Murphy

Welcome back to the Summer term! We hope you have enjoyed your Easter break with your families and that you are keeping safe and well.

Over the next half term, those of us in Murphy Class will be following a unit of work on a theme that focuses on ‘Movement and entertainment’.

This unit of work is part of the International Primary Curriculum. This new curriculum sets out very clearly what children will learn – the learning goals – in three different areas:

1. The subjects of the curriculum. The learning goals for each of these subjects are at least as challenging as anything taught in the current UK curriculum. In many cases, the learning goals are more challenging.

2. Personal development – the characteristics which will help children become more responsible, independent learners.

3. International understanding – which will help children develop both a sense of the independence of their own country and culture and the interdependence between countries and cultures.

Each unit of work is based around specific targets derived from the learning goals for one or more of the subjects.

During this unit we will be focusing on Art, History, Science, Technology, Geography, Physical Education, Society, Music, ICT and International.

In Art, we’ll be finding out:

• How to draw faces and understand expressions
• About the work of artists who have painted pictures about the circus

In History, we’ll be finding out:

• What circuses were like in the past
• About some of the people who made circuses famous
• How circuses have changed over the years

In Science, we’ll be finding out:

• Which materials would make a waterproof tent
• Which materials to use for circus costumes
• About forces – pushes and pulls in circus acts

In Technology, we’ll be finding out:

• How to put up a tent

• How to plan and make circus tents for soft toys

In Geography, we’ll be finding out:

• How to draw maps and plans of a circus
• How to use maps and atlases to find out about the countries some circus animals come from

In Physical Education, we’ll be finding out:

• How to use juggling balls
• How to balance and make movements used in circus performances

In Society, we’ll be finding out:

• How to stay safe in busy places
• What it’s like to be a circus artist

In Music, we’ll be finding out:

• About music for the circus
• How to compose and write rhythms and tunes about circus performers

In ICT, we’ll be finding out:

• How to draw a plan for our own circus

• How to make tickets and a poster for our own circus

In International, we’ll be finding out:

• What different people think about using animals in the circus
• What the circus of the future might look like

All of the work we are going to do has been specially written to help your child reach the learning goals. Children will be reading, researching, writing, illustrating, working on their own and working in groups. We will be checking to see how well your child has learned through particular activities and asking children to explain their work, perhaps to you.

We already know the interest you take in your child’s work. If you can, please discuss with your child the work they have done as the term progresses and let them teach you.

Your child might ask you general questions about circuses today and in the past and for circus dressing-up clothes for role play.

By the end of the unit, we hope your child has achieved all of the learning targets. We hope they have had an enjoyable time. And we hope you have enjoyed seeing your child work with enthusiasm. If you have any comments or questions about your child’s learning, please get in touch.