Welcome again to another term and a new year! This coming  term will be our busiest term so far in primary 5 and we are ready for this challenge. This post will inform you on what is coming up in the term and keep an eye out on the blog for any information that is updated.

Literacy (Class Novel study)  – We will be looking at ‘The Ice Monster’ by David Walliams which is set in the Victorian period. This will complement our topic work/ activities in class. As well as working on our Bugclub readers, the class will focus on  finding and organising information by creating notes under suitable headings, using this information to demonstrate understanding of texts and researching to find evidence. This will also help us to develop skills such as recognising fact and opinion and enhancing our questioning skills by creating our own literal, inferential and evaluative questions. We will create different styles of writing this term including report and discursive writing – manifesto, complaint  letter etc as well as imaginative pieces. Our target is to increase personal reading time in class for enjoyment this term and we will be having time set aside especially for this.

Maths – Some groups will be focusing on building on current  multiplication skills and developing this further in this term. Please make sure your child practises times tables weekly at home as this will help them with this unit and in our next, Division. Other groups will be developing a basic knowledge of multiplication by learning  about arrays and building basic knowledge of  the following times tables 2,5,10 etc. Finally others will reinforce their addition and subtraction skills to 20. As a class, we will be  looking at time and money, as well as engaging in problem solving enquiries to enhance our strategic thinking skills and mental maths recall/response time.

Interdisciplinary learning / Social Studies – We are continuing looking at Local Politics until the end of January. We have looked at it’s role, various projects and charities affiliated locally and clarifying what different basic political terms mean such as councillor, election, democracy. We will create two parties in the class who must then create a manifesto to present for election. We will also look at the importance of having a say in our communities and our role.  The class will engage in debates, create writing / artwork/ use ICT to support our learning all connected to our topic. The class will also discuss the story ‘The Cardboard Shack Beneath the Bridge’.

Scottish Related activities ( Mini Focus End Jan)

The Victorians – After completing the above we will be discovering the era of Queen Victoria. We will look at various aspects of Victorian Society (Class system/ living conditions), Culture – Toys/Popular Pastimes, Food, Education, Clothes, famous Scots at this time, Inventions and Industrial Revolution.

P.E/ HWB –  Fitness (Mr B) -We will be engaging in circuits and looking at the muscle groups in our body and how we can use these properly when we work out to keep healthy.

Basketball – (Mrs McI)  We will be developing  our team working and leadership skills. (Participation in the LEAD programme with Ayrshire College and through our Tuesday lunchtime basketball club). P5 will focus on our hand/eye co-ordination skills, passing and shooting techniques.

HWB – P5 will cover: Job Specifications and C.Vs, our bodies as we growing / Development awareness / Sexual Health and hygiene.

Science, ICT, Design & Technology.  – We will develop our ICT skills further logging on to glow, create a programme for our show and familiarise ourselves with shortcuts and Microsoft Office. Pupils will look at  the evolution of Science  through our topic period, reinforcing our Sound and Light knowledge further and researching Victorian Inventors and how their discoveries have shaped our lives today. We will create our own inventions using a design brief, Tinkercad software(ICT) as well as STEM tasks including simple materials e.g. K’nex, paper, Paperstraws, recycled goods.

Expressive Arts –   MIDDLE SCHOOL SHOW!!!!!!! Art/Music/Drama/ – Our focus for these curricular areas will relate to our forthcoming P4/5 School Show. We are currently holding auditions and there will be more exciting news on this soon.