The document provides an overview of the curriculum for Year 5 students in Term 1. It covers topics in literacy, mathematics, science, physical education, information and communication technology, PSHE, and music. In literacy, students will study performance poetry, myths and legends, and narrative poetry. In science, they will learn about living things and properties of materials. Key areas in math include operations, measurement, shapes, and data handling. Students will also develop skills in swimming, badminton, hockey, football, dance, and computer programming.

1. Curriculum Statement
Year 5
Term One
September 2014

2. This term our first topic is:
Myths and Legends
For this topic, we will be looking at Vietnamese Legends,
British Legends, Greek Myths and other myths and legends
from across the world. As part of this topic we will learn
about where the Myths and Legends came from and what
parts in the stories may be true. We will have a dressing
up day where children will have the chance to come
dressed as their favourite character from a myth or legend.
Also, we will look at the history around the time of the
stories. Later, we will look at the way the stories were
represented. Some of the stories were fables, and many
have been recorded through a variety of different types of
art work. Finally we will try to create our own modern day
myth, but present it using modern art methods, like marvel
comics.
Key Vocabulary: Ogre, giant, witch, mermaid, Pegasus, god
Websites than can help: http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/
In this topic, we will be looking at rivers. Children will
explore what life is like near rivers. We will visit the Red
River and learn the differences between our local river and
rivers across the world. Also, children will learn to recognise
the influences of human activity and how people affect
rivers. Children will use measuring devices to take readings
and gather information which we will then later look at in
class. Towards the end of the topic the children will design
and build a raft that they will then test on the water.
Key vocabulary:
Banks, canal, current, confluence, dam, dock, downstream,
flood plain
Websites that can help:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/keystage_2/topics/
geography.shtml

3. LITERACYLITERACYLITERACYLITERACY
English and Vietnamese Term 1a
Throughout the first term we will look at how to improve writing sentences.
At the start of the term, children will learn about performance poetry. They
will observe famous performance poets and write and perform their very
own poems. Through this topic, children learn about different types of
poems, what to do with their face and body, and appropriate actions when
performing.
During the topic ‘Traditional Stories, Myths and Legends’, children will spend two weeks looking at
the legend of Robin Hood. During this time they will identify different features of legends, comment
on narrative viewpoints and learn to empathise with a character through role-play. The following
week children will prepare simple notes about a legend that they want to write about. They will learn
to orally retell a legend using their own notes to support them. Children will learn and apply
techniques to engage and interest their audience when they are retelling a legend.
Finally, children will study a famous book from a famous author. They will compare their chosen
book with other books by the same author, looking at characters, settings and the way drama and
comedy are shown. Later, they will have a chance to write their own versions of chapters of the book
and write their own introduction and story in the style of the author.
Term 1b
In this term our topic will be Rivers. We will be visiting the Red River to learn more about the rivers
near us and then we will write a recount about our trip. Also, we will be writing newspaper articles
about what we have been learning in the Rivers topic. The children will identify features of recounts
and use these within their own writing.
Afterwards, the children will look at stories from other cultures. These stories will give the children
the opportunity to learn about different cultures and people from around the world. Finally in this
term in Year 5, we will look at narrative poetry. These are story poems that use different techniques
to describe a plot.
How you can support at home:
You can read with your child every day for 15 minutes. This will give them better language skills and
understanding about new words. Also, you can support your child with their homework by going
through it and checking it with them.
Related websites/resources:
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/text.htm - This is a website that explains the
different topics that will be covered throughout the year in Literacy.

