Year 5
Biodiversity Week
Year 5
In guided reading this week, year 5 have been looking at newspaper articles. We read an article about climate change and how recently the planet passed the key 1.5 C climate mark across a whole year for the first time. We also did an activity based around an article reporting the migratory species which are threatened with extinction. The good news was that we can take action to reverse these events and we discussed practical steps everyone could do to help. In addition, we read an article reporting on three new species of amphibians which scientists had recently discovered.
In fluency, we read 'Dear Earth' by Isabel Otter. This inspirational picture book charmingly blends fiction with non-fiction as we journey through the varied landscapes and habitats of the world with the main character Tessa. The story encouraged us to appreciate the wonders of the natural world, including the varied animals, oceans and environments, as well as what can be done to protect it. The beautiful illustrations brought each location to life and opened up discussions about the problems the earth faces and the solutions we can all take responsibility for.
In year 5, our biodiversity activity was to complete a field sketch around our school grounds. In this way, we could observe and record the biodiversity of Beechwood. We used 'OASIS'- Observe, Annotate, Scale, Information and Slow Down to help us to record our findings. We explored the grounds and garden to identify plants, trees, birds, insects and animals. We were amazed to discover the biodiversity of our school. The children saw a wide range of birds including red kites, blackbirds, blue tits, pigeons and seagulls. Beechwood is lucky to have different species of trees such as hawthorns, willow, laurel and oak trees. Plants and flowers identified included daffodils, crocus, snowdrops and daisies. We even found a fox's den! The afternoon was spent outdoors observing a recording in the early March sunshine. Once we had shared our findings, we were able to summarise the different species present in our school. We fed this information forward to year 3 who are going to use it to help with their geography topic this term.
World Day Wednesday
On Wednesday 22nd November, every child in the school participated in the first-ever, ‘World Day Wednesday’. The focus for this term was ‘Wonderful Woodlands All About Trees’. This was a special day to communicate about the climate where we learned about the importance of trees for our world, both now and in the future. Throughout the day, every child had the opportunity to join a session with Shine from Artis who taught us a very special song. She wrote the song especially for World Day Wednesday and it was called, Our Earth Day Song. Mr Wilson from Premier Sports led a session with each class on the playground to teach us about the impact that being outside can have on our wellbeing. A group of musicians also did a nature-themed performance to help us think about how the environment can be reflected in music. In addition, we enjoyed completing the Tree-mendous Tree Trail around the school grounds. Using a map and an identification key, children found a wide range of different trees around the site. Using clues such as the shape and colour of leaves, children were able to identify the trees and if they were evergreen or deciduous. Every class also took part in a range of different activities with their teachers. Years 3 and 4 enjoyed using different leaves, twigs and berries to create environmental art outside. They also adopted a tree to study and note the changes throughout the seasons. Years 5 and 6 tried to calculate the age of some trees on the school grounds. They also created some beautiful artwork based around a tree in the four seasons using watercolours. As part of the day, we learned that if we take care of our trees and forests, they will take care of us. People say: that trees are the lungs of the earth. They clean the air, purify water, and provide food and shelter for all living things. We can’t live without them! But if we don’t protect them, they won’t be able to do their job. They take decades to grow big enough to be able to do all of these things. Not to mention, when trees are in a forest, they become far more than just the sum of their parts. We discovered that’s why it’s so important that we don’t just save trees, but protect our forests. When we do, we’ll have more than just beautiful scenery. We’ll also have cleaner air, purer water, and healthier people.
"TREES EXHALE FOR US SO THAT WE CAN INHALE THEM TO STAY ALIVE. CAN WE EVER FORGET THAT? LET US LOVE TREES WITH EVERY BREATH WE TAKE“
