Today brings us to a blustery end of our third week of Spring 1. The staff were really looking forward to an afternoon of outdoor learning making dens with the children but it seemed wise to postpone that until next week! Instead, the children have been making the most of the windy weather by making their own kites to fly outside! 

This week, we have continued looking at our topic ‘Frozen Worlds’. We have been focusing on the animals that manage to survive in such freezing temperatures and how they have adapted to do so. We learnt that most of the animals have thick, waterproof fur or feathers and have a substantial layer of blubber underneath. We also noted that many of the animals have small eyes, noses and ears to minimise heat loss.  To test the effectiveness of blubber, we performed a science experiment. The children submerged their hands into icy water. One hand, however, was wrapped in a ‘blubber glove’: a plastic bag of vegetable lard. The children could then compare how their two hands felt and which stayed warmest. 

In Drawing Club, we used the animation ‘Curious George’ as our inspiration for our writing. In the episode, George was sent to the Antarctic to study penguins. The children drew pictures of the main character and considered what they would pack in their explorer’s rucksack if they were sent to the polar regions. Lots of children optimistically insisted that their beds would indeed fit into their rucksacks! 

In maths, we introduced the part /part /whole model to start developing understanding of the number bonds to 5. We also supported them to verbalise and write simple number sentences.  The children enjoyed listening to this song to complement their learning. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1oa6o0fMKk 

We also continue to enjoy our new books selected from recommended book lists. Otters' favourite this week was ‘Once upon a Fairytale’ by Natalia and Lauren O’Hara. 

Robins particularly enjoyed ‘Little Red Reading Hood’ by Lucy Doyle.