As we embrace Winter and look ahead to Spring, Griffin have a science-led term based on plants and their lifecycles. We will we investigate what a plant needs to grow and use our knowledge of common plants to survey (and try to improve), our local biodiversity. We will support our learning by planting and propagating our own new plants, to sell at the end of term.

In English, we will be linking to our plants theme by storytelling and comparing different versions of the traditional tale, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, before looking more closely at character description and inventing our own character at the top of the Beanstalk.

Whilst in Design and Technology, we will begin to understand that all food comes from plants and animals. We will prepare and sample some plant produce and consider the importance of healthy and seasonal eating.

Finally in Art, we will continue to look at landscapes, extending our knowledge of artists and how they reflect the world around us, capturing how it changes through the Seasons and over time.

Based on the children’s questions when asked what they would like to learn this term, we are going to have an exciting and fun few weeks ahead!

Good morning Griffin!

What a strange way to end our term! Below are some ideas for today to do at home, for English, Maths and Computing.

Maths:

It's Friday, time to floss! 

Count Down Song from 20 to 1 | The Monkey Floss | Tiny Tunes - Bing video

If you fancy a go at the Number Bonds to Ten game we play in class, you can find it with the link below. Our class target is 31. Can you beat it?

Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds (topmarks.co.uk)

Now you are awake, our Friday challenge is Ladybird box. You can print or draw the challenge, or there is an interactive version you can do online. Can you place six ladybirds into the box so that there are just two ladybirds in every column and every row?

Ladybird Box (maths.org)

Have fun!

English:

Take a look at the picture below. Poppy and Jasper are enjoying their flight in the wind! 

What do you think it is that Poppy and Jasper have seen?

• Where do you think Poppy got the aircraft from? Are they escaping something?
• What will happen next?
• Where are they going?

Talk about your ideas and what excites you about the picture. You can do any type of writing about it.  Some ideas could be:

• What would they say to each other? Write the conversation in speech bubbles.
• Tell me a story about what is happening, what has happened, or what happens next! 
• Write a sound poem about what they can hear

You could write your work down, tell it on a video or even have a go on Purple Mash (details on Topic activity).

Gold star challenge: Use a ! or ? in your writing.

Topic: Computing 

If you would like to have a go at writing your Flight Club story on Purple Mash, here's how you can do it. There are screen shots attached to help you. 

• Login to Purple Mash. Your details are in the back of your Reading Diary. 
• Choose tools, then under English, choose 2Create a Story
• I have started a story to give you an idea. Choose Open File and Flight Club.
• To have a go yourself, click on My Simple Story
• You can now draw pictures, and add movement or sound. 

Don't forget to Save and Exit, so that you can go back to it again and so that I can see, or you can show others.

Purple Mash by 2Simple

Topic: Science 

You could start with our favourite Seasons song, to help you think about the differences between the seasons. 

Seasons Song - Bing video

As we move from Winter to Spring, what is changing around us? Think about things like;

• The length of the days and nights
• Weather
• Temperature
• Plants growing
• More birds singing

Have a look out of your window for ideas.

Now have a go at the worksheet attached, drawing me pictures of the Winter and Spring. If it is difficult to print, you could do it on your computer with this copy, or draw your own on a piece of paper at home.

Zoom meetings! 

Don't forget we have our normal Zoom celebration assembly at 1pm today. 

And then soon after, we have a Griffin online class at 1:45pm for half an hour. We'll start with a GoNoodle dance warm-up, then a scavenger hunt around the house and if we have time, a quick story to relax for the weekend and holiday. I look forward to seeing you then and being able to wish you a happy holiday! 

Zoom call details have been sent by email. 

It was really lovely seeing so many of you on the Zoom calls, thank you! 

Griffin Class have just started enjoying a poem at the end of the day each Friday. This was going to be our fun poem for today, to mark the end of term. I hope you enjoy it. It is called, "Please do not feed the animals", by Robert Hull.

’Please do not feed the animals...’ - Children's Poetry Archive

Learning or sharing a short poem would make a great Speaking and Listening idea! Have a great holiday everyone!

Griffin go tree mad! 

Griffin were set a challenge to find an oak tree tall and strong enough to help the giant get back to his castle after he was left stranded at Jack's cottage! The children had great fun hugging trees to work out the girth of the trees, measuring the height by counting in steps (ask them how that worked!), and taking bark rubbings. They were also tree detectives, looking for clues on the ground such as leaves and seeds, to identify the trees using a key sheet.

All so that they could scientifically recommend the best tree for the giant to try. Well done Griffin! 

For their science during this investigation, the children learnt about the structure and size of a tree compared to that of a plant, identified common types of trees and compared deciduous and evergreen trees. At the same time, the children applied their maths and literacy writing up an investigation sheet for the giant's plant book. Amazing!