Turing Class

Module 5 & 6

This module, our students have continued reading The Wild Robot and have shown a strong understanding of the story. They’ve explored character choices thoughtfully and expressed their own opinions, while also using rich descriptive vocabulary to bring the book’s settings to life.

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we celebrated by writing thoughtful and imaginative VE Day poems, reflecting on the celebrations that took place at this time.

In maths, we are working hard to deepen our understanding of decimal places and apply this knowledge in a range of contexts.

We’ve also been exploring how stories and symbols shape our view of the world. Our lines of inquiry have led us to examine key symbols and stories from both the UK and USA, discovering the beliefs and values they represent.

As part of our community participation, we visited the Gurdwara in Gravesend to learn more about the Sikh religion and the important role Sikhs play in our local community. We were warmly welcomed and had the opportunity to experience the Langar, where we enjoyed a delicious meal. We followed the respectful customs of the Gurdwara by washing our hands, removing our shoes, and covering our heads. As always, we were deeply impressed by the strong sense of community and service that lies at the heart of the Sikh faith.

Module 3 & 4

As part of our learning about the Peasants' Revolt, we visited Rochester Castle to explore how the peasants stormed the castle in 1381. We learned about the castle's defences, why it was an important target, and what the revolt tells us about life in medieval England.

When celebrating Comic Relief we all took part in a cross satellite quiz, hosted by Nathan and Daisy (who were very comical).  We mixed our classes and worked together.   As a class, we also learned that many young people in Britain face homelessness and Comic Relief supports young people in getting back to education and work. We reflected on what we deem important in our lives. 

This week in class, we took a fascinating journey back to 1381 to explore the different social classes in England. We began examining the Peasants' Revolt, using the concept of a "chair tax" as a springboard for discussions about fair and unfair treatment. In our writing lessons, we focused on planning short stories effectively by breaking down the beginning, middle, and end into smaller, more manageable parts. Finally, during PSPD, we discussed the importance of having high aspirations, setting achievable goals, and identifying the steps necessary to reach them.

Module 1 & 2

Our students have been combining learning with fun! They've experienced real-world community engagement at Bluewater where we conducted market research for our own Enterprise.  The students considered how the staff in shops served and interacted with customers, and thought about what made items sells.  Whilst there we visited the Giving Tree and donated four presents to charities, including We are Beams, to support those less fortunate. The students really enjoyed reminiscing in toy shops when they saw toys they used to enjoy themselves. 

They have strengthened their math skills by solving different addition and subtraction problems.  We have been thinking about ways that we can solve problems using efficient mental methods rather than needing to write things down. 

The students developed their entrepreneurial skills by preparing for our Christmas market where they began making products and considering cost and profit.  

We started to get further into the holiday spirit with Christmas Jumper Day.

This week, we have explored the courage and ingenuity of the conductors of the Underground Railroad, who risked their lives to help enslaved people escape to freedom. To truly understand their experiences, we've even tried our hand at writing diary entries from their perspective.

We were also fortunate to have a virtual chat with Emmanuel Asuquo, an inspiring author who shared his wisdom on personal finance. His insights into making the most of our money were truly enlightening!

We had a very valuable visit from Kooth! This mental health charity for young people offers a safe and supportive online space. They showed us around their website, highlighting the resources and tools available to help us manage our mental health. If you're feeling overwhelmed or need someone to talk to, remember Kooth! is there for you.

This week is anti-bullying week and we have been thinking about what bullying means and how we can challenge this by creating leaflets.  We have engaged in some reflective discussions with regards to prejudice and discrimination and have considered how we would feel in certain situations.  

This week is also World Nursery Rhyme Week and we have looked at the poem The Star by Jane Taylor.  The first verse of the poem is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, however there are actually four more verses to this poem based on a star like the one Harriet Tubman followed to escape.  Some of us have previously learnt about the triangular slave trade routes, however we have now been exploring what the conditions were like on the vessels and considered how the enslaved people felt. 

We have already engaged with so much new learning this module.   We have started reading 'The Listeners' by Gloria Whelan, which is told through the eyes of a child forced into slavery.  Every day she is sent to listen to what news there may be.  The author's note discusses the purpose of passing stories down through generations and we have enjoyed discussing why we believe this is important.  Linking to this we have been exploring the life of a former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman who used the stars to help guide her. 

In maths we are solving different problems relating to addition and subtraction and have been using the  column method to help us.   

What does happiness mean to you? We have been open minded and discussed the meaning of happy and happiness; we have thought about what makes us happy and how we feel when we are.   In MFL we have been inspired by the planets and have enjoyed learning the names of them. 

We visited Dartford library and learned about the different books and resources they offer. We then took a walk to the river Darent, where we observed the wildlife and discussed the river's importance for the local ecosystem. We also considered how the river might be used for recreational activities or transportation. We also explored Dartford town center and visited several charity shops to donate some items we no longer needed. The staff at the charity shops were incredibly helpful and answered our questions about the organizations they support. We learned that all of the money raised by the charity shops goes directly to charitable causes, making a positive impact on the community.

Students learned about the different steps a heart goes through, from the moment blood enters the heart to the moment it is pumped out to the body. They thought about problems that affect nature, such as pollution, deforestation, and climate change. They wrote letters to their local councilor to share their concerns and ask for changes to address these issues.

By studying symbols used in Judaism, students gained a better understanding of how different cultures have unique beliefs and traditions. This helped them appreciate the diversity of human experiences. Finally, they learned about the different sections a river travels through: the upper course, where the river is narrow and fast-flowing; the middle course, where the river is wider and slower; and the lower course, where the river is wide and calm.

Students delved into the poetic world of "The River" by Valerie Bloom. They explored the poem's meaning, crafting their own unique interpretations. To broaden their understanding, they embarked on a journey to identify rivers from around the globe. They then used their  mathematics knowledge to tackle problems related to river lengths. By comparing and contrasting these lengths, they developed a deeper appreciation for the vastness and diversity of the world's waterways.

Following on from our line of inquiry that people are inspired by nature, we looked at how nature is used in literacy.  We learnt about the importance of this  in stories for adding more detail and appealing to our senses.  We wrote our own stories inspired by a picture from nature.  We have thought about how the Bora Bora people communicate by drumming and have been using Djembe drums to create our own sounds of the river.  In an inquiry into rivers we looked at what a body of water is and started thinking about how they are formed. 

When exploring how other cultures communicate in different ways and have different cultures we explored a Maori myth about a creature called a Taniwha that lived in a river, but was angry when it was disturbed and thought about how we could use literacy skills to describe the creature.  We have been thinking about stereotypes in careers and how these began. It encouraged us to reflect on our own opinions about certain careers. We're all inspired by nature to some extent and created our own moodboards linked to different emotions that are represented by nature. 

As an introduction to our Unit of Inquiry, students have embarked on a journey of discovery, exploring our lines of inquiry through a thought-inspiring provocation.  Students were given the opportunity to consider how different cultures communicate; how rivers and water systems support us; and what inspires us about nature through introductory activities.  We have investigated the vocabulary used in our central idea and lines of inquiry to think about what we already know and what we are curious about.  Under the line of inquiry rivers and coasts connect people to their history and culture, we have been thinking about what rivers and coasts are in our natural world. We have identified the differences between rivers and coasts and the features that they both have.   We have been sorting myths and legends according to the different aspects we may see in them.