WELCOME TO YEAR 6 SYCAMORE CLASS
On this page, you can read about the staff working with your children, find out what topics are being covered and find useful information for supporting your child at home. These pages will be updated regularly. You will also find photographs of your children at work!
September 2023
Welcome to your new class- we hope you had a lovely break and we are looking forward to a great first term with you all.
In term 5 we will be reading Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. This is the story of an orphan names Maia who travels to the Amazon Rainforest to live with distant family. It is set in the early 20th century so gives us the chance discuss how society has changed, as well as linking to our enquiry topic on rainforests.
This term, we will complete Goodnight Mister Tom. The children are really enjoying it but we haven't found the time to complete it, we need to find out what happens!
Then we will read the short novel Melissa by Alex Gino. This is the story of a transgender child aimed at primary aged children. It links to our PSHE learning about accepting and celebrating difference .
Term 3's class text will be Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian.
This is one of my favourite books as it shows the life of an evacuee during World War 2 (which is linked to our enquiry) but it's also a story of bravery, love, acceptance and hope.
On the bookcase, we have many books (both fiction and non-fiction) about wartime. Please come and ask if you would like some recommendations.
Term 2's class novel is Pig Heart Boy
Pig Heart Boy
You're thirteen. All you want is a normal life. But most normal kids don't need heart transplants.
So there's this doctor. He says there's a chance for you. But he also says it's experimental, controversial and risky. And it's never been done before.
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, this is a powerful, thought-provoking story from the award-winning Malorie Blackman.
On our class bookcase and in the library you will find other books by Malorie Blackman if you enjoy this.
This term year 6 are reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. The children are loving the supernatural elements and trying to predict what will happen to Nobody Owens.
Neil Gaiman is an English author of author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre, and a screenwriter. Please be aware that not all of his books are appropriate for children, if you are unsure about any titles, please come and ask.
If you are looking for more books to keep your child excited by reading please follow this link.
Term 1
For the first part of term one, Sycamore Class are going to be learning about how to write journalistically. We will be learning about how to use correct language, the difference between direct and reported speech, how to use exaggerated language and how to interview members of the public. We will then write our own newspaper report using all that we have learned.
For the second part of the term, we will be learning about the story of Macbeth, doing some drama around it, writing scripts and creating characters.
Term 2
For the first part of term 2 we will be doing a novel study of our book Pig Heart Boy. This will include writing in role as Cameron, making predictions, understanding difficult themes and how they are presented in fiction.
For the rest of term 2 we will be learning how to write biographies and autobiographies. This is a challenging genre of writing where the children will need to use their GPS learning about formal language to, strike the right tone.
In contrast, we are going to learn about poetry for the last week of term. We will build on our learning from Whole School Experience week and study different genres of poetry, writing our own Magic Box.
Term 3
In term 3 we will be using our historical enquiry to provide plenty of writing opportunities. We will be writing from the point of view of evacuees, using our class text Goodnight Mr Tom to provide background knowledge. We will look at the different characters, write diary entries, letters and thinking about the issues raised in the story.
We will then read a simplified version of the Diary of Anne Frank and think about how her experiences in WW2 differ from the fictional characters in Goodnight Mr Tom. This is an emotive subject but we will not go into great detail about the treatment of Anne and her family at the end of the war.
We will start the term by reading Rose Blanch, a picture book about a German girl in WW2. Rose observes all the changes going on around her which others choose to ignore. She watches as the streets of her small German town fill with soldiers. One day she sees a little boy escaping from the back of a truck, only to be captured by the mayor and shoved back into it. Rose follows the truck to a desolate place out of town, where she discovers many other children, staring hungrily from behind an electric barbed wire fence. She starts bringing the children food, instinctively sensing the need for secrecy, even with her mother. Until the tide of the war turns and soldiers in different uniforms stream in from the East, and Rose and the imprisoned children disappear for ever . . .
We will write an alternative ending to the story.
