Sounds of South America

In the first term, we explore the ‘Sounds of South America’. Whilst we explore the physical and human geography of this continent, focussing on Brazil, we experiment with creating effective Chilean rain-sticks inspired by the sounds of the Amazon Rainforest. These traditional instruments will accompany an immersive poetry performance. This exciting exploration of the Science of sound will inspire our onomatopoeic night poems and our composition of traditional Brazilian samba music.

Diwali: Festival of Light

During our second term, the children will learn about core Hindu beliefs, customs and celebrations such as Diwali. Throughout the weeks, the children will explore the story of Rama and Sita and the origins of Diwali. Over the weeks they will choreograph a performance, mirroring the Hindu cultural practice of retelling Epics through dance. Their performance will be brought to life with their use of sculptural Ramayana masks created with careful consideration for the symbolism of colour and icons.  

Changes of state/water cycle

In Term 3, we investigate changes of state. Throughout the term, the children explore the processes of melting, freezing and evaporation through a series of experiments. Alongside this science learning, the children explore how these processes are reflected within the water cycle and coastal erosion. Our frozen adventure continues when reading The Ice Palace (by Robert Swindell) which will inspire our lever and pulley puppets. These puppets will help to bring the children’s own beastly story chapter to life.

The Roman Eruption!

In Term 4, we will learn about the expansion and impact of the Roman Empire on Britain and the wider world. The children will explore the eruption of Vesuvius through different artistic interpretations, historical accounts and the story Escape From Pompeii. This will result in a dazzling acrylic painting and stop motion animations created using the onion-skinning technique to build up their digital art. They will be transported to Ancient Rome, where they will perform plays based on thrilling myths.

Anglo Saxon Beasts and Feasts

During the fifth term, we delve into the world of the Anglo-Saxons where we discover the gripping legend of Beowulf and his battles with menacing monsters. The pupils will explore the human digestive system and, using their newfound nutritional knowledge, are challenged to design and make a health Anglo-Saxon snack for our daring hero. In history, the children will undertake their own version of the Sutton Hoo archaeological dig and use their historical inference skills to build up a picture of day-to-day life in ‘Angle-land’. 

Queens and Princesses

In the final term, the children will explore a new perspective on Tudor history and traditional fairytales.  We will take a closer look at the lives of Henry VIII’s wives and the Queens of Tudor England. They will explore this further by looking at how Tudor portraits expressed power, wealth and other ideas through symbols. The children will develop their own Tudor-style portraits, considering symbols that are important to them and what they want to portray about themselves. We will continue to challenge gender stereotypes through our ‘fracture fairytales’ which twist well-known stories and showcase strong and brave female characters.