy

Disastrous

System

Temperature

Existence

Environment

Practice spelling the words until you do not even have to think about how to spell them! (You could use the pyramid method, chalks outside, water on a paintbrush in your garden, bubble writing…any method that works for you!)

Maths: Prodigy at 11:00 – There is some excellent progress being made!

Reading: How about reading some articles from Newsround today? Make sure you talk about what you have read with family members, particularly if you come across anything you do not understand or that makes you feel nervous.

It would be amazing to hear from you again this week, maybe you could have a go at using the website upload section to send me a photo or ask me a question? Mrs Hodgson and I just love to hear from you!

Miss Shopland

Hello all, 

I have reached a point of excitement where I can barely contain myself now, I am just looking forwards to seeing you all so much! 

The main focus of our time together in school will be communicating! A chance to catch up with friends and adults at school, share stories of your recent experiences, talk about interesting games/apps that you have found, ask questions and talk about the coming weeks.

Therefore, this week’s focus for all tasks is going to be vocabulary – the root of all communication!

Monday:

Literacy: Watch the 10 minute challenge on Authorfy, set by Sibeal Pounder (Author of Bad Mermaids and Witch Wars). In this challenge, Sibeal asks you to create your own animal mash-up and gives tips and advice on how you might do this.

Reading: https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/

Have you listened to David Walliams recently? He is still broadcasting a story at 11 O’clock each day (which you can listen to online at any time).

Maths: This week’s theme is vocabulary, so in maths I am suggesting you think in-depth about a select few words that we use in maths on a regular basis.

Today’s suggested words are: Property, Boundary and Relationship. To show that you understand what these terms mean in a mathematical context, can you create an image the explains the word? Give an example to show what the word means? Give a definition in words?

I would love to see posters/flash cards to show these words. Each day that you guys are in school with us this week, we will have a look at the words together and create something to remind us what these words mean.

Tuesday:

Using your animal mash-up from yesterday (or one you found and really liked online!) create a mind map of interesting words you could use to describe your mash-up pet.

Here is my example:

Reading: Note down the most interesting word from your reading book today. What made the word interesting? What does the word mean? Can you think of a synonym for the word?

Maths: 

Look at the mindmaps for the mathematical terms. Write as many words as you can think of that relate to this subject. Draw as many images/representations you can think of that relate to this subject. Then give some examples to prove your understanding of the word.  Maths Vocab Mindmaps

We will be on Prodigy at 11:00 each day this week.

Wednesday:

Literacy:

Can you turn yesterday’s descriptive words into sentences about your mash-up pet?

The squox peered out of his burrow, his pointed ears alert to any sounds.

Life was challenging for the squox, for she was regularly toppling over from the weight of her expansive head.

Reading:

Wild horses reading comprehension Wild horses Reading activity – questions from page 2 today, please. 

Maths: 

Keep going with your maths vocabulary posters from yesterday! Maths Vocab Mindmaps 

Thursday:

Literacy: How can you describe the character of your mash-up pet? Complete a new mind map showing the personality traits.

e.g. Friendly, affectionate, amiable, well disposed

Jumpy, springy, athletic

Reading: Wild horses reading comprehension (link above) – questions from page 2 today.

Maths: Challenge someone at home to a game of ‘strike it out’ on NRich.

Friday:

Literacy: Can you create a poster/information page about your mash-up pet? Or maybe a ‘David Attenborough’ style video where you pretend to be observing your mash-up pet in its natural habitat?

Reading: Read your poster/information page/script through before presenting it to a parent. Think about the formality of your writing – does it fit your target audience?

Maths: 

Prodigy at 11:00 to battle your friends? 

timestables.co.uk/speedtest                        Coolmath4kids.com

As always, if you have any questions or need any additional support/resources please get in touch via the school phone number or the ‘submit you learning’ option on the website – you can use this to send us an email. 

Hope to see you all soon, 

Miss Shopland

Hello year 5,

I am so excited to get to see you all next week! I have been prepping our classroom to ensure it is as safe (and clean) as possible, it will look a little different from how you left it but I am confident we will be able to have lots of fun together 🙂

This week’s ‘theme’ for your suggested activities is birds.

Across the week:

Maths – a whole variety of revision activities, using word problems and applying what you know. Recording your own data about the birds you see.

