Aquarium - Summer Term

Welcome to Year 6 Aquarium class.

We continue our Year 6 Maths journey by following the White Rose Maths curriculum. This term we will begin by building upon our understanding of geometry focusing on shape, position and direction. We will also look at statistics and after SATs, look at preparing children for the Year 7 curriculum for when they move on to high school. 

As we move into the Summer term, we are now building upon our learning through our Talk for Writing English project. We will continue to work on our understanding of narrative, building our own story writing toolkits, story mapping texts, orally rehearsing stories and writing our own narratives based on a range of genres. We will also begin to write a variety of non-fiction texts, using the Talk for Writing model that we have been practising and rehearsing.

In Science, we will be learning about ‘Light Theory’. In this project, your child will create a mind map to recap their prior learning about light sources, reflectors, day and night, sun safety and shadows. They will observe how light travels in straight lines. They will use their research skills to discover what happens to light when it enters the eye and how this relates to how we see. They will learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, finding out about visible light in detail. They will investigate how we perceive colour, learning that the stimulation of cells in the eye helps us perceive light, dark and colour. Using a torch for a light source, they will explore how shadows change, including their shape, size and how they become distorted. They will discuss what happens to light when it strikes a surface, learning about absorption, reflection, scattering and transmitted light. They will use different mirrors, including plane, concave and convex, to explore how they affect reflections. They will use a light meter to measure light and will observe refraction, and ask and answer scientific questions about the phenomena.

We also learn about ‘Evolution and inheritance’. In this project, your child will learn about the five kingdoms scientists group living things into based on their characteristics. They will discuss what fossils are, revisit how they form and learn about the fossil record before classifying fossils, using what they have learned about the features of living things. Children will discuss the theory of evolution and the scientists who founded it in the 19th century, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace, learning that all living things on Earth are related and have gradually changed over time. They will learn that fossils and the DNA of extinct and living things provide evidence for the theory of evolution and then study a scientific diagram called an evolutionary tree, identifying the relationships between past and present-day living things. Children will learn the meaning of the terms 'inheritance' and 'variation' and how evolution relies on them. They will discuss examples of inherited and non-inherited features and continuous and discontinuous variation within humans before collecting and displaying class data about eye colour as a bar chart and heights as a line graph. They will revisit the meaning of 'adaptation' and use new scientific terminology, including 'natural selection and 'survival of the fittest'. They will learn about adaptation in animals by investigating how birds' beaks have changed over time to improve their ability to catch and eat specific foods. They will learn about adaptation in plants, including structural, behavioural and chemical adaptations, and then investigate the leaves of trimmed and untrimmed holly plants, observing how holly plants can adapt to become spikier to survive. They will complete their learning by holding a class debate about artificial selection using evidence from research and presenting an argument for and against its use.

This term, our main thematic project is ‘Britain at War’. In this project, your child will learn about the main causes of the First World War and which countries were the major players. They will investigate why so many men volunteered to fight and then sequence the events at the start of the war. Using various sources of evidence, the children will learn about life in the trenches and the consequences of new weaponry. They will listen to first-hand accounts of life on the home front and evaluate the impact of war on everyday life. They will also discover the events that led to the Allied Powers’ victory and the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles. The children will also learn about the causes and main events of the Second World War. They will find out how Britain prepared itself for war and the war’s impact on civilian life. They will learn about the Battle of Britain and how it proved to be a key turning point for the Allied Powers. They will also hear about Anne Frank and discover what her story tells us about the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazi Party. The children will research the causes and consequences of the end of the Second World War and investigate the legacy of the wars in Britain. Closer to home, the children will research the life of a local First World War hero who sacrificed their life fighting for Britain. They will also investigate the legacy of these global conflicts in the post-war period.

This term in art our focus is ‘Distortion and Abstraction’. This project is linked to Britain at War. This project teaches children about the concepts of abstraction and distortion. They study the visual characteristics of abstraction and create a musically-inspired, abstract painting.

This term in Design and technology our topic is 'Make Do Mend'. This project teaches children a range of simple sewing stitches, including ways of recycling and repurposing old clothes and materials.

In Music, we will begin by looking at how we can use technology to compose. We will build upon our composition skills throughout the term using software to investigate rhythm, pitch and dynamics. In the second half term, we will be focusing on our vocal skills. We will be learning warm up strategies, performance techniques and looking at the lyrics within musical theatre songs. All of this will support our end of year performance. 

Our big question in RE this half term is ‘How does tawhid create a sense of belonging to the Muslim community?’ This question guides our learning each week, beginning by understanding what tawhid is, understanding the key messages of the Quran and linking this to a Muslim’s life and how this impacts them. Our final topic of the year is ‘Creation and Science: conflicting or complementary?’ This topic allows the children to investigate how RE and science can work together and how it may differ. It links their learning across the two subjects and opens up to the children having the opportunity to ask big questions about the world and their beliefs. We will also have the opportunity to visit St Anne’s during the unit and be able to question Rev Anne on her views too. 

Useful information

Our class PE days are with Mr Kent on Wednesdays and Thursdays . Please ensure your child wears their named, correct school PE kit on these days, that earrings are not worn and long hair is tied up.

The children have access to their water bottles in the classroom during the day. Please ensure that your child has a named water bottle in school which is taken home regularly to be washed.

Your child is welcome to bring in a snack of fruit or vegetables each day.

Reading books is your child's responsibility and they will be responsible for changing their own book. Please ensure they record the date and title of the book that they have chosen in their reading record.  

Weekly Home Learning (Approximately 45 minutes a day)

• Each week your child will be set:  
• Daily reading
• Daily Times Tables Rockstars
• Spelling practice on Spelling Shed
• English and Mathematical work in the Rising Stars SATS practice books (these have now been sent home with your children to work on the topics that they feel they need the most practice with in the build up to the Key Stage 2 SATS).

Spellings and Phonics:  It is expected that in Year 6, all the Year 3/4 words and Year 5/6 list of spellings are known. Please practise these and use these words in your writing. Remember to use some of our Spelling strategies!

Times Tables:  This is still vitally important!! Most of the Year 5/6 Maths curriculum links to pupil knowledge of times tables so it is extremely important to keep those skills sharp! Keep practising - with TTRS!

Lexia: Lexia is proven to help children make accelerated progress when reading, writing and speaking. Regular access of this will help children make good progress with their spelling and reading comprehension skills!

Home Learning Support

Year 6 Curriculum Planning Documents

Knowledge Organisers