Curriculum notes

Curriculum notes

Year 6 CE - Autumn Term 2008

 

ENGLISH
• This term will continue to prepare pupils for 11+ examinations.  There will be regular practice of comprehension and writing.
• Pupils now receive a mark (out of 25) for all extended writing tasks in line with Common Entrance.  The ‘Assessment Descriptors’ can be found in both your child’s exercise book and the ‘English Revision Book’.  These pieces will be self-assessed by the pupil and then formally assessed by the teacher.
Comprehension
• Retrieve / deduce / infer / interpret
• Comment on writers’ use of language / purpose / viewpoint
• Effective use of quotation
• Personal responses
• Awareness of mark scheme
Poetry
• Classic and modern poetry (critical appreciation / comprehension / writing)
• Recognise / revise standard poetic techniques (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme and rhythm)
• Ability to comment on the effect of particular techniques
Writing
• Writing to argue : structure – thesis, arguments, reiteration; emotive language; rhetorical questions; imperatives; facts and opinions; connectives
• Revision of letter writing (formal and informal)
• Writing fiction: first / third person narratives; effective openings; genre; description; dialogue; creating atmosphere; use of dynamic verbs; planning and structuring; effective ending
• Writing to inform: comparison; formal  /informal style; structured information; fact and opinion; justifying evidence
Grammar and Punctuation
• Revision of nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, pronouns, prepositions and participles
• Paragraphing
• Speech punctuation
• Common mistakes (it’s / its, etc.)
• Pupils will devise a grammar book for revision purposes during Week 7/half term
• Pupils will sit a grammar test during Week 8

MATHEMATICS
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
• Co-ordinates and polygons
• Triangles
• Number sequences
• Fractions and percentages
• Algebra: simplification and substitution
• Algebra: solving equations
• Calculating with decimals
• Proportion and ratio
• Handling data
NB Daily mental starts ensure the continued development of mental strategies

SCIENCE
• Mass and weight calculations
• Pressure
• Balance forces to include springs, constant speed and calculations
• Magnetism
• Electrostatics
• Solids, liquids and gases to include the particle model and changes of state
• Bunsen burners
• Diffusion
• Solutions, solubility, solvents etc.
• Separating substances

FRENCH
• Daily routine using reflexive verbs
• Numbers to 100
• The verb ‘faire’
• Sports and games
• Musical instruments
• Expressing preferences for activities
• Leisure centre and holiday activities
• The future tense using aller + infinitive

GERMAN
• Leisure activities (continued)
• Adventure sports
• Favourite things / opinions
• Basic informal letter writing
• House and home

SPANISH
• Time
• School
• Regular –ar verbs
• Where you live
• Describing your house and the local area
• Regular –ir verbs
• Location / surroundings

HISTORY
World War II
• The 1930’s
• Abdication and unemployment
• Recession in the 1930’s
• Background to WWII
• Outbreak of War
• Evacuation
• Revision of essay and evidence handling skills
• Home front, part I

GEOGRAPHY
• Plate Tectonics – volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis

LATIN
• Rome and her Empire
• Latin and English
• First conjugation verbs
• The cases
• First declension nouns

RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Islam (as part of their CE course)
• Belief – the five pillars
• Worship
• Sacred texts
• Festivals
• The Mosque

ICT
• Different layouts in MS Word
• Internet research skills
• Creating favourites page in MS Word
• Creating an Information leaflet

DRAMA
• Understanding the importance of trust in Drama using exercises
• Introduction to the history of Shakespeare
• Improvising and preparing scenes from Macbeth
• Discussing the Globe Theatre

MUSIC
• Composing a short piece using electronic keyboards based on the pentatonic scale
• Ternary and rondo forms
• Holst: The Planets
• Introducing Groovy City music software

ART
SLD
• Translate the images of a famous painting into a 3D relief
• Analysis of form, colour and composition
• After scaling up the picture, use plastic shapes, cutters and glue guns to construct basic image in 3D
• Applying colour to enhance the composition, giving a practical understanding of the relationship between 2D and 3D  
JRH
• Exploring portraiture and developing observational skills using continuous line drawings and other new techniques
• Experimenting with a variety of media
JLM
• Print a repeat pattern produced from own designs
• Designs will evolve from observational studies of organic objects
• Looking at Matisse and his use of torn paper when producing his pictures of fruit and vegetables
• Using polyboard and / or lino to print with

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
• Design and make a camshaft mechanism that will power a mechanical puppet show
• Project will involve wood cutting skills, drilling and fabricating

PSHE
• Welcome back and target setting
• Code of conduct
• Young carers
• Charity – The gift of sight
• Decision making

CITIZENSHIP
• School Council
• Active citizenship
• Remembrance
• Diversity and Citizenship