As a boy, Mick Manning listened to his father s hair-raising tales about life as an RAF airgunner during the Second World War. Now, years later, he has carefully recreated his father's stories, writing them down as if his dad was speaking the words. In collaboration with Brita, he has illustrated them too. It s for Charlie s grandchildren and for everyone. Find out what it was really like to: Put up with food rationing ... Undergo RAF Training... Take off in a bomber... Face enemy fighters... Survive the Battle of the Bulge
We will use this book as part of our understanding of the Battle of Britain and to write a descriptive recount from the perspective of a fighter pilot.
Continuing our historical enquiry learning, we will be writing newspaper accounts of the Blitz, instruction writing for the Blackout and reading and writing World War 2 poetry.
gps
In spellings we are using the Read Write Inc spelling scheme. The children will bring home some words in their homework diaries which I will also publish on Seesaw. Please practise these with your child and add suffixes/prefixes as needed.
In GPS we will be learning about different sentence clauses and active and passive voice. We will also be learning about bullet points and colons/semi-colons. Our homework will be mostly based on these topics.
In term 2 we will be looking at formal and informal writing, antonyms and synonyms.
In term 3 we will be looking at impersonal writing, subjunctive forms, linking paragraphs, ellipses and semi-colons between clauses. All these skills are covered in preparation for SATs and we will be sending home practise activities related to this.
Term 4 will focus on punctuation to clarify meaning and avoid ambiguity. This will include using colons, semi-colons, dashes and hyphens. We will then move on to look at how to use all of the skills we have learnt this term to make our writing more cohesive. We will also be doing some practise SATs questions to support our understanding.
In term 5 we will be learning about different verb tenses. We will then be revising some of the GPS rules we have learnt this term.
Term 5
Our learning this term will be based on video clips. We will be doing lots of descriptive writing based on the clips and writing alternative endings using our best writing skills.
We will also be writing persuasive augments and letters in defence of the rainforests as part of our geographical enquiry.
In year 6, we are mainly following the White Rose order of topics, which allows the children to build on their previous learning in small steps.
We are currently learning about Place Value. This includes using larger numbers up to 10,000,000; multiplying and dividing numbers by 10, 100 and 1,000; rounding; and using negative numbers.
Once we have completed this unit, we will be moving on to Four Operations which includes many of the skills the children will use in later life: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We will be learning how to do this with increasingly large numbers, using formal written methods (including long division) and beginning to think about the early stages of algebra.
Homework will be based on skills we have been learning that week in school. If you feel your child needs more practice, please go to IXL or TT Rockstars and enter their login (found in their homework diary).
Term 2
This term will be all about fractions! By the end of term, we will have learnt how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions, how to simplify the answers and how to use equivalent fractions to solve more complex problems.
We will also be thinking about converting units of measure which will include learning the approximate equivalents between metric and imperial measures.
Term 3
Term 3 will allow us to use of place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions skills learned in the last two terms to solve ratio and decimals problems. We will also be learning about algebra for the first time- a skill I know they will master quickly (quicker than they realise).
We will start to think about the types of questions presented in a SATs test and how we can best answer these, especially the multi-step problems. Supporting materials will be sent home by the end of term 3.
Term 4
This term we will be completing our learning on decimals, thinking about multiplying and dividing them in the context of multi-step problems.
We will then move on to finding the link between fractions, decimals and percentages. Understanding the link will allow the children to solve most arithmetic questions with ease.
Later in the term, we will be moving on to area, perimeter and volume where we will be able to use our understanding of decimals as well as previous learning on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to solve problems.
Term 5
This term we will be finishing off the year 6 curriculum in preparation for SATs. In our shape topic we will learning about angles in triangles and other polygons. We will also learn about parts of a circle.
In our position and direction topic we will be learning to use co-ordinates in four quadrants, reflection and translation.
