What a busy week it has been in Year 5! We have continued our journey through space, developing our writing skills, tackling some tricky Maths and carrying out our own scientific experiment.

English

This week in English, we have been learning about what makes a good explanation text. Unlike a diary entry, our language choices need to be more formal and factual, and we need to use technical vocabulary to explain things clearly.

We have been using these skills to create our own guide to How to Live in Space, learning about how astronauts manage to do everyday things such as eating, sleeping and even going to the toilet in space! We have been thinking carefully about how to organise information and explain processes clearly to the reader.

Next week, we will continue working on our explanation texts before publishing them as our very own books.

Maths

In Maths this week, we have been rounding decimal numbers. This can often be a tricky concept for Year 5 to get their heads around. When it is presented in a context, such as knowing that £3.09 is closer to £3 than £4, it can seem quite obvious. However, when we are presented with just a number, such as ‘Round 3.09 to the nearest whole number’, the meaning can become a little fuzzy!

Year 5 have worked really hard on this throughout the week and have explored different ways of approaching rounding decimal numbers. We have been particularly focused on understanding why we are rounding rather than simply following a set of steps.

Next week, we will be learning about factors and multiples of numbers.

Thematic

In Thematic this week, we have been learning about the Moon and gravity. We discovered that the Moon is tidally locked, which means that it rotates at the same rate that it orbits the Earth. This is why we only ever see the same side of the Moon from Earth.

We also discussed how the Moon does not produce its own light, but instead reflects light from the Sun. We then moved on to gravity and learnt that every object has its own gravitational pull. However, with everyday objects this force is so tiny that we would never notice it. It is only when we look at much larger objects, such as planets and moons, that gravity becomes much more noticeable.

We then prepared and carried out an experiment to discover whether heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects. We discussed what makes a reliable experiment and learnt that we should only change one variable at a time – in this case, the weight of the object.

After conducting our experiment, we discovered that weight does not affect the speed at which something falls. The Earth's gravity pulls objects towards the ground at the same rate, regardless of their weight!

Spelling

accommodate, accompany, according, persuade, opportunity, marvellous, rhythm, rhyme, queue, dictionary

Challenge words:
apocalypse, celestial, perihelion, aphelion, extraterrestrial

Love to Learn

In Year 5, we have an important role called Thrive Ambassadors. This role involves receiving some training and then being a friendly and supportive presence on the playground during lunchtime. Thrive Ambassadors help to look out for other children and support them if they are feeling sad, lonely or upset, or simply need some company.

Thrive Ambassadors should be kind, caring, empathetic and committed to taking on the role for the whole of Year 5.

For your Love to Learn this week, if you would like to apply to become a Thrive Ambassador, we would like you to write a letter addressed to ‘The Wellbeing Team’ explaining what qualities you have and why you think you would be a good candidate for the role.

If writing a letter feels daunting, you could instead film a short video explaining why you would make a good ambassador, create a poster or find another way to express your interest.

Please bring your letters into school or email them to your teacher, and we will pass them on to the Wellbeing Team.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 8th October.

Dates to Remember

• 8th October – Harvest Festival for Years 5 and 6 at 2.45pm.

• 23rd October – Halloween Disco. All children come to school in fancy dress. Years 1, 2 and 3: 2pm–3pm. Years 4, 5 and 6: 3.15pm–4.15pm.

• 23rd October – Final day of term.