This week in Maths we have been continuing to learn how to use the long division method. The children have worked so hard over the last couple of weeks to apply this to answer division questions and I am so happy with the work that they have produced. Most children are starting to feel more confident with it and all children can recall the method. We will continue to use this method throughout the year.
We have also started learning about fractions. We have taken our basic fraction knowledge to find equivalent fractions. We've also started to learn how to simplify fractions. We are going to use this knowledge next week when we add and subtract fractions.
This week we have started reading the story 'The Day of Ahmed's Secret'. We spent time discussing the cover of the book as a class and started to think about what clues that might give us about the text. The children then started making predictions about who Ahmed is, where the story is set and what his secret might be. Once we started reading the book we learnt that Ahmed is a young child from Egypt who has to work to help his family. The children spoke about the living conditions of Ahmed and how that differs from their lives. They then wrote some fantastic recounts as Ahmed and what they imagine his day to be like.
This week we have been learning about the circulatory system. We used the videos on the BBC bitesize website to learn about what the circulatory system does and the different types of blood cells. As a class we spoke about the impact that exercise has on the body and we went into the playground to start our investigation on how exercise impacts the heart. The children then went back into the classroom and started to draw detailed pictures of the heart.
As part of our Mexico topic we have been learning about traditional Mexican clothing. The children then turned into fashion designers to create their own Mexican outfit.
This week is Anti-Bullying week. We have marked this by talking about bullying as a class. On Wednesday each child was given a piece of paper. They saw that when negative things were said to the paper that the paper started to crease into a ball. We discussed how this was like our feelings. Although they cannot be seen, words can hurt our feelings and can has an effect on our wellbeing. The children then saw that when we say the word 'sorry' the paper started to unfold- however the faint lines of the creases were still there. We explained that although we have said sorry, the words that were said can stay with us inside our body and play on our mind. The children have seen the importance of what words can do to someone and understand that saying unkind things is just as sad as physically hurting someone.
We then started thinking about physical bullying. The children know what to do if they are being physically hurt and know how to report this.
We have reinterated the importance of always sharing this information with someone you can trust.