Primary 6alpha

with Mrs Wood

Welcome to Primary 6 alpha at Maidenhill Primary School and thank you for visiting our Google Site.

Here you will find helpful information about what's going on in class as well as updates and photos of our learning.

Growth Mindset

We have been learning all about Growth Mindset.

A fixed mindset is when you feel like you can't do things and you get upset by making mistakes. But a growth mindset is feeling like you can't do things YET, and knowing that mistakes are going to help you learn.

We made a poster about growth mindset. We had one side for growth mindset where we used lots of colour and positive quotes about learning. The other side was for fixed mindset where we used black and white and lots of negative thoughts.

A few times a week Mrs Wood sticks a poster on the board in the morning that has a positive quote about learning and life on it. We have to discuss in our table groups what the quote means to us.

By Arjun and Lachlan

Myths and Legends

This block, our context for learning was myths and legends.

We started by learning about Scottish myths and legends such as kelpies, selkies and of course Nessie. Then we created and drew our own mythical creatures with a partner. They were all so different but very creative and amazing.

We are currently writing our own myths and legends story that must include a mythical creature and use detailed descriptive language such as similes and metaphors. Some of us have used our amalgamated creatures in our myths.

By Tarandeep and Sanvika

Schools Air Race Challenge

During the last few weeks we have been taking part in a challenge set by ASSET (Aero Space Scientific Educational Trust) that could mean we win mini drones for our school! Our first job was to design and make a paper aeroplane that could fly the furthest distance and stay in the air the longest.

We split into five groups of six and spent time researching what types of designs work well. We looked at "Foldandfly" and found step-by-step guides on how to make them. We then made a few different designs and tested them out to see which ones were the best. We found that the more pointy the nose and the bigger the wings the further it would fly. After that we had to choose just one for our final version.

We tested all the planes in the atrium and measured the distances using trundle wheels. Every plane flew between 8 and 10 metres! We submitted our designs and waited for the results... we had made it to the finals!

Now we have four more challenges ahead of us and we can't wait! So far we researched different jobs to do with planes such as pilots, aircraft engineers and air traffic control.

Check back soon for more updates on our drone adventures!

By Josh and Sam

Schools Air Race Challenge Update

We have been set a range of challenges to complete in order to win the competition. For the first challenge, we had to choose pilots that would control and fly the drone. Each group decided to interview anyone who was interested in the role. Next, the groups had to design an obstacle course that their chosen pilots would navigate the drone around.

Each group choose 2 pilots and worked extremely hard to design the best course for our drone. We used a range of equipment and worked collaboratively to ensure we were able to complete the first challenge.

When setting up our courses, we realised we had to simplify aspects of it as it would be easier for our pilots to control the drone. Thankfully, all groups were able to create amazing obstacle courses and we are now beginning to film our pilots as evidence for the competition.

Please use the link to view our SWAY and the work we completed for our Air Challenge 2022 competition!

Literacy

During Literacy, we have been writing stories about myths and legends for our topic. I am most proud of how far my setting and character descriptions have come. We have also done many comprehension texts that have helped develop our understanding of words and how to evaluate.

My favourite thing by far though, was our persuasive and informational presentations we have done were educational but fun to create. The presenting part was a bit harder but as Mrs Wood says, we faked until we made it.

By Tarandeep

Maths

During this term, we have learnt about different units of measure, how to solve algebraic equations and investigated fractions, decimals and percentages. We have used scales and place value charts to help create more depth in our learning. In later life , when we have jobs being able to do mental maths, on paper calculations and being able to use numeracy tools will be useful.

By Tarandeep & Virat

Health & Wellbeing

P.E.

I am really of my P.E record. We have learn athletics, volleyball, throwing and catching games. In all of these things, my skills have exceeded and I put effort in all my subjects but I enjoy this one more.

By Luke

Friendships

In class we have done exercises to find the qualities of a good friend. We have listened to some of Mrs Wood's amazing stories and we have done fun activities as a class.

By Tarandeep, Luke and Virat

French

This month, we’ve been developing our French skills. So far, we’ve been studying at everyday vocabulary that we use in the classroom to help us become more confident at speaking French in our daily lives. As well as class instructions, we’ve been learning to describe ourselves, particularly our likes and dislikes, through short, prepared conversation, games and role-plays.

