Natural Disasters

What we are learning about

The children will be learning all about the natural disasters that affect the world today, including flooding, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.  They will find out about their causes and effects through case studies. 

ENGLISH

The children will be reading the book ‘Floodland’ by Marcus Sedgwick which tells the story of a little girls’ experiences in a flooded Norwich.  Through this text, we will be writing in role, descriptions and extended narratives.  We will be looking at and using journalistic language to create newspapers and news reports.

MATHS

The children will be learning about place value and rounding numbers and how they are used when solving problems.  They will be developing their understanding of all four operations and will be using them in real life problems.  The children will look at angles and will learn how to draw, measure and calculate them.

Learning Opportunities

Once they have researched natural disasters, the children will use their knowledge to create a short film or news report of a chosen disaster. They will also produce writing in a variety of forms, including eye witness accounts and survival guides. In DT, the children will design and build their own life size shelter to protect them from a natural disaster of their choosing.  There will be a ‘tent day’ to test their shelter designs! In Science, the children will learn about evolution and natural selection. They will research how plants and animals are adapted to suit their natural environments.

How can you help?

It would be helpful if you could explore natural disasters with your child.  These websites will help. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/earth/natural_disasters

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/forces-of-nature/