Welcome to Year 6

Year 6 In-school and Home Learning

WB 6/7/2020

Hi everyone,

So here's what we have covered in school this week for those of you who weren't able to attend, as well as our home learning for this week.

A huge thank you to everyone who emailed me their work last week - please do the same this week.

kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

Take care all,

Mrs Kissick 

In-school learning

We watched an animation from The Literacy Shed website called Alma, discussed how the creator build the feeling of tension and fear, and then answered a series of questions based on it in order to assess our understanding of the film.

These are the questions...

What season is the film set in?  How do you know?

Why might the town be empty?

How do we know the girl’s name?

What feeling do you get from the shop?  Why?

What do we learn by the end of the film?

What is the relevance of the names written on the glass?

What do you predict will happen next?

What type of film would you say this is?  Why?

We also carried out the start of a Maths investigation - Reach 100.  Place 4 different digits between 1 and 9 into a 2x2 grid - 1 digit in each space.  By reading across and down the grid, generate 4 two-digit numbers.  Add these together.  Our challenge was to choose 4 different single digits that create 4 two-digit numbers which will total 100.  There are 2 possible solutions.

We had some time exploring the website of the secondary school we are going to, trying to find the answers to any of our questions.

Finally, we had a free painting session.  Lots of us found it tricky to think of what to paint but we all produced our own painting in the end!

Home Learning

I would like you to imagine that you are able to write a letter to your new form tutor in secondary school.  What would you like them to know about you?  What are your strengths and areas for development?  What sort of character are you?  What types of things would you like to be involved with when you start secondary school?  What do you think Mrs Kissick would say about you?!   What helps you with your learning?  Include anything at all that you would like them to know about you.  Remember to use the features of a letter throughout your writing.  Think about where your address should go, how your letter should be organised on the page and how you should sign off. 

Please make sure that you are continuing to read regularly - feel free to send me a review of a book or story that you have recently finished.

You can also continue with the Maths investigation that we started in school.  Remember to place the digits in a 2x2 grid each time.  Find both solutions that total 100.  

Once you have found the solutions, can the 4 digits be rearranged and still reach a total of 100?

What is the smallest total you can find?  Do the smallest single digits create the lowest total?

What is the largest total you can make?  Do the highest single digits create the greatest total?

What totals could you make if you used all of the digits between 1 and 9, placed them in a 3x3 grid and created 6 three-digit numbers?

Portrait work - This week I would like you to look up the work of an artist named Picasso.  He created some very unusual portraits and used his own specific style.  Search for Picasso for kids using a search engine.  Then have a go at creating your own Picasso-inspired portraits, using bright colours and unusual features.

Transition work - Think carefully about your time in primary school.  What can you take with you into secondary school that you have gained from your time in primary?

•How did you handle things when they went wrong?

•How did you react when you got stuck?

•Think about a time when you showed a positive attitude in a tricky situation. Write it down.

•Write down the kind of person you want to be at secondary school.

Year 6

In-school and Home Learning - WB 29/6/2020

Hi everyone,

It has been so lovely having most of you back in school this week, and we have certainly missed those of you unable to be here.

Over the next 3 weeks, I will be updating this page on a Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning with not only our learning from our time in school, but also new home learning tasks.  These should be completed by your visit to school the following week, please.

Remember to forward your work to me at

kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

Take care all and see most of you next week,

Mrs Kissick 

Our In-school Learning this week

In school this week, we carried out the following activities - 

We designed posters to highlight the 3 key rules to follow to minimise the risk of spreading corona virus...strict social distancing, hand hygiene and room ventilation.  We made sure our posters were bright and easy to read.

We also carried out a piece of writing titled Life in Lockdown, in which everyone told Mrs Kissick what they have been doing during their time at home and also the positive and negative points of the last 3 months at home.

We continued to note down questions that we might have about going to secondary school.  We had a quick look at the Bishopston, Bishop Gore and Olchfa websites.

We wrote a message to our classmates that could be included in a book of meassages, including some funny memories from our time in Whitestone.

