Year 2 News: 7.7.23

Another couple of busy weeks have flown by in Year 2...

During the past two weeks in our English lessons, we embarked on an exciting journey inspired by our vehicle text, "The Night Gardener." Building upon the captivating story, we focused on the genre of diary writing, taking on the persona of the main character, William. Our journey began with the immersion stage, where we deeply immersed ourselves in the text and allowed the story to captivate our imagination. We explored the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of William, carefully analysing his journey and reflecting upon the significant events that shaped his story. Following the immersion stage, we moved on to the analysis phase. We dissected the structure, language, and style of diary writing, studying examples and identifying the key features that make diary entries engaging and authentic. We paid attention to the use of first-person perspective, descriptive language, and the expression of thoughts and emotions. With our newfound understanding, we proceeded to the planning stage. We brainstormed ideas for our own diary entries, considering the events and experiences that William might have encountered during the story. We organised our thoughts, created a diary entry structure, and selected key moments to include in our writing. Equipped with our plans, we ventured into the writing stage. Drawing upon our creativity and imagination, we wrote engaging and authentic diary entries as William. We explored his thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the events unfolding around him. We used descriptive language to bring the story to life and to reflect William's voice and perspective. The culmination of our efforts resulted in a collection of brilliant diary entries. Through our writing, we not only showcased our understanding of the genre but also demonstrated our ability to step into the shoes of a character and convey their experiences in a compelling and authentic manner.

Over the past two weeks in our Maths lessons, we dedicated our efforts to mastering the skill of telling time. We embarked on an exciting journey that took us from the basics of o'clock, quarter past, half past, and quarter to, to the more intricate concept of telling time for every 5 minutes. To ensure a comprehensive understanding of this essential life skill, we engaged in a variety of interactive activities and utilised a range of resources. We made use of iPad clocks, which allowed us to visualise and practise reading digital time displays. Additionally, we worked with real clocks, where we could manipulate the hands and observe the passage of time firsthand. We also took advantage of educational games specifically designed to reinforce our time-telling skills. These games provided an enjoyable and engaging way to practise reading analog clocks and identifying the corresponding time on digital displays. Furthermore, we completed worksheets that challenged us to apply our understanding of time in different scenarios. Through these exercises, we honed our ability to interpret clock faces, determine durations, and solve time-related problems. Power Maths, a valuable resource, supported our learning by providing interactive lessons and activities that fostered a deeper understanding of time concepts. We explored various time-related questions and engaged in meaningful discussions to solidify our knowledge. By utilising these diverse resources, we gained a comprehensive grasp of telling time, enabling us to confidently read and interpret clocks in various formats. We developed accuracy and fluency in identifying hours, minutes, and the relationship between them. Congratulations to all for your hard work, commitment, and perseverance in mastering the skill of telling time. The dedication you demonstrated in utilising a range of resources and engaging in interactive activities has contributed to your remarkable progress. As we move forward, we will continue to build upon this foundation, exploring more advanced concepts and applying our time-telling skills to real-life situations. With each passing day, our ability to read and interpret time will become more refined, and we will navigate the world with greater confidence and efficiency. Keep up the fantastic work, and may our Maths lessons continue to inspire a love for numbers, problem.

During our Religious Education (RE) lessons this week, we celebrated the culmination of our learning by completing our assessment piece. For this assessment, we selected different artefacts from the Jewish faith and engaged in a creative process to capture their essence and significance. We started by carefully examining and studying the chosen artefacts, paying close attention to their unique features and details. Using our artistic skills, we sketched the artefacts, striving to capture their essence and portray them with accuracy and respect. Next, we brought our sketches to life by adding vibrant watercolours. We carefully selected colours that would evoke the emotions and symbolism associated with each artefact, ensuring that our artwork reflected their importance in the Jewish faith. In addition to the visual representation, we also took the time to research and gather knowledge about the chosen artefacts. We learned about their historical and cultural significance, as well as their role in Jewish rituals, traditions, and beliefs. To showcase our understanding and the importance of these artefacts, we articulated their significance through written explanations. We highlighted their role in Jewish worship, their connection to Jewish history and values, and how they contribute to the spiritual and cultural identity of the Jewish community.

During the past week in our Geography lessons, we embarked on an exciting new unit centred around the wonders of the world. To set the foundation for our exploration, we began by recapping our knowledge of the continents and oceans. We revisited the diverse regions and bodies of water that make up our planet, strengthening our understanding of global geography. With our geographical knowledge refreshed, we delved into an in-depth study of two of the world's longest rivers, located in South America and Africa. Our focus centred around the Amazon River in South America, known for its immense length and rich biodiversity, as well as the Nile River in Africa, renowned for its historical and cultural significance.

During our Computing lessons, our focus on online safety continued as we explored various strategies to stay safe while navigating the digital world. This week, we engaged in a creative activity where we designed and created wheels to provide us with top tips for online safety. We began by reflecting on the importance of staying safe and responsible while using the internet. We discussed the potential risks and challenges that can arise online and the significance of being proactive in safeguarding ourselves and others. With this awareness in mind, we brainstormed a range of practical and effective tips for online safety. We considered key areas such as privacy, personal information, cyberbullying, and digital etiquette. Drawing upon our knowledge and discussions, we selected the most essential tips to include on our wheels.

During our Design and Technology (DT) lessons, our exploration of moving pictures and mechanisms continued to unfold. This week, we focused on building levers, sliders, and moving wheels as we honed our skills in creating dynamic and interactive designs.

With our newfound knowledge and expertise in mechanisms, we embarked on an exciting project inspired by superheroes. Guided by our imaginations, we brought our ideas to life by incorporating various mechanisms into our moving pictures.

We carefully crafted levers that allowed us to control the motion of different parts of our pictures. By manipulating these levers, we brought our superheroes to life, making them leap into action or perform daring feats. We also experimented with sliders, which added a smooth and controlled movement to our designs. By sliding certain elements, we could create dynamic scenes that showcased the superhero's extraordinary abilities. Additionally, we incorporated moving wheels into our designs, adding an extra layer of interactivity. By turning these wheels, we could make certain elements of our pictures spin, rotate, or reveal hidden surprises. Each of us embraced our creativity and utilised a range of mechanisms to make our superhero-inspired moving pictures come to life. We took pride in our attention to detail, ensuring that each mechanism was carefully engineered and seamlessly integrated into our designs.

In music this week, we completed our study work page. They are looking great! We listened to and appraised a new song called Four White Horses. Using our imagination, we drew our first thoughts. They were varied but well thought out. We then chose an adjective to describe the song. I can see how hard you have been working in your English lessons as the list was huge!

Have a lovely weekend,

Mr Dale