Year 2 - Turnstones
Welcome to Turnstones!
Spring Term 2012.
Maths
Over the last two weeks we have been learning about data handling. Together we have been learning how to group information, collect and record information using a tally chart and how to present this information in bar graphs and pictograms. We have been having fun using these things to answer questions such as ‘what is the most common pet in Turnstones?’ and ‘what is our favourite school dinner?’
For the next two weeks until half term we are learning about the properties of numbers. This will focus on place value of two and three digit numbers.
English
We have recently started learning about explanation texts in English. We are looking at some examples of life cycles to help with our explanations. This links with our Science topic ‘Living things in their Environment’. Our aim is to verbally present an explanation on our class ‘TV’!
Topic
For our topic we have continued learning about Bideford and our local area. The area of Bideford that we are focusing on particularly is the Quay and the High Street. We have been making a detailed map of these areas and the children have been researching and finding images of Bideford which will be added to our map. In the near future we will be taking a walking tour from the school to Bideford Quay and along the High Street to help us with learning about the key features and buildings in our local area. We will also be looking more broadly at Devon and it’s landscape features and seeing where else in the world has similar features.
D and T
We are linking our D and T this term with our topic. Our focus is on structures so we are looking at different structures in and around Bideford, with the aim of designing and making our own bridge structure. The children will be practising cutting and joining methods and they will be learning how to create more support for a structure by using A-frame and corner supports and selecting strengthening materials.
Forest School
During our fortnightly forest school sessions the children have had fun taking part in the ‘Big Bird Watch’. They identified lots of different birds and we used our results to contribute to our data handling in maths.
Turnstones’ Class Assembly
Our New Year’s resolution class assembly went without a hitch and was performed brilliantly by the children.
A big thank you to Susan Jenkins who was available to help with drinks and snacks for the children.
Buddy’s Big Workout
We had lots of fun doing our NSPCC workout. We had a round robin of activities outdoors; running on the spot, jumping high and low, star-jumps, bean bags in hoops, hula hooping, relay running and balancing. The children managed to do most of the activities in the time and have done very well in raising money for such a worthwhile cause. Thank you to all who have supported the children by sponsoring them.
Autumn Term 2011
For this terms curriculum overview, please click here.
November 18th
October and November have been extremely busy months for our Year 2 Turnstones and we are anticipating December to be even more so!
Turnstones have been enjoying our literacy unit; we’ve been learning about poetry and we’ve immersed ourselves in different sorts of shape poems. Together we have created an acrostic poem about Fireworks and the children have gone on to create their own fabulous Firework shape poems. These are on display in our Year 2 area so please come in and see your child’s hard work!
In maths we have now completed our addition and subtraction units and we are currently learning about multiplication and division.
All of the Year 2 children greatly enjoyed the PE multi-skills festival at Bideford College. They did brilliantly competing with KS1 children from other local schools. A big thank you to our parents who we able to help to with this trip and thank you to everybody for being so accommodating and understanding with the last minute change of venue!
Our science has been very exciting. We have just completed an electricity unit in which we have been investigating how to make a bulb light up in a circuit. We have moved on to learning about materials. We have been looking at lots of different materials and sorting them according to various criteria and the children have been learning about natural and man-made materials. Science is linking strongly with our design and technology unit where we are making an Indian tabla drum. Turnstones are finding out what materials are best to use for various parts of the tabla drum through lots of investigating. We aim to keep you updated with lots of photographs of our findings and making!
7th October.
European day of Languages
We had great fun celebrating European day of Languages in Turnstones.
We focused our learning on Italy, first we found out where Italy is (you wouldn’t believe some of the guesses!) and then we looked at different cities and the Italian capital city. Next we wanted to find out about ‘all things Italian’ and we discovered a Roman colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Venice. Turnstones were very eager to find out about Roman gladiators and enjoyed all of the gory bits! We found out about the delights of Venice and looked at some beautiful Venetian Murano glass, the famous Rialto bridge and the boats and transport.
Turnstones had the opportunity to make their own versions of a Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa or something for Venice. Take a look at our pictures and see if you can spot what we have made!
We also learned a verse of ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’ in Italian, which Turnstones did very well at pronouncing and singing.
This year we have
• Mrs Townsend supporting our class every morning;
• Mrs Barnes, Mrs Oke and Mrs Edwards who will in the classroom during a planning day, once fortnightly.
We have started this term by introducing our topic ‘How has family life changed?’ Through this we will be looking at our own family and similarities and differences with previous generations.
We have learned about our class birds and the children have painted fabulous paintings of Turnstones, which you can see in our year 2 area.
We are looking forward to the term ahead and all of the exciting things thats we have planned!
