Class 2
Welcome to Class 2!
Class Teacher: Mr Ord
Support Staff: Mrs Pemberton / Mrs Bowyer / Mrs Mulley
The Spring Term is here, and we have a lot of exciting new topics to explore as a class. Below is a summary of what we will be studying in Year 2 this term:
English
For the first few weeks back, we will be exploring some of the different stories by author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers. We will look at his creative style and how he uses this with the different features of a story.
This will help us towards writing a character description (based on the characters created by Oliver Jeffers) where we will look to include expanded noun phrases, words with apostrophes (contractions) and even subordinating conjunctions to make our sentences even more interesting.
Following this unit of work, we will be exploring explanations and some more poetry. Lots of exciting writing opportunities are waiting. Watch this space!
MATHS
Unit 6: Multiplication and Division
Following our previous unit on multiplication, we now move onto division. We will be exploring the methods of grouping and sharing and will also be introduced to the division sign (÷). Understanding the importance of equal groups will be key and we will be making the link between division and multiplication facts to help.
Unit 7: Statistics
We will also be introducing statistics this term. We will explore how data can be collected and show this information in lots of different ways. We will use tally charts, pictograms and block diagrams to support our problem solving. We can then use these skills to support our learning in other subjects too.
RE
Parables & Miracles:
We begin the term by looking at the incredible parables that Jesus told and the wonderful miracles he performed. Through these, we will develop our understanding of who Jesus was and what his ministry was. We will also explore the Sacrament of the Sick and why this is a special celebration for people who are ill.
Special Celebrations:
We will build our understanding of the Liturgical year and how this is a celebration of the life of Christ. We will explore the different events that take place and particularly focus on the Sacraments of Marriage and Baptism.
Lent:
We will also look to work on our understanding of the Season of Lent and why the theme of forgiveness is important during this time. This will lead into building our understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
SCIENCE
Animals (Including Humans):
To begin this term, we will be learning all about animals (including humans). We will observe and ask questions about offspring which grow into adults, find out about and describe what animals and humans need to survive and be able to describe why exercise, eating the right amount of different foods and being hygienic are important.
We love to work scientifically here at St Filumena's so we will be having some interesting experiments and even an opportunity to see a lifecycle in action... (our Science once again involves eggs!)
GEOGRAPHY
Hot & Cold Places (Polar Regions):
To expand our ever-growing knowledge of the world, we are going to begin our unit by learning about the weather and climate of other places and compare these to the UK. We will discover why the weather is different (based on their position on Earth) and recognise some key differences between hot and cold places. This will finally move onto exploring the polar regions of our planet and the features that make these places unique.
HISTORY
Explorers:
Throughout this term, we will learn about Ibn Battuta and Captain Scott of the Antarctic; two significant individuals who were well achieved explorers. We will look to understand what an explorer is and investigate the journeys our explorers undertook. This will help us to compare the similarities and differences between them both.
ART
David Hockney:
Continuing to build on our work from Vincent Van Gogh, we will explore colour, line and texture further. Our drawing skills will be developed by working on line, form, space and texture techniques and we will use pencil, crayon, chalk and pens to support us. The British artist, David Hockney, will be our inspiration as we will look to include the bright, imaginative colours within our own final piece. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to get creative!
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Structures: Baby Bear Chairs:
Using the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears as inspiration, this unit will see us help poor Baby Bear by making him a brand new chair. Building on our knowledge of structures, we will work on a design criteria that considers his needs and his likes. We will also experiment with different shapes and materials so we can construct and evaluate a structure that is strong, stiff and stable; a structure that is 'just right' for Baby Bear.
PE
PE is on a Thursday afternoon and pupils need to come to school in their PE kits.
For Spring term, we will be focussing on being cognitive and creative. We will work on developing our performances by practicing the skills of dynamic and static balancing in development sessions, and cooperative and competitive games. We will also work on linking movements by practicing the skills of coordination and counter balancing.
We will also be doing gymnastics where we put into practice our skills of balancing, agility and coordination. These will help us to develop our travelling, shapes and balances, rolls and jumping too.
OUR VEHICLE
The Maasai:
Throughout this term, the whole school focus for ‘Our Vehicle’ is developing cultural awareness. In Year 2, we learn about the Maasai people. This will involve exploring where they live, their history, what they eat, how they communicate and socialise and, ultimately, considering what a day in the life of a Maasai might look like. We look forward to sharing our learning with you!