Y4 WEST MIDLANDS 2019/20
Welcome to the 2019-20 Reading Gladiators™ challenges. Let the reading begin!
There are schools in this group:
- Montgomery Primary
- Percy Shurmer Academy
- Henley Green Primary School
- Little Sutton Primary School
- St Matthew’s C of E Primary, Birmingham
- Perdiswell Primary School
- Oaklands Primary School
- Al-Hijrah School
- Grestone Academy
- New Hall Primary School
- Just Imagine
- Lakey Lane Primary school
- Windy Arbor Primary School
- Fordbridge Community Primary School
- Our Lady & St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School
- St Anne’s Catholic Primary School Solihull
- Holy Family Catholic Primary School (Birmingham)
Updates
-
Submission by St Matthew’s C of E Primary, Birmingham
Year 4 challenge – Adder Bluebell Lobster
This is our poem, inspired by Adder, Bluebell, Lobster, written for the mini-challenge. The book provoked some thoughtful discussion about whether words could ever become extinct and the impact of forgetting the names for things from the natural world. Some of the words they knew, but some were completely new to them, which led to some interesting new learning about nature. They found video clips of a murmuration of starlings and giant puffballs exploding especially fascinating! At the end, the children decided to write a shape poem, so we wrote the poem together and they wrote it out by hand in the shape they wanted and added illustrations. Both files are uploaded.
-
Submission by Grestone Academy
The Dam
The Dam
The children enjoyed being in a reading club and loved this book. While reading, sharing their thoughts and ideas about the story, they asked lots of interesting questions. The children particularly liked the images used by the artist- they were confident when using them to predict character’s thoughts and infer meaning of characters’ actions or events. They thought the artist showed the reader the character’s feelings through the pictures in the book: character’s expressions and using images with dark colours that contrasted to those with lighter colours – they enjoyed sharing their own ideas about how this made the reader feel or think certain things. One of the children said they thought that the artist’s use of light and dark was “really good” saying the darker images… “tell us something is going to happen” and that the “characters in these images looked worried or sad”, but in the lighter, brighter pictures…”it was like they (the characters) got happier”.
This true story inspired the children, who independently researched Dams. They wanted to find out why and where they were built and if there were any advantages or disadvantages to having them. The only dam some of them had heard of was the ‘Hoover Dam’ in America. They wanted to know what they looked like, how many we have in the UK and where in the UK they are located. All of the children carried out some independent research at home and enjoyed sharing key facts during club sessions.
Language development opportunities: New vocabulary the children came across, while exploring advantages and disadvantages of Dams:
Turbine, reservoirs, hydropower, drain, barrier, obstacles and irrigation
Mini Challenge:
The children imagined what would be lost if their school was flooded. They reflected on the different things they enjoyed doing at Grestone Academy Primary School. They listed words and phrases and shared favourite memories of their time at school. The biggest loss they thought would be to lose their friends. They decided that a new school would need to be build nearby, so they would still see and spend time with their friends – very likely in their new school.
Memories – the poster
The children listed all of the things that would be lost or drown - when the school was flooded– inspired by the words and images in the text. The poster contains pupils’ word choices, along with some ideas taken from the original text. Drawings and photographs represent: school attendance chart – (every day counts) a love of reading, learning, fun charity events, dining hall, PE/games, music and playing). The children along the bottom …march out of school together, their words inform us they will be friends forever and their final message shares their message of hope for their future: *Pride stays within them, working with each other … friendship flows like the waves… happy…reading and learning will carry on.
*PRIDE – is the school motto and the children said this should be in their ‘Memories’ poster, as it is such an important part of the school: Perseverance, Respect, Independence Diversity and Excellence. They said this was something that would not be lost in the flood as “it would live inside us”…” even when we grow up”
‘Memories’
The poster -represents the school memories they all carry (especially the ‘happy’ ones), “safe in their head” and that they “flow in and out” of their mind “like waves”. They would remember them when they visited the old school site.Comments
24th Feb 2020, 9:40am
What fantastic discussion and research! We are so glad this story and particularly the illustrations have inspired you to find out more. Brilliant to link in your school motto too. Well done! -
Henley Green Primary School
Year 4 Reading Gladiators
Comments
17th Oct 2019, 11:09am
Hello and welcome Henley Green! -
Henley Green Primary School
Pirate inspiration after reading Maudlin Towers – Treasure of the Golden Skull
Comments
10th Oct 2019, 3:04pm Good work, Henley Green! I would love to hear you singing your pirate song! -
Henley Green Primary School
Pirate inspiration after reading Maudlin Towers – Treasure of the Golden Skull
Comments
10th Oct 2019, 3:03pm You really do have some talented artists among your Gladiators! -
Let the Challenge Begin!
Welcome year 4 Gladiators. The 2019-20 challenge is about to begin. We can’t wait to hear what you think about your new books.
Comments