As part of our Japan topic in art this week we looked at a famous traditional artist called Ando Hiroshige.  He painted scenes of Japan that usually had images of people working , the sea and rivers, mountains (usually Fuji) and added layers of colour and paint to create texture.  We added PVA glue to add texture and shine to parts of our paintings.

Don’t forget that from now on you are allowed to show a piece of homework or read a story spelling challenge as your show and tell.  If you would rather bring something in instead then that is fine too, but there is the opportunity of ensuring you are able to show a piece of work you are proud of to the rest of the class if you want to.

I would like to thank the boys and those who helped for some wonderful homework pieces last half term based on the theme of Around the World.  I look forward to another batch of exciting work from our Japan grid.  Some excellent examples have already come in. Here is a selection of what 2M produced last half term.

 

Don’t forget on Thursday 6th March it is World Book day where we will be following the theme of ‘Courage.’  On the day teachers and students are allowed to dress up as a book character that is brave or courageous.  So get thinking over half term and I look forward to your fantastic costumes on the 6th.

 

This week as well as discussing modes of transport on small islands we had the opportunity of building our own islands.  We worked in groups to give our islands a 3D feel using materials provided.  We needed to remember what we had learnt and what we are likely to see on an island; some have boats, ports, train stations, houses, roads, trees and even the odd erupting volcano.

In geography this week we focused on how people living on small islands might move around and use modes of transport that may be different to what we use everyday.  In our class we noticed that most of us go everywhere by car.  On the small Japanese island of Oshima however that is different.  This is because it is smaller, there a fewer roads and often people are moving across countryside or on water.  Here we worked in groups, and using a map of Oshima, decided how certain people in particular locations would get to somewhere else.  Given the current floods in England we might learn something from the people of Oshima.

In science last week we looked at how we can heat a solid up like wax, ice and chocolate and watch it change state into a liquid.  We also learnt that just by letting these hot liquids cool down we can turn them back into solids again.  We were also able to use the senior science labs again for this, getting us ready for when we are in the senior school.

Over the past few weeks we have been making bags to keep Mr Grinling’s lunch safe from those pesky seagulls.  We have come up with scary designs to scare the gulls away from the delicious food.  Here are some pictures of us making them.

Today as part of our focus on building exciting sentences we wrote a story in groups, each coming up with different ideas but working together to create a story based on Miranda the Explorer.  Miranda finds herself adrift in a hot air balloon and goes on an exciting adventure around the world, visiting some of the world’s most famous cities and landmarks.  Here are our attempts, I think we would give Miranda a run for her money:

BALLOON JOURNEY

This morning I got into my car and found a hot air balloon. I got into the balloon and it started to get windier and windier and rainy and we flew toward the horizon. The Statue of Liberty is a big statue it looks amazing from my balloon. I was a long way from home and I felt miserable, angry, thirsty and hungry.

However, I got to Australia and I passed over the Sydney Opera House and hit one of the spikes. Luckily a man called Sam, who was a builder, fixed our balloon. We let him get in our balloon with us. Then we suddenly got picked up by the wind and we went to the Great Wall of China. I am amazed and excited to see the Great Wall of China.

The wind carried us to Italy and we met a man called Nicholas who gave us pizza. We ate pizza happily. We saw the amazing but scary Leaning Tower of Pisa. After, we had to drop off Sam at the Sydney Opera House. Then we had to go home from the amazing adventures.

THE END

Story by: Leo, Sam, Jack, Luca, Nicholas, Kaya and Charles

 

BALLOON JOURNEY

I found a big hot air balloon in the garage. I set it up carefully and I flew up into the beautiful, blue sky. I felt a bit happy but also scared. Then I zoomed past the massive Eiffel Tower then onto the wonky Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I flew onto Greece and met a small and pretty girl called Sophia and then I flew over the Acropolis. It was big and impressive. Suddenly there was a huge, noisy crash and my balloon had knocked the Acropolis over. The people were angry and shouted “Hey!”

I went zooming off quickly past the amazing Taj Mahal and it looked cool and we flew back from our amazing adventure.

THE END

Story by: Eashen, Alex, Teni, Haydyn, Ratshan, Ehsen and Niam

 

 

BALLOON JOURNEY

I won an amazing football competition and I got to go in an incredibly big hot air balloon. Suddenly the wind blew rapidly and before I knew it I was over the beautiful Taj Mahal. Then I swiftly drifted over golden sand to the wonderful Parthenon.

I had a sharp knife with me to cut vines that were in the way. “Hiyyya vines you won’t get in my way from seeing the spectacular Statue of Liberty.” I felt speechless.  We carried onwards and we reached Egypt.  It was a hot, sunny, hazy day. I saw the glorious Pyramids I felt so happy. My balloon came down and I made friends with a little boy called Oman.

When it was time to go home I dropped the heavy sandbags and I glided carefully through the blossoming, pretty trees to my English garden.

THE END

Story by: William, Robin, Thanasis, Noah, Sebastian and Parsa

 

Today in literacy we looked at how to build interesting sentences.  We focused on the importance of using adjectives, adverbs and connectives to make our sentences exciting to read.  Here is some of what we achieved: