The children are coming to the end of the first block of STEM projects and are eagerly awaiting the next topic! 

So far this term Years 1, 3 and 5 have been exploring the structure and design of different types of towers and Years 2, 4 and 6 have been exploring the structure and design of different types of bridges.

Years 1 and 3 started by using LEGO to create their own towers focusing on making their towers as strong as possible. Year 1 then went on to make towers out of different types of large blocks, they used their knowledge and understanding to interlock the blocks to create the strongest, most stable towers. Year 3 went on to make towers from paper, using their knowledge of the strengths of 3D shapes to build the tallest possible tower! Year 5 have been investigating the comparative strengths of different 3D shapes in order to find out which would be best to build the tallest tower. The children then built towers to test their theory, the results were very impressive! 

The Year 2 children started by using LEGO to build a bridge spanning a river - the bridge needed to be strong enough to hold a 1 kg weight. They then moved onto making a bridge out of paper, experimenting with different designs until they found the strongest one. Years 4 and 6 investigated the comparative strengths of different 3D shapes in order to find out which would be best to build the their bridge, Year 4 then tested their different designs to see which would hold the most weight. Year 6 investigated the physics behind bridge design and have been putting their knowledge and understanding into practice by designing and building truss bridges - the designs will be put to the test this week! 

To inspire change and connect with our personal goal of empathy, we decided to raise awareness by protesting with the EY community to save the tigers. After reading Greta and the Giants, a story inspired by the real-life activist Greta Thunberg, we were motivated to take action. This initiative aligns with SDG Goal 8, as we emphasised the importance of caring for wildlife and promoting sustainable practices for future generations. 

This week the children in Year 1 were identifying qualities in famous people from around the world, both past and present. We learnt about Mahatma Gandhi and Greta Thunberg and discussed their personal qualities and how they help them contribute to positive change. We looked at where they were from, what they have achieved and how we could learn from them. Next, we will look at our own qualities and identify ways we can contribute to positive change. 

Recently,  Y3 have been using different sources of information to research about bears. They then used their research notes to draft and then publish a factfile. Y3N's chosen audience for their factfiles were Y1 so on Wednesday afternoon, they went over to share their beautifully published pieces of writing with them. The Y1s loved the sharing experience so much that they asked Y3s to come back tomorrow!

As part of our IPC topic 'The Great, The Bold and The Brave', children in Year 6 took a virtual tour of the Acropolis in Athens. During the tour, they were able to view the ruins of the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. This prompted a discussion about the importance of the gods in ancient Greece. As there were so many temples built and dedicated to worship the gods, they must have been incredibly important to the people. The children were able to link this learning to their class text 'Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief' and share their understanding of the role the gods played in Greek civilisation. After sharing their existing knowledge, the children spent some time researching the gods. They then chose one to study in greater detail in order to make an information poster. Using the publishing tool Canva, the children created some incredibly eye-catching posters detailing many facts about the gods. 

For a creative twist, some children engaged in making flowery potions using their enquiry skills, while others took great delight in watering the dinosaur swamp. The highlight of the day was when we all gathered together for a lovely sing along with lycra material - such a joyful moment!