Welcome to Miss Mulligan's Class
Mr Saunders, Miss Mulligan & Mrs Holroyd
Spring Term
This term we will be reading the book
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
William Kamkwamba is an inventor and author from the African country of Malawi. His first success was a windmill made out of scrap materials that provided electricity to his family’s house in rural Malawi. He wrote a memoir about this accomplishment. The book is called The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2009; with Bryan Mealer). It was published in almost 20 languages, sold more than 1 million copies, and was made into a movie.
About The Author
When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.
Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.
English
We will be exploring our topic book, making dioramas from descriptions of the Malawian landscapes. We will then explore our local area and write descriptive texts from our observations.
Maths
In Maths, we will continue looking at Place value which is the value of each digit in a number. For example, the 5 in 350 represents 5 tens, or 50; however, the 5 in 5,006 represents 5 thousands, or 5,000 ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zsjqtfr/articles/z9w3g82) and at 2D and 3D shapes ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zjv39j6). We will also look at measuring length, mass and capacity. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips- video/maths-ks2-capacity-and-measure/z7gkqp3). We will be carry on with the 99 Club and looking at number facts to help us calculate mentally
Science
In science will be looking at the lifecycles of plants and animals. Plant Life Cycles.
PE
This term on Monday afternoon we will be learning the skills and rules for basketball the children will need to bring in a white t shirt, black or blue shorts and black trainers or plimsoles.
In geography will exploring the physical and human features found on maps.
We will also looking at renewable energy and geography
In DT we will making windmills
Black History Month
Black History Month has been marked in the UK for more than 30 years. It takes place during the month of October. It is held to highlight and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the black community in the UK. Throughout history, black people have made huge contributions to society in the fields of art, music, science, literature and many more areas.
Campaign groups and charities like The Black Curriculum and Fill in the Blanks have also spoken out on the importance of black history being taught in schools. These campaigners believe all children and young people need to learn about the important roles black people have played throughout British history and the many contributions they have made to society today.
The children in Miss Mulligan's class chose a POC from history or current times and produced a poster telling about their life and achievements.
Useful Websites
French
https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/z39d7ty
Maths
https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/index.html
https://www.coolmathgames.com/
English
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/literacy/
www.sumdog.com (spelling and reading)
http://www.funenglishgames.com/
You can also check out BBC Bitesize who are providing lots of free lessons too.