Finally, we started a Maths Investigation called Adding Plus, in which we experimented with the digits 1 - 9 and addition signs.

If 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 =45,

what is the total of 12 + 3 + 45 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9?

Where would you place the addition signs in this calculation...

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 = 99

Your home learning this week will extend this further.

This week's Home Learning

I would like you to write a recount about your time in Whitestone Primary School, whether that is a few months, a year or 7 years.  Think about highlights from your time here - what will be your lasting memory?  How do you feel about leaving?  If you met someone about to come to Whitestone, how would you describe the school?

Please continue to think about any questions you might have about starting in your secondary school - we will use these further next week in school.

Create a time line of your life so far.  Include significant events, for example, when you were born, when your started walking / talking, when you started pre-school, when your younger brothers or sisters were born...etc Use images to illustrate your time line.

Portrait work - think about the portrait work we carried out during our Tudor topic.  Try hard to remember how to space the features of the face accurately (Google it if not!) and create a self-portrait of you now.  Then find a picture of you as a baby and sketch a portrait of you back then.  You could use pencil shading, coloured pencils or water colours to finish your portraits off.  You could also create portraits from now and then of different family members!  They'll love you for it!

  I'd like you to do some reading on internet safety and appropriate behaviours on social media.  We will discuss this next week.

Maths Investigation - I would like you to continue with the investigation we were doing in school - Adding Plus.  (see above in-school learning to remind yourselves what we did!).

Using 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and addition signs, how many different totals can you make?  Keep the digits in the same order and push some together to make 2 digit numbers.  Once you have done this, think about creating 3 digit numbers and combinations of 1 / 2 / 3 digit numbers and explore the different totals you can make.  Move onto using 4 digit numbers and combinations of 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 digit numbers - what totals can you make?

Year 6 Home Learning

June (2) 2020

Hey Year 6,

How are you all?

Here are some more activities to keep you busy over the next week or so.  I hope you have enjoyed the rainforest theme - this will be our final tasks related to the topic.  

I am looking forward to seeing some of you before the end of term and, for those of you staying home, you will be following exactly the same learning as those who have decided to come back to school.  I will, more than likely, post the activities on a Sunday evening ready for the week ahead.  We will certainly cover some work related to your transition to secondary school.

As always, remember to email me what you have been doing - 

kissickr6@hwbmail.cymru.net

Take care all,

Mrs Kissick 

Literacy work

Descriptive writing - To finish off our written work on rainforests, I would like you to write a creative piece describing the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of the rainforest.  Remember that effective descriptive techniques are: 

•  exciting, adventurous adjectives written in 3's (Power of 3) - eg, green, lush, shiny leaves
• similes that compare something to another similar thing - eg, as tall as a ....
• descriptive, complex sentences that extend what you are trying to describe - eg, As the sun shines through the green, lush, shiny leaves, the raindrops run like a river, falling onto the damp, marshy, humid forest floor below.

You can choose which aspect of the rainforest you describe.  You might want to use one of the images below to base your writing on.  You could write a description of each picture, giving an account of very different scenes. In order to plan your writing effectively, I suggest that you plan it using 4 boxes - one for sights, one for smells, one for sounds and the final one for feelings.  Note down ideas in each box, along with adjectives and adventurous words that you could use for that particular sense.  

Then use your notes to write a 4 paragraph description of the rainforest.  You could decorate your writing afterwards, using drawings / images.  Remember to send me your work so I can 'mark' it!

Transition questions - I would also like you to have a think about any questions that you might have relating to starting secondary school.  Any general questions / anything you are concerned about / anything you are curious about.  Jot them down and we will be using them over the next few weeks.  

Maths work

Problem solving and reasoning - This week, on Active Learn, I have allocated a variety of problem solving challenges off nRich for you to complete.  Remember to take your learning deeper by answering all of the questions related to each problem.  You could also challenge yourself by looking at the problems and asking yourself, "What if I changed....?" and decide on a part of the problem to change.

