Literacy
Elm are currently reading The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd and have enjoyed trying to work out the whereabouts of Salim, the boy who went up on the London Eye and never came down. They have discussed the possibilities and written diary entries for the boy’s worried mother and for Salim himself, based on their theories for his disappearance. The book’s narrator is an autistic teenager called Ted who struggles with social interaction and whose attempts to decode language (he often takes idioms literally) as well as body language are both touching and humorous. The book lends itself to reflection and discussion about autism and a different way of seeing the world. The book has lots of cultural references for the class to explore, from the Tate Modern and Andy Warhol to Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the tower blocks that Ted’s father knocks down in his role as a demolition expert.
French
Beginners group with Joanna
We have been very busy this term in French class. The students have been learning new verbs such as avoir (to have) et étre (to be) au présent as well as learning about ‘les déterminants’ (determiners) those little words that are placed in front of the noun and that determine whether or not the noun is masculin/féminin ou pluriel (ex: le, la, les, un, une, des, mon, ma, mes, ce, cet, cette, ces). They have also learned a poem and presented it very successfully (videos hereunder). Since we are living in France ‘pays de la gastronomie’ we have also had the opportunity to celebrate La Galette des Rois & La Chandeleur by baking galettes and making crêpes with the two other French classes.
Intermediate group with Christine
From January to February we explored the world of collections and passions, with Antoine, one of the eight students featured in our study manual. As a reminder, in December we had spoken about the topic of houses with Manon. Through this new topic, we discovered the collections and passions of Antoine and then gave all the students the opportunity to give a presentation of their own collections or passions. By doing this, we learned that one of the students has a passion for shells, another for turtles, specific books, specific cats, dogs…
As each student gave their presentation, others were able to ask them questions about their passion (why, since when, how many…?)
In order to speak about their passions, they had to use some specific sentences such as « ma passion c’est… », « je suis passionné(e) de… », as well as specific adjectives (ce/cet/cette/ces). Those who asked questions also had to master questions « how many/combien de » etc.
In this lesson, we also had to master numbers up to 100 (orally and in writing) when speaking about prices or pocket money.
Alongside this topic, the class learnt a poem about Winter, and because of Epiphany in January and Pancake Day in February, we spent time reading and preparing two popular recipes « galette des rois » and « crêpes ». Cooking is appreciated by all the class and it was fun for us all to work together.
After the break, we will start a new lesson with Akiko who will speak about food, recipes, and healthy meals.
Advanced group with Marie
Cette troisième période a été bien chargée au niveau des apprentissages. Les élèves ont continué d’intégrer les notions de français.
en grammaire: les différentes propositions, voix active/ voix passive, les compléments de verbe (cod, coi)
en conjugaison: les temps du récit imparfait/passé simple, le passé composé, le participe passé/infinitif
en orthographe: le pluriel des noms et des adjectifs, le féminin des noms et des adjectifs, une dictée préparée
en mémorisation: 2 poésies ont été apprises et récitées
en littérature: choix d’un livre de lecture (Cheval de guerre de Michael Morpugo) puis fiches à rédiger en répondant aux différentes questions, étude du genre poétique et versification
en expression écrite: employer un verbe pour construire une phrase
2 évaluations ont lieu pendant cette 3ème période.
French IMYC with Marie
Durant ce terme, les élèves ont continué à étudier les explorateurs. Ils ont d’abord fait des recherches sur un des célèbres personnages (Zheng Hu, Christoph Colomb, Magellan, Vasco de Gama, Marco Polo, Jacques Cartier, Bartolome Dias), puis ils ont élaboré des affiches par groupe de 2 ou 3 enfants.
Ensuite, ils ont construit un des 3 objets utilisés par ces grands explorateurs
– le groupe des caravelles
– le groupe des globes
– le groupe des boussoles
Ils ont appris et chanté 2 chansons: Les petits souliers de Guy Béart et Aux Champs Elysées de Joe Dassin.
Geography
This term Elm learned to distinguish between physical and human geography. They learned that human geography involves trends and patterns in human population and the impact of human activity on the environment. They then learnt about land use and economic activity and trade links. As part of this, the class looked at the journeys that products, such as bananas and cocoa beans, take from farm to store, a multi-stage process more complex than they had imagined. This led to a discussion about Fairtrade and why this organisation had been set up. Working in pairs, the pupils chose a specific Fairtrade product and investigated the countries in which it is produced and the benefits (or not) to the people involved in the numerous stages of the growing, processing and transporting of these products to our shops.
