Over the last couple of weeks we have been learning about and applying the reading skills of skimming and scanning.
Skimming is reading something quickly to find the main idea.
Scanning is reading something quickly to find a specific piece of information.
Today we used these skills to explore a text on magnets, combining our new reading skill with learning about science.
Yesterday in class we checked the weather forecast to see when this week to plan our outdoor maths activities. We used the Met Office site and this lead to great excitement amongst the children who wanted to know what the weather was like in various places around the world.
As they requested here is a link to the site so that they can explore weather around the world in more detail
After being so enthusiastic last week as we found and analysed mini beasts, We decided to make some of our own this week using natural materials.
We spoke about how we must look after our environment, so we shouldn’t pick lots of anything, only what we need. We took time to check that there was plenty of whatever we picked left growing too. We also had a look at the detail in some of the plants that are growing in the school grounds. We noticed the clover has three leaves in each little section, and we thought they might be great for joining together to make a caterpillar.
Firstly we worked in pairs to collect items and make mini beasts on our display boards.
After playtime we made our very own mini beasts by gluing items onto a small piece of paper. I am sure you will agree they are marvellous and so creative!
Today we enjoyed a marvellous outdoor session in drizzly rain, then blazing sunshine!
We began by discussing all the mini beasts we know and predicting which ones we might spot if we searched for them.
After that we worked in pairs investigating the area and searching for mini beasts before carefully collecting them in our viewing boxes. We were amazed at just how many we found. Not just under rocks, but simply crawling or jumping or squirming around on the grass.
We took some time to analyse them using the little magnifying glasses on to of the boxes. Again, there was much surprise when we saw just how quickly they moved, how they all moved and how their bodies were made up.
Here are some photos of the mini beasts we found.
The children noticed that there were lots of worms around after it rained heavily. They wanted to know more. We discovered that there are 27 different types of worms; worms can live for 8 years and that birds like to eat worms.
We made a wormery in class , with gravel at the bottom and then we layered it with soil and sand. It looked like a big slice of chocolate cake. Then it was time to go out and get the worms. We found a few in the soil and we collected some leaves too, to place at the top . We watched the worms burrow down into the wormery. We will put them back in a few days.
We learned about what Covid – 19 is and how the vaccine works.
Our bodies know how to fight of germs from the cold or flu, because it has seen that virus before and remembers them. When a new virus arrives (Covid 19), it does not know what to do and we can become very ill. The virus is surrounded by a “shell” (protein). The vaccine is not the virus, but the “shell” (protein). It will then be able to recognise it if it meets it again and fight it off.
We made our “virus” using pipe cleaners, pom poms and googly eyes.
We wanted to know how astronauts eat. Do they have a kitchen on the ISS? We watched astronaut Chris Hadfield make and eat a sandwich using a tortilla. (They don’t use bread as the crumbs would float everywhere.) It was amazing to watch.
Next, we ate a jelly bean while holding our noses. Food in space tastes quite bland, and this gives the same effect. After a few chews, we let go of our noses and the flavour became really strong.
We looked at the landing of the Mars Rover . First, we watched the launch of the Rover in it’s space capsule, then we watched an animation about how it landed on the right place. It was amazing to see! It used a little parachute to slow it down so it didn’t crash. Finally, we watched the live footage from the Mars Rover. It is very rocky there with huge mountains.
We looked at how the astronauts on the ISS have to train to fix any problems on the outside. It is very difficult to do as they have to wear their big suit and great big gloves.
We tried to be like the astronauts putting on big gloves and attachYou need hands the nuts to the bolts.
We had great fun playing outdoors, exploring our natural surround. We found lots of insects and observed them and used our imaginations as we played.
Glow Blogs uses cookies to enhance your experience on our service. By using this service or closing this message you consent to our use of those cookies. Please read our Cookie Policy.
