Saturday, June 28, 2014

Maths Problem Solving

We have been completing various maths problems and investigations.
 Using six art straws each the same length,cut two of them in half.You now have eight straws, four long and four short.You can make 2 squares from the eight straws.
Arrange your eight straws to make 3 squares, all the same size.Not as easy as it sounds.Look at our attempts to solve this problem.

Does it count with  3 equal squares plus a triangle?

almost there

can we bend the straws?

3 equal and some left over

 looks right -but some overlapping straws

we can make 4 equal squares


3 equal plus 2 bits sticking out ( but the 'diagonal'  is the way forward)
3 squares and 1 triangle

3 squares and a cross


3 squares but not equal

 3 squares and a diagonal


sharing ideas
discussing solutions

almost there
That's how to do it!( after a tip from Mrs Chadwick-Georgie actually had it sketched in her maths tool kit!)
Easy once you know how!

Using our Sports Day Data.

Once sports day was finished we used the data for our maths lessons. Our first job was to complete the chart on the board showing all 8 events and all houses totals.Once this was done and verified by the class we could start to handle and interpret it. Some of the class calculated the mean for events or houses, others calculated the mode, range and median.day 2 was presenting data in a graph -some produced bar line graphs, other bar charts and even a pie chart.Good maths using real data.Our interpreting showed where trophies were both won and lost!
collecting the sheets for different events

filling in the data 

checking totals

almost there

analysing results


Saturday, June 14, 2014

WI Centenary Celebrations

On Wednesday June 11th we  were invited to join in with   the WI's  centenary celebrations.
We started the morning in school thinking about what we knew about the WI-not a lot- so we had plenty of questions to ask the members of the WI later in the morning!
 We also thought about any inspiring women we knew-Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Jessica Ennis,Dame Kelly Holmes, Ellie Simmonds ... to name a few we discussed.
Later in the morning we spent time looking at the stalls and exhibitions that the local WI had set up.
                                                                    homemade bread...
looking at photos over the past century



tasting strawberries and seeing lots of garden produce


                                        carefully studying the photos and records displayed

looking at the crafts and some of the old fashioned equipment that was used by earlier members of the WI

questions to be asked, answers to be found

washing day -glad it's not like this now!

trying on session

what's this used for?

more washing day fun 

in front of the decorated bike that brought the baton to Marston-now we know why the colours green and yellow are used.

more questions...


                                           plenty to see and do inside and outside the tent

Now we know a lot more about the WI and their celebrations.
In the afternoon we played games -beetle drive, cards and other games that children would have played in the past.Not a computer in sight!


Lincoln Cathedral

Year 6 visited Lincoln cathedral and took part in a day celebrating their last year at primary school together with other members of the "Church School Family". We took part in an activity that involved exploring the cathedral , looking for points of interest, using binoculars, a compass and even a blindfold!
Every year I go, I still learn at least 1 new fact or see something new-this year was no exception.
Starting at the font...
First instruction was to record what was written on the ceiling-hence children lying down to read the answer!


                                         Binoculars were needed-the ceiling was so far away!


Magnifying glasses were used to examine the different textures of the woods used in these beautiful carvings.

Where to next? Map reading proves tricky navigating around the vast building.

Looking at the remnants of colours on the stone carvings.

Spotting the animals carved amongst the flowers.

how big is the biggest pillar-how we decided to measure- team work. First how wide are we when spreading our arms? Multiply by 12= the circumference is approx 15m-according to Y6.
The wonderful lectern- discussing what it symbolises..

Georgie and Veranika preparing their prayers befor the service.

Andrew, Fin and Harley getting ready to present our school banner to mark the start of the service.

That's better-now we can see the 3-no-longer hidden by the banner!

presenting our banner 

reading the prayers during the service



A super day-lots to see and do and a service to celebrate our primary school life.