What we are doing this week in Lilac Class for the week beginning 13.11.23

In Maths this week in Lilac Class, we are multiplying whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1,000, looking carefully at a place value and Gattegno chart to support learning and find out what happens to the movement of the digits in the calculation.  We will then be moving onto dividing whole numbers by 10, 100 and 1,000.  We will find out that dividing by 10 twice is the same as dividing by 100 and that dividing by 10 3 times is the same as dividing by 1,000. We are learning that multiplication and division are the inverse operations. 

In English this week in Lilac Class, we are starting our new piece of extended writing entitled ‘Come to Belize!’ We will watch travel site videos and read information on travel websites about visiting Belize on holiday and why you should visit it. As a whole class we will ‘Magpie’ language used and brain stormed phrases and words that are examples of persuasive writing.  For example, holidaymakers can visit the lost cities of the Ancient Mayans, explore the tropical rainforests and swim in the Great Blue Hole. For our Whole Class Guided Reading our text is ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis and we are reading Chapter 10 this week.  We are still continuing with developing our summarising skills and looking beyond the text by answering such questions as ‘What impression do you get of the cave where they sleep?’ and ‘How do they know the Witch’s magic is weakening?’ 

In RE, we are looking at texts for evidence that match statements. Lilac Class are examining reports from the scene of Jesus’s birth, referring directly to Matthew, Chapters 1 and 2.  For Time and Place, we are exploring the Mayan number system and we will also be learning about how the Maya invented and used their calendars. 

For Science in Lilac Class, we will be identifying forces as pushes and pulls and explaining the different forces acting on objects.  Forces affect the movement or shape of an object.  They can make an object start to move, stop moving, move faster or move more slowly.  They could also make an object change its shape or cause a moving object to change direction. This week we are also learning about the effects of air resistance by investigating the best parachute to slow a person down. We will be explaining how air resistance affects moving objects by planning and conducting an investigation.  In Art, will be painting our Mayan pottery based on original Mayan artefacts.  We will be using the colours, patterns and designs of the Mayan craftsman.