Canberra (Year 2)


Miss Gee

Class Teacher

Miss Last

Teaching Partner

Miss Berrington

PE Teacher (Wednesday and Thursday afternoons)

STEAM Museum Blog
Tuesday 23rd April 2024
by Canberra Class
 
A few days ago we went to the STEAM Museum in Swindon because in history we are learning about trains and the growth of railways. We got on the bus with Geraldton Class and it took just over an hour to get there.
 
We learnt that the first locomotive was built by George Stephenson, "the father of railways". His son was called Robert Stephenson, who designed 'The Rocket' in a competition.  We found out that Brunel was an engineer who was very good at building railways and bridges. Daniel Gooch worked for him. We also built a model of a train in pairs.
 
After lunch, we explored the museum. Bella really loved the model of a horse! People used to travel by horse and cart before trains had been invented. We also saw lots of models of people, which really showed us what they did to build the trains and what it was like to work on the trains. Lots of us LOVED walking under a train which was suspended in the air. We also saw a  giant train and it was a lot of fun looking at it. We enjoyed exploring Queen Victoria's carriage. Flora enjoyed driving a train by pulling the levers.
 
During our second workshop, we were talking about old objects which the railway workers would have had in their houses. We tried to figure out what they were and where they would have gone in the house. We learnt about how a steam engine is built using wooden moulds and how a steam engine works.
 
Canberra loved the day and had so much fun dressing up! Thank you for reading our blog... we hope you have enjoyed it!

Canberra's Topic for Terms 5 and 6 is ‘Growing’.

 

Early Morning Work

For the first half-an–hour of the day, Year Two practise and consolidate key skills in Maths and English. Children will read individually to the teacher during this time.  They will be heard at least once per fortnight.

Additionally, interventions will take place as part of Early Morning Work.

English

English lessons are taught daily and will develop the children’s reading, writing and speaking and listening skills. The children will also be taught new punctuation and grammar rules during these sessions.

This term our units of study are:

  • List poetry (1 week)
  • Recounts (1 week)
  • Assessment (1 week)
  • Diary Writing (1 week)
  • Speaking and Listening presentations (1 week)

To begin each English session, children will participate in a Phonics session, which will include revision of Phase 3 to 5 sounds, as well as coverage of new Phase 6 spelling rules. 

Maths

The main focus of the teaching of Maths is to develop every child’s confidence and mental fluency with whole numbers, counting and place value. The children will work with numerals, words and the four operations, including access to lots of practical resources to support their understanding of the key concepts. The school follows the White Rose scheme of work and, this term, we will be focusing on:

  • Fractions (3 weeks)
  • Assessment (1 week)
  • Time (1 week)

The children will continue to learn their x2, x5, x10 and x3 times tables - as well as all of the corresponding division facts - throughout the term.

Science

During Science this term, the children will undertake a ‘Plants’ unit, linked to our ‘Growing’ topic. The children will be developing their skills in:

  • Using their ideas and observations by suggesting answers to questions;
  • Making predictions;
  • Performing simple tests;
  • Observing closely, identifying and classifying;
  • Gathering and recording data.

 Computing

This term, Year 2 will be learning about bookmarking and how it is a way to find safe sites again quickly. Canberra Class will also be exploring emailing and blogging as tools for communication, as well as utilising word processing software to present their poetry. The children will additionally be creating their own musical scores digitally, as well as using video recording, as part of Arts Week.

As always, the children will be reminded and encouraged to follow the school's SMART rules, so as to ensure that they use the internet and ICT equipment sensibly and safely.

 

Religious Education

This term the children will be continuing their study of Islam through the key question: ‘Does completing Hajj make a person a better Muslim?' RE is also supported during themed collective worship every day.

History: How did railways change the face of Great Britain?

During Term 5, the children will develop their skills in History through a study of the growth of railways. This will include:

  • Using information from the past to describe differences between then and now.
  • Reading dates from the past and ordering them.
  • Answering questions about the past using information from books, pictures, artefacts and the internet.
  • Recording their understanding through labelled diagrams, paintings and writing to tell others about objects, people and events from the past.

We are also very much looking forward to visiting the STEAM Museum Of The Great Western Railway (Swindon), at the start of Term 5, to enrich our topic.

PSHE

Throughout Term 5, the children will be carrying out research into their own family tree, which they will present to their classmates. They will additionally be exploring how to ‘think happy and feel happy’ as part of our Health and Well-Being Unit of work.

Physical Education

This term in PE, Canberra class will participate in an Outdoor PE session every Wednesday afternoon with Miss. Berrington for their Enrichment. On Thursday afternoons, the class will also participate in an Athletics session with Miss. Berrington. These sessions will build on the children's previous experience and will allow them to enhance their co-ordination, balance and teamwork skills. Please ensure that your child wears their PE kit to school on these days to allow them to make the most of these lessons. Longer hair will need to be tied up and jewellery removed.

Design and Technology

During Term 5, Canberra Class’s focus will be Wheels and Axels, which will be linked to Canberra’s History learning (The Growth of Railways). They will also be baking carrot muffins as part of their food technology learning at the end of Term 5, where they will learn how to grate.

Art and Design

The whole school will be taking part in an exciting ‘Peace’ themed Arts Week during the final week of term. This will culminate in an Open School exhibition event for parents during the last afternoon of term. 

Music

During Term 5, Canberra will be composing their own musical scores digitally.