Term 5
Science this term is in 2 parts. As part of our rainforest enquiry, we will be learning about the layers and focussing on classifying plants and animals of the rainforest.
We will then start our leaning about animals including humans. We will start by learning about the circulatory system and how our hearts work. If you want to find out more follow this link.
Term 4- Electricity
How can we vary the effects of electricity?
To answer the big question this term we will be investigating how electrical circuits work, what happens when you add more bulbs or batteries and how to make a buzzer louder.
We will then use this knowledge to make a burglar alarm as part of our DT learning.
Term 3 Learning
During term 3 we will be learning about how we see. We start by learning how light travels to our eyes and how that helps us to view objects. We also learn about the parts of the eye and how they work. We then look at how our pupils change based on the amount of light available. We finish by looking at shadows and what they show us about light. This follows on from work in year 5 about shadows and time.
In term 2 we will be learning about Evolution and Inheritance. We will be starting off with an experiment to demonstrate how evolution worked in finches, then we will be learning about how fossils give evidence, what other scientists believed and how Charles Darwin's finding went against his Christian beliefs.
During this unit, we will be looking at pictures of ourselves and our families to find out about inherited characteristics.
Follow the link below to learn more.
This term, we will be learning about classification. We have talked about the different characteristics that plants and animals have, how Carl Linnaeus created a classification system for them and how they could be grouped by these characteristics. We have begun to design our own creatures that we are classifying.
Later on this term, we will be learning about micro-organisms and how they can help us in our everyday lives.
Brush up on you knowledge and complete a quiz here!Quiz
Our geographical enquiry this term is Rainforests. We will be learning about the locations of rainforests around the world before focussing on the Amazon in South America. We will look at the environmental impact of deforestation and how companies can offset some of the damage. Then we will do a Deforestation Dragons Den where we have to bid for a piece of land to build on and explain why our project is the best use of the land.
We will also be completing our World War 2 learning with our trip to Lashenden Airforce Museum. This will allow us to see how the war affected our part of the UK and learn first hand from some rare artefacts.
Term 4 learning
HISTORY
We will be continuing our learning about World War 2 by looking at the Battle of Britain and how if affected the local area. We will be visiting Lashenden Airforce Museum as part of our learning to answer the big question Battle of Britain: a turning point?
RE
This term we will be learning about what matters most to Christians and Humanists. We will learn that humanism is a set of beliefs rather than a religion but that there are similarities.
Term 3 Learning
History
Term 3 sees the start of our learning about World War 2. We will start by learning about the lives of evacuees during war time. The children will learn about evacuation, rationing, blackouts make-do-and-mend. There will be a chance to do some cooking, find out how the war started. hear key broadcasts from the government and experience the sounds of an air raid. We will continue to learn about the war in term 4 but from a different perspective.
DT
For our DT project this term the children will be planning and cooking a WW2 meal. They will only be able to use ingredients available at the time (including only using the correct rations) and comparing this food to how we eat today.
RE
Our RE unit is entitled "What does religion say to us when life gets hard?"
In this, we will be exploring the theme of death and what different religions believe, how they commemorate a person who has died and how they can support the bereaved. If there is anything we need to be aware of that might come up in discussions, please let us know. We will of course be sensitive to all children and any stories they might want to share as we know this can be a difficult topic.
Is my route to school safe?
This is the big question we are focussing on this term. The children were all adamant that their routes were safe so we will be researching further. We want to check how we can improve the safety, precautions we can take when travelling and what we need to do to prepare for secondary school.
We will use a variety of geographical skills: map work; including plotting and following routes and learning 6 figure grid references; fieldwork in the local area; and learning the differences between physical and human geography.
During term 2 we will finish the learning on this question, create our own risk assessment and answer the big question.
We will then move on to our first RE study of the year where we will explore Is it better to express yourself in arts and architecture or generosity and charity? This enquiry looks at the different views of Christians and Muslims and how they show their religion. We look at artworks, architecture and the work of religious charities across the world.