Curriculum Statement

Year 5

Term One September 2014

This term our first topic is: Myths and Legends

For this topic, we will be looking at Vietnamese Legends, British Legends, Greek Myths and other myths and legends from across the world. As part of this topic we will learn about where the Myths and Legends came from and what parts in the stories may be true. We will have a dressing up day where children will have the chance to come dressed as their favourite character from a myth or legend. Also, we will look at the history around the time of the stories. Later, we will look at the way the stories were represented. Some of the stories were fables, and many have been recorded through a variety of different types of art work. Finally we will try to create our own modern day myth, but present it using modern art methods, like marvel comics.

Key Vocabulary: Ogre, giant, witch, mermaid, Pegasus, god Websites than can help: http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/ In this topic, we will be looking at rivers. Children will explore what life is like near rivers. We will visit the Red River and learn the differences between our local river and rivers across the world. Also, children will learn to recognise the influences of human activity and how people affect rivers. Children will use measuring devices to take readings and gather information which we will then later look at in class. Towards the end of the topic the children will design and build a raft that they will then test on the water. Key vocabulary: Banks, canal, current, confluence, dam, dock, downstream, flood plain Websites that can help: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/keystage_2/topics/geography.shtml

LITERACYLITERACYLITERACYLITERACY

English and Vietnamese Term 1a

Throughout the first term we will look at how to improve writing sentences.

At the start of the term, children will learn about performance poetry. They

will observe famous performance poets and write and perform their very

own poems. Through this topic, children learn about different types of

poems, what to do with their face and body, and appropriate actions when

performing.

During the topic ‘Traditional Stories, Myths and Legends’, children will spend two weeks looking at

the legend of Robin Hood. During this time they will identify different features of legends, comment

on narrative viewpoints and learn to empathise with a character through role-play. The following

week children will prepare simple notes about a legend that they want to write about. They will learn

to orally retell a legend using their own notes to support them. Children will learn and apply

techniques to engage and interest their audience when they are retelling a legend.

Finally, children will study a famous book from a famous author. They will compare their chosen

book with other books by the same author, looking at characters, settings and the way drama and

comedy are shown. Later, they will have a chance to write their own versions of chapters of the book

and write their own introduction and story in the style of the author.

Term 1b

In this term our topic will be Rivers. We will be visiting the Red River to learn more about the rivers

near us and then we will write a recount about our trip. Also, we will be writing newspaper articles

about what we have been learning in the Rivers topic. The children will identify features of recounts

and use these within their own writing.

Afterwards, the children will look at stories from other cultures. These stories will give the children

the opportunity to learn about different cultures and people from around the world. Finally in this

term in Year 5, we will look at narrative poetry. These are story poems that use different techniques

to describe a plot.

How you can support at home:

You can read with your child every day for 15 minutes. This will give them better language skills and

understanding about new words. Also, you can support your child with their homework by going

through it and checking it with them.

Related websites/resources:

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/text.htm - This is a website that explains the

different topics that will be covered throughout the year in Literacy.

MATHEMATICS -

During the first 8 weeks of Term 1, children in Year 5 will study a range of topics in

mathematics:

Counting, partitioning and calculating: children will learn to count from any given number in

whole-number and decimal steps, understanding their position on a number line. They will learn to

order and round decimals, and develop an understanding of place value.

Children will use written methods to add and subtract whole numbers and

decimal numbers with up to two places.

Securing number facts, understanding shape: leading on from this,

children will identify pairs of factors of two-digit whole numbers and find

common multiples. They will explore patterns, properties and relationships

involving numbers of shapes.

Handling data and measures: children will identify, draw and interpret

simple line graphs using given and collected data. Children will later learn to use

ICT in drawing line graphs. In addition to this, they will learn to read, choose, use and record

standard metric units to estimate and measure length, weight, capacity to a suitable degree of

accuracy, and convert units. (e.g. 2,500g=2.5kg)

In the second part of Term 1, children will study a range of topics in mathematics:

Calculating, measuring and understanding shape: To begin, children will learn to read simple

timetables using basic train or flight schedules and tell the time using 24 hour clock notation. Next,

they will learn to use coordinates and identify parallel and perpendicular lines in grids. Children will

later learn to calculate the area of a rectangle.

