What's been going on...

Currently intermediate children are busy preparing themselves for high school, therefore we spend a lot of time working on gaining the skills required to achieve success in the wide range of subjects they will be experiencing.
In writing the children have been creating quality explanations (explanation and report writing are the two main writing genres at high school). They have been looking at various models, creating criteria, leveling themselves and pushing themselves towards their own next learning steps.

This week we are researching into why houses loose heat, its impact on the environment and how we can combat this issue. The children have watched documentaries on cutting energy costs in the home, and interpreted statistical diagrams about heat loss. they have used the various information to create an explanation which outlines the cause, (poor insulation) and effect, (strain on natural energy and your pocket). They have also created detailed diagrams to support their writing.


We were all amazed at how effective insulation can reduced your homes energy efficiency by 90%, and how easy some of the 'fixes' are to install.

This research is all part of our Uno's Garden unit. The children are currently researching eco-building in a bid to design and build a model of a home which has a minimal environmental footprint. We looked at the idea of an eco-home being a house that is built out of sustainable resources, but also has a minimal intake of energy for its daily running and one that is healthy to live in. Heating is one of the biggest energy users in our home, being aware of how to generate and keep in our heat will be really useful information to have when we create our own blue prints.

In maths we are currently exploring measurement, converting metrics, area, volume, mass, geometric shapes and time As well as continuing to build number knowledge.

My favourite is the mini inquiries we will be doing this week exploring the many eco-systems and habitats that make up Eastbourne. This will be the focus for the homework this week, so expect your children to be investigating unusual species in around and under the house. ( you may want to clean out the fridge!

We will be taking a trip to the rock pools, tussock areas, bush, back gardens and under the deck to find what wondrous worlds await our discovery. The main point of this is to see how urbanization has impacted the plant and animal kingdoms. One question we keep asking ourselves is : IS IT POSSIBLE FOR URBANIZATION NOT TO HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE NATURAL WORLD?



Stay tuned for the answer....