5/6 Homework and Subject Learning

History: The Greeks – A Lasting Legacy 

In this project, children will discover how Ancient Greece, especially Athens during the Classical period, shaped the world. They will learn about Greek city states and explore evidence of life in Athens, including the development of democracy, philosophy, architecture, and theatre. Through historical sources, drama, and discussion, they will build their knowledge before debating which Athenian gift has had the greatest influence today.

Geography: A Tale of Two Settlements

During the project, the children will use maps, data and geographical skills to locate Barcelona and explore its climate, time zone, transport, services, culture and key human and physical features. They will then classify Barcelona as a city before comparing it with Alquézar. To complete the project, they will investigate another world settlement and share their findings.

Guided Reading:  

The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum  

In the town of Fennis Wick, there are two rules: eldests go to military camp when they turn 14, and you don’t talk to wanderers: they’re dirty, dangerous 

Maggie is a middler – a middle child – and she’s sick of it. Eldest children get all the good stuff: the parties, the prizes and the praise, while middlers grow up in the eldests’ shadows. Maggie desperately wants a taste of being an eldest. So when she meets a wanderer, she reckons that if she can catch them that will make her a hero and people will finally listen to her. But Fennis Wick is hiding a terrible secret and everything Maggie thought she understood about the world is about to come crashing down. 

English: Talk 4 Writing 

In English this term we will be using the Talk 4 Writing style of teaching to produce a combination of fiction and non-fiction writing pieces. We will begin the term with an suspense narrative followed shortly by a non-chronological report. 

Science:  

Forces in Motion 

During this project, children revisit prior learning about forces and discuss the two types: contact and non-contact forces. They learn about gravity and observe it in action. They revisit learning about friction and design a comparative test to explore its effect. They will learn in detail about the frictional forces of air and water resistance and conduct investigations to observe them in action. They will learn about mechanisms, including gears, pulleys and levers and follow instructions to investigate how these simple machines use forces to make tasks easier. 

Our Place in Space 

During this project, children learn the names of the planets, model their orbits, and investigate Earth and the Moon. They'll discover how evidence proves that the Earth is spherical and explore the phases of the Moon. They'll also find out how Earth's rotation causes day and night, makes the Sun appear to rise in the east, move across the sky and set in the west, and then use equipment to model these ideas. 

Computing: Teach Computing 

PSHE: 

• Being Me in My World 

• Celebrating Difference 

Music: 

• Charanga – Livin’ On A Prayer 

Art:  

The Art of Light and Line 

During this project, children learn how artists use line, light and shadow to create form, mood and dramatic effect. They explore continuous line drawing, shading techniques and the use of black and white in drawing, photography and digital media. Through practical experimentation with pencil, ink and digital tools, children apply their learning to create detailed artwork and reflect on how effectively they have used light and shadow. 

DT:  

Powering Movement 

During this project, children learn how pneumatic systems work and how they can be used to create movement, lift loads and solve practical problems. They explore how pneumatics and levers work together, investigate simple machines and design, build and refine a pneumatic prototype. Throughout the project, children test ideas, gather user feedback and improve their designs to create a product that supports people at home. 

PE - (Please note updated PE days for this year!)

PE this term will be taught by a supporting representative from Reading FC on Friday and by Miss Hudson on Thursday. 

The topics we will cover this term are:  

• Gymnastics 

• Outdoor Learning - Orienteering 

RE:  

• Sikhism – How far would a Sikh go for their religion? 

• Christianity - Is the Christmas story true? 

Homework: Doodles + Daily Reading

Both Year Groups will be set weekly assignments on Doodles: 

• Maths: Assignments set every Monday and checked the following Monday. 
• Spelling: Assignments set every other Monday. 

All linked to class learning and next steps. 

In addition to this, I will be checking the children’s diaries daily to ensure they are reading daily at home as this will enhance their spelling, vocab and creative writing. 

KIRFs

For Autumn 1:

Year 5 - I know the multiplication and division facts for all times tables up to 12.   

Year 6 -  I can identify prime numbers up to 20.

For Autumn 2:

Year 5 - I can identify common factors of a pair of numbers.

Year 6 - I know the square roots of square numbers to 15 x 15.