We’ve also been improving our research skills while learning about Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. The children have been improving their ability to use search engines to find websites and specific information. We’ll also be learning about the reliability of information on the internet and how we can check sources are credible, how to search for specific images and what usage rights are. Finally, we will use our skills to create an informative presentation on an aspect of Ancient Greek or Roman life that interests us.

Outdoor PE

Here we are practising our balance skills as we are learning Gymnastics during our PE time. We always make sure we are safe and support one another when practising these difficult movements.

MUGA

We use this time to revise skills we have been developing in the gym hall as we have more room!

Reading For Enjoyment

Every week, we go to the library to enjoy a good book. We call this our 'Reading for Enjoyment' time; a time where we can forget about the day's troubles and get lost in a good story, one that takes us away to far off land!

Additionally, we use this time to try out new authors and genres, to try and find stories that 'hook' us in and engage our interest. As Dr Seuss said "the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

5 Minute Frenzy

To revise our multiplication skills, four out of five of the school days we complete a 5 Minute Frenzy board. We have 5 minutes to complete a 100 square board, solving timestable questions as fast as we can! We then time ourselves and try to beat our score.

Drama

This group re-enacted a challenging social situation where they showed the class the benefits of leading with kindness, being compassionate and listening to each other to reach a resolution.

STEM

This term, we have been focusing on developing our STEM skills. There are many reasons why we complete these types of activities. When we work together, we develop our critical thinking and it builds resilience, particularly when we have to resort to plan b! So far, we have conducted research and worked as part of a team to build the following:

A spaghetti bridge that held a 1kg bag of sugar.
A beautiful straw building.
A cardboard boat that floated when filled with weight.
A stick bridge that joined two (parted) tables together.

Marble Run

This term, we continue to develop skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths by working collaboratively to solve a design problem. When we complete these tasks we develop:

problem solving skills;
creativity;
critical thinking;
resilience.

For our next STEM challenge, we will be building a chair made entirely from cardboard. We will measure accurately and ensure the design resembles a chair. Lastly, we will test the chair to see if it will hold the weight of someone in the class. Their feet must leave the ground! We will upload pictures when we complete the challenge.

This week we began our new context, Scottish History. We decided together what we would like to learn about. We want to know more about:

Famous Scots and inventions.
Scottish food.
The relationship between Scotland and Britain.
Scots language through poetry.
The history of football and Scotland.
Significant moments in Scotland's past.

We hope to share our learning with you soon!

Scottish Pop Art

We created our own tartan by using a template and carefully choosing colours to create a unique design. We researched the features of 'Pop Art' and choose a word in Scots, writing this in the centre. We think it looks great when added to the wall, creating a unique art piece for all to enjoy!

In addition, we found out about the Scottish Wars of Independence by creating a human timeline. It was really interesting to learn about the relationship between France, England and Scotland.

Lastly, we created our own Scottish Plate, choosing our favourite Scottish ingredients to create an interesting dish fit for a Scottish king!

STEM

This term, we were challenged with stopping the flow of water from the school's water pipe located in our playground. First, we used online sources to research different types of dams. As we were using natural materials, we focused our research on the way beavers construct their dams, watching videos and reading about 'how' they use wood and other materials to ensure they decrease the water flow. By working as part of a group, we sourced materials from the playground and successfully decreased the water flow from the pipe. We hope you enjoy looking at the pictures of our work.

It is with a heavy heart, that this will be the final post we write on our P6 Alpha Class Blog.

It has been an adventure Primary 6 and I am so proud of how far you have all come this year. I have seen you all grow in confidence, maturity and not to mention the fantastic achievements in your own personal learning journeys. I wish you all the very best in Primary 7. Remember to always reach for the moon, because even if you miss, you'll still be among the stars!

Mrs Wood :)

STEM Fayre

At this year's STEM Fayre, our class decided to showcase a selection of the work we have completed during our time in Primary 6. We carefully chose 5 of our best activities and each group created their own presentations to present throughout the event. Our chosen activities were:

Boat.
Building made of paper straws.
Cardboard chair.
Marble run.
Newspaper fort.

Furthermore, we had two stations were you could try to build a newspaper fort or cardboard chair fit for a teddy bear. As STEM experts we were able to help those who tried!

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