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St. John’s Stonefold Church of England Primary School

Cycle 2: Term 2b

Buildings

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Class 3: Year 2 and 3 History: A Lancashire Building Revolution!

In this seven week unit children will study local history and see how this can

be investigated through buildings when linked to the changes of the industrial

revolution. The programme will include:

Week One: How and why did the mills develop?

Children should learn that, before 1750 most people lived in the countryside

working at home on spinning wheels (for woollen cloth) or farming. Only

when special machines were invented – using the recently invented steam

engine – did people think of having all the workers together in one building so

they could make more money – hence the mills grew up. The change was

also from wool to cotton as it is easier to obtain. Children should learn this is

why Accrington and Haslingden developed. They can illustrate a typical mill

– both outside and in – and look at old photographs of Haslingden showing

the huge amount of mills. Children should understand that Lancashire was

ideal due to the fast streams for water power, damp climate to avoid threads

breaking, and stone/coal in the ground.

Week Two: What was life like inside a Victorian cotton mill?

Children should learn about the spinning machine called the spinning mule

and how it made the mills a noisy and dangerous place. They should learn

how mill owners saved money by having young children working long and

dangerous hours – and about the rules for working in a factory. Many

children, for example – were sent under machines to repair broken threads –

and they developed diseases such as rickets due to seeing no light for days

at a time.

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Week Three: Using sources to find out about Mill life

Children will learn how to question sources such as old engravings, posters,

drawings and photographs to find out about mill life – using probing

questions.

Week Four: How Mills made the towns develop

The children will learn how factory owners had tiny rows of back to back

terraces built and how these had no drainage or sanitation, how sometimes

several families shared one room with just sand on the floor – and how they

were built right next to the mill so the people had a life of just bed and work.

They will learn how diseases were very common and how the ‘knocker

uppers’ used to wake the families for the mill each morning. All workers

needed shops – so eventually the factories and their houses spread to

become mill towns such as Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington.

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Weeks Five and Six: How the building of railways connected the towns

Children should learn that the steam engine could be used to move coal to

the mills along rails (this had been tried with canals but they were very slow) –

and that it was eventually realised that people could be moved too!

Therefore stations, bridges, signal boxes and tunnels were built. Children can

look at the area near school to show the path of the former railway. They

can also look at how railways changed people’s lives : people began to

leave their town for the first time ever – and could see the sea – so places like

Blackpool grew up for the workers to visit on their ‘holiday’ – which was a rare

event in the year. Children could look at an old OS map to see the route of

the former railway near school and even trace its path using Google earth.

Weeks Seven: How and Why schools developed

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Only a few people could read and write so schools were established slowly

and eventually School Boards built their own schools when education

became compulsory. Children can look at photographs of Victorian schools.

How were the buildings different? What wasn’t considered then that would

be now? Read accounts of Victorian schooling and compare the

differences with today. School drills/how lessons were

different/teaching/rules/style of dress. Look at the 1894 date stone on our

school and consider how the school was built for the millworkers of the village

and how we have had to change it since.

National Curriculum Coverage

A local history study – for example: a study over time tracing how

several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality.

A study of an aspect of history or a site dating from a period beyond

1066 that is significant in the locality.

A significant turning point in British history e.g. the first railways/factories

and mill towns.

Devise questions about change/cause, similarity and difference.

Understand how our knowledge of the past is construcrted from a

range of sources.

Class 4 : Year 4 and 5 History: Egyptian Architects

In this unit the children will learn about changes and developments in

Ancient Egypt through buildings and other structures.

1) Week one: Where did the Egyptian civilisation develop and what do we

know about it?

Children should use a timeline to learn where Ancient Egypt fits in

chronologically against other time periods. They should also be able to

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locate Egypt on a map, understanding that – for a civilisation to

develop, important rivers for water supply and transport are needed

(The Nile) and links to other countries (via the Mediterranean and Red

Seas). Children can then complete a concept map linking their ideas

(what they already know about ancient Egypt) they may have some

idea about pyramids/mummies/pharaohs/the sphinx – what do they

think of these at this stage? What would they like to learn?

2. Weeks two and three: What were Egyptian Houses Like? Children

should learn that Egyptian houses had thick walls, were painted white

and had flat roofs. They were made of mudbricks and had staircases

going up on the outside. After looking at photographs – children can

make small houses out of clay as the basis for an Egyptian village.

