Footprints in the past
Our term begins by continuing our work on Dinosaurs and Volcanoes, before we explore the wonders of Ancient Egypt and its people.
In English we use the text ‘Uneversaurus’ by Professor Potts to extend our knowledge on dinosaurs and enthuse us to write a persuasive letter to Professor Potts, asking him if we can join him on a dinosaur dig.
Texts such as ‘The Secrets of Tutankhamun’ and ‘Why were the Mummies Wrapped?’ springboard us into the world of Ancient Egypt and provide opportunities for writing an explanation text about how the pyramids were built, as well as a diary extract about Ancient Egyptian life.
In Science we conduct a fair test and experiment to make our volcanoes erupt. We also investigate how fossils are formed, bringing this to life through the creation of our own fossils. We also investigate Mary Anning’s contribution to palaeontology.
In History we begin to understand who the Ancient Egyptians were, using a timeline to understand their place in the past. We explore the significance of the pyramids and learn how they were built. We also become History detectives, using different historical sources to find out who was the boy behind the golden mask. As well as exploring the importance of the River Nile in Ancient Egypt.
In Geography we build on knowledge acquired through our work in History and look at Egypt as it is today. We develop our locational knowledge and map Egypt using atlases, globes and digital sources. We focus on the role of the River Nile in the present and make comparisons with the River Nile in the past.
In Design Technology we investigate why pyramids are sturdy structures, experimenting with construction kits and different body shapes. Whilst in Art we learn about the work of Gustav Klimt, which inspires us to design patterns and explore the use of colour. From this we create a mural for inside an Egyptian tomb.
In Computing we learn how to use simple search technologies to explore Egyptian tombs, recognising some sources are more reliable than others. Meanwhile in Music we are learning to play the glockenspiel and will learning about note duration and rests.
In PSHE our jigsaw piece is ‘Healthy Me’, which gives us the opportunity to learn about healthy living and keeping ourselves safe.