Home learning project- Summer 1
18th May 2020
I have seen so many birds from my window the past few weeks including a pair of partridges. What birds will you spot this week?
Birds
Activity 1
Watch:This is a clip of this week’s special story. Can you recreate the front cover of the book?
Use a white wax crayon or candle to write the digraph ‘sh’. Then use a blue watercolour to wash over the white writing to reveal the secret sound.
Activity 2
In your home learning book write the sound ‘sh’.
How many words can you write that begin OR end with this sound?
Ask you’re grown up to write the following list of words: hush, rush, wish, shed, shock.
Highlight the letters 'sh' in each word.
Activity 3
Watch:Using a tally chart, record the number of birds you spot in the story.
Activity 4
Collect feathers: Go on a walk to find some feathers. Who do we think they belong to? Are they all the same or are they different?
Activity 5
Make two little dicky bird puppets to use as singing props.
Activity 6
Sing together:
Two little dickie birds, Sitting on a wall;
One named Peter,
One named Paul.
Fly away Peter!
Fly away Paul!
Come Back Peter!
Come Back Paul!
Can you think of some different names for the two little birds?
Sing the song again but this time use the names you have chosen.
Activity 7
Make a bird feeder
Don’t forget to send me some pictures of your bird feeders.
Activity 8
Go birdwatching.
What birds can you see? What do they look like? What colours are they? How do they move?
Watch:Make a fact card about one of the birds in the clip or of one of the birds you have seen.
Explore fact cards about birds such as those on the RSPB web pages: https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/families/children/learn/earlyyears/birds/index.aspx
Activity 9
Talk together about the bird in the book. Make a fact card for the bird in the story.
Activity 10
Write a sequel for this story in which the four characters try to catch the squirrel.
https://dbsenk.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/shh-we-have-a-plan/
Other activities
The author's site has a number of activity sheets that you can use.
11th May 2020
Yucky Worms!
Activity 1
Sing together: Wiggly Woo
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and his name is Wiggly Woo
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and all that he can do
is wiggle all night and wiggle all day
He's wiggling his life away
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and his name is Wiggly Woo.
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and his name is Wiggly Woo
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and all that he can do
is wiggle all night and wiggle all day
He's wiggling his life away
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
and his name is Wiggly Woo
And his name is Wiggly Woo
And his name is Wiggly Woo.
Activity 2
Paper worm races:
Follow the link for instruction on how the make these racing worms.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Making-a-Paper-Worm-Race-Game-1.html
Activity 3
Watch: Yucky worms
Talk together: how do you feel about worms?
In your home learning book finish the sentence
We like worms because….
We don’t like worms because….
Activity 4
What do we know about earthworms?
Draw a picture of a worm in your home learning book. Label the body parts of the worm.
Activity 5
Watch:Follow the instructions to make your own wormery:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/homegrownprojects_watchworms.shtml
As part of your daily exercise go on a worm hunt.
Alternatively, you could make this edible wormery:
Activity 6
Listen: ‘Today I saw a little worm’ by Spike Milligan’s
Describe a worm using the acrostic poem template below:
Activity 7
Make your own wiggly worm:
Make worms from salt dough or clay and paint in various shades.
Activity 8
Watch: Superworm
How many words can you make using the letters from:
Superworm
4th May 2020
Spiders
This weeks focus continues the theme of weather using the nursery rhyme ‘Incy Wincey Spider’. This is for all of you who, like Incy Wincy, haven't enjoyed the rain!
Activity 1
Sing together:
‘Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain,
So, Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again’.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/the-baby-club-incy-wincy-spider
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio/incy-winsy-spider
You could use your musical instrument from last week to make the sound of the rain.
Activity 2
Make your own Incy Wincy spider:
All spiders have 8 legs but they don’t all look the same. Spiders come in all different shapes, sizes and colours. What colour will your spider be?
Incy Wincy spider craft activity
Activity 3
Watch:
Label the spider
Activity 4
Watch:
What did you find out about spiders?
Draw a spider life cycle in your home learning book.
Activity 5
Watch:
Maths challenge
Activity 6
Watch:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/get-squiggling-spider
Draw or make spider webs
Here are some ideas to get you started:
You could cut out a piece of card, draw on lines and then create some holes to weave a web using some wool or string.
Alternatively, you can use the sheet below to help you make a colourful spider web.
Or you might know of another way to make a web.
Don't forget to send photographs of your creations to Mrs Smith!
Activity 7
Describe a spider using the acrostic poem template below:
Activity 8
Talk together about how you feel about spiders.
In your home learning book complete the sentence I think spiders are…
Stories about spiders
27th April 2020
Enquiry question: What is the weather like today?
Activity 1
Watch Michael Rosen tell the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’:
Whilst watching, make a list in your home learning book of the different types of weather that the family encounter in the story.
Activity 2
Record this weeks weather using one of the weather record sheets below:
Weather record activity sheet
Talk together: How has the weather changed over the week?
Activity 3
Make a rain gauge and collect the rain.
