History - The Stuarts

Throughout the unit, the children will learn about some of the significant events that took place during this time, such as the English Civil War, the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London. They will learn that historians use a range of sources to interpret what happened in the past, and use evidence to discuss possible causes, and consequences, of significant events.

Children will learn about the lives of the monarchs and leaders during this period. When learning about Oliver Cromwell, the children will look at different historical perspectives of him and his time in power. Throughout the unit, the children will look at the political and religious impact that each person had on Britain.

Art and Design

Monuments of the Byzantine Empire

The children revise what they know about ancient Rome and then learn about how the empire split in two, using the famous mosaic of Constantine and Justinian at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to discover how Constantine became the first Christian Roman emperor.

They go on to learn in more detail about the history of the Hagia Sophia (built by Justinian, first used as a church and then a mosque looking in detail at the richly coloured Byzantine patterns in it and creating their own similar patterns using watercolour and gold paint.

They then study the renowned mosaics of Ravenna in Northern Italy which was for a few short years the centre of the Byzantine empire, focussing on depictions of Justinian and his wife Theodora. They create their own mosaic portraits using paper, focussing on how to show differing skin tones.

Finally, they look at icons, first painted during the Byzantine period and still painted today, learning how these are used for prayer and reflection.

Geography

UK: London and the South East

This unit introduces London and the South East of England. Children will build knowledge of the counties and cities of the UK, their geographical regions, human and physical characteristics and topographical features.

During this unit, children will use an atlas to identify key places within the region, including London, Dover, Canterbury and Brighton. In addition, they will look at regional proximities including the location of France across the English Channel from the south-eastern coast of England.

Science

States of Matter and the Water Cycle

In this unit, children will learn about the main parts of the Water Cycle including evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. They will learn about each part in detail before piecing them all together to complete the cycle.

Within this unit, pupils first reconnect to their prior learning about states of matter. Using the example of water, they consider its different forms, as a solid,
liquid and gas. They will learn that when you boil water in a kettle, it turns to a gas called steam, which is invisible. When steam moves away from the kettle where it had reached boiling point, it condenses into water vapour, which we can see. They will work scientifically to monitor the temperature of melting ice.

Later in the unit, children focus upon another process within the water cycle, condensation. They will learn this is the reverse of evaporation. Condensation occurs when water vapour within the air changes state, it cools and becomes liquid, water. Within a cloud, water droplets become too large for the cloud to hold and gravity brings the water back down to the surface of the earth as precipitation, often this takes the form of rain. 

After learning about evaporation and condensation, children will learn about precipitation. They will learn about clouds and will learn that certain types of cloud bring rainfall.

They will learn that collection is a part of the cycle, and will learn that water collects in rivers, lakes, in areas of vegetation and also seeps into the ground
through soil and permeable rock.