Think of internal features and use computer research to make

information cards about their Egyptian house: e.g. what floors were

made from/how they cooked/what they ate/how they slept. Children

should learn that water was often hard to come by – down step

bankings to the river – so the shaduf was invented as a means of

3. Weeks four and five: Why and How were the Great Pyramids built?

Children can use photographs sources to examine the pyramids. They

should learn that these were linked to the Egyptian gods and

goddesses and that they were built by slaves over many years,

sometimes housing important tombs. Inscriptions were often placed on

the walls in hieroglyphics. Children can use the internet to research key

facts about the pyramids and write a non-fiction article explaining their

construction – or an information leaflet for a first-time visitor. How to Get

there/What to See/How They were Built/Safety precautions/Amazing

Facts/ - they could also (on the second week) write a fist person

account from a slave’s point of view of a day building the pyramids –

empathising with the character’s thoughts and feelings.

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4. Week six and seven: What did Egyptians Build to Bury Their Dead?

Children will learn how Egyptians prepared the bodies of the dead for

the next life by mummifying them and often placing them inside large

purpose built tombs. Learn about how Howard Carter uncovered the

tombs in the Valley Of the Kings, particularly that of Tutankhamun.

What did the sources tell us about the way the Egyptians lived? (use

photograph examples from the internet of relics recovered from the

tomb).Children can communicate their ideas through a newspaper

report describing the find in 1922 (link English)

National Curriculum Coverage

The achievements of the earliest civilisations and a depth study

of: Ancient Egypt.

Understand how our understanding of the past is constructed

from a range of sources.

Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and

understanding of world history.

Class 5: Year 5 and 6 History: When Buildings Began! Prehistoric

Circles,Barrows and Villages

In this seven week unit the children will learn about the progression of British

history though the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age by looking at buildings.

They will see how buildings matched the way that people lived and thought

at the time, as well as their religious beliefs. The programme will include:

1) Week one: Who Were the Stone Age Peoples and What buildings did

they leave? After completing a timeline of Prehistoric times - looking at

the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) and Neolithic people – where they

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came from and how their way of life was so different to that of today.

How they gradually developed from hunter gatherer nomads into

farmers with settlements when farming first came to Britain and the

evidence left to us in the form of Skara Brae and the Knap of Howar

(Orkney). Children will learn that these people had no metal and no

wheel , living in a country vastly different than today.

2) Week Two: What are the Longbarrows and why are they important?

How the Neolithic peoples believed in a range of gods and that their

dead would go to an afterlife. The development of the Beaker folk. The

construction of longbarrow tombs such as Belas Knap, Stoney Littleton,

Maes Howe and the West Kennet Longbarrow. Children to carry out

computer research as to what was discovered in each. The mysterious

gigantic mound of Silbury Hill and how its purpose has never been

identified despite years of trying. (link DT)

3) Week Three: What religious buildings did these ancient peoples leave?

behind? Henges to Stone Circles. How the causewayed enclosures

developed into henges and then stone circles: Avebury (the biggest of

all, The Rollright Stones, The ring of Brodgar and Stonehenge.

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4) Week Four: What is Stonehenge like and why was it built? Using a range

of aerial photographs to study Stonehenge, finding out about such

features as the cursus, the heel stone, the trilithons and how they were

supposedly erected (link DT) Children to write a series of instructions for

the building of Stonehenge.

5) Week Five: How did buildings change in the Bronze Age? How buildings

developed in Bronze Age times e.g. the Bronze age roundhouse –

children to draw and label – and the way in which burials were for

single people e.g. bell and saucer barrows, where people were buried

with their possessions for the next life. Why are these important to

archaeologists? Other symbols in the landscape – such as the

Uffington White Horse.

6) Week six: How Hill forts were developed How the Iron Age meant that

people had to defend themselves: the development of Hillforts such as

Maiden Castle, Old Oswestry and Cadbury Castle. Children to

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research when they were built and their events e.g battles and clashes

with the Romans.

7) Week Seven: Life in an Iron Age Village The lay-out of an Iron Age

village such as Chysauster (Cornwall) set out in the style of an advert –

looking at courtyard settlements, walled passages and the tools and

way of life of Iron Age People. The strange passages known as fogous.

Children will also learn about how these forts were contained within

tribal kingdoms, such as Brigantia/Cornovia – producing a simple map

of Iron Age kingdoms and important forts.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

Late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, for example,

Skara Brae.

Bronze Age religion , technology and travel, for example,

Stonehenge.

Iron Age hill forts, tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture.

Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and

understanding of British history.

Not connections, contrasts and change over time.

Devise valid questions about change, cause, similarity and

difference.

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Class 3 (year 2 and 3) Design/Technology

Design a Mill

In this unit children will build on work covered in history to look at examples of

Victorian mills and design and build their own. They will use a variety of

techniques including lego and use of a range of materials and other

resources. The programme, which may be altered/modified week by week

according to the teacher’s planning, will include:

Week one/two: What were the features of the mills? Looking at a range of

photographs and images of the mills. What are their characteristics? Look at

decoration/window shape and design/towers/belfries/chimneys/etc.

Children to use sketch books to draw features from different mills as ideas for

incorporating into their own designs in week two.

