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Northgate Primary School

Northgate Primary School

Drake Class

Welcome

Hello,

Welcome to Drake Class. I am Miss Keitch and I am the class teacher. Miss Wood works alongside me as our full time teaching assistant. Drake Class is made up of Year 5 pupils. I will use this page on our school website to keep you updated about our learning across the year. 

Class Information

We have made a really fantastic start to our learning this year at Northgate. Please click on the link below to find out about what we are learning during the second half term. 

Drake Class Curriculum Overview Spring B Click Here

Knowledge Organiser - Romans Click Here

All other information about Drake Class can be found in the class newsletters below.

Drake Class Spring Newsletter Click Here

Thank you to all the parents and carers who attended our curriculum meeting. If you were not able to make it or would like a reminder, please find the information given below. It includes lots of ideas to help children learn spelling and help on how to read with your child at home.

Drake Class Curriculum Meeting Information Click Here

Covid 19

If the school is closed all information will be available under the Covid  19 Home Learning tab on the school website. Please see below for our plan in the event of full school closure:

Covid 19 Contingency Plan - Drake Class

 Learning in Drake Class

Spring Term

Drake Class Curriculum Overview Spring B Click Here

Knowledge Organiser - Romans Click Here

Documentaries about the Solar System

To finish off our fantastic topic this term, we used all the knowledge we had learnt and our models to film a documentary about the solar system. We wrote scripts and then we helped each other to film our documentaries. We realised how much we had learnt and we loved being able to teach others about it. 

 

 

Painting our solar systems

Once our paper mache had dried, we then had to think about painting our models. We thought about the different sizes and tried to make sure that our sizes were roughly accurate to the biggest and smallest planets. We then mixed the paint to make colours similar to those of the real planets. They looked fantastic when they were finished. 

 

 

Interpretive Dance

As well as learning dances from the 1920s, we also created our own interpretive dances about the war. We told the story of the war through dance and tried to get across the emotions and feelings of those involved. We did a fantastic job. Lots of the dances were very moving. 

 

 

Paper Mache Solar Systems

This half term, we have been designing and making our own solar system models. We looked at other models to help us design our own and then we thought about the steps to making them. Most of us chose to make our solar system using paper mache. We used balloons to get the roughly spherical shapes. We made a bit of a mess but we enjoyed using paper mache.

 

 

 

Gymnastics

This half term, we have been doing gymnastics in PE. We have learnt more about all the different shapes and pathways. We also learnt about different jumps, thinking about using a shape when we jump and how we land. We then turned our actions into a sequence with a partner. We had to mirror each other's shapes and jump in canon from the equipment. 

 

 

Inspired Playground Training

Drake Class have now been trained as Inspired Playground Leaders. We spent a day learning lots of different games and activities that we could lead at lunch time and play time for all the other children. We also got a chance to lead the other children on our training day. We really enjoyed street ball and the base game. 

 

 

Sci-Fi Music

In Music this half term, we have been thinking about sci-fi music, particularly music that was used in sci-fi films like Star Wars and ET. We then made our own sci-fi music using Garageband, mixing together pre-recorded sounds and sounds we recorded ourselves. We tried to think about the tempo and volume of the music we already heard to tell a story. 

 

Augmented Reality with Mr Smart

We were lucky to have Mr Smart come into school to do some computing work with us. We used a merge cube to explore the solar system with augmented reality. It felt like the planets were right in front of us! We were then able to build our own solar system. It was great fun.

 

 

1920s Dancing

As part of our dance unit this term, we stepped back into the Roaring Twenties as we learnt lots of different dances from the decade. We learnt the Charleston, the Lindy Hop and the Lambeth Walk. We enjoyed learning the different actions and putting them into our own sequences. 

 

 

Handling Data

In Computing, we have been learning about handling data and using databases. We used a ready-made data base to gain facts about the solar system which we turned into top trump cards. We then took our top trump cards and made our own databases. We enjoyed learning how to input the data and add pictures.

 

 

The Explorer Dome

To start off our new topic called 'What lies beyond the stars?', we had a visit from the Explorer Dome. We went inside the giant dome and learnt lots about the planets and the stars. We even went star spotting, looking at all the constellations. We heard some of the stories that the Ancient Greeks used to tell about the stars too. It made us excited to learn all about our new topic.

 

 

Drake Class Curriculum Overview Spring A Click Here

Knowledge Organiser - Earth and Space Click Here

Autumn Term

Printing our Native American Patterns

Once we had finished making our print blocks, we had to use the printing ink to make our patterns. We had to roll the ink onto the block and then roll it onto the paper. We printed our blocks multiple times so that it created a lovely pattern.

