Summer Term One: English - Oranges in No Man's Land
In this unit, the children explore a fiction set in Lebanon. They read the interactive eBook, asking questions and developing understanding of inference and the author’s use of language. They use discussion and role-play to explore characters and the impact of civil war. They develop editing, proof-reading and peer-review skills and they then plan, edit and write a story from a different character’s point of view.
'This was my chance. I slipped under the chain and bolted down the deserted street, running into no man’s land as fast as my flip-flops would let me.
Ayesha lives in a battle-scarred building with her granny. Outside, a war is ripping the city apart – but Ayesha doesn’t even know why the two sides are fighting. Life gets even scarier when Granny’s medicine runs out. So
Ayesha takes matters into her own hands – and in her search for a doctor makes the forbidden journey across no man’s land …'
Summer Term Two: English - Ultimate Explorers
In this unit, the children explore the Big Question: What makes someone a great explorer? They read the interactive eBook, and use other sources, to research challenges faced by explorers. They understand and explain different viewpoints. They look for evidence about what qualities successful explorers would need. They recap features of report texts and write an advert using persuasive language.
Maths
Summer Term One: Science - Forces
This ‘Forces’ unit teaches the children about types of forces such as gravity, friction, water resistance and air resistance. Children will also learn about the use of mechanisms such as levers, gears and pulleys. The children will identify forces and find out about Isaac Newton and his discoveries about gravity, completing a comprehension task about his life and his work.
The children will look for patterns and links between the mass and weight of objects, using newton meters to measure the force of gravity. They will also work collaboratively to investigate air and water resistance, participating in challenges to design the best parachute and boat. They will have the opportunity to work in a hands-on way to explore friction, developing their own brake pad for a tricycle or scooter.
During some of the practical science work, the children will discuss how variables other than the one being tested can be kept the same to help make a test fair. Finally, they will find out about different mechanisms, including levers, gears and pulleys, and will design their own marvellous machine.
Summer Term Two: Science - Scientists and Inventors
This ‘Scientists and Inventors’ unit will teach the children about famous scientists and inventors linked to the Y5 science curriculum. They will learn about the life and work of David Attenborough and create a documentary about a living thing of their choice. The children will learn about how CSI technicians use scientific techniques to analyse evidence and prove or disprove theories.
They will use chromatography to analyse the ink used in a spelling test and use this evidence to support their own theories. Children will find out about Margaret Hamilton and her invention of the software and computer code that enabled Apollo 11 to go the Moon. They will research into her achievements completing a timeline about her life. They will look at the classification of planets and create fact files on the planets in our solar system through finding out about Neil deGrasse Tyson’s role in the reclassification of Pluto.
The children will explore the Eva Crane’s research into bees and will play a game about the life cycle of bees. Children will investigating the hardness of materials and consider Stephanie Kwolek’s invention of Kevlar. Furthermore, they will learn about Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas about the proportions of the human body seen in his work The Vitruvian Man. The children will measure their height, arm span and other measurements to see whether da Vinci’s theories about proportion were accurate.
Finally, the children will find out about the scientific theories surrounding the construction of Stonehenge. They will explore the evidence that suggests that Stonehenge could have been used as an astronomical calendar, and develop their own theories based on this evidence.
Summer Term One: History - Anglo-Saxons and the Scots
This Anglo-Saxons and Scots unit teaches the children about the invasions of the Scots and Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. The children will find out where the invading troops came from and where in Britain they managed to settle and then they will go on to investigate how life in Britain changed as a result.
The children will have the opportunity to learn how the Anglo-Saxons influenced the English language, with an emphasis on the origins of some English place names, and they will also examine and analyse artefacts from the period and draw their own conclusions about what they can teach us about life in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In addition to this they will also learn what life was like in a typical Anglo-Saxon village, what jobs people did and what the houses were like. They will also explore the Pagan beliefs of the early Anglo-Saxons and learn about the many gods they worshipped. Finally they will investigate how and why the Anglo-Saxons were largely converted to Christianity by the early 7th century.
Summer Term Two: Geography - Enough for Everyone
In Enough for Everyone, the children will think about the needs of a settlement, and the needs of the planet as a whole. They will find out where resource such as power and food come from, and look at ways in which natural resources can be conserved. After discussing the idea of a carbon footprint, children will have the chance to consider how their actions impact on others around the world, and to think about the changes that they could make to try to ensure that natural resources are shared so there is enough for everyone.
