This week, we are recapping all the statutory spellings we have looked at this term (the highlighted words). Any extra practise at home, to make sure you know them, would be great!
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Home learning
If you are isolating and are well enough, here is some work for you to complete.
Spellings are on the blog separately- remember to practice these using different methods (rainbow writing, pyramid, shape, look cover write check)
TTRS- your times tables are now accessible on the website- try to beat your time!
Reading- practice your comprehension skills using this text:
Christmas Around the World
What Is Christmas?
Christmas is a religious holiday which celebrates the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ, on the 25th December. Although it is a Christian holiday, it is actually one that derives from a lot of Pagan traditions.
The Christmas tree is a 17th century German tradition that is said to have been evolved from the Pagan practice of bringing greenery indoors for decoration in winter. It is also believed that Father Christmas was a modern incarnation of old Pagan spirits flying through the sky in winter.
Christmas is celebrated by millions of people all over the world including Christian people and non-Christian people. It is a time for gathering with family and friends. Some Christmas traditions include, decorating houses with lights, trees, candles and having a Christmas dinner. There are also some very unique traditions specific to certain countries.
For example, some people in India like to decorate their houses and streets with colourful, folded paper stars. Traditionally, Polish people serve a total of 12 dishes, one for each disciple, at their Christmas dinner and some Spanish people leave out hay-filled boots or shoes at night so that by the next morning the hay would be replaced with chocolate, presents or money.
In some areas of Ireland, the people like to light candles in the windows of their homes to act as a guide for Joseph and Mary to travel to their resting place. The candles are often red and decorated with sprigs of holly.
Over in the West Indies, some people like to clean their homes thoroughly before decorating for Christmas. Some people even repaint entire rooms!
Christmas is celebrated on 7th January in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is called Ganna or Genna.
Some French people traditionally celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, on the 6th December. On this day, Saint Nicholas rides around town on his sleigh while the people in the town
Celebrations
Christmas Around the World
What Is the True Meaning of Christmas?
celebrate how he rescued three children from being eaten by a nasty butcher!
In Russia, some believe that an old lady called Baboushka roams around giving out presents to children, to make up for the mistake of being too busy to guide the wise men to the baby Jesus Christ in biblical times.
Traditionally in Sweden, the eldest daughter of each family dresses up with a wreath on her head, which holds lit candles. She then serves coffee and special buns to her family.
In some areas, single women of the Czech Republic perform a ritual every Christmas to see whether they will be single for another year. They turn their backs to the door and throw a shoe over their shoulder. If the shoe lands with the heel towards the door, then it is thought that she will stay single for another year. However, if the front of the shoe faces the door, then a wedding is likely to happen for her!
For over 40 years, the town of Gavle in Sweden has celebrated Christmas by erecting a huge straw goat and the challenge is to ensure the survival of the straw goat until Christmas Day. 'Vandals' will then attempt to burn the goat down every year. The goat has survived until Christmas Day only ten times in 40 years.
In Slovakian tradition, the head of the family will throw a mixture of Loksa (bread, poppy seed and water) up at the ceiling. The longer the mixture stays glued to the ceiling, the richer their crops are predicted to be.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is traditional for Christians to have a Christmas feast with meat and to wear new clothes.
Finally, in Japan, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has become a nation's favourite for a Christmas dinner. It is so wildly popular that you need to make a reservation to eat there on Christmas Day.
Everyone will have a different answer to the question 'what is the true meaning of Christmas?'. Some people think it is a time for gifts or family while others think it is about watching Christmas films or eating lots. There are some people who think that Christmas has become too commercialised by shops. What do you think?
Questions
1. Although it is a Christian holiday, it is actually one that derives from a lot of Pagan traditions.
Which phrase means the same as 'derives from' ? Tick one.
is different to
comes from
is the same as
is unlike
2. Draw four lines and match each country to its tradition.
West Indies Some women turn their backs and throw a shoe over their shoulder.
Czech Republic People might leave out hay-filled shoes overnight.
Spain Many people clean their homes before decorating.
India Some people decorate their houses with colourful, folded stars.
3. Find and copy a phrase which shows that KFC is hugely popular in Japan on
Christmas Day.
4. Fill in the missing words.
There are some who think that Christmas has become too
by shops.
5. List two things that some Spanish people might find in their shoes or boots the next morning.
•
•
6. In relation to the Swedish town, why is 'vandals' written in inverted commas?
7. Compare the traditions from two different countries. How are they similar?
8. Summarise what you have learnt about Christmas around the world in 25 words or fewer.
Christmas Around the World
English
A discussion text, 'School Uniforms- Good or Bad?' will allow us to look at how discussions are structured in terms of features and vocabulary.
Read the model text:
School
Uniforms – Good or Bad?
Ever
since they were introduced in Victorian times, school uniforms have been a controversial subject.
This discussion
text will look at both sides of the argument – why some teachers and parents
love them and why most children don’t.
Firstly, on the one hand, supporters
of school uniform argue that fashionable clothes, and arguing about whose
clothes are better, can distract children from their schoolwork. In addition, they say that
school uniform makes everyone look the same. Furthermore, the more fashion-conscious children
might not want to risk getting their own clothes dirty or torn, so they refuse to do
activities such as art. Many teachers feel that school uniform is good for
discipline and makes the children feel part of the school. Finally, school uniform makes
life easier for busy parents because they know exactly what their child is going to wear
each day.
On the other hand, others
may argue that making children wear exactly the same clothes stifles their individuality
and creativity. Furthermore,
some schools insist that uniforms are bought from a certain shop, and this can
be expensive. Some children would have to buy their uniforms second-hand which
could embarrass them. Moreover,
the style of school uniform does not suit everyone. Plus, everyone wearing the same clothes can
lead to lots of lost property.
