News Blog

Children in Year 5 have been getting really involved with their class reader - Wonder! Over the last few weeks they have written playscripts (incorporating old and new characters), drawn out character maps and written personal “I am” introductions in the style of the author. The book continues to be a great source of inspiration, not only in their writing but in how we live our lives. One of the things throughout the book is “Mr Browne’s Precepts” where he gives advice on navigating the world around us. Every day, a few students write these up in the classrooms so we can discuss them.

 

As the weather has been better we decided to take our problem solving maths teams outside to discuss how best to solve these tricky problems.

 

 

Buzz Off is - at least, for some children - a popular maths game involving an immense amount of times table knowledge, quick reaction speed and occasionally memory, but for those who unfortunately do not quite understand the game well, or have not had any experience, here is how you play the game of Buzz Off.

A player or teacher starts by stating which time table will be focused on first, which way the times tables go (up or down), which person the game will start and which way around the people must say time tables (going clockwise or anticlockwise); these settings cannot be changed during the game. The person chosen to go first says the first number of the time table chosen, with the person going next saying the second. For instance, if the 2x table was picked, the first person would say 2, with the next saying 4, then next 6, 8, 10 up until the 12th number, this would be 24. The next person then says,”Buzz,” the next says,”Off.” The person after this must sit down, as they are out; they cannot answer another time table. Everybody then moves on to the next or previous table, depending on the teacher’s choice. When moving down from 2, it resets to 12, and when moving up from 12, it resets to 2.

However, if a number is answered incorrectly, or not answered on time, you are out. The last person standing wins the game of Buzz Off!

By Keshikan Y5

 

Design and Technology

At the end of last term, Year 5 created their own puzzle games. Firstly, they designed the games to scale, ensuring there were paths and clear ways to complete the games and then ways in which the person playing would get stuck. After that, they began cutting up lots of pieces of wood, working on their saw control and measuring. Once they had mounted these on their cardboard base they then checked their routes worked before then deciding where to put holes as traps for their balls.

Sketchup

In computing, children have started learning how to use Sketchup! This is a graphic design program that allows children to design 3d models of buildings, adding textured walls, floors, roofs and more. Over the coming weeks the children will be looking at the interesting architecture of art galleries and then designing their own, then deciding on some pieces of art to go into their gallery! Watch this space…