Remember that BBC Bitesize Daily Maths lessons are still running to give you a bit of variety.

Science work

Pollination / fertilisation / fruit formation / seed dispersal

Use the following website to access worksheets and teacher notes relating to the life cycle of flowering plants.  Complete the tasks and then carry out some research of your own on flowering plants of the rainforest and the different ways that they disperse their seeds in order to reproduce.

https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/elibrary/resource/34260/reproduction-and-life-cycles-part-2

Art work

I would like you to create a rainforest collage, using different shades of green.  You can use any scrap paper, magazine pages (make sure you have permission before ripping these up!), food packaging, paper that you have coloured in first.  You might like to camouflage some animals within your picture or you may like to use bright colours to include some rainforest creatures.  Remember to send me a photo of your finished piece! 

Year 6 Home Learning

June (1) 2020

Hi Year 6,

Here are a few new tasks for you to try and to keep you busy!

I hope you enjoy them!

Please email me anything that you complete as I have really loved seeing what some of you have been doing.

My email address is kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

Take care and I'll hopefully see you soon.

Love from

Mrs Kissick 

English work

Poetry - I'd like you to use the topic of Rainforests to write some poetry.  There are many different types of poem that you could compose - they could follow a rhyming pattern or not, they could follow a syllable pattern like a haiku (5,7,5) or a tanka (5,7,5,7,7) or spell out a word as an acrostic poem.

Remember to choose words that are exciting and descriptive - try to paint a picture with the words you are using.

Maths work

Once again, I will be allocating you some new tasks on Active Learn - this time based on coordinates and moving (translating) shapes on grids.  I've also allocated each of you a resource sheet that has a grid in all 4 quadrants.

Keep going with your number work and the nrich problem solving website I recommended.  Also the BBC Bitesize Daily Lessons are still running and look very good.

I have also allocated the answer sheets from the tasks I gave you last time.

Science

Food chains - In Science, food chains are used to show how plants and animals get their energy.

Use the following website to research how food chains work -

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zbnnb9q

Look carefully at what a food chain actually is and the variety of food chains that can be found in different environments around the world. Also, use the class clips to develop your knowledge and understanding.

Once you have a secure understanding of what a food chain is and looked at different examples, create a variety of different food chains that can be found in the rainforest.

What does every food chain start with?

Why are the arrows in a food chain so important?

Can you name the producer and consumers within each food chain?

Art work

Felt pen / coloured pencil pictures - Sketch an image of an animal within the rainforest.  Create the background by sketching large leaves / trees.  Use felt pens or coloured pencils to create a colourful, bold picture.  The images below might give you some ideas.

Year 6 Half Term Challenge

Hi Year 6

A challenge for you - over half term, make, or help make, a meal for your family.  Make it as healthy as possible and remember to ask for supervision when using knives, the oven, etc.  

Send me a photo of your creation, as well as a review from you family members, to my Hwb email - kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

I can then share your photo on Twitter to show off what you have been doing!

Looking forward to seeing your culinary creations!

Take care all,

Mrs Kissick xx

Home Learning

May (1) 2020

Hi everyone.  I hope you are all keeping well and safe.  

Here are a few new tasks to keep you busy!  

Remember to contact me on via my email if there is anything you would like to share with me or just to say hi!

kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

Also use Twitter to keep me up to date with how you are getting on.

Take care all,

Mrs Kissick

Research work - this is an ongoing task as Rainforests is a very big topic.  It would be interesting to find out why the rainforests around the world are in danger and what the effects of this are.  Who is being affected?  People / animals?  Who is benefitting?  What would the results be if the rainforests disappeared?

Literacy work 

Story writing - write a story based in / on a rainforest.  Think about your main characters - will they be human or animal?  I would use 2 or 3 characters - more than that becomes a little difficult to manage.  Remember to plan your story out first, thinking about the beginning, the build up, the dilemma, the resolution and the ending.  Use descriptive, exciting words to build a picture in your readers head of where your story is taking place.  Think about including speech between your characters and using the correct punctuation. 