In conclusion, there are advantages and disadvantages to wearing uniform AND wearing ordinary clothes to school. On balance, I personally believe that there are probably more arguments in favour of school uniform. They do stop arguments in the playground, they do make life easier for busy parents, but most of all, they let children get on with being children because they’re not worried about ruining their own best clothes.
Writing
Toolkit 
·
Sentence signpost – introducing viewpoint
·
Sentence signpost – adding information
·
Sentence signpost – alternative
viewpoint
·
Sentence signpost – conclusion
·
Conjunctions
·
Vocabulary
On
Once you have familiarised yourself with the text, complete the below 'Never heard the word grid' without using a dictionary. We will have a look at the words together later on.Never-heard-the word grid
Look at the words in the table below. Tick the
never heard the word column, heard it but not sure of its meaning
column, or jot down a meaning and/or example.
|
|
Never heard before |
Heard- not sure of meaning |
Know what it means: give a simple explanation plus an example |
|
controversial |
|
|
|
|
argument |
|
|
|
|
discipline |
|
|
|
|
individuality |
|
|
|
|
advantages |
|
|
|
|
personally |
|
|
|
Feel free to just write the answers on paper and bring them into school next time or pop them on the blog- either way is fine!
Topic- Create a poster about internet safety. Research how to keep safe online and present this in a poster.
Monday, December 6, 2021
MyMaths
A big WELL DONE to Jessica, Bailey, Ethan, Zach, Eva, Lily, Lauren and Pippa for completing your MyMaths task this week!
Year 4s, your next MyMaths task is set to begin today, Monday 6th December 2021 and it is all about the 6 times table. You can do it! :)
Home Learning
If you are isolating and are well enough, here is some work for you to complete.
Spellings are on the blog separately- remember to practice these using different methods (rainbow writing, pyramid, shape, look cover write check)
TTRS- your times tables are now accessible on the website- try to beat your time!
Reading- practice your comprehension skills using this text:
Every year, children look forward to the arrival of Santa Claus. However, there are many theories as to where Santa originally came from. Below, there are three descriptions of people who are associated with Santa Claus. Can you spot the similarities between them?
Modern-Day Santa Claus
Today, Santa Claus is thought to reside somewhere cold and isolated with his trusty reindeer. It is here that Santa’s secluded workshop is said to be run by elves. According to some Christmas tales, the elves work hard throughout the year to create toys for well-behaved children to receive on Christmas Eve.
On the night of the 24th December, Santa Claus is said to deliver presents to all of the children on his ‘nice list’ in a single evening. Nobody knows for sure how he manages to deliver so many presents with such a limited time frame. This has led to many theories and speculations, such as Santa Claus’s sleigh having an incredibly powerful engine or even that he can teleport to different countries!
Saint Nicholas
It is thought that Saint Nicholas was born around AD 300. He had inherited a large sum of money from his parents and used this to help those who were less fortunate. Saint Nicholas is often pictured with a long, white beard and wearing red robes.
One story of Saint Nicholas tells the tale of him generously saving three daughters who were on the verge of being forced into a life of enslavement. Over three nights, Saint Nicholas secretly delivered three bags of gold – one for each daughter. However, by the third night, the father of the three girls was so desperate to thank the kind stranger that he stayed awake. Being a shy man and feeling no need for praise, Saint Nicholas delivered the third bag down the chimney so as not to be caught. When the bag reached the bottom of the chimney, it is said to have landed in a pair of stockings which were hanging by the fire.
Odin
Odin is a powerful god from Norse mythology. Odin is said to be the god of many things, including wisdom, poetry and knowledge. He is also father to Thor who is thought to be the god of thunder and lightning.
One tale of Odin describes him travelling through the air on his chariot which was being hauled by an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. The tale also describes Odin as leaving gifts in the shoes of children who had been well-behaved. Interestingly, some people also believe that Odin has the ability to determine whether a person has been good or bad.
All over the world, there are tales of figures who bring cheer during the winter months and give gifts to children who deserve them. Although some may have different names, such as Père Noël (France), Joulupukki (Finland) or Weihnachtsmann (Germany), many of them share a likeness with the three people mentioned in this text.
Wherever you believe Santa Claus originated from and however you think he manages to deliver so many gifts in such a short space of time, don’t forget to look out of your window for signs of him on Christmas Eve!
Questions
1. Which of the following people is not known for giving gifts to well-behaved children? Tick one.
Santa Claus
Père Noël
Saint Nicholas
Odin
2. Which of the following are similarities between modern-day Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas? Tick two.
flying on a sleigh
delivering presents at night
wearing red
owning a workshop
3. Look at the paragraph beginning On the night of the 24th December…
Find and copy two words which mean the same as ideas.
4. What did Saint Nicholas choose to do with the money that he had inherited?
5. Fill in the missing words.
Odin was thought to have flown through the sky on a which was pulled by a horse called .
6. Some people believe that Santa Claus originated from Odin. Why do you think that they believe this?
7. It is thought that Saint Nicholas was born around AD 300. Why do you think that the author has chosen to use the phrase it is thought?
8. Describe the character of Saint Nicholas. Use the text to support your answer.
English-
Have a think about these questions: Do you like crisps? Why/why not? Do crisps form part of a healthy diet?
Write an unaided discussion piece entitled: ‘Should schools sell crisps at break time?’ - think about advantages and disadvantages arguments.
Remember to include our every day toolkit features and try to write at least a page of A4.
Maths
Watch this video: What is a fraction?
Then have a go at answering these questions.
Topic- This week and next we will be thinking about Diwali. Research Diwali and Rangoli patterns and have a go at making one of your own!
Saturday, December 4, 2021
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