Planet Earth

Last week's challenge was to create a model of planet Earth and an information which explains its structure. One group made a model of how the Earth was formed. Each model had a 'key' to help make the information that went with it match the parts of the model.

 

 

Earth models

Our topic is about earth and we got to make models of the layers in the earth. We did it in groups it was a great challenge as we got to use our imagination to make our models. One group did a model of how the earth was formed and showed that it all started with asteroids crashing together in space to make our planet earth. The other groups were amazing and they showed their understanding of what goes on beneath the crust.  Jennifer, Erin R, Jack

 

Earth models

We were divided into 5 groups then all the groups discussed what they were going to use and going to make the earth out of. Then every group got a styraphone  ball. Then all the groups got started on the models each group looked on the school blog and found some books to find out information and to see what the earth looked like from inside. Some groups put an atmosphere around the earth and one group made lots of asteroids colliding together to make the earth. Each group picked what material they got to use for their models.

by Aneisha Erin.K and Ryan

 

 

Planet earth models

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a challenge to make the earth inside and out. We all got a small polystyrene ball to make the core of the earth. Then all the groups started building their earth each in different ways. Some people used tissue, plasticene, news paper and a foam ball. It was really good fun and we hope we can do something like it again soon.

Paige Tyler Daisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mental strategies for subtraction

We have started a new maths channel for P6 number work. There will be a link on the side bar to that shortly. Meanwhile please have a look at our latest batch of videos which explain some of the strategies for mental subtraction we have been practising. The main thing with strategies is knowing when to use which strategy. There are more strategies - some are unique, individual and very complex - but these are the ones which we think are the most clear and efficient. Our aim was to also make sure our explanations were clear visually and verbally.

Christmas Concert practice

After finishing our pictures for the concert in Art we went to the hall to practice our songs for the concert next Monday afternoon. 

Music and medicines

This week we have had visitors from Norway. The musicians who have come over from Norway for the Tree Lighting celebration at the St Magnus Cathedral visited the school to play their Hardanger fiddles for us. It was the very different sound to the type of fiddle we play and it looked very different too. Thank you Frank and Alexander!

We also had a visit from Daisy's mum who is a pharmacist. She told us all about medicines and being a pharmacist. We made notes and asked questions about the job. Now we are designing leaflets about how to keep medicines and drugs properly and in particular how to look after them safely around young children. When we have got the leaflets checked we will copy some and put them at school reception for parents to use.

Our mountain topic continues and we have a new symbaloo to use which will be added to as the topic develops. Let us know if you have any good links.

Refugee crisis in Greenland, international conference held to decide fate of Bluelanders.

Today in Redland and Greenland the harvest celebrations were held in a festive atmosphere but shortly after the singing, dancing and eating the Greenlanders discovered their high hopes for a bumper harvest had been shattered. The crops had failed to give the harvest expected and much was lying in the fields uncut and rotting. Unfortunately shortly after they realised the problem a refugee crisis occurred.

Greenland harvest celebrations.

Redland harvest celebrations.

Bluelanders, some very ill from unknown causes, arrived starving at the border of Greenland. Pleading to be let in the Greenlanders decided to allow them to enter their country and they were given an area to wait in while discussions about what to do with them began. The Greenlanders quickly realised that they did not have enough food for themselves and the refugees so an international conference was necessary and an the invitation of the President of Redland was accepted by the Queen of Greenland. The citizens of both countries held a debate chaired by their leaders while the Bluelanders watched. Eventually the Bluelanders were allowed to make their case for being allowed to stay.

Refugees from Blueland prompt an international conference

The Queen of Greenland reminded everyone of their laws and obligations to look after those in need and declared she was disappointed with some of the reactions of her citizens. The Queen and President then had a private talks at which it was decided to let the Bluelanders stay. They also made a promise that in the future citizens of Greenland and Redland would go with the Bluelanders to Blueland and help them build up their country again.

