Our Achievements in Year 2 2023/24

CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2

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History - Why is a castle built the way it is?

In Year 2, we have been learning about castles. To start out topic we found out who built the first castles in the UK and why. We looked at pictures of the Bayeux Tapestry and thought about what was happening. In the picture we saw some men and found out they were Normans. We then looked on a timeline and realised that Norman Britain began in 1066. We enjoyed finding out facts from this period and we created our own timeline to show that Edward the Confessor died and Harold of Wessex was crowned King of England. Then William Duke of Normandy set sail, and in England there was the Battle of Hastings.

We found out that as the Normans conquered more of England, they built castle to keep their people safe. We found out that the Normans built wooden motte and bailey castles first. Later the Normans began building stone castles that were stronger.

To learn more about castles, and what they look like, we went to Carlisle Castle and had guided tour to learn some of the key facts. We smelt some different scents that you might have noticed around the castle, and from that we all agreed that lavender was a good idea as an air freshener. We smelt some gravy granules that made us think about the food that was eaten. We also smelt a disgusting smell that was like the toilets! We then found out that a prisoner had escaped down the toilet.

  

We also dressed up in clothes that different people might have worn who lived in the castle and ordered the importance of these people. We talked about the lives of the people who lived in the castle.

  

Finally, we explored the castle one last time and then played in the sunshine whilst waiting our turn to visit the shop.

  

 

Computing - Pictograms

We have been learning how to collect data using tally charts. We have asked the children in the class what their favourite fruit is and what their favourite colour is. We have also completed a virtual mini-beast hunt! We used this information to create pictograms, gradually learning how to add the title and write information on the chart. Finally, we collected information on a topic of our choice and completely independently made our own pictogram.

Here are some examples of our work.

  

 

Design and Technology - Vehicles

We have been learning about vehicles. We started our work by naming different kinds of vehicles and then deciding what a vehicle is and what it does. We then identified different features of vehicles. After that, we learned how the wheels, axles and chassis work on a vehicle through an investigation.

  

Then, we looked at different shapes: cuboids, cubes, triangular prisms and cylinders and used the nets of these shapes to investigate how to make the body of a vehicle.

Next, we used all of what we had learned so far to design our own vehicle. Finally, this was followed by a superb afternoon putting all of our learning into practise and making a vehicle of our own. Well done Year 2!

  

 

Geography - What is life like in the Arctic?

We started our learning by thinking about what you wear when it is cold. We then thought about different countries that we think have cold weather. The children thought about the North Pole and when we looked on a globe, we found the Arctic Circle. We talked about the countries that are in the Arctic Circle and we labelled them on a world map. We used Google Earth to take a closer look at different parts of the Arctic Circle. We learned about the seasons and compared them to the seasons in the UK. We then discussed physical features of the Arctic and using some of this knowledge we wrote a little poem.

  

We enjoyed learning about the animals that live there and how they survive. We then looked at the human features of different towns in the Arctic Circle. It was interesting looking at different videos and photographs.

  

 

PE - Yoga

During the Spring term we having been learning various yoga poses. We have thought carefully about our breathing and trying to keep our yoga poses steady. This week we have been learning about yoga poses based on animals from the Arctic. It has been linked to our Geography learning this term. The poses we have learned are the boat, seal, iceberg, bear and moon. Can you guess which poses these are?

  

 

World Book Day

Year 2 had a lovely morning going into town and visiting the library. One of the librarians talked to us about all the activities that were on offer at the library. We then had a chance to look at and read lots of books. We enjoyed choosing a library book to take home. At the end of the session, the librarian read a lovely story to finish off a lovely library visit.

  

 

PE - The Daily Mile

In Year 2, we have been trying daily to run a mile (or as much as we possibly can). The children have embraced this challenge with enthusiasm, energy and fun. We have learned to persevere and challenge ourselves. We have cheered on our classmates and celebrated their success. So, we decided to take some photos and share our success with you.

  

  

 

Maths - Measuring

The children have enjoyed learning about measuring in Maths. They have learned to measure in both cm and m. They have had to compare lengths and heights and order from the tallest/longest to the shortest/smallest and then check by measuring. They have had to use the greater than and less than sign to compare measurements. The children have also learned that 1m is equal to 100cm. Great work Year 2!

  

  

 

English - Poetry

The children have completed some super poems. They have described animals using fabulous vocabulary and thought carefully about how to make their poems interesting for the reader. We hope you enjoy reading these poems because we had lots of fun writing them.

  

 

History - What is an Explorer?

