This term, our D&T project has been led by the work of Susanna VissaniĀ – a leading, modern architect, whose work on play structures is extremely clever and organic!
We tasked the children to design an item of playground equipment… an adventure trail, that would appeal to Key Stage 1 and have disability access – we showed them some of Suzanna’s work with the Architecture Group called CARVE:
As we work towards building some PROTOTYPES, this week, we were learning skills of paper construction – different ways to fold and utilise paper in a larger structure. Here are some photos of the children, practising as many paper-folding techniques, as they could muster!
This half-term, in Art lessons, we have been studying and practicing using vanishing points to assist drawing 3D shapes and objects. We have looked at various artists’ ingenious use of 3D Perspective – not least M. C. Esher:
(‘Relativity’ 1953)
We are just leading towards, today, creating ‘city-scapes’ using 3D perspective, charcoals and cross-hatching to achieve shadows. Fingers crossed to complete and show for Parents’ Visit, next Friday afternoon!
Here are some images of the class, practicing the skills and aiming to create accurate cuboids:
Today we learnt about imports and exports and the reasons why the UK trades with other countries. We discussed our favourite foods and all the different ingredients and then looked at where each food component comes from.
Then we used atlases to trace the different origins of where our food comes from and created our own food map.
Yesterday, some of our amazing swimmers learnt some survival techniques, swimming in their pyjamas. A massive well done to everyone for all their efforts swimming! Iām so proud of all of you!
This week we have started our new topic on Angles. We have looked at acute, obtuse, reflex and right angles and then moved onto using a protractor to measure and draw angles.
Watch the video to remind yourself of how to use a protractor accurately. It will help you with your home work!
Last week, Year 5 began a new area of learning for Art work – 3D Sculpture. We created tin-foil figures, focusing on lifelike poses; and using paper sculpture techniques to create our impression of a natural landscape (primarily a Nature Garden, emulating the Queen’s Gardens in Central Croydon).
Below are the photos of our efforts… the finished products are suitably neon, very lively and show off some exceptional skills in paper manipulation. Being a huge Origami-nerd, it does my heart proud to see some excellent use of techniques I didn’t realise some of our pupils had!!
Good show, Puffins… next week, back to D&T and thinking about the STALLS we might envisage being used in the Surrey Street Market!
Puffins, as you know, our current class reader is ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’, by C.S. Lewis. Last week, I mentioned I had stayed in Oxford during the holidays, and visited the University Library where C.S. Lewis had mainly written the book, over 70 years ago!
Oxford is a famous and ancient University town, a seat of learning for the best and brightest for centuries of bright learners… including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and even J.K. Rowling herself. C.S. Lewis was a Professor of Literacy for nearly 30 years there and loved to write his novels in the peace and seclusion of his nearby library.
I was explaining to you, how on a tour around Oxford, the guide had showed me some interesting places that were obviously the inspiration for Lewis’ characters and settings IN ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’… so here, as promised, are some photos of those revealing locales:
A) THE LAMPPOST
Outside of the library, on the main path, leading to his home in Magdalen College was this LAMPPOST… old even in his day, it SURELY must have been the inspiration for its use in the fantasy land of Narnia!It still stand today…
B) Two Clues to Tumnus
On the door opposite the entrance to where Lewis loved to write, is another old door, with these two carvings on it… He would have seen them every day, as he came in and out of the Library… They MUST have had some influence over his use of Mr. Tumnus, the Faun.
One is a ‘GREEN MAN’ carving, a potent medieval symbol of the Spirit of Nature, embedded in the oak door.
The other is a gargoyle carving, literally of a half-man, half-goat; either side of that very door!
These might have been a big inspiration for the Faun character… what do you think, Puffins?
“A Good Writer always writes about what they KNOW“, said someone along time ago, who is clearly more intelligent than me… it clearly worked for C.S. Lewis! If you’re ever visiting the ‘Dreaming Spires’ of Oxford, Puffins… try to find these locations for yourself. I’ll point you in the right direction!!
Last week, Year 5 had an excellent time, discovering monoprinting. We examined tribal patterns from many great African nations and noticed their links to nature and their environment. We then aimed to create our own simple patterns, inspired by nature, that were repeatable and relatively easy to create.
