History

The War of the Roses

The War of the Roses were a series of dynastic struggles between two factions - the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The children will focus on some of the key events that took place during this period and the lives of some of significant people such as Edward IV and Richard III. In particular, the children look at how and why contrasting interpretations of the past have been constructed, first looking at how Henry VI has been portrayed as a ‘mad, bad king’, as well as debating whether or not Richard III murdered the princes in the tower.

Using the knowledge provided, the children will be given opportunities to sift arguments and weigh up evidence to begin to develop their own perspectives and judgements.

This unit includes a visit to Bosworth Battlefield.

Art and Design

Modern Architecture

This unit builds on the children’s knowledge of architecture gained in the previous unit by studying architecture of the modern world. The first lesson defines modern architecture and explores the differences with ‘traditional’ architecture by comparison between St Paul’s Cathedral and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Through this comparison the children consider the buildings critically, comparing use of line, materials and different features. They revise how to use different drawing skills studied in the year 3
unit on Still Life and Form to make drawings of the Guggenheim Museum.

Lesson 2 uses the Scottish Parliamentary Complex to allow the children to consider how function influences design. They create their own designs for a bed system.

Lesson 3 considers what architects are inspired by by looking at the Serpentine Pavilion, The London Olympics Aquatic Centre and famous London skyscrapers. The children design their own skyscraper based around an everyday object.

Lessons 4-6 allow the children to consider the process of architectural design, looking at architectural drawings, models and the process of building, including investigating the role of an engineer. They make their own models using matchsticks and undertake an experiment to explore the physics behind the construction of the tallest bridge in the world, the Millau Viaduct.

Science

Forces & Magnets

In this unit, pupils will be introduced to forces and will firstly learn about gravity and friction. They will begin to understand the concept that scientists draw conclusions about things they cannot see, like forces, from looking at the effects they have. For example, we cannot see gravity, but we can see a ball fall to the ground when we drop it. Pupils will learn that Sir Isaac Newton was a scientist who thought about why things fall when dropped and developed lots of ideas about the force of gravity.

Pupils will compare how things move on different surfaces by investigating how a toy car moves down a ramp. They will select different materials to place on the ramp to see how it affects the car’s ability to move down the ramp. They will learn that friction is a contact force, where two objects touch, but gravity is a non-contact force as it can act upon an object alone.

Moving through the unit, pupils will observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others. They will compare and group materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet and will identify magnetic materials. Pupils then learn about the poles of a magnet and will think about whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.  Pupils will work scientifically to test the strength of different magnets. They will learn that generally, larger magnets are stronger than smaller magnets that are made from the same material, however this is not always the case. Pupils will learn that heating a magnet to high temperatures can weaken its magnetic force.

Design & Technology

Cook: Bread & Butter + Pasta & Tomato Sauce

The children will make bread and cook pasta in tomato sauce.