Week Three: Using Sketches and Research to Design my own Mill Designing a

mill: children to draw their mill from the front, side and back so it is very clear

how the finished design will look, including windows, decorative designs,

protruding walls and addition of a manufacturer’s sign or slogan e.g. ‘Thomas

Smith Limited: Quality Cotton.’

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Weeks Four and Five: Making a Proto-type from construction kits Making a

lego prototype: Children to use lego to build their mill – paying careful

attention to their drawings – ensuring the finished product is similar to the

original design. They can add slogans using card.

Weeks six and seven: Experimenting with a range of materials and resources

To create a larger version of their mill – children to experiment with wood,

(framework)cardboard, boxes, assorted ‘junk’, and a variety of paints to

produce a finished mill with their own company slogan. Children can also

draw and paint backgrounds to be inserted into the mill so that machines

and workers can be seen when the door opens – or they may wish to build

simple models to be incorporated inside. Smoke may also be created =- and

chimneys by rolling cylinders of card.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of

functional and appealing products.

Generate, develop, model and communicate ideas through

discussion, annotated sketches, cross sectional and exploded

diagrams.

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform

practical tasks

Know how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more complex structures.

Select from and use a wider range of materials and components.

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Class 4 (year 4 and 5) Design/Technology: Build a Working Shaduf/Mould a

Sphinx

In this unit the children will study the design of an Egyptian shaduf – a means

of drawing water from a steep banked river – and work to design and build

(in pairs or individually) their own working models that can demonstrate

retrieving water from a bowl or sink. They will also use their skills of sculpture –

developed in the space unit – for the more difficult challenge of sculpting a

sphinx figure.

Week One: What was a shaduf and how did it work?

Children will learn how it was important to draw clean water from a point well

away from the river bank. They should use their sketch books and a range of

pictures, photographs to get a good idea of a working shaduf. (see online

film clip from British Pathe/shaduf). Children to use sketchbooks to draw the

mechanism – all the time thinking of ideas for designing their own.

Week Two: Design and annotate their own shaduf

Having been given access to a range of materials: wood, twigs, string, clay –

children to design a shaduf, annotating the diagram as necessary. How is the

device going to stand up? What will be used for the water carrier? How will it

be attached?

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Weeks Three and Four: Build and demonstrate a working shaduf

Children will use these sessions to build their working model: concentrating on

the weight (use clay/blue tac or dough/plasteceine) and a solid structure.

Demonstrate using the shaduf to transfer water from one vessel to another.

Evaluate the model and how it might be modified.

Weeks Five and Six: Looking at other Egyptian buildings. Use clay or salt

dough to sculpt a sphinx, concentrating on the facial features, head-dress

and feet. Children should be taught to sculpt using the fingers rather than

sticking on separate features.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of

functional, appealing products.

Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform

practical tasks (cutting/shaping/joining/finishing).

Evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and

consider the views of others to improve their work.

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Class 5 (Year 5 and 6) Design/Technology: Burial Chambers and Bronze Age

Buildings

In this unit the children will use their knowledge of the construction of Bronze

Age buildings (roundhouses or burial chambers) to design and build their own

chamber or round house, incorporating internal features. They may use small

pieces of natural stone to incorporate into their model, or make specially

designed slabs using clay – or a mixture of the two. Similarly – artificial grass or

real turf may be used.

Week One: Research: What Were Burial Chambers and Round Houses ?

Researching the construction of round houses and chambers using the

computer. What were they used for? (link history). Children to research and

make notes in sketch books to assist them with the designs. Good examples

to research are Stoney Littleton, West Kenett Long Barrow and Belas Knap. In

designing a chamber, children need to think of:

1) How many entrances?

2) How the walls are going to be made?

3) How the walls and overall shape will appear.

4) How the roof will be constructed.

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Week two: Designing my Bronze Age Building Children should use

photographs and diagrams such as the one above to design their own house

or chamber – drawing individual slabs and chambers. They should sketch

what their building will look like from above (as in the above example) or

from the side/back – showing the entrances. Who is their tomb going to be

for? Are they going to include a clay figure, crouched, with a beaker? (link

history) What will the roof be made from?

Weeks Three and Four: Building the Framework: Children should work on

constructing the outer parts of the chamber using clay slabs or a

combination of clay and natural stones set in sand or glued to a wooden or

card base.

Weeks Five and Six: Adding a Turf Roof: Children may wish to add small

pieces of natural turf or artificial grass – or they may use green material to

form the roof. They may wish to use sacking to support before adding the

final layer.

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Alternative Approach: Skara Brae

Instead of constructing Bronze Age buildings, children could use their

knowledge of Skara Brae and the fact that the Neolithic people didn’t have

metal – to construct their own Neolithic House using similar methods to those

shown above. Again they can use a combination of clay and natural pieces

of stone for their design – adding as key and information as to the features of

each room.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of

innovative and appealing products.