Greenland and Redland

Today the Republic of Redland and the Kingdom of Greenland were established. The citizens of each nation voted in elections to establish their leaders. Each country has parliamentarians and a judge who is responsible for the rules and laws being followed.

In an unusual reversal of political events the first President of Greenland was replaced with a Queen who now says she will decide of her heirs are fit to rule. The green credentials of Greenland have resulted in them having a special object which embodies the philosophy and ethos of that country. It is the last leaf and twig from the original Greenland tree from which all trees in Greenland today are descended. The new leader had to swear on this object to uphold the rule of law and promise to keep the rules of the land.

The inauguration ceremony of the leader of Greenland.

In a similar ceremony in Redland today the new President made a solemn oath to be a good President in front of the citizens who joined with him in a song and dance. An international conference was then convened so that the countries could clarify their laws. Redland has solemnly declared it is illegal to make war with Greenland. Greenland has made a similar commitment in their constitution. Greenland has also made it compulsory for everyone to do community work at the weekends to make sure all citizens are involved in the care of the environment.

The inauguration ceremony of the leader of Redland.

Finlay, our international correspondent reports, ' The leader of Greenland is Jennifer and she is a queen. If you break the law and it is serious the court decides if you go to prison but if it is not serious you will be given a £100 fine. In Redland the leader is Erlend and he is a president. If you break the law you go to parliament then they decide if you go to prison or not. the judge is Brogan, the parliamentarians are Sofia, Lauren and Angus'.

Class 6 Open Afternoon

On Tuesday we had an open afternoon. There was lots of activities going on. There was story telling,  artefacts to look at and carving clay like 4000 year old stones. There were 3 groups of story tellers. The first group was Erin.R ,Lauren and Kaylen and the second group was Erin.k , Daisy and Brogan and the final group was Aneisha , Ryan and Tyler. Through in the activity room there was more activities and they were posters to look at and models of one of the structures and the Ring of Brodgar. The parents got to look on the blog. There was lots of parents and teachers there and we hope that they all enjoyed it.

By Aneisha and Ryan

Class 6 Podcasts

 

We have started making podcasts so that we can share our thoughts and opinions about the books we are reading. A lot of our class work is done through listening and talking and we are keen to share our ideas and reflections on the important books in our lives.

The new symbaloo on the side bar has a few links to podcasts for kids. We started by listening to one of the Book Club for kids podcasts (there are plenty more there to listen to) to help give us some ideas for how to build a podcast of our own. Two groups have trail blazed with their books and you can click on them on the same symbaloo. We hope you will follow our podcasts (made on a video format) and let us know what you think... We hope we will get better and better at making them as we listen to and make more...

Hoy Group 1

On Monday group 1 went to Hoy for three days. When we got there we went to the hostel and got showed around the building. Then we found out what groups were in. Then group A and B got ready for canoeing. Once we got ready for canoeing we went on the mini bus to go to the river. When we got there we learnt how to move forwards, backwards and how to turn as a group. After we got split into the teams for canoeing we went into the canoes and had a race. After the race we played a game called fruit salad. We had to remember our fruit and swap places with the other person who was that fruit. Then we did it whilst the canoe was still moving. Then we had another race we had some hot squash. Then we got to slide into the water by turning a canoe upside down.  

Then the next day we did the Gorge walk and the bush craft. For the Gorge walk we had walk through a tunnel underneath the road. Then we walked a bit on the grass before we went into the water. When walking in the Gorge we had to be careful as some of the rocks were lose and it was easy to slip. There was some bits that were quite scary because we had to use a rope to get down the mini waterfall. We carried on a bit before we had to walk back up to the van. It seemed muck more easer going back up the Gorge than coming down. When we went back to the hostel we had some lunch then got ready for the bush craft. For the bush craft we made a fire and cooked marsh mallows on the fire they were yummy. We also made a big shelter as a group by using the big branches.