Record how much rain has fallen every day. Which day had the most rain?
Activity 4
Talk together about each type of weather? What does it feel like? How does it affect us?
Find all of the weather words in the word search
Activity 5
Create your own rain cloud in a jar
Activity 6
Weather sounds
You will need:
A plastic container or bottle
Rice or lentils
Stickers
Glitter
Sequins
Glue
Pour in a spoon or two of rice or lentils and secure with a bottle lid. Decorate with stickers, glitter and sequins if you have them available. Have fun exploring making rain sounds.
Follow the link below and join in making weather sounds:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio/time-for-school-carpet-time-musical-weather
Activity 7
Cosmic kids yoga- Bear hunt:
Activity 8
Watch:
Divide the story into sections of the different scenes; grass, river, mud, forest, snowstorm, cave.
Paint and/or collage the different setting in the story.
Children can annotate the artwork with descriptive words and phrases, either from the book or their own.
Act out the story and perform it to the rest of your family using your story scenes to help you.
You might also like to watch these clips from the illustrator:
20th April 2020
You may have noticed Teddy bears are popping up in windows all over the town. I’m told that there are 800 bears displayed in windows across St Neots so that children, when out on their daily walks, can go on their very own Bear Hunt. And so our home learning project for the next two weeks will embrace this socially distanced bear hunt!
Enquiry question: What do bears look like?
Activity 1
Watch Michael Rosen tell the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’:
When you have finished watching make a list of all the things that you might need if you were going on a bear hunt with your family.
Activity 2
Make a set of binoculars to look for bears.
Activity 3
Go on a bear hunt as part of your daily exercise.
How many bears did you find? Share your photos of your bear hunt with your friends on Dojo.
Once you are home, draw a picture of your favourite teddy bear that you spotted today.
Activity 4
Talk together: Who is this? Can you describe it? Where does it live? How do you know? What does it eat? What is it thinking?
Activity 5
Fact-finding activity:
What types of habitat do they live in? What do they eat?
Search for facts about real-life bears using the links below:
Activity 6
Can you build a bears cave in your home?
Activity 7
Talk together: Look at the picture above of the bear ambling off along the coastline.
How does this picture make you feel? How do you think the bear is feeling now? How do you know?
Draw a picture of the bear in your home learning book and write the feelings around the bear.
Activity 8
In your home learning book write letter or draw a picture for the bear to cheer him up.
You can find more bear hunt activities on the Join the bear hunt website:
30th March 2020
Enquiry question: Why do we put a cross in an Easter garden?
Activity 1
Watch Mrs Smith make an Easter Garden:
Make a list of everything you will need whilst watching the video. Can you follow the instructions to make your own Easter garden?
Send a picture of your Easter garden to Mrs Smith to receive a skill square sticker for being inquisitive.
Activity 2
Watch the children retell the Easter story: Our Easter Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgFZDCguR8E
Talk together: Look at your Easter garden can you identify what each part of the garden represents?
Activity 3
Look at the picture of the hot cross buns.
Ask: What does the cross on top of the bun represent?
You can make your own hot cross buns using this recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-hot-cross-buns
Or you can buy some from the shop.
Take a photograph of the process of either baking your own buns or preparing to eat a bought bun. For example, cutting the bun in half, placing it into the toaster, spreading on the butter.
In your home learning book write the step by step instructions to accompany the photographs i.e.
- Cut the bun
Take a picture of the finished writing and post it on to Tapestry with the process photographs.
Activity 4
Watch: CBeebies | Preparing for Easter | Let's Celebrate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qVW9IjhIlU
Make Easter nests
Other Easter activities
23rd March 2020
This week our enquiry question is 'What is a map?'
Watch Julia Donaldson reading our focus text ‘What the ladybird heard’. Can you join in with the sounds and the actions?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abKadke35cs
In the story, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len plan to steal the fine prize cow. The two bad men have a map of the farm. Why do they need a map? What is the map for?
Talk with your grown-up and explain why they thieves need a map.
Ask your grown-up What is a map?
Activity 1
Using google maps find your home address and place the yellow man outside your door.
Can you find your way to school?
Activity 2
Draw your own map of the farm and label the animals. You could even add what noise each animal makes too.
Can you retell this part of the story using your map?
I’ll start you off ‘Open the gate in the dead of night. Past the …’
Activity 3
What are the animals thinking?
In your home learning book write a sentence for each animal.
Cow
Kitten
Lamb
Sing the song of the story with Julia Donaldson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NbyiDpY6Ww
16th March 2020
This week’s enquiry question is: How do you make a woolly jumper?
Understanding of the world
Watch: Come Outside – ‘A Woolly Jumper’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41jx0Ljy23A
Ask your child: How is a woolly jumper made?
Can they recall the process using first, next, after that and finally?
Record your child’s response and upload it to your child’s online learning journal.
Creative activity
Using wool and a curtain ring make a Dorset button.
Take photographs of the stage of making the button and upload the photos onto Tapestry.