Elm Class

This week we have had a no paper week, meaning we haven’t used our books or any paper to write on! We have written and calculated angles on our tables using whiteboard pens and masking tape. We have performed ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ to some younger children. We created a presentation on everything to do with Ancient Greece. We also did some investigations over time in Science with ice cubes. We have had a very interesting and exciting week!!

Today we completed a SAW day on our current science topic of States of Matter. We firstly wrote a double page spread on Glaciers and Icebergs, discussing the differences between them. We then created geometric icebergs using collage with tissue paper and card and different sized triangles. Lastly we made ice cream in a bag! Using salted ice, cream and sugar. By reducing the freezing point of the ice by using salt, the mixture inside the bag became colder and colder eventually freezing and forming ice cream! We had to shake it a lot for it to work but we all enjoyed some ice cream at the end!

Today Elm class had a No Plan Day about Mythical Creatures. We researched different mythical creatures from different countries and stories. We created information posters and fact files about creatures including the Kraken, dragons, the Hydra, Cerberus and unicorns. We then created our own or researched Mythical creatures out of clay and recycled material.

We investigated reversible and irreversible changes in different materials. We discussed what a reversible change was (salt in water and ice to water). We then investigated some irreversible reactions. We added vinegar to hot milk to create the protein casein. This stretches and becomes a plastic like material once dried. We also looked at the Coke and Mentos reaction. This is where the bubbles on the surface of the mint react with the gases in the coke. This creates more bubbles leading to a large amount of carbon dioxide being produced. We enjoyed watching the coke erupt from the bottle!!

Today we completed some research on what the Ancient Greeks ate and drank. We rounded off our afternoon with some tasting of our own. We tried, humour, pitta bread, feta cheese, olives, tzatziki and some Greek yogurt with honey.

Today we completed a no plan day on Escape Rooms, we researched some ideas and created our own puzzles. We worked together as a class to create our own Escape Room in the classroom, creating clues and puzzles to find the key to escape. We were joined by Miss Rodda and Miss Stratton-Lawrence who managed to solve the clues to escape!

Today in Elm class we sang the 8 Times Table song we hope you enjoy it!

Our No Plan Day was all about optical illusions. We researched about them and found out that an optical illusion is something that can play a trick on your mind. 

Optical illusions teach us how our eyes and brain work together to see. You live in a three-dimensional world, so your brain gets clues about depth, shading, lighting, and position to help you interpret what you see.

We looked and drew some of our own optical illusions. We then looked at patterns called Tessellations. We investigated these and MC Escher who created them. They are patterns that are created by shapes that have no gaps or overlap. We had great fun creating our own optical illusions!

This afternoon Elm class welcomed their grown ups to the first Mundford Junction of the year. We spoke through our Science learning from the day and then took part in an activity to do with The Phases of the Moon using Oreos! 

Wednesday 25th September – No Plan Day

Elm class had their first no plan day of the year and decided to research toy making! We researched and gathered information on our favourite toys and games and created fact files. We then in the afternoon created our own board games, card games, paper crafts and toys! We used a variety of skills such as origami.

This afternoon Elm welcomed their grown ups to join them in an afternoon of Maths! Miss Spearpoint spoke through some reasoning problems with everyone and spoke about how to break the question down by looking for the key features. Everyone then had a go at some reasoning questions, logical problems and times tables challenges!

Nature Explorers,

Today Elm class had a No Plan day all about Nature. We researched and created posters on the explorer and biologist Charles Darwin. We looked at his life, what he discovered and why he was so famous. We then went on a scavenger hunt and looked for edible plants on the school grounds. Finally we then spent the last part of the afternoon planning, designing and building bug hotels.