Summary
To bring history to life, the children created their own ‘Votes for Women’ posters and even held their very own protest, marching around the playground chanting for change!
This week in Beech Class, we have been busy exploring a range of exciting topics across our subjects.
In our RE lesson, the Year 2 children have been exploring the topic of commitment. We talked about what commitment means and discussed how people show commitment to fitness and staying healthy. To bring this to life, the children designed their own set of five exercises and set themselves a challenge – to practice them every day for a week! Through this activity, they are learning about perseverance, setting personal goals, and the importance of sticking to their promises.
This half-term in Music, we will be exploring different musical styles and genres. This week, we have been learning about classical music. We listened to Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King and discovered how the music starts slowly and quietly, then gradually gets faster and louder, creating a dramatic effect. We also learned about the orchestra, exploring the different family groups of instruments and their names, as well as how they are arranged in an orchestra’s formation. To deepen their understanding of the music, the children moved their bodies to reflect the mood and tempo of the piece – starting with slow movements and building up to energetic, fast-paced actions!
In History, our Year 1 and Year 2 children have been learning about Annie Kenney, an important figure in the women’s suffrage movement. The children were shocked to learn that women were not allowed to vote, could not have their own bank account and although they could attend university they couldn’t earn a degree. They were fascinated by Annie Kenney’s role in fighting for women’s rights. To bring history to life, the children created their own ‘Votes for Women’ posters and even held their very own protest, marching around the playground chanting for change! To accompany our learning, we also learned the famous song Sister Suffragette from Mary Poppins—a fun and powerful way to connect with the past.
In Science, the Year 2 children have been investigating germs and how to properly wash our hands. They conducted an experiment using blue paint to represent germs. First, they washed their hands with cold water and no soap, then with warm water and soap, and observed the differences. This hands-on experiment helped them understand the importance of proper handwashing in keeping germs away.
Meanwhile, the Year 1 children have been learning about animals, specifically grouping familiar and unfamiliar animals based on their characteristics. They sorted animals into different categories such as mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and amphibians, discussing what makes each group unique. The children enjoyed learning new facts about some animals they had never seen before!
It has been a fantastic week of learning in Beech Class, and we can’t wait to see what next week brings!