Bright Lights, Big City!

Topic Summary

In the Bright Lights, Big City project, your child will learn the story of a local landmark. They will learn about the countries that make up the United Kingdom, including their location, capital cities and some of their physical and human features. They will have the opportunity to do map work, using compasses and positional and directional language to plan routes around London. They will research the cause and impact of the Great Fire of London and look at some famous London landmarks. They will learn about other capital cities around the world, including Kuala Lumpur, and compare how they are similar and different to London.

Reading and Writing Journey

Throughout the topic, we will be looking at the following texts to help us with our reading and writing journeys.

Paddington at the Palace                                     Topsy and Tim visit London     

During our English journey we will be looking at a range of fiction and non-fiction texts including 'Paddington at the Palace' and other Paddington texts. These will help us work through the writing curriculum for Year 1. There are different types of writing we will complete to enable the children to apply the skills learnt. These outcomes are...

* Writing based on an event

* An information poster / postcard on a landmark

* Character Description

* Instructional Writing

* Setting Description

* Narrative

Our Guided Reading journey will focus on texts that coincide with our topic. These texts will help us to work through the word-reading and comprehension side of the Year 1 curriculum by focusing on decoding, predicting, inference, vocabulary and sharing views along with other key skills.

Maths Journey

We begin the Spring term by revisiting 'Place Value' but delve deeper by looking at numbers beyond to 20. As well as this, we will be continuing with our Addition and Subtraction' Maths journey. Children will continue to use concrete, pictorial and abstract representations to understand the concept of addition and subtraction when recalling addition and subtraction facts beyond 10.

As we move further into the Spring term, we will look at 'Measurement' where we will focus on length, height, mass and volume.

Foundation Subjects

As well as the core subject areas, we will also be focusing on key foundation subjects. These foundation subjects provide further breadth into topics surrounding history, geography, science, art etc. The focus will be on the skills which link to our topic. 

Geography

Bright Lights, Big City is a Geography based topic. This means there are very strong cross-curricular links throughout all learning journeys that teaches children about significant places and their physical features. Children will learn all about the physical and human features of countries and cities in the UK. They will also look at famous Landmarks, maps and how to use compasses to help with direction.

History

Within our History journey we will be looking at Monarchy as well as significant historical events such as The Great Fire of London.

Science

Science will consist of learning all about the weather and seasons. The children will be answering questions such as 'Does it snow in summer?' and 'How wild is the wind?' This project teaches children about the seasons, seasonal changes and typical seasonal weather and events. They learn about measuring the weather and the role of a meteorologist. Children begin to learn about the science of day and night and recognise that the seasons have varying day lengths in the UK.

Art

Our Art project this term is called 'Rain and Sunrays.' This project teaches children about collagraph printing, including how to develop a motif to make single and repeated prints.

Design & Technology

'Taxi!' is our design technology project this term. Throughout this project the children will look at moving axels and they way things move. We will work towards making our own moving vehicle!

Computing

Computing this term will consist of looking at technology outside of school and Lego builders.

PSHE

During the Spring term, children will look at the theme of 'Living in the Wider World.' This consists of belonging to a community, media and digital resilience and money and work. 

Religious Education

Across the two halves of the Spring term, children will look at two different themes and concepts for their RE learning journey. During the first half of the term the children will be focusing on the concept of 'Change' within the theme of 'People Jesus Met.'

Throughout the second half term the children will be able to explore the concept of 'Welcoming' within the theme of 'Palm Sunday.'

Physical Education

Children will learn a range of skills when exploring dance and movement.

Music

In Music sessions, children will explore and control dynamics, duration and timbre with voices, body percussion and instruments.  

Enrichment Opportunity

Children will get the opportunity to go on a local walk around their school. This will help them to identify common features and support their writing. 

How can you help at home...

There's lots of ways that you can help your child at home. One of them is by helping your child to retain their phonics and apply them daily. You can do this from the homework tasks sent home, what sound your child has informed you that they have learnt or logging them onto 'Phonics Hero' which is a fun and engaging platform to use!

The other way to help is to keep reading with your child as much as possible. This will encourage your child to apply their phonics and develop their understanding of the text. You can use the online BUGCLUB tool to help encourage your child to read at home! Alongside this, what would be most helpful is to ensure that your child reads their book and brings it back to school weekly. They will bring home a reading log, please sign and comment where appropriate. This enables us to monitor their progress. Reading at home regularly will help enhance children’s reading skills which will also  impact their writing.  

Homework will be given out every Friday and asked to be returned on a Tuesday.  It will be linked to what your child has been learning about in school that week. Discussing your child's homework with them is a great way to help with consolidating and checking their understanding. Please ensure that your child completes this consistently and sign to say that you've seen it 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask! I'll always try my best to keep you updated through Marv Me and through regular contact day to day.

 Thank you for your support and engagement. It is HUGELY appreciated