Welcome to Year 5 – Hawthorne

Miss Mason

Learning Update

In Literacy, the children have been reading The Island by Armin Greder, a powerful picture book about a stranger who arrives on an island and is met with fear and rejection by the islanders. Through discussion, the children explored the difference between hospitality and hostility, deciding that the islanders clearly demonstrated hostility in the way they treated the stranger. We also wrote descriptive passages about life on the island, carefully reflecting the inequality shown in the text; the children used passive verbs to describe the women, as they were portrayed as less important and having less power than the men. Finally, the children practised writing rhetorical questions, using commas to clarify meaning, and thoughtfully directed these questions at the stranger introduced at the start of the story.

In Maths, we have been developing our multiplication and division skills. We began by using area models to multiply two-digit numbers by two-digit numbers, breaking each number into tens and ones and multiplying each part separately before adding the totals together. We then moved on to column multiplication to multiply two- and three-digit numbers by two-digit numbers; this method involves multiplying each digit step by step, starting with the ones and then the tens, and adding the partial answers together. At first, we found it tricky to remember the correct order of multiplication, and we had to remember to add a zero as a placeholder when multiplying by the tens digit. The children are now becoming real pros at column multiplication and have begun confidently applying this skill in a range of problem-solving scenarios. As always, they should continue to practise their times tables to increase fluency when completing this.

In Science, we have been finishing off our topic on the Earth and the Sun. The children made sundials and learned how they work: as the Sun moves across the sky, it casts a shadow, and the position of this shadow changes throughout the day, allowing us to tell the time. They created their sundials using paper plates and pencils, with the pencil acting as the part that casts the shadow. Next, we will be using compasses and chalk on the bottom playground to map out the correct directions our sundials should face, and then use them to help us tell the time outdoors.

In DT, we completed our final pneumatic system models. A pneumatic system uses air pressure to create movement, often by pushing air through tubes and syringes to make parts move. The children were very creative with their ideas and used their prior learning effectively to build fully working models. They also presented their designs to the Year 1 children and evaluated their work by reflecting on what went well and what they would do differently next time. The children have really enjoyed this topic, and it has been lovely to see their creativity come to life.

In Geography, we have been introduced to our new topic, Sow, Grow and Farm. We began by looking at the specification for building a new allotment, using case studies to assess and decide which site would be the most suitable. The children explored different types of land use in the UK, including agricultural land (such as arable farming, pastoral farming, and floriculture). Pastoral farming is the rearing of animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs for meat, milk, or wool, while arable farming involves growing crops such as wheat, barley, and vegetables for food and other products. Floriculture is a type of farming that focuses on growing flowers and ornamental plants, either for gardens, decoration, or the cut-flower trade. It’s all about cultivating plants for their beauty rather than for food. They also investigated different types of soil and learned that loam soil is the most suitable for growing, as it drains well, contains good nutrients, and is easy to dig.

In the following weeks, we will be learning:

• Literacy: Using the present perfect tense and discussing the book’s themes.
• Maths: Solving problems using multiplication and short division.
• Art: Line, light, and shadows.
• Geography: Sow, Grow and Farm.
• P.E.: Yoga and handball.

Spring Term 2025

Click on the links below to see what the children in Year 5 will be learning in the Spring Term.