4. MATHEMATICS -
During the first 8 weeks of Term 1, children in Year 5 will study a range of topics in
mathematics:
Counting, partitioning and calculating: children will learn to count from any given number in
whole-number and decimal steps, understanding their position on a number line. They will learn to
order and round decimals, and develop an understanding of place value.
Children will use written methods to add and subtract whole numbers and
decimal numbers with up to two places.
Securing number facts, understanding shape: leading on from this,
children will identify pairs of factors of two-digit whole numbers and find
common multiples. They will explore patterns, properties and relationships
involving numbers of shapes.
Handling data and measures: children will identify, draw and interpret
simple line graphs using given and collected data. Children will later learn to use
ICT in drawing line graphs. In addition to this, they will learn to read, choose, use and record
standard metric units to estimate and measure length, weight, capacity to a suitable degree of
accuracy, and convert units. (e.g. 2,500g=2.5kg)
In the second part of Term 1, children will study a range of topics in mathematics:
Calculating, measuring and understanding shape: To begin, children will learn to read simple
timetables using basic train or flight schedules and tell the time using 24 hour clock notation. Next,
they will learn to use coordinates and identify parallel and perpendicular lines in grids. Children will
later learn to calculate the area of a rectangle.
Securing number facts, relationships and calculating: In the final part of
the term, children will learn to multiply and divide two and three digit numbers
using written methods. They will apply this knowledge to solve word problems
involving whole numbers and decimals. Children’s understanding of all four
number operations will be consolidated in this first term.
Counting, partitioning and calculating: Building on their learning in the
first half of Term 1 children will read, order, round, find sums and differences,
double and half decimals, add and subtract using written methods in whole
numbers and decimals with up 2 decimal places and consolidate their understanding of place value.
Finally, they will solve problems involving whole numbers and decimals using all four operations within
the context of measurement.
How you can support at home:
• Pose questions to your child about the work they have done and ask them to explain the method
that they used.
• Please look at the homework timetable and remind your child to check his/her homework when
they have completed it.
Related websites/resources:
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/15.cfm?s=15&p=250,index
http://www.mathszone.co.uk/

5. SCIENCE - Term 1a - Living Things
In the unit ‘Living Things’ children will learn about the seven
life processes and understand that all seven processes are
needed for a living thing to survive. They will identify and
explain the main stages of the human life cycle and the life
cycle of a plant. When learning about the life cycle of a plant,
the children will be conducting a fair test about seed
germination and explaining the outcome of the experiment.
Term 1b - Properties and changes of materials
In this topic the children will learn about the properties of
materials including their hardness, transparency and
conductivity. They will learn about solids, liquids and gases
and explain the changes between any of these states, for
example, a liquid turning into a gas is the process of
evaporation. The children will also learn about reversible and
irreversible changes and will conduct practical investigations
into this.
How you can support at home:
• Look at plants in the garden and identify their different parts. Grow seeds at home to see what
is needed in order for a plant to grow. Look at the key words and review their meanings.
• Discuss the properties of various materials and the different purposes they are used for. How
do their properties affect how materials are used?
• Look for examples of materials changing state around the home e.g. cooking, making
ice-cubes, boiling a kettle of water.
• Revise the key words with the children and make sure that they know what they mean. You
can do this by turning them into a word game, where they have to match the definition with
the word. Also, use the websites below to support your knowledge of the subject.
Related websites/resources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2science.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/plants/play/
http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-2/NewPlants/index.html
http://www2.bgfl.org/bgfl2/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/plants_pt2/

6. We do hope that the above information will be useful for you when supporting your child’s homework
and discussing his/her learning. Should you have any further questions please contact your child’s
class teacher.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION -
In Term 1 children in Year 5 will develop their understanding of stroke
swimming, being able to confidently enter and exit the water and propel
themselves over a distance of between 25 and 100m. In Badminton and
Hockey children will begin to develop their hand/eye co-ordination working
on basic skills and moving into conditioned game play when confident. In
dance they will work together to learn and choreograph movement patterns,
demonstrating good body control and poise in their movement. Football will
be introduced for developing foot – eye coordination. Tactics for small sided
games will also be introduced.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY -
In the first term, children will be creating a program to teach other children
about various topics. They will also be exploring the different ways they have of
finding information using computers and the skills that go with it. The children
will learn about the importance of copyright laws and will be using various
programs on the internet to create their own sounds and music.
P.H.S.E. –
In PHSE we will be looking at the school aide memoir and Golden Rules.
We will also learn about how we learn and how our brain works. Following
on will also be developing a greater understanding of the SEAL themes;
New Beginnings, Getting on Falling out, and Say No to Bullying. Within
these topics, the focus for the children will be on their empathy for others,
self awareness, motivation and how to improve on their social skills.
MUSIC -
At the start of Term 1 Year 5 will learn that percussion instruments can
produce a wide range of sounds. They will learn how to perform a cyclic
pattern with an awareness of different parts. In the second half of the term
the children will be learning to sing and play in a round.
Music notation will be a primary focus, as well as
multicultural movement pieces, and performance skills such as pitch, blend,
projection and stage presence. In addition, children will further explore the
timbre of orchestral instruments, and begin study of world instruments.