Eg, "Come on, let's go this way," shouted Oli, "I can see an opening in the trees."

Use creative words instead of using 'said'!

Once you have finished writing, editing and improving your story, you could turn it into a book, adding illustrations for each page.

Explanation writing - a piece of explanation writing is written to describe a process and to answer a how or why question.  It is in chronological (time) order and guides the reader through the process by using time connectives.  It will also include other connectives that allow the writer to expand on ideas and extend their sentences.  Technical words are used to do with the process being explained and present tense is used.

I would like you to decide on an explanation that you could write based on Rainforests.  Remember your writing should answer a how or why question - e.g. How are rainforests being put at risk by humans?

Maths work 

I will only be allocating you some new tasks on Active Learn this time as the Maths that I suggested last time could keep you busy for about a year!  Keep going with your number work and the nrich problem solving website I recommended.  Also the BBC Bitesize Daily Lessons are still running and look very good.

So check you Active Learn account for some tasks based on data Handling this time - data collection and representing it in different ways.  I have also allocated the answer sheets from the tasks I gave you last time.

Design Technology

Design a t shirt that gives a clear message on the dangers facing the rainforests.  Make it colourful and striking.  If you have a spare white t shirt, you could create your design using fabric or even felt pens. (Just don't wash it if you use felt pens!)  I would love to see your designs and, if you are actually able to transfer this onto a t shirt, a photo of you wearing it would be great!

Science 

Last time I asked you to find out about how animals have adapted to life in the rainforest.  This time I would like you to find out how plants have adapted to rainforest life.  For example, the trees in the rainforest are incredibly tall to reach the sunlight and their bark is very smooth to allow water to flow down to the roots easily.  You could create some beautiful labelled drawings of the different plants.

Home Learning

April 2020

Hi everyone.

I hope you are all staying safe and keeping busy.  I assume you have all been working hard and completed the work that I set! Don't panic if you haven't - there was an awful lot there.

I thought, as we should have started a new term, that we could start a new topic.  So I have decided that Rainforests will be an interesting one!  The following tasks are for the next 2 weeks, after which I will add some more. 

Please don't feel the need to print everything out - any sheets could just be on your screen for you to copy or refer to.

Remember to contact me or send examples of what you've been doing to my email address - kissickr6@hwbcymru.net - and also use twitter to keep me updated on what you've been up to.

Take care of yourselves as always,

Mrs Kissick xx

Research work

Obviously before you can do any writing based on Rainforests you need to do some research!  To start with you'll need to find out what a rainforest is and where they are located around the world.  Look carefully at where in the world we can find rainforests - what do you notice about their location?  I would then like you to concentrate on the Amazon rainforest - where it is / how big it is / climate and weather / what it consists of / plants / animals.  

Rainforests are made up of layers - what are these?  Which plants / animals can be found in each layer?  Can you create a drawing to show the layers?

Remember to use 'for kids' at the end of your search so that the information you find is relevant to and written for children.

Literacy-based tasks

This term I would like to give you more choice with your writing so I'm not going to tell you exactly what to write, just what type of writing I would like you to produce.

• Non-chronological report - a piece of writing that tells the reader how something is.  Written in paragraphs, in the present tense and in 3rd person (they), a non-chronological report can include subheadings in order to organise the information into clear sections and needs an introduction and conclusion.  Using Rainforests as a topic, think about what your non-chronological report could be about - the layers that make up rainforests / different plants / animals of the rainforest...your choice.  You could write your report as a continuous piece of writing or maybe an information leaflet...your choice!
• Recount writing - a piece of writing which tells the reader of an event that has already happened.  A recount can be written as a diary so needs to be in first person (I) or as a newspaper report so would be in third person (they).  A diary would concentrate on the writer's feelings and actions, and a newspaper report would recall a specific event that has happened, possibly using quotes from a witness or expert.  Think carefully about how you could write a diary entry / newspaper report based on rainforests. 

• Please continue with regular handwriting and reading practice.