 

 

 

Researching the climate in the USA

As part of our topic, we explored what the weather was like in the USA. We had to use laptops to research the weather and climate using websites including the Met Office. We discovered that the weather can be very different across the country because it is so big! We turned the information into a script for a weather forecast.

 

 

 

Football

In PE, we have also been learning about football. We have learnt to move with the ball quickly and consolidated how we pass a football accurately. We also started to think about how we attack and defend when we play football, thinking about space and ways to prevent the opposition from tackling us. We thought about how to get away from our defender. It was great fun!

 

 

Making a print block

As part of our topic, we have been using Native American patterns to inspire our own Native American themed printing blocks. We used foam print blocks and marked our patterns using a pencil. We needed to be very careful because we could not push our pencil too far through because it would make a hole. 

 

 

 

Rugby

Over the last half term, we have been learning how to play tag rugby. We have learnt how to hold a rugby ball as well as pass and kick a rugby ball. Eventually, we started thinking about how we play small tag rugby games where we had to take each others tags. We have really enjoyed having a go at this because it was new for a lot of us. 

 

 

 

Remembrance Day

During the first week back to school, Drake Class made a poppy wreath to take to the war memorial. On Remembrance Day, we took the wreath and laid it in King Square where we also had a moment silence to reflect on the learning we had done about the war. 

 

 

Drake Class Curriculum Overview Autumn B Click Here

Knowledge Organiser - The United States of America Click Here

Creativity Week - Multicultural Week

During Multicultural Week, Drake Class have been learning all about India. We took part in lots of different activities including cooking Indian naan bread, creating India art and making information leaflets about India. We even listened and danced to Indian music. We enjoyed learning about the traditions and culture of India.

Making Naan Bread

We enjoyed practising different skills needed to cook the naan bread including kneeding and weighing. 

 

 

 

Indian Art

We used Indian patterns to inspire our pictures of peacocks and elephants. 

 

 

 

Indian Research

We researched about Indian landmarks, food, animals and physical features to make and information leaflet.

 

 

Mini Police

Drake Class have become the latest Mini Police recruits. We have already started to help solve problems on the playground when we go on duty on Tuesdays. We are looking forward to learning a lot from the police officers that come into help us. Here we are in our new uniforms!

World Mental Health Day 2019

For World Mental Health Day this year, Drake Class thought about ways we can make sure we keep healthy, including keeping both our bodies and minds healthy. We talked about the importance of sleep and exercise as well as new strategies including mindfulness colouring and yoga. We really enjoyed taking part in these activities.

 

 

 

When World War One came to Britain, what happened in Bridgwater?

Sending our Commemoration Certificates

To finish off our topic about war in Bridgwater, we researched a particular soldier that we discovered on the war memorial in Bridgwater. We made commemoration certificates about them. We wrote letters to the shops in town to ask them to put them in their windows for Remembrance Day. We are hoping to go around town to see some of them in the window. Here are some pictures of us with our certificates and letters.

 

 

Adding the Modroc

We have taken on the next challenge in our mission to finish our modroc sculptures which meant adding the actual modroc. It was very messy and we had to be very careful but they have really started to take shape now.

 

 

 

War Memorial

Drake Class visited the war memorial in King Square to have a look at the names of the soldiers who died in the First World War. We are going to use the information to research more into their lives. 

 

 

 

Modroc Sculptures

We have been designing and making sculptures inspired by our topic about the First World War. We have been making soldiers and horses. Our first challenge was to make shape of our sculpture out of wire. It was quite fiddly but we persevered and they are looking amazing. 

 

 

 

Trip to Blake Museum

Drake Class took a trip to the local museum in Bridgwater to try and gather information about how the First World War impacted Bridgwater. We learnt a lot about our local area as well as hearing a gentleman from the museum talk to us about the effects of the war on Bridgwater. We learnt about rationing and the women working the factories, including the brick and tile works.

 

 

Living in the Trenches

As part of our topic work, we have been learning about how the soldiers would have experienced the trenches during the First World War. We read letters that soldier wrote from the trenches to their loved ones and used them to gather information about what the trenches were like. After, we wrote our own letters as though we were soldiers. We enjoyed reading documents that were from the war.

 

 

PE

Basketball

During our PE lessons, we have been learning the skills and techniques to play basketball. We have been learning to dribble the ball and change direction whilst still keeping control of the ball. We were very good at keeping the ball safe. 

 

 

 

Drake Class Curriculum Overview Autumn A Click Here

Drake Class Autumn Newsletter Click Here