This term the Perfect Penguins class have been taking a journey back in time to lots of different periods of history. We have been eager to answer our key question, ‘how has the past shaped our future?’ 

We started looking at the Bronze Age and the impact it has had on society today. We looked at a process called ‘smelting’ to create new tools and also studied the invention of the axe and wheel. After this, we explored the Romans and enjoyed working on drama performances to share our findings with each other. We talked a lot about how hygiene has developed and how the root of sanitation was the great engineering works of the Romans, with aqueducts bringing water in and drains to keep the streets and houses clean. Then we moved onto learning about the Ancient Egyptians and explored the invention of the calendar, bowling, toothpaste and water dams in response to the flooding of the River Nile. After this, we learnt about the Ancient Greeks and how we have them to thank for developing the Olympic games and introducing democracy. We talked a lot about how education has changed over time too! Finally, we learnt all about the Industrial Revolution and went on our trip to the North Mill. We had a wonderful day and discovered a lot about our local history and the life of the Mill workers. 

In Science this half term, we have been learning about the circulatory system. We have been exploring how the blood travels around the body and what components make up our blood. Take a look at our pictures (resisting the temptation to eat the skittles and marshmallows was difficult). We also discussed how we can stay healthy, how exercise impacts the heart and how alcohol and drugs can impact health.  

Finally, I wanted to share our stories from English this week with you too. They are based on The Snowman by Raymond Briggs and the children have done brilliantly! We hope to read some of these to a selection of reception children.  

Excellent work Year 5!