Dangers to animal habitats

This afternoon we looked at dangers to animal habitats. We discussed man made and environmental dangers and how they pose a threat to habitats. The children produced a poster based on a mind map we produced together. The two lucky winners are pictured below. Well done girls! 

Bio-blitz

Today we enjoyed a fun filled day at Wyre Estuary Country Park (Stannah). The day involved a carousel of nature and eco themed activities, everything from nature walks to examining owl pellets. It really was an informative, fun filled trip. 

Navigating obstacles

In PE today, Einstein class navigated an obstacle course. The course was tricky in places and involved the children using various skills, such as aiming and balancing, to navigate successfully. 

Melting moments

Our Science lesson took a tasty turn today. As a continuation of our learning about solids, liquids and gases we conducted an experiment to find out which type of chocolate melts the quickest. We tested milk, white and dark chocolate and discussed what was happening to the particles as the chocolate melted. White chocolate melted the quickest and if you want to know why, just ask any child in Einstein class and they will tell you why.

French - Carnival of the Animals

In French the children have listened to Carnival of the Animals, written by Saint Saens.  They have been thinking about how the music reflects the personality of particular animals.  To reinforce their learning they built 'human sentences'.  The challenge was to extend their sentences and use the correct plural language.

Royal Wedding Celebrations 

Einstein class joined in a whole school celebration today in aid of the Royal wedding. The children enjoyed an outdoor lunch in the form a picnic, complete with tiaras. It was a lovely occasion, as you see below. 

Hockey skills

Our PE lesson today focused on hockey skills. The children worked on dribbling around obstacles and through targets. Control was key and the children managed brilliantly.  

Fabulous non-fiction writing

This week sees the completion of our Ancient Egypt information books. The children have studied Egyptian Gods, the River Nile, Egyptian occupations and mummification. The booklets are presented as an information booklet, complete with contents page and glossary. 

Discovering more about Ancient Egypt...

Our exploration of Ancient Egypt has so far included the importance of the River Nile and the different jobs available to the Ancient Egyptians. This week our learning took a more squeamish turn as we looked at the mummification process. The children found this very interesting, particularly the removal of the brain through the nostrils using a sharp, pointy hook.  

Free the fizz

Our Science lesson this week involved an experiment based on our focus for this half term, states of matter. The aim was to measure the weight of carbon dioxide in a selection of fizzy drinks. To do this the children weighed each drink before leaving them overnight to go flat. We then weighed the drinks again to see if their weight had changed. It was hands on learning and the children were enthralled.    

What was it like to work in Ancient Egypt? 

In topic this week our focus is on the various jobs available in Ancient Egypt times. We are researching the different types of jobs and what they involved. 

Water art

Part of our main Science topic, States of Matter, involves looking at where water comes from and how we use it. This also links to Geography, particularly rivers and oceans. With this in mind, Einstein class have been painting pictures of well known rivers from around the world. The children mixed their own colours and experimented with sponges to create different textures. 

Writing poetry

This week we have writing our own poems. The two styles we have focused on so far are Limerick and Haiku. The poems are fantastic and I'm sure our Kenning poems will be just as fabulous. Watch this space. 

Science role play

Solids, liquids and gases are our Science focus for this half term. Yesterday the children began this topic by thinking about the properties of each state and how the particles are structured. Working in small groups, the children role played how the particles of each state of matter might behave. 

Poetry in motion

Our English focus for this half term is poetry. To begin our topic the children moved around the room in small groups and stopped at different tables where they shared thoughts and ideas about types of poems. The poem types we focused on were Haiku, Kenning and Limerick. 

Defending skills

In PE today, Einstein class were working on defence and attack tactics. The children discussed how such tactics are vital in many different games and the various techniques that they might use. The aim of the game in the pictures below was to outfox the defender and sneak into the score zone. 

Bouncy castle fun 

Einstein class enjoyed an extra special treat today, in the form of two fantastic bouncy castles! The bouncy castles were arranged by Mrs Kowalska as a thank-you to the children for their continuing impeccable behaviour and to celebrate our recent 'good' Ofsted report. It was amazing fun as you can see from the pictures below. 

Listen carefully

This week we have been experimenting with various materials to test how effectively they absorb sound. The children conducted the experiment independently using an i-pad for sound and a selection of materials ranging from cloth to bubble wrap. The children thought carefully about how to make it a fair test in terms of what variables could be changed and what must stay the same.   

Stations of The Cross

Einstein have been working on Stations of The Cross this week. We have Station VI, 'Veronica wipes the face of Jesus'  and Station XIV, 'Jesus is placed in the tomb'. We thought about how terrible and scary Jesus must have looked. He was battered and bruised, he had blood oozing from his wounds and he was covered in dust and dirt. Most people would have turned or ran away from such a frightening sight.Veronica didn’t look away. Veronica didn’t look at Jesus with her eyes though, she looked with her heart. Instead of seeing the horrible, scary things, Veronica looked with her heart and saw a person in need of help and kindness.

For our other station we thought about when Jesus was placed in the tomb and how it was a very sad, dark time for a lot of people. We thought about other people experiencing dark times in their lives and how we could ask Jesus to comfort them. Our station is decorated with the prayers we wrote, asking Jesus to help them through their darkness and help them find the light. 

French Easter craft

Our French lesson this week was Easter themed. The children learnt French words relating to Easter and then created a delightful, expanding Easter egg to display them.  As you can see from the pictures below, the children were extremely proud of their creations.  

Marshmallow and spaghetti challenge

Einstein class were joined by some parents this afternoon. We enjoyed a fun task which involved making structures out of marshmallows and spaghetti. The aim was to create a structure that resembled an Italian landmark. It was most definitely a challenge, requiring both the mind of a structural engineer and the patience of a saint! As usual, our wonderful children and their adult helpers did not disappoint! Take a look at the fun we had.

Pitch and tone

Our Science focus for this half term is all about how we hear sound. This afternoon we concentrated on listening to different pitches and tones using a our voices and a selection of musical instruments. This was an engaging lesson and the children enjoyed experimenting with the instruments and seeing what effect this had on the sounds they made. 

Dear diary...

Friday saw the completion of our recent extended writing piece, a diary extract as Willie from 'Goodnight Mister Tom'. The writing is of a very high standard both in terms of length and quality. The children have worked tirelessly to include all the necessary features such as embedded clauses, expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials to name just a few. 

A musical extravaganza

Einstein class gave an outstanding musical performance at coffee afternoon today. The children played a selection of songs and sang along beautifully, despite only having had their instruments a few weeks. A huge well done to all of the children, they did themselves proud.  

Crafty creations

This half term Einstein class have completed a creative piece of homework based on our topic, 'What would it be like to live in Italy?'

The task was deliberately vague to encourage the children to use their imaginations as to how they could best create a feature of Italy. As you can see, the children have made some fantastic and novel creations. Well done to the children and thank-you to the adults who supported them in their efforts. The creations are still flooding in so watch this space for more pictures. 

Our special Lenten message 

Einstein class delivered a special Lenten message to the whole school in the form of an assembly this morning. The message was about waiting and being patient on the run up to Easter, just as Jesus did. The children delivered their message beautifully. Well done team Einstein! 

Mind mapping 

In preparation for writing our diary extract, as Willie from 'Goodnight Mister Tom', Einstein class had a mind mapping session. We looked at different parts of the story that we have covered so far and thought carefully about how Willie might be feeling and what might be going through his mind. Watch this space for our fabulous diary entries which will follow next week!