Year 6 Summer Term 2020 & Coronavirus
Dear Parents and Children of Year 6
We hope you are all staying safe and managing to have some fun during this very different and difficult time for everyone. As some of you may have finished the pack Mrs Rudd sent home and lots of you are working hard on the Purple Mash site she has put together some more ideas for you. There is a letter from Mrs Rudd below with links to useful websites and tasks that you can engage with and learn through.
Mrs Rudd is also putting together a pack of work so please email office@oldheath.essex.sch.uk or text 07305 938 237 to say if you would like a printed pack. Packs will be available on Monday 20th April from 2pm at the front office if you have pre ordered! Please don't forget to mention your child's name in the email/text so that we can name the envelope and then leave it in the entrance hallway at the front office so you can pick up as part of your daily walk! If you are self isolating as either someone in the household has the virus or you are shielding please let us know and I will see what we are able to manage in the current situation.
At this time Old Heath School along with the rest of the Nation's schools have no idea what is being planned in terms of future opening as being discussed in the news. As soon as we are officially informed and have plans in place to manage reopening I will contact all parents directly via ParentMail.
Many thanks & stay safe!
Amanda Mitchelson
Dear Year 6:
This half term our topic is ‘Rainforests’.
In English we will be creating a leaflet about rainforests which should cover:
- What makes a rainforest.
- Locations of rainforests around the world.
- Four layers of the rainforest.
- Wildlife in the rainforest.
- Human impact on the rainforest.
I have found a leaflet template on Purple Mash which I will allocate after Easter.
Linked to this, we will be looking at the poem ‘Tyger’ by William Blake. I would like you to be able to read it and perform it if possible. Then have a go at creating your own poem about a species found in the rainforest. You can choose to write either an acrostic poem, a shape poem, a riddle, a narrative poem, a Haiku or a Cinquain. Try to include some of those ‘wow’ features found in poems i.e. personification, similes, rhyming couplets, metaphors and alliteration.
There is also a Tiger comprehension to complete which is in paper form. I will be allocating another book online for you to look at and to answer questions on weekly as well as SPaG activities and the Year 6 statutory spellings quiz. I have also added a couple of ‘Pobble’ activities to encourage creative writing.
In Maths, we will continue to work through the Purple mash activities and I will continue to set the times tables test on a Friday. I will print off some more ‘Mathsbot’ arithmetic sheets for those who would like them as well as a few problem-solving activities.
Our Science topic is supposed to be Electricity. However, I’ve had a look at the resources on Purple Mash for this and practical work needs to be completed first so we’ll leave this until the second half of the term. You can still have a go at some of the online activities found here:
https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/electricitycircuits.html
In Geography we are exploring human and physical features of a rainforest and making comparisons with our own woodlands. We will be creating our own PowerPoints on Purple Mash to explain what the human aspects are – land use, settlements, pollution, destroying natural habitats and then the physical aspects – climate, what it looks like, animals who live there and plants. Purple Mash also has a ‘layers of the rainforest’ game which I will allocate as well as an activity where you will need to label the parts of South America.
In Art and D.T we would be exploring texture using a range of resources to build up to creating our own rainforest. The idea is that, over a few weeks, a picture or model would be built up to show the layers of the rainforest. Use what you have at home to try and create your own model or picture of a rainforest with the four layers. Start with your basic background colours and begin to build it up, adding details such as trees, plants etc and then animals and details to the trees etc. We would have also looked at Henry Rousseau who painted some very interesting rainforest art. If you can, find out about Henry Rousseau and create a biography about him and his artwork.
The Tyger – by William Blake
Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Story starter from Pobble 365:
Moments earlier, she had been standing in her classroom holding the tiny port-key up in her hand, waiting for the magic to happen. With a flash and a puff of smoke they had vanished into thin air.
The port-key had taken them to some strange places before, but never to a jungle. The problem with port-keys is that you never quite know where you’re going to end up!
They gazed around them and took in their surroundings; the stifling heat and cacophony of jungle noises put the children on edge - they would have to be exceptionally brave on this particular adventure...
Sentence challenge!
Can you write a description of what it would be like to be in a jungle?
You could think about using your senses, for example, thinking about what sounds you might hear around you.
You could also describe how you might be feeling.
Lost – Pobble 365 activity:
Hours and hours had passed, and she hadn’t seen a soul. The monotony of trudging through this seemingly never-ending labyrinth was tiring, and her eyelids felt heavy. The heady scent of the pine sap and earthy moss added to her lethargic state. She felt as if she could close her eyes and sleep for a thousand years. She knew she couldn’t though; being trapped in the woods when night fell wouldn't be a wise move. Making the most of the remaining daylight would be crucial, she knew.
A great sense of foreboding filled her, and she had a tight feeling in her chest. The trees around her, like sentinels protecting the gods of the forest, seemed to bear down upon her. The dense army of pine trees threatened her from every side. There was only one path forward, and she took it hesitantly, not knowing what awaited her in the distance…
Stay safe, stay well, keeping working hard! Well done to all of you who have kept up with the work on Purple Mash, hopefully those who haven't tackled Purple Mash yet will be able to access the tasks I have outlined here and perhaps be inspired to tackle more work on Purple Mash!
Mrs L Rudd
When you are coming in to pick up packs please can you make sure that if there is anyone in front of you, you give them plenty of space to collect and leave the building before you enter! Thank you very much!