History
The Elm class explored the changes and the great discoveries related to the Renaissance period. They looked at the amazing improvements that the Renaissance brought to Europe, looking at art, architecture and science. The Elm class analysed the extent of the change that occurred between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, looking also at how inventions like the printing press stimulated the circulation of new ideas in Europe. They also learnt about the developments in towns and court, getting familiar with figures of Renaissance princes like Francis I and Henry VIII.
Science
Elm students learned about material changes to help them remember information about acids and alkalis and how they work safely in the laboratory. We had the chance to create a universal indicator from red cabbage and test it on different solutions. Students learned about Litmus paper and pH scale to identify the acidity of different materials and planned a full investigation to neutralize alkali or an acid.
ICT
Elm class focused on the creation of websites for a chosen purpose. They identified what makes a good web page and used this information to design and evaluate their own website using Google Sites. Elm class started a simple program to build in and test within the new programming environment, before transferring it to their micro:bit. They used Scratch to create a ping pong game.
Mathematics
In Statistics:
This term, Elms constructed and interpreted various tables, charts, and diagrams, including frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, stem and leaf diagrams and line graphs. We practised solving comparison, sum and difference problems using information presented in bar charts, pictograms, tables and line graphs. Elm students worked on solving different statistics problems where information had to be analysed in order to calculate the required average: range, mode, mean and median.
In Probability and ratio:
During this unit, we discovered vocabulary related to probability and know that Impossible, Unlikely, Even Chance, Likely and Certain relate to 0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 1, respectively. We then solved probability problems where we had to find all possible outcomes and calculate the probability of the desirable outcome. We then moved onto solving problems with ratio and now know how to simplify ratios and how to use ratio to compare quantities.
On the 2nd of February Elm and Cedar students participated in Les Concours Archimède. Les JEUX ÉNIGMES SOLIDAIRES pour collégiens francophones depuis 1989.
These puzzle games allowed children to highlight their knowledge, clearly express their mathematical thoughts and use their sense of observation.
37th International Mathematical Games
6 of our Elm and Cedar Mathematicians will participate in the 1/2 final of the 37th International Mathematical Games and on the 18th of March will proudly represent our school. Good luck with crunching those numbers and solving tricky logical problems.
Design and Technology
Elm students will proudly represent our school in the Thomas Edison Pitch Contest where they will present their prototype, explain how it works and what difference it will make. Most importantly, Elms will work in teams and will try their best to achieve their set goals collaboratively.
Helped out with the compost bin,
And wormery contraption.
Participated in “Thomas Edison competition”,
And have acquired the DIY foundation.
Automated food dispenser for dogs
Is under construction creation.
And quite tricky system to create water
Out of thin air is our ambition.
Measuring, thinking,
designing and plotting .
Think outside the box
And nothing is blocking.
Will work hard on our projects,
To make our future brighter.
Do you know what was invented first,
Matches or lighter?
Teamwork approach,
And communication,
We will pull it through even during our holiday,
If we will find dedication.
Art
Over the course of this term, the Elm class explored the work of Pointillist painters, looking at the work of artists like Paul Signac and Georges Seurat. Each student focused on a different subject to portrait, creating different kinds of landscapes and using both their memories and their imagination to create them. By using paint, the students created their own Pointillist piece of art, working on the relationship between light and shades of colours.
Drama Workshops
Over the course of this term, our Elms practised improvisation and learnt how to incorporate body language, face expression and the use of voice in an improvised performance. Students worked in different groups, creating improvised scenes based on different stimuli, like a specific scenario or a group of objects. The Elm class also learnt how to give feedback when watching a performance, highlighting elements of appreciation, and providing suggestions.
Creative Writing Workshops
Over the course of this term, our Elms practised improvisation and learnt how to incorporate body language, face expression and the use of voice in an improvised performance. Students worked in different groups, creating improvised scenes based on different stimuli, like a specific scenario or a group of objects. The Elm class also learnt how to give feedback when watching a performance, highlighting elements of appreciation, and providing suggestions.
Global perspectives
The Elm class conducted research on different languages spoken around the world. They investigated the ways in which languages have been developed and linked to different cultures. They looked at very known languages – like German and Dutch – but also at languages spoken in smaller areas, like Maltese and Welsh. The outcome of their research was communicated through the creation of a short booklet that included all the most relevant information about the targeted language, including links to literature, movies and drama pieces produced in that language.