Generate ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross sectional

and exploded diagrams.

Select from and use a wider range of equipment to perform practical

tasks.

Apply understanding of how to strengthen, stiffen and reinforce more

complex structures.

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Class Three: Year 2 and 3; English: Describing buildings

In this unit the children will learn how to observe and describe in real life

situations – linking a study of our own Victorian school (link history) to narrative

description, feature writing and story writing.

Week One: Understanding Famous Buildings/Reading Exercises

This week the teacher should share with the children information passages

describing famous buildings: Empire State, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace,

focusing on oral comprehension questions involving both skimming/scanning

and inference. Children can then complete their own comprehension

exercises practising and familiarising themselves with a range of the world’s

most famous buildings – while becoming more proficient readers.

Week Two: The skills of description/Writing Exercise

Show the children photographs of world famous buildings: Taj Mahal, Leaning

Tower of Pisa, Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Burj Khalifa, Sydney Opera House.

As teacher using shared write, model how we might describe the building in

present tense. Concentrate on the quality of sentences and word choices

rather than lengthier pieces of writing. It is a good idea to start from a word

bank thought up by the children . Once the children have mastered this,

move on to photographic sources that show the inside of buildings – and

describe the interior.

Week Three: Describing our Victorian School : Note taking and Writing

Tell the children that they are going to write a detailed feature on Stonefold

CE Primary School for new families moving to the area. They will have to

provide information on each room and on the outside of the building. Using

clip boards and a short walk outside school, children should note down key

words and phrases ready to describe the outside of the building e.g. the front

(main entrance) the east side (junior side) the playground and the infant

play area. Once they have gathered information and using present tense –

the children should produce an extended piece of writing to describe the

school. They should incorporate the skills acquired in grammar, spelling and

punctuation. E.g.

The main entrance is painted red, and there is a window to one side. There is

a slope up to the entrance for disabled people, and steps at the other side.

Posters giving information are placed in the window. Around the front of the

school there are black railings which help to keep children safe.

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Week Four/five: Describing Our School : Interior

Children should work in groups and take notes on three or four main rooms in

the school. With support, they can even access the cellar. These notes

should be transformed into written pieces describing what the room looks like,

what it is used for, and what equipment there is in the room. Children can

use AFL to assess and evaluate each other’s work. This can be incorporated

into display.

Weeks Five/Six/Seven: A Fantasy Building/The Strangest School on the Planet

Scenes of description such as those completed in week four are used by

authors in many ways. Read extracts (shared read) of Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory to the children focusing on the fantasy description within

the building e.g. the chocolate room/the inventing room. Again use oral

comprehension and use of inference.

Children should then draw and label a fantasy school that they have

invented – that must be strange in some way. They need to be very clear

who the headteacher is – what the pupils are like – what the lessons are like

and what the school looks like. It could be a school where all the teachers

are animals/all the pupils are aliens/all the lessons are under water. It is

important that the children take their time over the planning stage.

Using the stimulus for a story ‘The Strangest School on the Planet’ children

should plan a short story where their main character is beginning school at

the place they have invented. It should be written in the third person. Can

they use similar skills to Roald Dahl – and can they apply their descriptive skills

for the earlier weeks? Children can then use AFL to evaluate each other’s

work.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Justifying inferences with evidence.

Identifying ideas drawn from more than one paragraph.

Retrieve and record information from non-fiction.

Organising paragraphs around a theme.

Using the present perfect form of verbs in contrast to the past tense.

In narratives, creating characters, settings and plot

In non-narrative – using suitable organisational devices e.g headings.

Read aloud their own writing to the class controlling tone and volume.

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Class Four: Year 4 and 5: English

The City Comes Alive: Poetry And Narrative.

In this unit the children will read and acquire the language skills of poets and

apply them to their own writing. They will then move on to apply their

knowledge of figurative language (e.g. simile/metaphor) to create

descriptions of cities using photographic stimuli. The programme will include:

Week One/two: What Techniques do Poets Use in Their Writing?;

Children will study ‘Last Night I Saw the City Breathing’ by Andrew Fusek

Peters. This poem is excellent at showing alliteration, similes, powerful

metaphors and shows a good use of powerful verbs and adjectives. Children

can work in groups to pick out the various features or list them (figurative)

against what the phrase really means (literal) for example:

‘stations’ singing mouths’ (figurative) All the noise from the station makes it

seem like it is singing (literal)

Children can also list examples of alliteration. The poet also uses imagery e.g.

he keeps changing the theme of the poem to build up a picture in the

reader’s mind: singing, dancing, crying.

Children can move on to create their own metaphors from examples given

by the teacher e.g. the building was lit up, the shopping centre was packed,

there was a queue outside the cinema, He could see for miles from the top of

the tower …… (how would we make each one of these into a metaphor??)

