Literacy Homework

This week’s homework is a research project to find out about the author of our current books in our Literacy topic. Ospreys have two weeks to complete this non chronological report.

Architecture: visit to Ebley Mill and Ebley House

Tuesday 26th June

Ospreys set off from school on a very hot and sunny morning, to walk to Ebley Mill, where we met Steven from Stroud Museum in the Park. We learned about the history of Ebley Mill as a purpose built, water powered factory for processing Stroud Scarlett cloth to be sold all around the world. We found out how the Mill was developed by the Marling family, and how a fire damaged the chimney. After a picnic lunch and playtime at Victory Park, we walked to nearby Ebley House, previously the mill owner’s mansion. Ebley House is a great example of Victorian gothic revival architecture, with gruesome gargoyles and decorative features, similar to what we recently saw at Woodchester Mansion. We investigated the rooms at Ebley House and noted the highly decorative style, painted ceilings and stained glass windows. Thankyou to everyone at Novalis Trust for welcoming us to Ebley, and thanks also to Steven from the museum for a fascinating talk about the Mill.

Artistic Science: Scientific Art

Friday 21st June

Ospreys returned after lunch to find different plants stuck up around the classroom. Pupils studied the plants closely, looking at the root systems, stems and leaves, which we have been learning about in Science, noting patterns and colours, before making careful and detailed sketches of the plants. We looked at some scientific illustrations of plants, before starting our observational drawings. We used water colour and coloured pencils to apply gentle colour to our sketches.

Maths Passport Traveller!

Well done to our most recent Maths Passport Mover, who has worked very hard to complete all the targets in her continent and move up to the next level. She was also able to successfully answer a number of quick fire questions to check that she really knew her tables inside out before the continent was signed off.

Welshcakes!

Friday 21st June

While some of the class were out at the Spartan Event, some of Ospreys were busy in the kitchen making welshcakes. Our current Literacy book, The Sandman and the Turtles, by Michael Morpurgo, is set by the sea in Wales, and welshcakes are mentioned as a tea time treat throughout the story. We have also looked at the recipe in SPAG as an example of an instruction text. We mixed flour, butter, sugar, an egg and sultanas to a paste, which was gently rolled out. We cut out 10 cm radius discs and then cooked these in a hot pan for about 5 minutes on each side. We managed to make sixty welshcakes by the time the Spartans returned: enough for two each for everyone.

Literacy: Stories of the sea by Michael Morpurgo

After reading ‘Dolphin Boy’, Ospreys have this week finished reading ‘The Sandman and the Turtles’, another story by Michael Morpurgo set near the sea, which tells the story of two children, Michael and Polly. Our writing task is to create an alternative ending for the story, with a focus on using dialogue, with speech correctly punctuated. In our SPAG activities we looked at a recipe for welshcakes, which are mentioned in the story, and noted how verbs usually begin an instruction sentence. We have also been revising speech punctuation, and looked at how to use adverbs to convey characters’ motives and emotions.

Science: Investigating Soil

What is soil made of? Why do plants need soil?

These are some of the questions that Ospreys will be dealing with in science this term, and today we took jam jars outside to collect samples of soil. Our investigation is to observe what we can see in different samples of soil, by mixing the soil with water, shaking it up, and then letting the contents settle over the course of a few weeks. We took soil samples from all around the school grounds to see if there will be any variation in what is in the soil. Pupils then labelled their jars and have placed them on the balcony outside our classroom, where we will observe layers of different materials forming over the next few weeks.

P.E.: Quick-Sticks Hockey

Ospreys today tried out a new ream game in PE, a four a side version of hockey called Quick Sticks. We warmed up with relay races, dribbling a ball around a cone, and practicing passing to get used to using the hockey stick. We divided into teams of four to play against each other. Ospreys soon adapted to the team tactics. We look forward to improving our hockey skills again next week.

P.E. Athletics

On a very sunny Monday afternoon this week, Ospreys went onto the field to practice for athletic events for mini olympics. Pupils raced across the field to find the fastest sprinters. We discussed techniques for long jump, before having a practice, and then attempted to beat the longest long jumps.

PE: bean bag relays and crab volleyball

On a rainy Friday, Ospreys did their PE lesson in the hall, dividing into four teams. To warm up, the teams collected bean bags until they were all taken, and then counted how many they had managed to collect. We then played 6 a side crab volleyball, keeping a beach ball off the ground, and returning it over the central net.