Literacy: Looking into where the vocabulary for birds originates from and learning to spell words connected with birds. Word searches and crosswords.

Topic: Describing different bird species. Recording the birds you see.

Reading: Researching, using fact files and classifying birds.

Monday:

Maths: Time maths problems – recap from last week.Time problems

Literacy: Research the definition of the words below and write each one into a sentence. If you can do this on paper, remember to think about your handwriting – letter sizes in particular.

Aviary, congregation, crest, fledgling, flock, incubate, migration, ornithology.

Topic: Complete the first page of the describing birds activity. You will likely need to research the bird to be able to complete the chart. Please think about using interesting vocabulary throughout – can you use any words your parents don’t yet know the meaning of? Describing birds activity template 

Reading – Complete the Humming Bird comprehension. The questions are on a separate document to the comprehension.Hummingbird Comprehension Questions Hummingbird Comprehension

Please also keep completing your entries in your reading and contact books! I can’t wait to hear about the different books you have been enjoying at home.

Tuesday

Maths: Fractions and percentages bird-themed problems. I apologise but I cannot upload today’s sheet and I don’t know why yet! Prodigy or timestables.co.uk instead, please! 

Topic: Complete the second page of the describing birds activity above. Please make sure you are extending yourself when completing these tasks. Have you included any different sentence types?

Literacy: Can you find a book about birds to read? It could be an audiobook, an e-book or a real book! If there are any words you do not understand, please make sure you look them up!

Wednesday:

Maths: Fractions and percentages This is a revision activity based on what we have previously learned together about fraction and percentages. I can see from your Prodigy scores that you have a good understanding of this which is fantastic. Enjoy!

Literacy: Please search Authorfy 10 minute challenges or click this link https://authorfy.com/10minutechallenges/  . then select the 10 minute challenge by Swapna Haddow, Author of Dave Pigeon. In this video, Swapna sets out a 10 minute challenge for you to write a story from an animals perspective. If you are getting into this week’s bird theme – writing from a birds perspective would be great! 

You can watch and listen to some of the book on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaeqQFkn4sg (You also get to learn how to draw a pigeon at the start of the video!)

Spelling: How many words from the 5/6 list can you add to your story following your 10 minutes of writing? Think about these words as synonyms, replacing boring words rather than extra words to add to your sentence. e.g. I liked it when she forgets to shut my cage → I do appreciate it when she conveniently forgets to shut the door on my accommodation. I would love it if you could be prepared to bring these 10-minute stories into class with you next week to share with your peers. 

Reading: Today you could record the section from Dave the Pigeon from the Youtube link above into your contact book. A question to think about: Why is the lady referred to as ‘human’? 

Which character is telling the story?

Thursday:

Maths: https://nrich.maths.org/6589

This link will take you to the Nrich page and Youtube video which shows you the activity. Your first task is to work out how to play the game. Then you need to think about what the rules might be? (Return to the video and watch it again if it helps!) Once you have an idea about the rules, you can begin to think about how you might win.

If there is someone at home that you can play against – have a go!

We will look at this activity together in class next week and I will give you an opportunity to work with peers (from a safe distance) to try and strike out all of the numbers.

Literacy: Read back through your 10 minute writing challenge from yesterday, have a pencil in your hand ready to edit your writing as you notice mistakes (remember how we all make them and nobody writes a perfect story first time around?!)

Could you draw a picture of your main character today? How will their appearance give us a clue about their character? As with yesterday’s task – I would love to see these if anyone is happy to bring them with you when you come into school next week!

Topic: Today’s suggestion is to get you thinking about how we identify birds. This process fits with classification charts that we have looked at before in science – think back to rocks when we were working out what type of rock we had found based on questions about the colour, texture and where it was found. So, while you are out on a walk or in your garden, make a note of the birds that you see and then use the website link below to identify the species.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/identify-a-bird/

Reading – If you don’t currently know where your contact book is, maybe today could be the day to find it?!

Friday:

Maths: Data problems (linked with our birds theme!) Maths data problems

What skills make you a good mathematician?

What attitude makes you a good mathematician?

Literacy: Can you describe your main character from the drawing you completed yesterday? Think about the vocabulary you use – it should be as year 5 standard!

