Author Archives: KW
How the body works
As part of our science work this term we have been finding out about the heart, the lungs and blood vessels to understand how the human circulation and respiratory systems work. We were able to look more closely at some animal hearts and lungs Seeing the lungs and the heart in one piece also helped us to see how they work together, where they are positioned in the body and how they are connected.
We were also able to 
see the chambers of the heart and see the strength of the heart muscle . We were amazed by the walls of the aorta and could see why they had to be so thick to protect the heart when the oxygenated blood is pumped out of it 
to reach the rest of the body.
Times Tables
If you are thinking times tables are a pain and you’ll never know them, watch the short film linked from the image below. You only really need to know 38 – the rest are either very easy (2s are just doubles, and 10s we know to move the digit one place to the left when we x by 10 and fill the empty ones space with a zero) or you can do them reversing them (e.g. 6×7 = 7 x 6 = 42). Here are the ones you really need to know!
Penguin Watch
Here’s an interesting ‘citizen science project’ you can all get involved with if you want to. British scientists from Oxford University have set up Penguin Watch. 75 cameras have been placed all over Antarctica and are filming penguins. Each camera takes a picture every hour and they want to count and describe the penguins in every picture. Since they don’t have enough scientists to help, they are asking for help from the public. You can sign up and count penguins and nests on the screen. We are also trying to find out if we can adopt a colony of penguins for the class to look at more. Click on the image to go to Penguin Watch and find out more or on the one below to see the programme about Penguin Watch. 
Netball
Well done everyone who has played all season. You did really well to come 2nd in the competition this week!
You’ve set a great example for Year 5 to follow next year.
Negative numbers
This may help those of you who want to understand a bit more about using negative numbers in calculations. Why does -3 subtract -4 = 1? This site gives some ‘common-sense’ examples to help explain this idea and also has a game to help you practise.
Orang-utans
Here is the next Padlet with information to get you started finding out about orang-utans. Click on the image to load the Padlet. You can add to it by double-clicking anywhere on the board; when your comments have been approved, they will appear on the noticeboard.
Strange news story – Toy dog in Space
Here is a pretty cool science lesson that ended up making national news (click on images for more information). Some children in Lancashire sent a toy dog, Sam, into space attached to a helium balloon and a camera. Unfortunately, although they got some great photos, Sam ended up on an unexpected adventure when he became detached from the camera and the balloon; he is now missing in action! Keep your eyes open for a space-dog!
See the whole of Sam’s journey here in video from Morecambe Bay Primary School.
Deforestation – link to our Padlet
Here is the Padlet we have started together on deforestation. If you find some interesting information, why not add to it? You can also follow the links from this Padlet to find out more about deforestation and its effects on our environment.
Biome hats
Here are a few of the splendid biome hats you designed and made.
There were lots of different structures, materials and decorations chosen.
Shakespeare visit
Here are a few more pictures from our visit to Stratford just before the holiday. Some more are on the school website in the calendar of the year. 
These images are from inside the house where Shakespeare was born.
We saw the glove workshop where his father made gloves and found out how the leather was prepared… in a very smelly way!
We also had time to visit the RSC theatre and look at some costumes. This one is from an actual production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. We thought it was interesting that the costume designer chose to use leather gloves in this way.