In week two the children can work in groups to act out the poem as this will

help them understand how metaphors work. A different child or group could

narrate while the others act out each verse.

Week Three: Apply Language Skills to Write a City Poem

Look at a busy city photograph with the children e.g. a picture of Trafalgar

Square or Times Square. Ask children to literally ‘say what they see’ and list

phrases on a board. E.g. , there’s a church with a steeple, taxis are on the

street, a bus is stuck in traffic, there’s a lion statue. Now work with the children

in shared writing to transform the phrases into a poem using the skills of week

one. Example:

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A church with a steeple

Taxis are on the street

A bus is stuck in traffic

There’s a lion statue

(could become)

The steeple stabs the sky

Taxis seem to fly

A red bus sighs impatiently

The lion waits to pounce.

It is important to build children’s confidence by keeping the poems

short. Can they add alliteration? Is there an opportunity for rhyme?

Weeks Four and Five: Narrative Description

The children should move on from poetry to writing narrative based on the

skills of the first weeks, using different city scenes as a stimulus and writing in

past tense. (incorporating grammar, spelling and punctuation) The teacher

should model writing in shared sessions to build up sentences, look at a range

of openings and incorporate language skills. There are excellent

opportunities here for AFL.

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e.g. Times Square

The zebra crossing was crowded with people like a swarm of bees. Two

people managed to cross as a golden taxi rushed past. Looking into the

distance, I could see another crossing full of people in a hurry. A large red

circular face beamed down at me from a nearby building – and all the light

seemed to be shut out by the monsters standing around me.

Children can build up a class book of both poems and narratives.

Weeks Six and Seven: Using Language Skills to Plan and Write a Story linked to

Buildings

Many stories have single word titles to keep a sense of suspense. The children

are to plan and write a story with a single word title based around a

particular building. This could include: Pyramid, Skyscraper, Tower, Castle,

Museum, Airport, and children should work on the idea that there will be a

character who visits the building and overcomes a series of problems to win

out in the end. The plot may include:

What is going to be the building in the story and what is unusual about it?

Who is the character and how will he/she get there?

What will be the main problem once he/she gets there?

How will he/she overcome the problem.

Children should, when writing, set the scene – introduce the characters - and

incorporate some of the language skills from weks 1-4. Using AFL we can look

for:

A range of sentence openings

Use of figurative language when setting the scene

Paragraphs

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National Curriculum Coverage

Year 4: preparing poems and play scripts to read aloud and to

perform

Discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest

and imagination

In narratives, creating setting, characters and plot

Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing

Year 5: preparing poems to read aloud and to perform

Use intonation and vary tone and volume

Pupils should be taught the technical and other terms needed

for discussing what they hear and read such as metaphor, simile,

analogy, imagery, style and effect.

Discuss how authors use language, including figurative language

and its effect on the reader.

In narratives, describing settings, characters and atmosphere

and integrating dialogue to convey character and advance the

action.

Assessing the effectiveness of their own and other’s writing.

Ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a

piece of writing.

Class 5: Year 5 and 6: English: Building Powerful Passages:Poetry and

narrative

In this unit the children will recognise and use, though poetry and narrative –

powerful writing techniques to create the sense of being in a certain building.

Throughout, they will concentrate on incorporating grammar and spellings

from their most recent work. The programme will include:

Week One: What are the Language Techniques of Poetry?

During this week the children will study poems about buildings – looking at the

various language features such as metaphors, similes, repetition, alliteration,

imagery, rhyme, rhythm. They will answer a series of oral and written

comprehension questions based on these. Good examples are ‘This Old

Castle’ by Robert J. Lindley (www.poetrysoup.com) and the Tower Poem by

Conrad Potter Aitken (www.poemhunter.com). Another fine example is ‘Last

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Night I Saw the City Breathing’. Once the children have become familiar with

these skills they can practise using metaphors/similes/alliteration linked to a

range of buildings in preparation for writing poetry in week two e.g. Five

poetry skills for each building on a photographic sheet. The buildings could

offer varying challanges e.g. castle, school, library, shopping centre, theatre,

cinema, cathedral, lighthouse, museum, football stadium, pyramid, palace,

bank, skyscraper, haunted house.

Example: Shopping Centre:

Alliteration: Trolleys trundled to and fro.

Metaphor: It comes to life at 8 a.m. and offers everything!

Simile: Like a hive of bees – the shopping centre swarmed with business.

Rhyme: I went inside to spend my cash and saw it vanish in a flash.

Repetition/rhyme: Shops for clothes and shops for books – shops for jewels,

shops for looks.

Week Two: Learning to Write a Building Poem.