Then the next day we had to leave Hoy we all had a great time in Hoy but before we left we got to do one last activity. We did another walk there wasn’t enough time to do it all but we still had a great time. 

By Lauren and Darby

Hoy Group 2

Last week we went to Hoy. We were split into two groups group one going from Monday morning to Wednesday after noon and the second group going Wednesday morning and leaving Friday night. When group two arrived we got a tour of the hostel and then split up into groups. One of the groups went canoeing and the other went for a walk. After we finished we all met back at the hotel the canoers were all really cold but had had a good time and the walkers had freezing feet but had really enjoyed the walk. Soon after we found out which rooms we were staying and who with. That night we had pizza and sticky toffee pudding for tea a little while after we got plain and chocolate cake because it was Jack’s birthday and that night we watched swallows and amazons while we had hot chocolate, biscuits and toast. 

The next day we woke up and it was horrible weather raining and really windy but that just made the day much better. We started by having breakfast and making our pack lunches then we went for a gorge walk. That day we all split up into three groups but we all did the same activities at the same time. The gorge walk was really wet and there were a lot of big jumps and water falls there was one so big we needed a rope to go down. After that we went back to the hostel and had our lunch and then went to bush craft. We all made shelters out of logs and branches we found on the ground then we gathered some more and made a fire to roast marshmallows on. At the end of the day we all went to the hostel and had roast chicken for tea with chocolate muffin for pudding and ice cream. 

That night while we were having hot chocolate, biscuits and toast we watched Madagascar. The next day was our last day. We were back in our two groups that we were in the first day and while the first group did archery the other did canoeing. We all came back for lunch and had all really enjoyed ourselves but there was still fun to come. That afternoon the first group went for the walk and the second group did archery. We all came back and had all loved our time in hoy but we all were really sad to leave. We really hope we can do something like it again soon. Jack and Daisy 

Solids, Liquids, Gases and non - Newtonian fluids

 On Tuesday we added more resources to our tower building challenge and figured out a few things as we went. No matter what materials we used the best constructions were made with triangles. When they didn't work so well we usually found a square or rectangle had been made by mistake. There were some materials which worked with 4 corners but the most efficient use of the materials meant creating triangles.

On Wednesday none of the P6 class were in school so we had a smaller group of P5s on their own. We started with some new strategy games - mancala, blokus and Chinese chequers.

Then we did some activities to explore how solids, liquids and gases behave. We used popcorn to represent the water molecules which slide around each other and managed to make marbles sink and a ping pong ball float as they would in water.

Next we went on to make 'gloop' which is a non- Newtonian liquid.

It behaves like a liquid until pressure is applied to it.

We did some hard thinking about what exactly solid and liquid meant.

Finally we made 'flubber' or 'slime' which is a slightly more solid non-Newtonian liquid.

We accidentally made some too solid and it turned out to act like a rubber ball - it was bouncy!

If you are looking for liquids like this around the house get the ketchup out. This is why you can't get ketchup out of a glass jar easily, and, if you hit the bottom of the jar you are applying pressure so the best way to get it out is to use gravity and just wait!

P5 and P6 get together

Today we got into groups and had an hour to create the costume of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I using newspaper and tape. The results were spectacular. The Henrys looked magnificent and the Elizabeths were very regal. It was interesting thinking about the shapes  that the costumes made and how to recreate these in paper. Many of the costumes were built on spills to give volume and drape.

We went on to try another technology challenge using sticks and marshmallows. Each item cost 5p and we had £1 to spend in each group, though groups could trade with each other... we will modify the task and return to it tomorrow.

All of these resources, the bamboo sticks and newspapers in particular, come at a cost to us and the environment. Not only are the raw materials grown, processed, manufactured and shipped to us but we also have to dispose of them again when we are finished using them... To remind us of how we need to think of the impact our actions have on the environment, and ultimately ourselves, we are watching the movie The Lorax.