Year 5 Autumn

Voices of East Bank

W/B 11.09.23

This week Year 5 have had the incredible opportunity to take part in the Voices of East Bank project in partnership with Discover Children's Story Centre, which aims to capture the diversity of Newham's voices surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park recording their slang, new dialects and current languages. The children made a representation of their lives using figures in the sand. They went on to write their own poems with expert story builders to describe living and growing up in the East end of London. Finally the children had the chance to create an audio recording of themselves expressing their feelings and experiences through creative writing. The recorded material will become part of the Voices of East Bank website and deposited at Newham Archives. There it will be preserved as a permanent resource for use in research, publications, education, lectures, broadcasting and the internet.

Comparing Numbers to 1,000,000

W/B 18.09.23

Year 5 have been very busy in Maths this week, the children have been comparing numbers to 1,000,000 using place value charts and counters to determine the value of each digit. They have been practising how to read and write numbers both in numerals and words. Additionally, they have used their Maths sentence stems to explain their methods and identify their own learning within a lesson.

Science

This week in science, 5 Attenborough have been investigating asexual reproduction of plants. As part of our investigation we took a closer look at spring onions and how they reproduce. Using our knowledge of asexual reproduction we decided to conduct an experiment to see if new plants can grow from the roots of the parent plant. The children cut the spring onions about two to three centimetres from the root off the stems of the spring onion and put the roots in a pot of shallow water. We are going to change the water every couple of days and record any changes that we observe. As spring onions reproduce asexually, we are hoping that we will be able to grow completely new plants.

Music

This year 5 Attenborough are learning how to play the djembe drums. Djembe drums originate from West Africa, it is said to have been invented in the 12th Century by the Mandinke tribe in what is now Mali. It has been played by West Africans for generations forming an integral part of ritualistic life in Mali, Guinea, Senegal and other neighbouring West African countries. Traditionally djembe rhythms and their matching dances would have been used for certain occasions, like celebrations. This week 5 Attenborough enjoyed their second djembe lesson. They worked on three basic sounds: bass, tone, and slap, which have low, medium, and high pitch, respectively. These sounds are achieved by varying the striking technique and position. 

Geography

This week in Geography we continued our study into the Amazon Rainforest. Year 5 have been exploring the biodiversity of the rainforest and the lives of the indigenous people that live there. We took a further look at the various tribes in the Amazon and how the uncontacted people live and survive along with the threats that they are faced with. One of the tribes we focused on was the Yanomami tribe, who are considered the largest isolated tribe in South America. Their population is approximately 35,000. They live in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela in communal, circular homes, known as ‘yanos’ or ‘shabonos’. 

SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD

" Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela

Today the whole of Stratford Manor came together and wore red to stand united in showing racism the red card!

Maths

This week in Maths 5A began exploring factors and the different ways in which this can be represented. The children arranged tiles and counters to show different factors, they even drew factor bugs to support their understanding. We then moved on to prime numbers and how to identify which numbers are prime. 🙂

 🌀Plastic Free Schools 🌀

This week 5 Attenborough joined 15,000 other children across the country in the fight against plastic pollution. We have partnered up with Surfers Against Sewage and our mission is for Stratford Manor to gain Plastic Free School status. On Friday we participated in a live workshop where we heard from activists all over the world about how single-use plastic is harming our planet and is detrimental to our marine life and oceans. 5A have appointed a brand new 'Sustainability Team' who will lead our school in the right direction towards becoming plastic free. We are all incredibly excited and cannot wait to get started! 

🎨Art🎨

This week in Art, Year 5 have been comparing the different ways in which artists represent the rainforest. We explored colour mixing and how we could create unique shades that showcase the range of vibrant colours in the rainforest. We then began experimenting and layering leave and flowers in a range of ways in order to create a collage. One of the artists we focused on was John Dyer who is famous for his paintings of colourful landscapes and notable events. To highlight the vibrancy of the flowers found in the rainforest, we used fluorescent neon paints to add striking details to the petals and leaves of our flowers. 

Stratford Manor Memories

On Wednesday, Year 5 went to watch their very first pantomime! As part of our Stratford Manor Memories all of the children went to Stratford Theatre to see Jack and the Beanstalk. It was such an incredible experience for all, packed with original music, outrageous characters, lots of laughter and a special Stratford East twist. We all very much enjoyed it and is definitely something we will all remember!

Amnesty Workshop

This Tuesday, 5 Attenborough joined the year 11 students at Eastlea Community School to take part in an Amnesty International workshop. The children were given an insight into the lives of some that have had their human rights taken away. In response to this, the children made cards showing their support and sent messages of hope. As a class we reflected on how lucky we are to have our rights protected.