Securing number facts, relationships and calculating: In the final part of

the term, children will learn to multiply and divide two and three digit numbers

using written methods. They will apply this knowledge to solve word problems

involving whole numbers and decimals. Children’s understanding of all four

number operations will be consolidated in this first term.

Counting, partitioning and calculating: Building on their learning in the

first half of Term 1 children will read, order, round, find sums and differences,

double and half decimals, add and subtract using written methods in whole

numbers and decimals with up 2 decimal places and consolidate their understanding of place value.

Finally, they will solve problems involving whole numbers and decimals using all four operations within

the context of measurement.

How you can support at home:

• Pose questions to your child about the work they have done and ask them to explain the method

that they used.

• Please look at the homework timetable and remind your child to check his/her homework when

they have completed it.

Related websites/resources:

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/15.cfm?s=15&p=250,index

http://www.mathszone.co.uk/

SCIENCE - Term 1a - Living Things

In the unit ‘Living Things’ children will learn about the seven

life processes and understand that all seven processes are

needed for a living thing to survive. They will identify and

explain the main stages of the human life cycle and the life

cycle of a plant. When learning about the life cycle of a plant,

the children will be conducting a fair test about seed

germination and explaining the outcome of the experiment.

Term 1b - Properties and changes of materials

In this topic the children will learn about the properties of

materials including their hardness, transparency and

conductivity. They will learn about solids, liquids and gases

and explain the changes between any of these states, for

example, a liquid turning into a gas is the process of

evaporation. The children will also learn about reversible and

irreversible changes and will conduct practical investigations

into this.

How you can support at home:

• Look at plants in the garden and identify their different parts. Grow seeds at home to see what

is needed in order for a plant to grow. Look at the key words and review their meanings.

• Discuss the properties of various materials and the different purposes they are used for. How

do their properties affect how materials are used?

• Look for examples of materials changing state around the home e.g. cooking, making

ice-cubes, boiling a kettle of water.

• Revise the key words with the children and make sure that they know what they mean. You

can do this by turning them into a word game, where they have to match the definition with

the word. Also, use the websites below to support your knowledge of the subject.

Related websites/resources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2science.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plants/play/

http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/NewPlants/index.html

http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants_pt2/

We do hope that the above information will be useful for you when supporting your child’s homework

and discussing his/her learning. Should you have any further questions please contact your child’s

class teacher.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION -

In Term 1 children in Year 5 will develop their understanding of stroke

swimming, being able to confidently enter and exit the water and propel

themselves over a distance of between 25 and 100m. In Badminton and

Hockey children will begin to develop their hand/eye co-ordination working

on basic skills and moving into conditioned game play when confident. In

dance they will work together to learn and choreograph movement patterns,

demonstrating good body control and poise in their movement. Football will

be introduced for developing foot – eye coordination. Tactics for small sided

games will also be introduced.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY -

In the first term, children will be creating a program to teach other children about various topics. They will also be exploring the different ways they have of finding information using computers and the skills that go with it. The children will learn about the importance of copyright laws and will be using various programs on the internet to create their own sounds and music.

P.H.S.E. –

In PHSE we will be looking at the school aide memoir and Golden Rules. We will also learn about how we learn and how our brain works. Following on will also be developing a greater understanding of the SEAL themes; New Beginnings, Getting on Falling out, and Say No to Bullying. Within these topics, the focus for the children will be on their empathy for others, self awareness, motivation and how to improve on their social skills.

MUSIC -

At the start of Term 1 Year 5 will learn that percussion instruments can

produce a wide range of sounds. They will learn how to perform a cyclic

pattern with an awareness of different parts. In the second half of the term

the children will be learning to sing and play in a round.

Music notation will be a primary focus, as well as

multicultural movement pieces, and performance skills such as pitch, blend,

projection and stage presence. In addition, children will further explore the

timbre of orchestral instruments, and begin study of world instruments.