24th February 2014

Welcome back after the half term break. We hope you had a wonderful time and are ready for another busy half term.

Literacy

 

We are starting our new topic about “Information Text.”

 

Over the next couple of weeks the children will be using Lofty the Lion to look at alphabetic order, settings & characters & label diagrams. The children will then then use the internet, info books & encyclopaedias to find 3 fascinating facts about an animal. Study features of info texts & produce a class encyclopaedia.

 

The Year 1 children will listen to & follow instructions accurately, asking for help & clarification if necessary. Ask & answer questions, make relevant contributions, offer suggestions and take turns. Take turns to speak, listen to others’ suggestions and talk about what they are going to do.

The Year 2 children will listen to talk by an adult, remembering specific points and identify what they have learnt. Work effectively in groups by ensuring that each group member takes a turn challenging, supporting and moving on.

 

 

Websites to look at:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/species/Lion.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wildlifefinder/

 

Numeracy

This week in Maths we will learning about weighing and time.

The Year 1 children need to compare 2 or more weights by direct comparison, measure weights using uniform non-standard measures and read the time to the hour on an analogue clock.

The Year 2 children will need estimate, measure and compare weights in kilograms and grams. Read the time to the hour and half hour on analogue and digital clocks

Some websites to help with this are:-

Measurement

http://www.edukate.net/special_files/ruler.swf use this site to practice measuring the ‘red bar’. If you can though, measuring objects around the house is a much more practical way of measuring in centimetres.


http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/measures/index.htm click on Reading Length.


http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=ntrack ordering numbers on a number track. Can your child recognise the numbers? Are they able to order them? Can they locate the missing number?


http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/ruler/ruler_cm_easy.swf measure the length of the lines using the on screen ruler


http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/ruler/ruler_cm.swf move the ruler to the line to measure it in centimetres


http://www.counton.org/games/circus/ just as a bit of a continuation of the circus theme...choose the Pole Climber, Maths Pairs or Shapes and Numbers activities. With the Pole climber activity, start on level one and then see how high you can go – subtraction begins at Level 3!


http://www.numeracyworld.com/addition%20worksheets.html I have been really pleased with the number of children who have been printing off some of the activities from the websites on the blog, so this is should be a big help! It has lots of printable sheets for you to print off and practice at home for all areas of numeracy. Some are more difficult than others, but have a look through for the topic we are covering this week for some extra practice.

Time

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/851/Higher&Lower-Reveal&Orderv4.swf select o’clock and half past, then order the cards in order of time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/digger/5_7entry/4.shtml identify the correct hour on the clock and then order in terms of time

http://www.ictgames.com/hickory4.html can you get the mouse to run up the clock to eat the cheese?

The children are also working on being able to order the days of the week and the months of the year. Why not use this as an opportunity to work on the spelling of these?

 

 

Please keep learning the number bonds

Number bonds to 10

 

0 and 10 are big strong men   

 

  1 and 9 are feeling fine

 

  2 and 8 are never late  

 

3 and 7 come from Devon

 

4 and 6 like to play tricks

 

5 and 5 come alive

 

6 and 4 hold open the door

 

7 and 3 visit for tea

 

 8 and 2 are feeling blue

 

  9 and 1 have just gone 

 

10 and 0 are superheroes.  

Please use these number bond websites to help with your child’s learning:

http://www.rainforestmaths.com/ a favourite of mine! Click on level B or C and then any of the number activities

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/units120.html how many questions can you answer in 2 minutes?

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/numberskills.html click on any of the timed activities to help with number bonds knowledge.

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/resources/gordon/Hit%20the%20button%20v9.swf select the number bonds activity and then make 10 or 20. How many can you get right before the clock runs out?

http://nwlg.org/pages/resources/ma_num/swf/make10.html make 10

http://www.ictgames.com/funkymum20.html make 20 - the dance will really make you giggle!

http://www.ictgames.com/brilliant_beadstring.html move the beadstring to make patterns to 10 and 20

http://www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html match the pipes to make the number bonds to 10

http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/mentalmaths/numberbond.html make up your own number bond games

http://www.interactivestuff.org/sums4fun/colquiz.html for each question you get right, it colours in a part of the picture!

http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/nonmembers/gamesroom/bugs/bugrace3.html a great game for two players. Choose 0 as the lowest number and 9 as the highest, it will create a game to practice and reinforce those number bonds.

Science

Calling all those green fingered parents and grandparents out there – your children’s teachers need you!

This term we will be look at the parts of a plant and the functions of each of those parts. We will also be investigating the right conditions for growth and the variety of plants which we can grow in school.

If anybody is willing to spare some time to come into school and work with them children on their horticultural skills, then do please come in see any member of the 1/2 team. We make great cups of tea!

Although the following websites are a great way to learn about this topic during the wet weather, there is really nothing better than getting out the wellies and a trowel and having a great time in the garden. It might even be a good way to get the children helping out with the weeding after the winter – just as long as they know the difference between the dandelions and the prize azaleas!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml can you find the right conditions for the plant to grow?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/plants_grow.shtml a little more challenging

http://www.topicbox.org.uk/browse.php?item_ID=5584&subject=Science&topic=Life%20-%20Plants this is a really useful powerpoint to download and keep for the whole of the topic. It is aimed at Year 3, but we really do need to push the children on, as their knowledge on this subject is very good already.

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants/index.htm click on the seed growth leaf for a great animation of what a seed needs to grow.

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=plantlabelmx a very simple resource to drag and drop the labels onto the right part of the plant. As you move through this site though, you will be expected to explain the functions of each part. This is also really useful in supporting the literacy for this week.

http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/germination/germ.html how fascinating! You will need to sit with your child for this, but the use of stop motion photography is fantastic. Just click on the sunflower germination – it’s really interesting! The movies for flowers are also beautiful!

Topic

The children will be starting their new topic called “How do our senses help us?”

We talked about the importance of our different senses.  We will be discussing the question:

“What do we use our senses for?”

To support this learning at home you could talk to your child about the importance of our differences senses in our everyday life.

Come and See

The children will be starting their new topic “Thanksgiving.”

We will be exploring different ways to say thank you?

Can the children research at home and record what ways people give thanks for, and how- in school, at home and in the neighbourhood, using headings such as “Who thanks?” “What for?”  “How?”

The key words the children will be focusing on are: thank you, thoughtful, thanksgiving.

Reminders

Sainsbury’s vouchers We are collecting Sainsbury’s vouchers after the half term. Please send them into school with your child if you have them. Many thanks.

 

We hope you all had a happy and safe week and we will be returning to school on Monday 24th February at 8.45am.

Thank you for your continued support.

Year 1/2 Team.