Friday 1st May

Date: 1st May 2020 @ 8:20am

Good morning year 4!

It is Friday again! I can’t believe how quickly the weeks are going.

I hope you found yesterday’s comprehension all about the amazing work of Captain Tom Moore raising money for the NHS interesting. I know from our blog on Purple Mash and from emails that have been sent into school that Florence and her brother Beau have made a birthday card for Captain Tom and Florence’s cakes are raising money for the NHS too. Ava has also been raising money while at home for a local charity. This is fantastic girls – well done.

The answers to the maths activity and another short comprehension are attached to this blog.

Today’s BBC Bitesize Maths lesson focuses on problem solving again. Have a go at the problems and see how you get on. I’m sure you will all do brilliantly. The English lesson today is a reading lesson based on The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy which is a really good book. The last lesson today is a music lesson about rhythm and percussion, I’m sure Mrs Taylor would be impressed if you took part in this lesson.

If you ever have problems getting online to see the BBC Bitesize lessons you can also find some of the lesson videos using your TV. Go to a BBC channel and click the red button on your remote, then select the BBC Bitesize icon which should be the first icon you see on weekdays. You then need to choose your age range and finally you can choose which lessons you would like to watch.

My challenge for you today is to use one of the writing prompts in your packs or to look at this website, https://www.pobble365.com/, and use one of the pictures to inspire you to write a short story. A new picture is uploaded each day, you can flick through the pictures to find one that sparks your imagination, and underneath the picture is a story starter, questions to help you continue the story, words to try and use in your story and some ‘sick’ sentences. These are sentences which are not very exciting, could you make them better by adding description? Choose your image today and start to plan what might happen in your story. Think about who your characters will be and where your story will be set. Remember a story needs a good opening to catch the reader’s interest. What problem might your characters face and how could they fix the problem? Finally, your story needs an ending – will it be a happy ending? Next week, spend a little time each day writing your story. This could then be emailed to school so I can read it.

I have started to look at the water cycle reports that you have been doing on Purple Mash. Well done to the following people who have all made a start or even finished their water cycle work – Maya, Reggie, Florence, Henry, Joshua, Deacon, Lexie, Leon, Joseph and Emily. Emily and Reggie have also e-mailed pictures of some water cycle work they have done at home. Keep up the fantastic work everyone!

Emily has designed and labelled a water cycle:

Reggie has used the labelling activity from earlier in the week and drawn and labelled his own water cycle:

Finally, I have attached a small science experiment that you may be able to try at home if you ask an adult to help you. The experiment involves creating a water cycle in a bag. The instructions tell you to add blue food colouring, but the experiment works without this. I have also attached a worksheet which asks you to make some predictions about what might happen. Here is my water cycle in a bag:

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any sealable bags at home so I had to use a plastic wallet and it turns out they are not completely water tight! The experiment still worked though (once I had added some sellotape to make the bag stop leaking) however it does take a while for the water cycle to start working – be patient and it will happen! If you do try this at home please send me a picture of your water cycle in a bag as I would love to see them.

Have a lovely weekend, stay safe and I will talk to you again on Monday.

Miss Gradwell

Files to Download

St Mary's Birchley Catholic Primary School

Birchley Road, Billinge, Nr Wigan,

Lancashire WN5 7QJ

Main Contact: Mrs Janet Ollerton

SENDCO Contact: Mrs Andrea Hymers

Tel: 01744 678610

Email: stmaryrcbp@sthelens.org.uk