Blackpool Zoo

We took the whole school to Blackpool Zoo and had a fabulous day. Before we went we planned which animals we wanted to see and used the map to plan our route around the zoo. We started with the lions, tigers and giraffes. We were amazed by how big and powerful these animals were. The lions watched us eat our lunch, we think they wanted to share our sandwiches! The ring tailed limas were a favourite and they were funny. One tried to steal Mrs Haughan's bag. 

In our science unit on forces and magnets we found out that magnets have two poles, north and south. We found out that opposite poles attract and the same poles repel. We used paperclips to test the strength of magnets. We were surprised that the magnets we expected to be the strongest because they were the biggest were not the strongest. We found out about friction and gravity and how these forces are around us and help us in our daily lives.

We worked with the Cumbria Wildlife Trust to investigate the insects, flowers and plants in the community garden beside school. We found lots of interesting insects like spiders, beetles, caterpillers, pladybirds and greenflies. We also found out how many different creatures live in the tree. We found out that our small community garden makes a huge difference to the wildlife in the area and it is an important habitat.

PE

In PE this half term we have been focusing on Dance. We created dances in small groups inspired by robots and machines thinking about how they move and work together. We then used these to create a dance we could do as a whole class. 

Religious Education

As part of our RE this half term we learned about why Jesus is inspirational to Christians. As part of this we visited St John's Church and found out about the Easter Story. We learned about when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on his donkey. We found out about the last supper and broke bread. We learned about the crucification and about how Jesus rose from the tomb. 

We also found out about Jesus' life, about the stories he told and the miracles he performed.

As part of our science work on Rocks and Soils we visited the stone circle at Rickerby Park. We found out how and when the rocks were formed and where they were in the world before continental drift. We found out what their properties were and what they were used for.

Ratlingate Outdoor Education

For our second visit to Ratlingate we concentrated on our Geography fieldwork skills. We revisited compass points and following directions. We did some direction games to find letters and solve a word jumble. We had to work together. Then we explored and investigated the area and thought about how the land in this location is used. We found out that the area surrounding the site is used for farming. There are sheep and horses in the fields used for grazing. Cows were in the barns as it was cold. There are windmills generating electricity. Ratlingate camp is used for education and leisure activities.

Rattlingate Outdoor Education

During the Autumn term we took part in some outdoor education at Rattlingate. We used our time there to learn all about human and physical fetaures of a rural environment. We also learned about compass points and following directions to begin learning the skills we need for orienteering.

We drew sketch maps of Rattlingate after exploring the site noting points of interest and investigating how the land was used.

Science and DT

In Science we found out all about the nutrition humans and animals need to be healthy. We then used this to help us design smoothies in DT. Our smoothies all had at least 3 different fruits in them. They also had fruit juice. We had to peel, chop, blend and measure all our ingredients. We thought our smoothies were very tasty. 

Carlisle Cathedral Visit

As part of our RE curriculum we visited Carlisle Cathedral. We had a tour of the Cathedral and were amazed by the starry ceiling. We had been learning about the features of sacred places and recognised lots of these on our visit. We also learned about taking Holy Communium and its meaning. We designed and painted some stained glass windows.

Design Technology - Textiles

We made Christmas cushions in DT. We learned how to make paper patterns and then applique onto a felt square. We left a seam allowance before our cushions were sewn together and stuffed. We learned how to use running stitch in our applique.