Once the children have practised forming various language features for

each type of building – they should use week two to build up their own

poems after taking part in shared writing with the teacher. They can be

serious or funny, rhyming or unrhymed – but a class anthology of building

poems is to be built up by the end of the week. Start with easier options like

skyscraper of castle. Can the child use all the language techniques studied

in the first week? Can they produce poems about each building? Can they

have more than one verse? Can they illustrate their poem?

The castle walls were wearing thin (alliteration)

When like a shadow I walked in (simile)

I stepped on mice, I stepped on things (repetition)

And entered rooms with diamond rings. (rhyme)

Week Three/Four: From pictures to words – describing a building – present

and past tense

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During this week the children can move from poetry to straight-forward

narrative. They should study a range of photographs showing the exterior of

buildings e.g. an old country cottage, a factory, a railway station, an airport –

and describe what they see initially in present tense. This work should be

linked to work in grammar including sentence openings, mixture of long and

short sentences, us of the passive voice, embedded clauses fronted

adverbials.

The factory bricks glow red like the embers of a fire. The chimney towers into

the sky like a top hat that has been stretched to fit its owner. Each window is

a pale rectangle covered in dirt. Weary workers are holding each other as

they leave.

Children can then experiment by changing these descriptions to past tense –

altering the verbs in each case. AFL can be used for a range of grammatical

and punctuation devices linked to work in grammar and punctuation.

Week Five: Going Inside!

This week the children can move on to describing the experience of walking

INSIDE a particular building, after studying (shared reading) typical texts

where this happens e.g. the moment where the children walk into the

Chocolate Room in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They can write from

a third or first person point of view – incorporating skills from the grammar

spelling and punctuation unit being studied.

Inside, the ceiling was draped in cobwebs. In the corner stood a large suit of

armour looking as though it was about to jump into life at any minute.

Again, children can use photographs of the interior of rooms as a stimulus for

their writing, but the more able may wish to write purely from imagination

without visual aids.

Weeks six and Seven: Build a Story

In the final two weeks the children will build on the skills acquired during the

half term to plot, write and produce a full length story with a particular

building as the main theme (e.g. where the action takes place). To

encourage creative thinking, the building should be included in the title of

the story e.g.

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The Skyscraper Experience

The Castle of Whispers

Shopping Centre Chaos

Lost Near the Lighthouse

The House that No-One Knew

The Museum of Mystery

Children can be given these titles or be encouraged to think of their own. A

plot for a similar story could be modelled by the teacher thinking about what

kind of building is involved, who is going to be the main character – what is

his/her problem – and how will these problems be overcome. Children can

be encouraged to write in chapters and to illustrate their writing.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Preparing poems and plays to read aloud and perform.

Showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that

meaning is clear to an audience.

Learning technical and other terms needed for discussing what they

have heard and read e.g. metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style

and effect.

Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to

meaning.

Describing settings , characters and atmosphere – integrating dialogue

to advance the action and convey character.

In writing narratives, considering how authors have developed

characters and settings in what they have read, listened to or seen

performed.

Select appropriate grammar and vocabulary – understanding how

changes convey character and advance meaning.

Use a wide range of devices to build cohesion across paragraphs.

Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing.

Proposing changes to vocabulary, grammar and punctuation to

enhance effects and clarify meaning.

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Class 3: Years 2 and 3: Modern Foreign Languages:

In this unit the children will learn vocabulary and phrases associated with

school. (see Page 50 Developing French) ‘A l’Ecole’. Using new opinion

statements such as ‘J’aime (I like) je n’aime pas’ ( I don’t like) and, in talking

about subjects and activities in school – express opininon such as j’adore ( I

love), c’est difficile’ (it is difficult). Activitiesand learning will include:

Expressing opinions about school

School timetables

Practising the names of school subjects.

Writing sentences.

Thi s unit links well with English (describing our school) and History (Victorian

school)

Class 4: Years 4 and 5: Modern Foreign Languages: Ma Maison

In this unit the children will learn words and phrases associated with their

house (Developing French page 16), including key vocabulary and grammar.

Activities and learning will include:

Names of classroom objects

Making requests

Numbers, 13 to 30

Position words e.g derriere (behind) link prepositions in English e.g. ‘my

garden is behind the house.’

Class 5: Years 5 and 6: Modern Foreign Languages: Le Toure De Paris

In this unit children will link their study of buildings to a tour of Paris – using

prepositions and statements. The buildings might include the Eiffel Tower, Arc

De triumph, Mont Martre, Notre Dame, Place of Versailles and the Louvre.

For each – children can use prepositions/statements and questions.

Where is the Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower is a huge building in Paris.

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The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889.

The Eiffel Tower is magnificent.

The Eiffel Tower has …….. steps?

And substitute the noun with a pronoun in each case.

Children could devise a series of questions in French about a building for the

researchers to answer in a similar way to above: such as ‘Where is it? ‘How

big is it?’

