As part geography, the children in Bluebirds designed an instructional poster with advice about what to do in a flood. They looked at the dangers people and communities would face in a flood as well as the environmental impact a flood would have on the landscape.
Bluebird’s Bollywood Dance
What another great dance workshop for Bluebirds! They really enjoyed working with our visiting dance teacher. As you can tell, they are very talented when it comes to dance.
Twycross Zoo
What a fantastic trip Bluebirds had to Twycross Zoo! They learned such a lot about biomes and why they are so important to all of life on earth.
Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even micro-organisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.
The children first played a game where they place animals in different habitats: mountain/sea/rainforest/savanna. They learned through this that, although we think of penguins only living in the Antarctic in fact you can find some penguins in South America.
Bluebirds went on to look at food webs and how each plant, animal, insect, fungi, and bacteria played an important part in the life cycle of that biome. We also learned that in every biome you will find some keystone animals that all other life is supported by. In Africa, the rhinos is a keystone creature as they eat the bushes to keep them under control and stop them taking over the savanna. Rhinos also spread the seeds of the bush in their poo, making sure new plants can grow because their poo in very rich in nutrients. Rhinos love to wallow in mud this helps new waterholes to develop creating more place for other creatures to drink from, such as giraffe. In a healthy biome all life supports each other and this showed the children the reason why we need to look after our earth.
Bluebirds learned about the 4 R’s: Re-use, Re-cycle, Reduce and, maybe one that we may never think of, Refuse.
Thank you Twycross Zoo for all we have learned on our trip.
Chocolate Cake By Michael Rosen
In English, Bluebirds have been taking part in a debate about whether it was right for Miss Dainter to just have a little taste of the chocolate cake that Mrs Parry had brought into school to share with the teachers. Without her knowledge, Miss Dainter did have one small slice of the cake and found it yummy.
The children took part in conscience alley; this is where they each say their side for or against Miss Dainter eating the chocolate cake.
For not eating the cake:
Yusuf: She did not have permission to eat the cake.
Anren: It’s not right because Miss Dainter ate it right in front of the class (not a good role-model.)
Charlie: It’s not breaktime and Mrs Parry said it was for then.
Musa: She couldn’t stop herself from eating the cake ( no self-control.)
Declan / Aya : She may have been hungry but it was not breaktime yet.
For eating the cake:
Tatenda: She felt left out as it was only for the teachers.
Alexander H: It was teasing and too tempting for her as she smelt it.
Elias: It’s not fair that the cake is only for teachers.
Sam: Teaching Assistants work harder than teachers so she should have the cake as well as the teacher.
Shriya : A teacher just does the marking whereas Teaching Assistants help everyone.
We then enjoyed Micheal Rosen’s Poem called Chocolate Cake. You can listen to him reading it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWrOeNKvtHI
River Rea Observations
This is the observation Bluebirds completed on their field trip to follow the course of the River Rae.
Look at how they have used all their skills to represent the features of the river as it flows through Edgbaston.
River Rea Trip
As part of our rivers topic, Bluebirds went on an exciting field trip to Cannon Hill Park to follow the course of the River Rea. We enjoyed Observing the River Rea and looked at how it changed from flowing straight with the help of humans, to meandering and finding its true course where nature was in control.
We also looked at direction the river flowed, talking about the debris and how it can cause floods. After discussing the river, the children took time to sketch the different stages of the Rea as they followed its course.
Seed Germination
Bluebirds have now just completed their experiment on how plants germinate. They have followed and observed cress for the last four days to find out what happens to seeds when they start to grow. As you can see all the children have learned so much just through observation. The children looked at the stages the seed went through, from the seed swelling, then splitting and finally the shoots emerging from the seed pod.
Amudha: I liked the experiment watching how the plant germinated. It changed day by day and we got to watch how the shoots grew longer.
Click HERE to see Amudha’s Seed Diary
Dance
Bluebirds, like all of our school community, have taken part in a dance workshop today. The visiting dance teacher taught us an Egyptian dance. It was really exciting and fun to be part of. We have learned some fun ways to warm up as well as a fantastic dance. Take a look at us in action!
Germination
Bluebirds are taking part in an experiment in science to show how seeds germinate. They have paired up to grow cress from seeds and, for the next few days, they will examine their seeds to observe how they grow and look.
Empathy Day
Bluebirds have been learning about the meaning of empathy and how it affects others and themselves.
Mrs Parry read the story My Beautiful Voice by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys. The story tells of a boy that has not found the confidence to use his voice in front of other people. The book follows his journey from shy child to realising he has a beautiful a beautiful voice.
Olivia: The new teacher knew how he felt and that he had his voice in him. This means the teacher had empathy.
Ayra: I learned that he wouldn’t talk because he was to shy and the new teacher had a book about quiet Heros and unheard songs. This made him have an idea in his head. She had empathy and knew how he felt and felt the same.
James: In My Beautiful Voice the teacher felt what the child felt, she helped him face his fears. Empathy is when you feel what other people are feeling. When a child hurt his leg yesterday, I knew how he felt as that had happened to me when I fell off my bike. I hurt my leg. It’s like when you’re sad, scared, worried or also when you’re happy. Others can feel and understand how you feel. That’s empathy.
Excellent understanding Bluebirds!
