Autumn Term Topic: Change

In Whitestone Primary School, we are committed to encouraging the children to share their opinions and listening to what they would like to learn about. We introduced our new topic and asked the children to discuss what they think the word 'change' means and what they already know about things that can change. Then, we asked them to share what they would like to find out about things that can change.

After a wonderful session of interesting discussions and brainstorming, the children decided that they wanted to learn about throughout the term:

- Changes in the environment and around the world

- Changes in emotions

- Changes in yourself (appearance, opinions, personality)

- Changes in school

- Life changes

- Changes in age, growth and development

- Changes in history.

This term, the children have learned about:

- The history of classrooms and school dinners

          How school dinners have changed through the ages - Miss Tanner used to love pink custard when she was in school!

- How Whitestone has changed

          Did you know that it used to be a pig farm?

- How consistency and repetition can change and improve your fitness

          By practising exercises such as sit-ups, jumping jacks and lunges every week and recording our improvements

- How muscles can change if you exercise and eat healthily 

- The history of the Welsh language 

         Did you know that Welsh people used to be punished for speaking Welsh? Previously, at least 90% of people used to speak Welsh fluently in Wales! Now, only 19% of people in Wales speak Welsh fluently!

- How some animals are endangered and what we need to change in order to help save these animals and the environment

- How dinosaurs used to roam the earth - now, you can only see their skeletons in museums! 

- How recycling, reusing and reducing waste can help us to change the world for the better

- How the coastline has changed throughout time due to erosion

- How the moon controls the tides and how they change - up to four times a day!!! 

- How we grow, develop and change from a baby into an adult

         Year 4 and 5 really enjoyed this due to Miss Tanner's announcement of her pregnancy!