On the day before the last day of term year 4 had a magic day by pupil request.  We made hats and wands, created 'magic' potions (from fairy teardrops and frog's breath to name a couple of ingredients).  We made blood and worm sandwiches and watched a Lego version of Harry Potter.  Later on we made chocolate cakes (with eggs and flour, so beware if you cannot have these) cooked using a microwave:

Here is a link to one recipe for microwave cake.  This is not the recipe we used but should give a good result:

And an alternative video to try:

Year 4 enjoyed getting involved the experiments set up by seondary pupils and asking lots of questions:

During Art Week we thought about skills, media and artists.  We made careful observational line drawings of still-life objects (leaves) outside in the playground; we explored texture and shape by making bark and leaf rubbings. We then went on to use mixed media to create pastel resist butterflies for a summer display.  We found that crumpling the paper before painting made different textural effects.  We created our own work in the style of Matisse (his later work, cutting coloured paper); and we copied out descriptove poems from literacy to use in a collage of a blown dandelion on a sunset background.  Here are some pictures of our Matisse work in progress:

Children carried out a circus of activities to explore and prove the idea that sound is caused by vibration:

We discussed the importance of using models to visualise hard ideas in science and made model ears. Some children used water to act as a fluid-filled cochlea and to show vibrations being transmitted:

Even though we have been swimming for many weeks now, learning strokes and confidence in the water, we took a camera to the pool only on the last fun day when we had a 'free' swim session where children played water games:

Amongst the work we did on Romans and inventions, children researched amd created information posters about the Romans:

We looked at some of the key inventions Romans developed which are still with us today including roads, arches, viaducts and bridges.  We made up our own questions to test (discussing what makes a testable question) and investigated which material or which shape makes the strongest bridge:

In history we looked at the difference between primary and secondary sources linked to accounts of the eruption of Vesuvius, and in art went on to create our own vocanic explosions to recreate the event:

In design and technology we used some clay and salt dough to make Roman oil lamps and lids:

We learnt about the work and life of Sir Isaac Newton, a famous British scientist.  For homework we created presentations and posters about forces to answer some questions given.  Jaime and Lara chose to make video presentations.  Some others made PowerPoint presentations.

Translation explained:

Co-ordinates across all 4 quadrants explained:

Links to various coordinates games:

Link(s) to various map skills sites:

MATHS
This week we read and drew line graphs.  We found multiples and factors.  Choose one of the related activities:

1) Factors and multiples game (BBC KS2 Bitesize)

2) Jeopardy quiz game 

3) Link to a maths game page for multiples and factors:

4) Data handling game (but also includes pie charts!)

LITERACY
Pick one activity then leave a comment.

4) Read about newspapers: 

5) Take the quiz to see how much you know!

6) Play the game about non-fiction:

TOPIC
We have been practising Geography skills including compass directions, 4-figure grid references and contours.

Have a look at the Ordnance Survey Mapzone website at: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/mapzone/

Choose one activity:

We then changed themes within our topic of 'Inventions' to cars, and used what we had learnt to make simple electric toy cars with the aim of a race.  Here are some of the designs:

Here we are making our cars:

Here is one of the final cars in action (below).  They did work, just slowly!  We found that the weight of the parts slowed the car down; and it needed a larger propellor with longer blades to work more effectively.

Again, we found lots of project and design ideas on YouTube.  Here are just a couple of the designs possible and using different systems.  The first is the one we tried and evaluated.  The second is another option:

This one uses an electric toothbrush for the motor, and is driven using a simple differential: