As historians, can we find out how our toys have changed?

Week 1 

This week year 1 have settled back into their routines and had a fantastic first week back at school. In Maths they have been learning about fact families using all eight facts which includes subtraction! They have worked really hard with this tricky new learning and we are very proud of them! 

In English we have focused our learning on the character of Traction Man. The children have been identifying adjectives, nouns and verbs in the text. We had a very exciting lesson this week where the children put their hands into the foamy waters of the sink and had to describe what they could feel! We then wrote some  great sentences independently using adjectives. The children have also loved getting stuck into our class book for this half term which is term which is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. 

We began our history topic looking at toys. We filled out a KWL for this topic discussing things we already know about the history of toys and then we also worked together to come up with some fantastic questions.

We also had a fire safety lesson in preparation for Sunday. The children learnt about how to be safe around fireworks and completed some lovely firework art using chalk!

Have a lovely weekend 🙂

Week 2

What a fantastic week it has been in Year 1!

In our English lessons, we've been immersed in our 'Traction Man' unit, delving into creative storytelling and exploring verbs and time conjunctions to enhance our writing skills.

In mathematics, we've continued our journey into subtraction, grasping the concept of 'taking away' and utilizing number lines as valuable tools to aid us in counting back.

In science, we've continued to observe the changing seasons and have examined the contrast between day and night. We've engaged in thoughtful discussions about the different seasons and learned how to measure the duration of sunlight by counting the hours between sunrise and sunset.

In history, we've started an exploration of modern toys. Sharing our favourite toys and why they hold a special place in our hearts, we've also used adjectives to vividly describe our favourite toys.

Thursday was a day of discovery as we learned about Remembrance Day, understanding its significance and the symbolic importance of poppies in commemorating this day.

We also explored the celebration of Diwali. We read the tale of Zita and Rama before creating our unique Rangoli designs.

* Lot's of us forgot our homework books in our trays this week! Don't worry you can catch up another time!

Wishing everyone a splendid weekend and see you Monday!

Week 3

In English, the children were immersed in planning, writing, and editing their own stories centered around their favorite toys. Their narratives showcased excellent use of time connectives, adjectives, and verbs, reflecting their growing language skills.

In our math sessions, we kicked off a new unit exploring shapes. Year 1 demonstrated an impressive ability to identify various 2D and 3D shapes. We delved into sorting shapes based on their properties, and on Friday, the students engaged in a creative activity, printing with 3D shapes to reveal their 2D faces.

In our history lesson today, we delved into the fascinating world of toys! Each student had the opportunity to share their favorite toy, eloquently expressing why it holds a special place in their hearts. Following this engaging discussion, we further explored the realm of descriptive language by writing about our favourite toys. The children used adjectives to describe the unique qualities that make their favorite toys so special.

In our computing lesson, we looked at the concept of gathering data. Year 1 discovered that "data" is another term for information. Together, we explored the process of collecting this data and translating it into a visual representation on a class pictogram. The students actively participated in gathering information on how they commute to school, and we collaboratively displayed this data in an pictogram.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!

Week 4

In our English lessons, we started our new poetry unit by looking at a shape poem inspired by a toy soldier. We explored the characteristics of shape poems and revisited the use of adjectives to help provide us with more detailed descriptions of our toy soldiers.

During our math lessons, our focus remained on shapes. We delved into sorting 2D shapes before venturing into the creation of patterns incorporating both 2D and 3D shapes. We also revisited some previous learning looking closely at subtracting using number lines.

In our history lessons, we have turned our attention to toys of the past. We discussed the differences between toys of the past and contemporary toys, engaging in a sorting activity to sort them. We then selected our favourite toys from the past and wrote a sentence explaining why we liked that toy.

In the art class, we experimented with paint, exploring colour mixing to produce a variety of secondary colours. We blended five distinct shades and used these paints to create patterns.

We have continued to practise our Nativity and we are very excited for you to come and see us perform. Remember to bring your costumes in as soon as you can! 

Have a lovely weekend!

Week 5

Year 1 has experienced another week filled with incredible learning!

In our English lessons, the children delved into the realm of similes, discovering that these similies compare two things using the words "like" or "as." They skillfully crafted similes and began exploring how to incorporate them with adjectives when composing a poem about a toy.

In maths, the focus has been on reinforcing our understanding in subtraction, utilizing number lines and identifying parts. Concrete resources played a significant role in aiding the learning process.

History lessons this week involved the collaborative creation of a toy timeline, where the students used clues to arrange toys in chronological order from the past to the present. The children then independently crafted timelines in their notebooks, showcasing an impressive effort!

Hope that everyone is feeling better and ready for the nativity next week!

Wishing you a wonderful and safe weekend!

Week 6

Another great week we have had in year 1. The students were actively engaged in crafting their poems about a teddy bear in English. They have been working hard to use adjectives and similes in their poetry. 

In maths, we focused on consolidating our learning with a week dedicated to reviewing subtraction and comparing numbers. We were able to use the Chromebooks in our lessons to play interactive maths games linked with our learning – we really enjoyed this! 

In history, we looked at designing a future toy. Year 1 thought hard about what toy they would like to play with in the future. They sketched and annotated their design and then wrote about what their toy could do. 

In science, we wrapped this terms learning by maintaining a weather diary, documenting the various weather patterns we experienced over the past week. 

We are very grateful to any adults who came and watched our school nativity. We hope you enjoyed it! 

Have a lovely weekend and see you Monday :)