Ancient Greek Workshop

9th November 2022S Lovatt

On Tuesday, Year 5 were lucky to have visitors from Durham University to do a workshop about the ancient Greeks.

We had the chance to look at some different artefacts. We had to be very careful and gentle when holding these fragile items. We looked at the colours, shapes and textures of the artefacts and discussed what we thought they were used for.

We also had the chance to learn the letters of the Greek alphabet and learnt about democracy. We then used the Greek alphabet to create a persuasive poster to try and get people to vote for us.

Then, we used clay to make a votive offering to the gods.

Finally, we ended our day with a play in the hall. In Ancient Greek theatre, all parts (male and female) were played by men wearing masks. In our play, we had boys acting as girls and girls acting as boys. We acted out the famous ancient Greek play: Medea.

All about the Anglo-Saxons

7th November 2022R Errington

Last half term, year 4 had a great time learning about the Anglo-Saxons. We discovered where they came from, why they came to Britain, what their daily lives were like, the jobs they did, how their beliefs changed over time as well as how they punished people who committed crimes.

We enjoyed a trip to Jarrow Hall to learn more about the everyday lives of Anglo-Saxons. We also found out about the herbs they used for medicine. Two of our favourite activities were writing in runes to make our own amulets and engaging in a mock battle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings.

Black History Week in Year 4

7th November 2022R Errington

In year 4, we learned about Katherine Johnson and her contribution to various NASA space missions. We learned that she was a black American woman with a phenomenal understanding of mathematics, and was someone who faced discrimination because of her race and gender. Despite this, she approached everything with determination. We were surprised to discover that her first job at NASA was as a ‘computer’. During her 33 years of working there, she calculated the routes for numerous space flights including Apollo 11, 12 and 13.

We used numerous sources, including the book Counting on Katherine, to find out about her life and achievements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFIqDDBfQh8

Crime and Punishment

7th November 2022D Fawkes

Just before half term Y6 had a workshop on Crime and Punishment with Newcastle Castle. This consolidated their learning from the half term where the children had learned about how crime and punishment had changed over time from the Roman era to today.

During the workshop the children got to look at a range of artefacts which were used as punishments, role play a court setting, made their own laws and they learned about key historical local figures.

 

Black History Week in Year 3

7th November 2022C Whitehead

Year 3 really enjoyed learning about black history last week! We know that all people should be treated equally but sadly, this isn’t always the case, and many groups of people around the world still suffer as a result of discrimination.

Thankfully, there are some amazing people who have done incredible things to fight for equality. Last week we focused on one of these people,  Rosa Parks.

 

We started the week by learning her story, we came across lots of tricky vocabulary such as segregation and civil rights so we created a glossary.

We then looked at Rosa Park’s most important life events and ordered them in chronological order. We began to think about which was the most important event. When Rosa bravely refused to give up her seat on the bus, this was a small act that caused big changes. We decided this was her most important life event because this started this bus boycott that put an end to the segregation on buses.

To end the week we used drama to act out Rosa’s courage and bravery. We stepped inside the shoes of those involved in the bus incident and discussed how different people would have reacted when Rosa stood up for her rights. We compared this to how it would be different if this happened today.

Black History Week in Nursery

31st October 2022L Moore

In Nursery this week, we have been celebrating ‘Black History Week’. We talked about some influential people including Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou and Stormzy. We read the story ‘Odd Dog Out’ and talked about how we are different and special.

I am special because;

“I’ve got brown hair.”- Georgie

“I’m good at swimming.”- Alfie

“My hair is golden.”- Tommy

“I’ve got a freckle on my arm.”- James

“I’ve got different eyes. My eyes are green.”- Junior

“I’ve got a blue top on and everybody else has got red.”- Jessie

“I’m good at riding a bike.”- Harley

Our Stone Age Experience

7th October 2022C Whitehead

A special visitor called Rachel visited Year 3 to transport us back to what life was like in the Stone Age times. We learned how to light a fire using flint and a fire steel, just like they would have thousands of years ago. Back then, the hunter gathers had to source their own food, we handled lots of different tools and thought about how they would have been used. After that we made ancient bannock bread and cooked it over our open fire. It was delicious!

A hunter gather had to move around as the seasons changed to ensure they had food to eat, so our final task was to work in teams to create our own nomadic shelter. We had so much fun!

Growing up!

30th September 2022L Moore

This week in Nursery we have been talking about how we have changed over time. The children brought pictures of themselves as babies to Nursery and talked about how they have changed.

We are growing up so fast!

 

Year 3 think like hunter-gathers!

26th September 2022C Whitehead

In year 3, we have been learning all about the Stone Age. We imagined that we had been transported back millions of years to this time. We couldn’t go to the shops, so we had to think like hunter-gathers in order to survive! We explored our school grounds to look out for any assets that could help us.

All about the Ancient Egyptians

14th July 2022R Errington

Last half term, Year 4 had a great time learning about the Ancient Egyptians. We found out about their beliefs and their ways of life. We also compared how the river Nile was used in Ancient Egyptian times to how it is used in modern Egypt. We had a fantastic time with Richard, also known as That History Bloke. He told us all about the processes of embalming and mummification.