We used ink on whiteboards, rolled to a very thin layer, then drew patterns IN the ink with the ends of paintbrushes. We then laid paper on top (VERY carefully!) and used a clean roller to make an IMPRINT of our design.
Below are the photos of our processes and efforts: they came out really well and matched the brief of simplicity and using elements of nature!
Good show, Puffins… next week, we will recreate and make them repeatable, to form a collage of images!
The ‘powers that be of the Internet’ have aligned to finally allow me to post some of the excellent work Puffins have produced, this half-term! I’ll endeavour to try to post some more examples soon!
For our Design & Technology learning this half-term, we have been investigating the design process and applying it to a mini-theme of creating a Market Stall, in an imagined scenario of selling items at the Notting Hill Carnival (linking to the school theme of Black History Month).
Below, are some lovely images of Puffin Class, learning HOW to combine paper straws, accurately and securely; with consideration to a framework design, but not build up too much weight!
Here we are, attaching straws for a first attempt at a ‘Stall-like’ framework… these came out very well and showed intelligent and thoughtful designing!!Good stuff, Puffins!!
‘The mighty hand of A… its wrath knows no bounds!’ š
In the lead-up to our final weeks together, Puffins, I wanted to share some of our recent and most excellent work!
Firstly, we have examples of our DESIGN work – attempting to create and record our design ideas for a new Olympic Costume, related to a country of their choice. Many got behind the whole ‘cape’ idea… snazzy!
We also had some excellent Japanese Sushi Menu designs, stemming from our studies of Japan and Japanese Culture – Sashimi, anyone?
We’ve had more children join the ranks of rightfully earning their ‘Headteacher’s Award’. We’re all very proud of your achievements!:
We’ve had much improved and consistent Maths learning, showing excellence in the tricky calculation of ‘Long Multiplication‘. Wonderfully presented too!:
And finally, some examples of the textile versions of our Olympic Mascot designs – using running and whip stitch techniques!
Here we are, preparing templates and beginning to sew up the outlines, prior to stuffing:
And now… the fantastic finished product! These look REALLY good, Puffins! The I.O.C. should ask us to design the next mascots, right?!
Hooray! I finally got technology to communicate with each other, and I can now share much overdue excellence in the work Puffins have achieved, last half-term and this current one!!
Thank you for the patience!
Above, we have wonderful ‘Phases of the Moon’ booklets, created last half-term in Science and Art lessons. We learnt the correct sequence and look of each phase section and recreated this as a booklet for Year 3 to follow, next year.
Next, we have Artwork based on nature: using background stippling over masking tape, then removing to sketch and cross-hatch examples of trees, for a multidimensional effect.
For Design and Technology, we have been extensively planning and organising our ideas for using frameworks to create Playground Play Structures: here, we created models with straws using actual construction and joining techniques. These really turned out excellently! All are sturdy, well-planned and recognisable as familiar playground favourites. Great work…
This half-term, we will be focusing on more three dimensional forms of art: here, we have our truly impressive tin-foil figures, that were formed to represent a classic pose / posture from a particular sport. Once pinned to card, an accurate shadow was added, to give it further dimensionality.
I really can’t praise these enough: the pose and postures are all instantly recognisable and the accuracy and use of shadowing is really superb!! Honestly, Puffins… best art work of the year (so far!!)
And a final example of excellence comes with our recent ‘Heritage Day’: again, a colossal thanks to parents for assisting this venture, allowing resources to be used and spending time with our children discussing their heritage. It makes me ENORMOUSLY proud that my own humdrum background of living in Catford in the 1970s is UTTERLY trounced by the spectacular array of world-covering places the children in my care have experienced or have heritage from.
Here is a world map of the sheer coverage we discovered for our Heritage Day!!
And here are just some of the amazing items the children brought in, to explain and help us understand their individual heritages: from a 50 year flag with a personal family history, to a flamenco costume from the Canaries, to a Bangladeshi formal outfit, to traditional Nepalese costume, to St. Christopher’s medallions, to a plethora of Jamaican flags and costume, to even an autographed T-shirt of Italian footballer, Totti!!
We could have spent DAYS discussing it all… really pleased and hugely impressed!!
Fabulous stuff, Puffins… now that technology has released us, I can now update the PUFFIN side of the blog every few weeks! Enjoy these, and see you on Tuesday!!
Selsdon - Year 5 