Our topic for the Spring term is 'Finding a Home'.

In English we will become newspaper editors! Using our History learning (the Viking invasion of Britain) as a stimulus, we will be travelling back in time to report on the Lindisfarne invasion that happened on the shores of Northumberland. Alongside this, we will practise our typing and editing skills, publishing our work as if we are working in an actual journalism office. During Spring 2, we will use the book, 'The 1000 Year Old Boy' to help us build cohesion between paragraphs to write an action sequence.

In Maths we will begin our work on fractions. We will learn how to find equivalent fractions and compare fractions when the denominators are different. We will later use this knowledge to add and subtract fractions with different denominators. As well as continuing to apply our arithmetic skills in our weekly sessions, we will also expand on our learning from Year 4 in regards to finding the perimeter and area of shapes. We will learn how to find the perimeter of rectilinear shapes and the area of rectangles, without counting squares.

As Geographers we will be learning all about natural resources, trade and fair trade. We will learn about natural resources and compare the natural resources found in the UK with other countries across the world. Later in the topic we will learn about how countries trade with one another and the current trade links with the UK. 

As Historians we will be learning all about the invasion of the Vikings and how this affected the Anglo-Saxons who had been settled in Britain for 350 years. As well as exploring Viking invasion and the type of people they were, we will also explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings and the subsequent end to the Anglo-Saxon and Viking era.

As Scientists we will be learning about 'Living things and their habitats' in Spring 1. We will explore the parts of a plant through dissection and learn about the reproductive parts of a plant. We will then use our findings to conduct our own investigation regarding reproduction of a parent plant. Later in the term we will study the reproduction of mammals, insects and amphibians before learning the changes that humans go through during puberty in Spring 2.

As Computer specialists (in Computing) we will become game developers! We will plan our own simple computer game by designing characters and backgrounds, and create a working prototype. We will then develop this further based on feedback we receive. As well as using Scratch as our programming tool, we will also use the school's new computing equipment - sphero!

As Musicians we will be continuing our work from Autumn 2 all about 'Blues' music, playing and performing the Blues scale. Later in the term we will explore how music can be experienced visually by associating sounds and rhythms with different colours.

As Artists we will be exploring movement across water. Using the artist Katsushika Hokusai as our inspiration, we will focus on line work and use paint in our final piece.

In RE we will continue our work from Autumn 2, exploring the question, 'What would Jesus do? Can we live by the values of Jesus in the 21st century?'. We will look at what Jesus said about generosity, greed and temptation. In Spring 2 we will explore a new question, 'What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?' We will deepen our understanding of the five pillars of Islam and will go on a visit to Cheadle Mosque.

As Engineers (in DT) we will build upon our sewing skills, which we learnt in Year 3 and sew our own Viking money bags! We will research traditional money bags before planning our design and using a variety of different stitches to create our finished piece.

Here are some websites that you might find useful:
 

MyMaths - log in provided by class teacher

Topmarks - Maths games
 

KS2 Bitesize - Learn more about our class topics and play interactive quizzes

Times Tables Rock Stars - log in provided by class teacher

Emile - log in provided by class teacher