Welly Wednesday
The children have continued with their plant exploration and at Welly Wednesday and turned their focus to trees. We discussed how trees are grown from a seed but also grow their own seeds which are dispersed by the wind and animals. We looked at the different trees in the forest and identified which trees are evergreen and which are deciduous. We were lucky today to see some freshly cut tree stumps, meaning we could count the rings to identify the age of the tree. The children questioned whether the widest stump would be the oldest tree. After counting the rings in the tree stumps, the children came to the conclusion that a wider width does not make the tree older and that trees can grow at different rates with many factors effecting the growth - water intake, available light and soil quality. We then found the tallest tree in the forest. The children were fascinated by the size and wondered how old this magnificent tree was. The staff managed to measure the girth of the tree, it measured over 7.7m! After a quick calculation we worked out that the tallest tree in the forest could be approximately 308 years old!
Art - Observational Drawing
We settled around a shaded tree, opened our sketch books and watched the daffodils dance in the spring breeze. The children used their observational skills and water colours to paint beautiful daffodils. The children then added these to their cards which they have taken home today, with fresh daffodils to celebrate Easter.
Science - Animals, Including Humans.
Do the tallest children have the biggest feet?
The children conducted a science experiment to investigate their question. The children used their planning, investigating and recording skills to discover - yes the tallest person in our class does have the biggest feet.
History - The Great Fire of London
The famous ‘Great Fire of London’ started on Sunday 2 September 1666 in a baker shop in Pudding Lane. Thomas Farriner, the baker, forgot to put out the fire he used to bake bread. Some of the firewood was set alight and the fire began. Key Stage 1 explored this terrible event and were gripped by this significant historic event from the 17th Century. They studied the buildings of the period to create their own buildings made from wood and straw.
The children transformed in to authors and stepped into the shoes of the famous writer Samuel Pepys. They wrote their own diary extract portraying a day in 1666 when London was gripped by fire.
During our time at Welly Wednesday, we baked fresh bread on an open fire just like Thomas Farriner would have in 1666. Then we put out the fire using buckets of water from the river, imitating the people of London trying to save their homes and valued possessions.
The children sharpened their pencils and gave Christopher Wren some competition! They redesigned St Paul's Cathedral which was largely destroyed by the Great Fire of London. The children then made their design from junk modelling and papier mache.
The Great Fire of London was devastating for the people living at that time, they lost their homes, pets and most valued possessions. As a result of great devastation, a Fire Service was born. The Fire Service has developed over the centuries and is now a valued emergency service which everyone is very grateful for.