Class 3: Year 2 and 3; Science: Rocks For Building (Link history)

In this unit the children will learn about the properties of different rocks and

what makes them suitable for different purposes. The programme will

include:

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Describe How rocks are formed

Children should learn that rocks e.g sandstone are made up of tiny crystals

called minerals e.g quartz – and that they are formed in different ways. Show

examples in class.

1) Some rocks are made from volcanic lava and are called igneous

rocks! They include rocks like granite. These rocks tend to be very hard

and don’t wear away easily!!!

2) Some rocks are made from settling mud/sand/dead animal skeletons

and are called sedimentary rocks (as the materials they are made from

are called sediments). Explain to the children that sand on the ocean

floor is a form of sediment. Examples are limestone, sandstone and

shale.

3) Some rocks have been cooked or changed by heat (e.g marble and

slate) and so are called metamorphic rocks – as metamorphosis is

another word for change (like when a tadpole changes into a frog).

Children can research And draw diagrams of the different kinds of rock

formation.

Observe and Describe rocks

Children should use magnifiers and examine sandstones, shale,

limestone, flint, chalk, red chert, granite; draw what they look like close

up and use adjectives to describe them. (put the names of the rocks

on the board but do not tell children which is which at this stage) Can

they predict which type of rock group each belongs to? Sedimentary .

igneous, metamorphic – and can they name the rock.?

What are the rocks used for?

Children to use computers to research the use of rocks and complete a

table e.g. chalk used in medicine/limestone for building –

motorways/quartz crystal used in watches/sandstone for building/slate

for roofing – waterproofing/coal for fuel

What are our local rocks and how are they used?

Children should learn about our local gritstone (a form of sandstone)

and how it was made 300 million years ago by rivers carrying sand

towards the sea when the sea was much deeper than it is today. The

entire school is built of this stone. Have a tour of the school premises

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and local area and look at the use of rocks (slates for roofs/gritstone for

walls). Where do we get the stone from and how? Talk about quarries.

Look at how local rock was used to build the roads and railways – and

how gravel is used mixed with tarmac to make roads.

Surprising Soils

Children should learn that soils are made from the remains of broken up

rocks and organic matter (e.g plant and animal remains) or humus.

Some soils let water though better than others (porous) and this varies

across Britain and even determines what we can grow and build.

Carry out an experiment using the same amount of sand, local soil

(from the field) loose gravel and potting compost. Make a prediction

and pour the same amount of water onto each with a collecting vessel

below – leaving each for the same amount of time. Record results

using a graph or computer program.

How Were Rocks Important for the Local Area?

Children should learn that it was possible for our area to have the

cotton industry due to the supply of rock and, importantly – coal.

Children should learn how coal was formed as a sedimentary rock in

shallow water from the remains of trees and plants – and how it was so

important for its use as a slow burning fuel. Look at pictures of the local

area with smoky chimneys – and at coal mines. Visit the National Coal

Mining Museum (fee admission) in Wakefield or Huddersfield to

descend into and see a real coal mine – or visit Marshall’s quarry.

How Are Fossils Formed?

Show children photographs and real fossils. Can they come up with

their own ideas – from their knowledge of rocks – of how fossils are

formed. What kinds of rock do we think most fossils will be found in and

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why? Children can use samples of local plants /twigs with moist clay to

create their own fossils.

National Curriculum Coverage

Compare and group together different kinds of rocks on the

basis of their appearance and simple physical properties.

Describe in simple terms how fossils are formed when things that

have lived are trapped within rock.

Recognise that soils are made from rocks and organic matter.

Set up simple practical enquiries – comparative and fair tests.

Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings,

labelled diagrams., keys, bar charts and tables.

Class 4: Year 4 and 5 Science: Body Building

In this unit the children will learn how we can build healthier bodies by

exercising, varying our diets and eating certain foods for specific purposes.

Building Our Muscles (Link PE)

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Children should learn the main and important muscles of the human body,

including the heart. Which muscles are used most? Looking at a diagram of

the main muscles, children could use a numbered key 1, 2, 3, with 1

representing muscles that are used more than 2, etc. Children should learn

that when muscles are used, lactic acid builds up causing our muscles so

ache. Carry out simple PE exercises which are designed to work different

muscles e.g the calves, the back muscles, the tummy muscles, the arm

muscles.

Muscle Building Workout: How do we Exercise the different muscles?

In a special PE session, children should work in pairs to develop a series of

special exercises for each muscle group e.g. squat thrusts, sit-ups, leg

stretches. Can they demonstrate and teach each movement to a different

group or the rest of the class? Emphasise the importance of warming up.

Munch For Muscles: Which Foods Help to Develop our muscles?