Design Technology

• Create a diorama of a rainforest using a shoebox and scrap coloured paper. See the images below for ideas - you could create the animals from paper / card too. 

Maths

• Please continue with the number tasks that I outlined previously - you could gradually make the numbers larger.  Remember to check your own answers using the inverse operation, as well as using a calculator.  If an answer is wrong, challenge yourself to find out why it is wrong rather than just writing what is on the calculator screen.  Work through the calculation to see where you have gone wrong.
• I have had a look at the BBC Bitesize Daily Maths lessons and I think they look good.  There seems to be lots of interactive material and resources, as well as hands-on tasks.

• I would also highly recommend nrich as an excellent problem solving resource.  I often use tasks from this website as a way of applying what you have learnt.  The tasks are well differentiated for different abilities and specific to different age ranges, as well as covering all maths areas.  This address will take you to the home page - https://nrich.maths.org/ - use the 'topic' search tool (top right) and search for an area of maths.  You will then be able to select which age range and challenge level.  I would recommend having a go at a range of different problems.

• I will also be using the Active Primary tool to allocate a range of tasks based around Measures for you - telling the time, length, capacity, mass, area, perimeter. Let me know if you need your password and I'll forward it to you.

There is a lot of Maths here and I certainly don't expect you to complete everything!  Just try a different task each day.

Science

• Find out how the animals living in the Amazon rainforest have adapted to living there. Which layer of the rainforest do they live in and how have they adapted to that specific layer?  For example, the sloth uses camouflage and moves very slowly to make it difficult for predators to spot.  You could create a fact file based on how different animals have adapted to rainforest life.  Think carefully about how their adaptations are crucial to their survival.

HOME LEARNING

MARCH 2020

Hi Year 6.  I hope you are all well and staying safe.  Here are some tasks that you can have a go at - they are all building on learning that we have already covered this year.  Just try your best with them.  If you want to contact me at all, my email address is

kissickr6@hwbcymru.net

Please take care of yourselves,

Mrs Kissick :-)

Literacy-based tasks

Handwriting - use lined paper to practise your handwriting.  Remember the basic rule - all letters join, apart from capitals. You could find some short poems to copy out.

Alphabetical order - list words that begin with the same first, second, third, fourth letter in alphabetical order.  Use a dictionary to check.

Reading - find a book to read.  Read it for enjoyment, enjoy the plot and the characters.

Use a notebook /make a notebook from A4 paper to write your thoughts and reflections down as you read your book.

Create a character description of one of the main characters - think about which descriptive language / phrases you could use.

Predict the ending of the story - why do you think it might end in this way?

Create a new character for your book.  How will they fit into the story?

Read aloud to someone - ask them to ask you questions about what you've read.

Can you list the verbs / adjectives used on one page of your book?

Think about how the author makes you want to carry on reading.  List the strategies that they have used.

Think about how the main characters' actions show their feelings / thoughts.

Which words or phrases has the author used to create a frightening or tense atmosphere / to make you laugh?

Writing

Letter writing - write a formal letter to Henry VIII - ask him about life in Tudor times and aspects of his life that we have learnt about.  Think carefully about the layout of and language in your letter - where should the addresses go / the position of the date / the language you need to use to make the letter formal / how you need to sign your letter off.  Once you have written your formal letter, re-write it as an informal letter.  Think carefully how the layout and language will be different.

Balanced argument - we were just starting some work on writing a balanced text before I disappeared on Tuesday!  We looked at a few different texts that gave a balanced argument based on a question, e.g. should children bring mobile phones to school?  Write a balanced argument about whether Henry VIII was right to execute Anne Boleyn.  Remember it's important that your writing gives both sides of the argument in a balanced way, before you give your own opinion. You could also think of a topic of your choice to base your writing on. 

Persuasive writing - remember that persuasive writing is one-sided - it is written to convince people to think or buy something.  Write a piece of persuasive writing based on one or all of the following - should PE be compulsory in schools? / why should people self-isolate at the moment? / should dogs be allowed on all Gower beaches all year round?  Think carefully about they types of phrases that you need to include, e.g. Obviously, many people believe, why wouldn't you...? etc.

