Year 6

Welcome to Year 6!

Below you will find information about our current projects that we are learning about. We hope you will find the information helpful. Check out the knowledge organisers which include all of the important aspects of our learning this term!

Autumn 1:

Welcome to the planet’s coldest lands, which are incredibly beautiful, yet often deadly.

This half term, we’ll start with a treasure hunt to discover artifacts from Arctic explorers. We work as teams to discuss what makes each artifact relevant to polar adventure. We’ll then find out more about the polar regions using non-fiction books. We’ll learn technical vocabulary so we can write non-chronological reports about the frozen kingdoms. Using globes and maps, we’ll identify the polar regions, comparing the Arctic and Antarctic. We’ll also think about how we can protect the polar environment from global warming.  When we’re more familiar with the polar regions, we’ll write exciting descriptions and diary entries from the perspective of brave explorers. We will also become journalists, reporting the triumphant return of Sir Earnest Shackleton against all odds! Researching our favourite polar animals will be fun, and we’ll create animal artwork inspired by the polar landscapes. In science, we will explore how animals in these regions adapt to their harsh environments and use classification keys to identify them.

Autumn 2:

A siren sounds and a Spitfire zooms overhead! It’s 1939 and Britain is at war.

This half term, we’ll imagine what it was like to be evacuated and live with a family other than our own. Using different source materials, we’ll learn about evacuation and write letters to our families ‘back home’. We’ll plot the Second World War’s events on a timeline and learn about rationing, Pearl Harbour and the Battle of Britain. From a range of maps, we’ll identify safe and dangerous places during the war and make persuasive posters to support the war effort. After reading an extract from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, we’ll write our own diaries. From a range of sources, we’ll find out about children and school during the war and learn about discrimination that existed at the time. We’ll learn about what it was like during the Blitz and think about how soldiers might have felt. In D&T, we’ll explore 'make do and mend' with our own sock dolls! 

Spring 1:

Welcome to Mexico. Get ready to explore this unique country, from its towering temples and stunning geography to its pulsing rhythms and fun festivals. Is your tummy rumbling? We will have a Mexican food tasting to explore traditional dishes and then design our own Mexican menu. What’s on your shopping list? Go steady with the spices. Discover the mysterious world of the ancient Mayan civilisation. Make their hot chocolate and explore their gods. Feel like celebrating? We even enjoy a Mexican music workshop so get ready to grab an instrument and make some noise. 

Spring 2:

Let’s explore our circulatory system!

At the start of our project, we’ll dissect an animal heart, finding out about the different parts and how the blood flows.

Afterwards, we’ll write a report of the experience and use models to learn more about how the circulatory system works. In D&T, we’ll make model hearts, and test materials before making a stethoscope. As part of our music work, we’ll use our bodies as percussion instruments and feel our pulse. We’ll read shape poetry, and write poems inspired by the heart. We’ll learn about how smoking affects the heart and write adverts to persuade people to stop smoking. We’ll visit the ‘Give blood’ website, and make a flow diagram to illustrate the circulation process.

Summer term:

Who do you think you are?

During this half term, we’re going to find out what makes us the people we are. We’ll meet a mysterious man and consider what traits and features give us our identity. Thinking about what makes us unique, we’ll write stories in which we have a new identity. We’ll take part in physical activities that challenge us and measure the outcomes. While comparing photographs of ourselves with those of our relatives, we’ll decide if we share any features. We’ll create adverts and write a tribute to a friend. After investigating fingerprints and genetic characteristics, we’ll design clothing that reflects our personality.

Alongside our project work this term, we will also be undertaking all of the wonderful end of Key Stage events such as our activity week, production, leavers service and transition events to secondary school.