Challenge: It would be excellent if you could use the thesaurus section of Collinsdictionary.com to find a synonym that your parent has not heard of yet! Be careful to make sure the word actually makes sense as a description of your character by making sure you read the definition of each synonym suggested.

Reading – what genre of book have you been enjoying the most over this time at home? If you could request new books for our library, what would they be? Why? (This can go straight into your contact books!)

Topic: Can you do a piece of artwork based around a bird that you have spotted (either in real life or online when researching birds!) How you do this is entirely up to you! It could be a painting, a model, a computer ‘paint’ picture, a sketch…anything goes!

Additional:

Prodigy Maths – 504 questions answered over the weekend…wow year 5! You are all amazing!

Handwriting packs can be requested if you would like support in practising your handwriting – we have also printed some off to take home with you next week….can you tell that I am excited to see you all?!

5/6 Words list – Let’s aim to get all of these words learned to give you a head start next year!

X tables – These underpin everything you will do in maths next year so keep up the fluency! Good websites are: Topmarks maths, timestables.co.uk, maths-games.org 

Mrs Hodgson and I hope to be contacting you over the course of the week but, as always, if you need anything please do get in touch!

Miss Shopland

Good morning again!

This week, Mr Whitty and I have been thinking about subjects you have enjoyed in the past…and Extreme Earth/ Weather/ Natural disasters really stood out for both of us. Our hope is that your learning this week will be building on previous studies we have completed together in school.

Here is my outline for the week:

Maths: Time

Literacy: Persuasive writing, Information posters, Diary entry

Grammar/spelling – alliteration task, word searches/crosswords.

Reading: Weather comprehensions and researching

Foundation subjects: Researching a natural disaster of your choice.

Monday:

Maths:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/z3rkq6f

Watch the video clip showing time in both analogue and digital then complete the two sheets:

Convert analogue to digital Convert digital to analogue

Read the introduction to weather and climate zones information text and then complete the questions. Make sure you research or ask family members about any words you do not fully understand.

Spellings: Natural disasters word search – Natural Disasters Wordsearch

Literacy: Today’s suggestion is to write a diary entry about the changes in the weather. You can reflect on how your weekend was different, how it feels to wake up to sunshine/rain. 

Tuesday

Tuesday:

https://central.espresso.co.uk/espresso/primary_uk/subject/module/frontscreen/item665048/grade2/index.html?source=search-Maths-KS2-Maths-all&source-keywords=time

Watch the video then complete the activities (quiz, quiz plus and activity)

https://central.espresso.co.uk/espresso/modules/t2_special_reports/natural_disasters/act_nd_map.html?source=search-all-all-all-all&source-keywords=natural%20disasters

Natural disasters interactive map – lots of videos to watch and information for you to record.

Write a diary entry as if you were in one of the natural disasters you have watched on the videos from the task above.

Natural disasters crossword Natural Disasters crossword

Wednesday:

Today’s maths activity moves you on to adding times. Each activity is a 3-minute test. My suggestion is you time yourself at Adding Time (1) and then try to beat your score at Adding Time (2) adding time (1) Adding Time (2)

Literacy task – Can you turn your diary entry from yesterday into a news report? Maybe you could use a camera/phone/tablet (am I showing how un-cool I am?!) to record yourself as if you are reporting from a major disaster?  

Vocabulary: Do you know the definitions of all of these words? Can you put them into a sentence?

Active, dormant, eruption, disaster, natural, man-made, phenomenon, extreme.

Thursday:

https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/118/adding-time-word-problems

Use the website link above to practice solving time word problems then have a go at the activity. There are three levels of these word problems, I’ve given you a guide on how to select which one is correct for you at the top of each page. If you found yesterday’s task tricky – have another go at beating your score instead! Time word problems

Literacy: Can you create some word maps to best describe a natural disaster of your choice?

Reading – Please remember to keep writing into your contact books! Keeping in this routine is really important for your reading progress. 

Friday

Maths – Your final ‘time’ suggestion for today is a task around reading a timetable. Friday’s maths – reading a timetable

Reading – When did you last read a newspaper? Think about how the titles draw you in…

Literacy – Use the amazing vocabulary you thought of yesterday to write three descriptive sentences about our Extreme Earth.

As always, I hope you enjoy your day and feel free to phone or email me if you need any support with anything or have any questions.

Miss Shopland