In Year 2 we have been learning about explorers. We started our topic by passing a pineapple around in a 'feely bag'. The children had to describe it and then guess what it was. Some children thought it was a hedgehog or a cactus; others described it as spikey or rough. We started learning about Christopher Columbus when it was revealed it was a pineapple inside the bag because he introduced the pineapple to Europe. We learned what life was like on board one of Christopher Columbus' ships. After learning lots of new facts, we completed some 'hot seating' drama and pretended we were one of Columbus' crew and answered questions about the food that was eaten, the hard work undertaken and the sleeping arrangements! We also thought of questions we would like to ask Christopher Columbus himself.

  

Then we looked at different books, videos and photographs to find out about Neil Armstrong. We enjoyed learning about Apollo 11 and how 'The Eagle' landed. We have learned what his first words were when he stepped onto the Moon and what he brought back from the Moon. We have written some facts about Neil Armstrong to support our learning. We also decided and explained who our favourite explorer was.

  

 

English - Writing a Party Invitation

We are very proud of the party invitations that the children have written. The children have described some amazing birthday cakes and some exciting party games. We think these party ideas sound extremely good fun!

  

 

English - Writing a Letter

The children have completed some wonderful work writing a thank you letter. They have thought very carefully about the sounds that they know and have used these in their writing. We are even beginning to think about question marks as well as using lots of interesting language. These letters were a pleasure to read.

  

 

Geography and PSHE - Stocks Wood Outdoor Centre

We are learning about maps in Geography, so we thought it would be very exciting to read a map in the woods. We learned that maps guide people where to go and we used a map to find the seating area, fire circle and pond. To read the map we also had to read the key. We learned about a compass and N, E, S and W. One member of the class brought their own compass to use when reading the map. The children looked at the grid on the map and thought about how the grid helped to explain where different areas were.

  

The children built a 3D map of their own. They used natural materials found in the woods to represent different areas that they could see in the forest. These objects were positioned relative to each other. The children explained their maps to each other.

  

We played games and supported each other. Working together is part of our PSHE learning.

   

The children enjoyed cooking marshmallows. After that, the children practised starting a fire.

  

  

At the end of a very busy and fun packed day we relaxed, explored different activities and played with our friends. Thank you Julian and Claire for an inspirational day!

  

 

PE - Wheelchair Basketball

We had an exciting lesson learning how to play wheelchair basketball. The children practised turning, going forwards and going backwards in a wheelchair - great perseverance was shown. Then the children put their newly learned skills into action. We used our school teams to play two games. We had to pass the ball to members of our team and try to get the ball off the opposing team. Each team showed respect for others when they scored but also a determination to win.

It was wonderful to watch and cheer you all on!

  

 

PE - Ball Skills

In Year 2, we have been learning to dribble a ball and kick it at or around a target. We have now moved on to throwing and catching. We started our lesson warming up and remembering to move around the 'space', taking care not to bump into another person. When the whistle was blown we stopped. We then moved our tennis ball from one cone to another, again not bumping into anyone. Then we practised throwing the ball into the air and catching it. We then put in a 'clap' before the catch to make it harder. Finally, we made it harder again by trying to spell our names before we caught the ball.

Well done Year 2 for a super PE lesson.

  

 

Art - Self Portraits

We have been looking at what a self portrait is. We have looked at the work of different artists and talked about what we liked in their work. We noticed that a lot of portraits showed what people liked to do, so we took turns taking photos of each other using an iPad. This photo showed what we enjoyed. We thought about different ways of recording our art work and because of this we practised using a pencil to create dots, hard and soft lines, as well as shading.

   

Then, we used our pencil skills to create our self portraits. Next, we learned about colour and how colour can represent our mood. We mixed colours, created different tones and showed how we were feeling in our art work. Can you guess how we were feeling?

  

Finally, we looked at different sculptures and we talked about the different materials used. We used clay to create our own self portraits. We were very proud of our work.

   

 

National Poetry Day

For National Poetry Day the children spent the day learning about different kinds of poems and writing their own. Click here to listen to two Year 2 girls reading their very own poems.

 

History - Toys and Games Workshop presented by Tullie House

We are going to be learning about toys from the past and to start our work staff from Tullie House came into school to share a variety of toys from different periods in history. We looked at some toys going back nearly 200 years and ones which were relatively more recent. We learned that some dolls were made from wax and some toys from Bible stories were only allowed to be played with on a Sunday.

  

We talked about some of the materials old toys were made from and how that is different from today. We discovered how old toys moved and what children might have played with on the school playground in the past. We also thought about chronology and ordered toys from the oldest to the newest. We learned to be history detectives!

  

The children enjoyed making wooden spoon dolls just as other children might have done in the past. We also learned to play the game of Solitaire, it was a favourite for lots of the children. The children were inspired and enthusiastic to learn about toys from a long time ago and it was brilliant to start our learning journey in history.

Thank you Tullie House for an amazing morning.