Home Learning Suggestions

Welcome to our new Elibrary where you will have access to Ebooks from EYFS up to year 6. It follows the same colour book band scheme as in school but with a vast range within each colour band and with a good mix of fiction and non-fiction texts. There are lots of interactive elements as well as notes for parents on how to help and what questions to ask. You will also find there is a quiz to complete after each book too! During school closure as teachers do not have an up to date reading level for you child we recommend  that your child selects (with your help) an appropriate level for them based on their current reading ability. They may wish to read easier texts to younger siblings or have a harder text read to them using the 'read to me' tool. Below is a document that explains the colour band system if you are not familiar with it and will help you to decide where to start.   

Link:

https://my.risingstars-uk.com/Default.aspx?cid=DL146788

Username: office@hardwick.cambs.sch.uk

password: readingplanet2020

(ignore the centre ID part)

For further explanation about how to access the Elibrary check out the pupil user guide once you have logged in. 

Whole School Theme: Nature

Children are really enjoying exploring their topic and discovering new facts about the world around them. Some Year 6 pupils in school have taken advantage of the wonderfully hot weather to create pavement art that shares how they view their world. So many patterns exist in the world around us (animals and plants) that can be turned into art projects. If you have any to share, send them in and they can form part of a gallery for others to share and be inspired by. Some children are also debating as part of this topic. If there is an issue you feel strongly about, we would love to hear from you. Some Year 6 children in school have been considering the ethics of animal vs. human rights. It's a complex issue. Look out for their views and performances here, or in our Spoken Language section (where there is already a poetry performance about racism). 'Little People Big Dreams' is a great resource to teach children about key figures from history. This series shares the lives of outstanding people from designers and artists to scientists and innovative thinkers who changed the world. These stories can be found online as well, so you can listen to these picture books instead if you don't have access to a copy. They are suitable for all primary aged children. David Attenborough and Jane Goodall below are a good starting point, as they link with our current nature topic.

Whole School Theme: Walt Disney 

Inside Out: Emotions Metaphor Poems

I’m a thunder cloud tearing through the sky,

I’m a volcano spewing out lava,

I’m a raging inferno destroying everything in my wake,

I’m a snarling bull tearing down a corridor,

I’m as red as blood streaming out of a wound,

I’m as furious as a honey badger,

Who am I?

By Ryan McGowan Year 5

I’m emotion

I’m as confused as someone with the wrong directions,

As confused as someone learning politics and elections.

I’m scared as a rabbit being hunted,

As scared as a criminal being confronted.

I’m a sad as someone with a ruined reputation,

I'm sad as a charity without a single donation.

I’m as happy as a kid on Christmas Day.

As happy as someone hungry at a huge buffet.

I’m as angry as a volcano boiling over,

As angry as an artist paid in exposure.

I’m just disgusted as someone eating a slug.

As disgusted as someone covered in slime giving hugs. 

I’m emotion.

By Eilidh Year 5

Using similes, metaphors and personification to describe the storm: Ryan in Year 5

Shadowy clouds cram the sky as thunder rumbles, rushing rain gushes down from the dull dark clouds. Lightning strikes illuminating the night sky while powerful winds stretch the trees to their absolute limit. The rain soaks the soil as holes load up to make massive well-like puddles and leaves rush being driven by the wind.

Whole School Theme: Traditional Tales 

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― Neil Gaiman

This seems to be the perfect time for children (and adults!) of any age to read and share a range of fairy-tales. We have attached links below to help with FREE access to three of the most famous authors of these tales and to Aesop's fables (short stories with a moral message). It might be interesting to explore some of the lesser known tales and even to write and illustrate your own! You could also consider acting out or retelling a favourite tale for others. If you were to record it, we could even share it...Whatever your age, we don't think it's possible not to enjoy a fairy-tale; some can even be quite scary! We hope you enjoy this whole school theme, but once you start to read these we think it might be more than two weeks before you can stop! If that is the case, then don't - just keep reading!

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
― Albert Einstein

We have also had a request from Emily (Y6) to include more art-based projects for children to complete during their afternoons, 'once English activities have been completed' she says. We will add links here as we find them. If anyone has ideas they'd like us to investigate and share, please E-mail the school office. It would be fabulous if we could create a gallery to showcase any fairy-tale art done at home.

To kick off Emily's request, the following link teaches how to use thumb-prints to create fairy-tale characters:

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/make/paint-draw/draw-fairy-tale

The link below suggests arts and craft activities (with instructions) for any age. Older children might use some of these ideas to generate their own versions. The egg box Frog Prince is a particular favourite of ours!

https://www.thethings.com/15-fairy-tale-diy-crafts-that-will-have-you-and-the-kids-entertained/

Can you create a fairy-tale character?

You might be surprised at how creative you can be using recycled materials that can be found at home. If not a character-doll, perhaps you could create a collage of a fairy-tale scene e.g. forest, castle, dragon's lair, pond where the Frog Prince might live, bed in which the Princess could not sleep because of the pea, or the witch's cottage in Hansel and Gretel. There are sooooo many more ideas to choose from. Using mixed media (more than one material) in a collage can be very effective. Lego is great for building castles too!

Can you create an animal from a traditional tale or fable?

Pick an animal (e.g. pig, wolf, frog, dragon, crocodile, dog, fox) from a tale or fable and use the letters of its name to create it. Simple designs with bold contrasting colors will work best, as will using soft pencil lines to sketch outlines first. Soft and curved, or sharp and more angular lines can really help to convey your animal's character as well as its outline appearance.

Use the British Library link below to explore children's books, traditional tales and suggested art projects:

https://www.bl.uk/childrens-books?utm_campaign=68309_SCHOOLS_ChildrensBooksPrimarySchool_20200602&utm_medium=email&utm_source=The%20British%20Library&dm_i=5JXV,1GPH,11HWDT,5ERY,1

Daily phonics lessons for EYFS and Y1 (launching 27th April 2020)

Pobble Pictures 

Fancy a simple writing challenge? Based around one picture each day, 365 days a year! Under the picture is a list of activities for you to do. Pick the ones that interest you!

Here is the link:

https://www.pobble365.com/