Hawthorn Class
Welcome to Hawthorn Class (Y5/6)
The class teacher is Miss Taplin.
The teaching assistants are Mrs Lewin and Miss Walters.
Our curriculum theme this term is:
EXPLORE
Our enquiry question for spring 2025 is,
"How did the world come to be and how should we look after it?"
The main subject we will be focusing on during our project is geography. The children will explore the Galapagos Islands.
Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador lie the volcanic islands, or archipelago, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, famous for a wealth of unique plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. These include the giant Galapagos tortoise, the marine iguana, the flightless cormorant and the Galapagos penguin (the only penguin species to live in the Northern Hemisphere). The Galapagos islands were the source of Darwin's theory of evolution.
The children will be exploring the following:
Life on the islands: wildlife of Galapagos; habitats; food chains and webs; biodiversity and ecosystems; environmental threats; and Charles Darwin and Natural Selection
Geographical processes: location and formation; plate tectonics; hot spots and volcanoes; rock types; weather and climate; The Humboldt Current; and El Nino
Human history: discovery of Galapagos; early settlers and colonisation; Charles Darwin's impact and the voyage of the Beagle
Sustainable development: conservation and sustainability; sustainable tourism; and a sustainable Galapagos
We will be reading the following texts: Darwin's Dragons by Lindsay Galvin, On the Origin of the Species by Sabina Radeva, Darwin: An Exceptional Voyage by Fabien Grolleau & Jeremie Royer, What Mr Darwin Saw by Mick Manning and Skellig by David Almond.
Throughout our project, we will explore concepts such as change, diversity, strength, sustainability and beauty.
The school treasures we are focusing on are Courage and Respect.
Our United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) this term is - Life below water (14): Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Enhancement subjects
Science: Evolution and inheritance; Animals including humans (circulatory system)
RE: People of God OT (Walk Through the Bible); Creation and science: conflicting or complimentary?
PSHCE: Caring for the environment: Living in an 'environmentally sustainable' way; Health and Wellbeing (healthy lifestyles)
Computing: Computing systems and networks: Exploring AI
Design & Technology: Mechanical systems
PE: Gymnastics/Dance/Tennis
MFL: Spanish
P.E. is on a Monday and Wednesday this term. Children should come to school wearing their PE kit on these days.
Class visits this term:
TBD
Important dates this year:
SATS Week: Monday 12th May - Thursday 15th May
Residential: Sunday 18th May to Wednesday 21st May
There will be information, updates and photos posted on Class Dojo as well as individual messages so please check your app regularly. Please message me if you have any questions.
Miss Taplin