Year 1/2 Unit

Myths, Magic, and Mathematical Maps!

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an incredibly busy, creative, and inspiring fortnight in our classrooms! The children have dived headfirst into their learning, bringing so much energy and imagination to everything we have done. Here is a look at what we have been up to over the last two weeks, along with a sneak peek at what is coming next.

English: Ancient Myths & Magical Poetry

We have officially concluded our unit on Greek myths, wrapping up with the stories of King Midas and the Golden Touch and Arachne and Athena. The children thoroughly enjoyed uncovering the deeper messages within these tales, engaging in some fantastic discussions around concepts such as greed and the importance of making good choices.

Using the story of King Midas, the students learned how to write cinquains—a beautiful five-line poetic structure focusing on nouns, adjectives, verbs, a four-word phrase, and synonyms.

We also explored the weird and wonderful mythical creatures of ancient Greece. The children invented their own unique mythical characters, drew them on paper, and we then used an AI tool to transform their drawings into realistic digital images. Seeing their ideas "magically" come to life was an absolute highlight! They then wrote brilliant cinquains about their new characters, detailing their unique traits and special superpowers.

Maths: Island Adventures & Division

In our Maths block, we explored the concept of Location by learning how to give precise navigational directions. To make this hands-on, the students created maps of their very own mythical islands by dropping pieces of pasta onto paper and tracing around the organic shapes they made! They then used their custom maps to write a set of instructions on how to navigate from one side of the island to the other.

We have also been working hard on the concept of division. The children practiced dividing two-digit numbers by a single digit, exploring a variety of mental and written strategies to solve different problems.

Looking Ahead: Coming Up Next

• English: This week we have moved on to the wonderful world of Fables, where students will eventually write and develop their own narrative stories (fables).

• Maths: Our next focus will be Time. Telling the time on an analogue clock face can be a very tricky concept for children to grasp. Over the next few weeks, we will be covering o'clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to.

   

How You Can Help At Home

Any opportunities you have to discuss time using an analogue clock at home will greatly support your child's learning. Asking questions like, "What time will it be in a quarter of an hour?" or pointing out when it is half past the hour will give them a wonderful head start in class.

Save the Date!

The children have combined their maps, AI character designs, and cinquain poems to create a brilliant final showcase poster. They are incredibly excited to share these with you when we invite you into the classroom to see our learning showcase later this term. Stay tuned for dates and details soon!

Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful week ahead!

Warmest regards,

Year 1/2 Teachers

Kirsty Traill/Iain Sparrey (12A), Lisa Sutch (12L), Zoe Sutherland (12Z)

Juliet Smith/Sally Quinn (12S)