Children should learn that certain foods, combined with exercise, can build

and strengthen muscles. Look at the monthly school dinner menu. Separate

the different meals into ingredients with carbohydrates (good and bad) fats,

proteins, dairy products, fruit and vegetables (see food wheel) Are we

getting a good balance of each? Research proteins as muscle builders and

look at pictures of famous body builders/weight lifters. Use computer

research to find out and present information about proteins and muscle

building foods. Ask the children for examples of high protein foods they may

bring in for the next lesson in order to plan a ‘Muscle Meal.’

A Muscle Meal: Can I Design A Meal to Help Build My Muscles?

Children to be given a range of high protein ingredients (note if nuts are used

to check for all allergies with a letter home to parents): tuna/mackerel/hard

boiled eggs/nuts/pitta bread/mozzarella cheese, yoghurt/milk. Children to

design and make a High Muscle Meal combining all or some of the

ingredients – including a drink. Why would it not be practical to eat these

meals all the time? Why do we still need fats/fruit and vegetables?

Build a Stronger Heart Children should learn that, though we need fats for fuel

and skin building – they can be detrimental to the heart and cause obesity.

Teach children that the blood carries water, oxygen and nutrients around the

body and that, if we eat too much fat – it is deposited on the walls of our

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arteries rather like building up sand on the walls of a railway tunnel. This

makes the heart have to work harder to pump blood – so our blood pressure

increases!

Children should also learn different ways of looking after the heart: not

smoking, keeping calm, avoiding too much salt. They should also learn the

importance of exercise as it makes the hear t muscle stronger and able to

pump blood more efficiently around the body. They should learn that many

fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants which help to clean the blood and

keep the heart running smoothly.

Build a Heart Model Using bubble wrap, pipe cleaners, tubes, materials etc.

children can make a junk model of the heart showing the separate

chambers – the atriums and the ventricles . They can learn that the main

artery sending blood around the body is called the aorta and represent it in

their model.

Understand how Exercise affects heart rate

Children should understand that their pulse corresponds with their heart rate.

They should learn where to find their pulse: wrist/temple/neck. Test pulse rate

at rest – then in groups do a different exercise for 2-3 minutes (decide a time)

This could be jumping on the spot, star jumps, sit ups, sprinting on the spot,

speed bouncing etc. Each group to do one different exercise and look at

the increase in pulse rate. Which exercise caused the biggest increase in

pulse rate? Why? Display results using a graph. Children should learn that our

pulse increases as the brain tells the heart to pump faster knowing that the

body needs more energy.

National Curriculum Coverage:

Identify and name the main parts of the human circulatory system and

describe the functions of the heart, blood vessels and blood.

Recognise the impact of diet, exercise and lifestyle on the way their

bodies function.

Describe the way in which nutrients and water are transported within

animals, including humans.

Reporting and presenting finds from enquiries including conclusions.

Recording results using bar and line graphs

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Class 5: Year 5 and 6 Science: Buildings – Strong and Insulated!!

In this unit (closely linked to history) the children will explore a range of natural

materials and their properties – looking at their suitability for building. The

children will need twigs, small pieces of wood, clay, bark, small pebbles,

natural stones, straw – and any other natural materials the ancient peoples

may have had at their disposal when designing houses. The programme may

include:

Introduction to Building Materials Children to consider a range of materials

that are used nowadays to make buildings. What is the material and what is

its purpose e.g. steel, bricks, stone, cement, glass, wood, slate, plaster, sand.

How did these materials vary in the past? Why are fewer houses built of stone

today? Look carefully at Britain’s tallest building, The Shard – using internet

research. What materials were used to make it? Compare to another

famous building, inside and out – like St Paul’s Cathedral.

Keep out the water Children can use lego to build the sides of an improvised

Iron Age House. Can they use – as the ancient peoples did – natural

materials to design and build a waterproof roof? A small container can be

placed inside the house and a measured amount poured onto the roof so

that any water getting through can be collected and measured. Is the roof

flat or sloping? Does it contain one material or a mixture of materials. Work in

groups for a whole class experiment. Which group kept away most water?

Why were they successful? What is this telling us about the materials the

ancient peoples used?

Insulate your House Discuss with the children how builders insulate houses in

a similar way to which we insulate ourselves by wearing jumpers and jerseys.

Looking at a range of materials:

polythene/polystyrene/clay/textiles/fibreglass, wool and so on – can the

children predict which will have the best insulation properties. How could we

test this? Children could use ice cubes and carry out a fair test in which the

cubes are weighed or the melted water measured after being wrapped in

each material. Talk about how other properties need to be considered when

choosing building materials. Talk to the children about dangerous materials

that are no longer used in some ways e.g asbestos (how we have to have

regular checks) and lead.

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National Curriculum Coverage

Give reasons – based on evidence from comparative and fair tests –

for the particular uses of everyday materials including metals, wood

and plastic.

Compare everyday materials on the basis of their properties.