Welcome back to Primary 5!
Since writing our last class blog Primary 5 have been busy! We have been working hard across all areas of the curriculum and taking part in lots of exciting and engaging learning experiences.
Literacy
Primary 5 have been exploring Space through a non-fiction STEM pilot. Throughout this topic, we have worked in expert and jigsaw groups, allowing us to deepen our understanding of a range of non-fiction texts and share our learning with one another.
We have learned about the Solar System, with a particular focus on the Sun, Moon and Earth. We have developed our skills in note-taking and summary writing, which has strengthened our ability to structure and write detailed information texts. We have also explored what makes our planet unique and special and studied the famous image Pale Blue Dot, inspired by the photograph taken by Carl Sagan using images captured by Voyager 1. We reflected on how small and precious our planet is in the vastness of space and discussed why it is so important that we care for our one shared home.
As part of our pilot, we wrote poems and created artwork to highlight concerns we have about our planet and the changes we can make to protect it. Soon, we will voice-record our poems and create a short video clip to showcase our learning.
We also created shadow artwork to demonstrate how the Sun’s position in the sky changes throughout the day. Using a torch to simulate the Sun, we adjusted its position to represent morning, afternoon and early evening, observing how shadows changed.
In writing, we have been focusing on poetry. We can now recognise different rhyming schemes and understand how they help us identify the type of poem. We particularly enjoyed learning about the AABBA rhyming scheme used in limericks and had great fun writing our own.
“I liked working in a jigsaw group because we get to swap our groups up and I love the writing bursts because it is similar to story writing!” – I.F
Numeracy and Maths
We have covered a wide range of numeracy and maths topics since our last post, including addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, symmetry, money and fractions.
Through Number Talks, we have been developing our confidence in mental arithmetic by explaining our thinking clearly. We also use Daily 10 to improve our speed and accuracy, helping us challenge ourselves with more complex tasks.
“I liked learning about Fractions because its taught me another method for division!” – S.K
We have recently completed our work on fractions and percentages and are now beginning to explore decimal fractions.
Care Home Visit
Recently, we visited our local care home and had a wonderful time. We brought along some of our favourite games to play with the residents and enjoyed friendly competition with them and their families. Some of our classmates even performed an impromptu concert, singing and dancing to much-loved songs!
The children were a credit to the school, demonstrating excellent behaviour, kindness and respect throughout the visit.
Health and Wellbeing (HWB)
In Health and Wellbeing, we have been learning about how to keep ourselves safe. We focused on Road Safety and Internet Safety, linking our learning to Technologies and understanding how to stay safe both outdoors and online.
In PE, we completed blocks on Fitness and Gymnastics. During Fitness, we explored the 11 components of fitness and worked together to design circuits that developed cardiovascular endurance, strength, agility and stamina. We completed a fitness assessment at the beginning and end of the block, aiming to improve our personal scores.
In Gymnastics, we developed our balance, flexibility and coordination. We practised a range of rolls, jumps and balances before working in groups to create and perform our own sequences, ensuring smooth transitions between movements. As our confidence grew, we learned how to travel smoothly between movements and link actions together. We thought carefully about levels (high, medium and low), direction and speed to make our sequences more interesting.
This is Our Faith
We love learning about our faith and recently explored the theme of Healing. We researched, discussed and illustrated Bible passages in which Jesus performed miracles, many of which were acts of healing.
Before the February break, we began learning about Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent. We understand that this is a sacred time of preparation through Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving as we journey towards Easter. We will continue preparing for the celebration of the Triduum and will take part in fundraising activities to support Lenten charities.
Spanish
We really enjoy learning Spanish! Recently, we have been learning how to talk about our hobbies and interests.
“Me gusta jugar al fútbol!” – O.W
Music
We continue to work with Mrs McGregor to develop our musical skills through the Kodály approach.
Through this programme, we are developing our understanding of rhythm, pitch and pulse using singing, actions and musical games. We are becoming more confident in reading and performing simple musical notation, and we enjoy working together to build our listening and performance skills.
Mrs McGregor is also helping us prepare and learn famous and well-loved songs for our summer show.
Shrek The Musical.
We have been practising our singing, learning the lyrics and working on performing with expression and confidence. We are excited to continue rehearsing and can’t wait to showcase all our hard work on stage!
Primary 5 continue to show fantastic enthusiasm, teamwork and dedication in everything they do. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and look forward to sharing more of our learning with you soon!