Non-chronological report writing - We live in a beautiful part of the world, surrounded by amazing beaches.  Research the history of a range of Gower beaches and produce an information leaflet based on them.  Include illustrations or photographs.  Remember a non-chronological report needs an introduction and a conclusion.  Fun facts are always a nice touch too!

Story writing - Choose a theme for your story - anything you like.  Choose 2 characters and where your story will be set.  Plan your story using the 5 parts - beginning, build-up, climax, resolution and ending.  Plan to use descriptive words and phrases.  Set speech out effectively using punctuation, speech marks and words that are more interesting than 'said'.  Once you have written your story in a controlled way, edit and improve it - does it make sense / could you add any punctuation / could you improve any of the description / have you used enough exciting vocabulary?  Now make your story into an illustrated book using A4 paper.  Remember a cover and a blurb on the back!

Maths tasks

Make yourself 2 sets of 0 - 9 cards, just like the ones we use in school.

Use your cards to make your own numbers to add / subtract / multiply / divide.

Addition - create numbers with 3, 4 or 5 digits.  Add them together using column addition.  Add 2 or 3 numbers together.  Check your answers using the inverse (opposite) operation.

Subtraction - create 3, 4 or 5 digit numbers.  Subtract a smaller number from a larger number - remember which goes on the top.  Check your answers using the inverse (opposite) operation.

Multiplication - create 3 or 4 digit numbers to multiply by a 1 or 2 digit number.  Remember what happens to the tens number when multiplying by a 2 digit number and you add a 0 to the second row of working out. Check your answers using the inverse (opposite) operation.

Division - create 3 or 4 digit numbers and divide them by a single digit. Check your answers using the inverse (opposite) operation - think carefully how this will be affected if your division has a remainder.

Fractions

Choose 2 of your cards and create a proper fraction (the numerator is less than the denominator).  List 4 fractions that are equivalent to (the same as) your fraction. Eg - 1/2 = 2/4 = 3/6 = 4/8 = 5/10

Choose 2 cards and create an improper fraction (the numerator is greater than the denominator).  change your fraction into a mixed number (a whole number and fraction).  Eg - 6/4 = 1 2/4 = 1 1/2  

Choose 4 cards to create 2 proper fractions.  Add these fractions together - remember to find the common denominator before trying to add fractions with different denominators.  What is the lowest number in both of these times tables?  Eg - 1/2 + 2/3 (6 is the lowest number in the 2 and 3 times tables so change both into sixths)  Remember that you must do the same to the numerator and denominator.  3/6 + 4/6 = 7/6 = 1 1/6

Times tables

Tables bugs for all times tables in order to reinforce old tables and learn new ones.

Ask someone to test you on random times tables from which ever one you are learning.

Recreate our weekly times tables test, splitting your page into 4 and testing yourself on the division facts as well.

Topic-based tasks

Research the Marie-Rose - how is it connected to Henry VIII?  Where is it now?  When was it discovered?  How did it come to be there?  What is its history?  Create an information leaflet / fact file all about the Mari-Rose and what you have found out.

Use an empty cereal box to create a Tudor house - what characteristics did Tudor houses have?  How will you recreate these using a cardboard box?!  If you have access to any wood, you could make a framework as a base for your house and then stick white paper on top.  Then add detail to your structure using a black felt pen or pencil.

Design a poster to summarise the main dates and aspects of the Tudor period that we have learnt about.  How will you make your poster eye-catching and attractive?

Science tasks

The link below will take you to a great pack of kitchen sink science investigations that can be carried out with only a few pieces of equipment.  I like it because it gives you extension activities and points to discuss with someone else.

https://learning-resources.sciencemuseum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kitchen-science.pdf

PE

Every morning at 9am, on You Tube, Joe Wicks is doing a live, half an hour PE session for children of all ages (and adults too!). Why not join in - if you're up?!! 

Remember to email me if you have any questions