At the beginning of our current unit, Grade 5 students brainstormed ways that we could investigate our lines of inquiry. One of the resources they suggested were people who work in the business world. Luckily, several parents offered to come and talk to the classes about their experiences, and to answer questions.

Click here to continue reading "Parent Economy Experts" »

There are often external factors in the economy that affect production and trade. 'Companies' in the Trading Game experienced this yesterday. Some companies were not able to produce many pots because clay had become expensive. Another company had lost farm lands and was not able to grow certain fruits. The outside influences meant that companies needed to be flexible in their systems of production. The effect these factors will have on trade is yet to be established.

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Hi Grade 5,
Tonight you need to write a 'letter of application' for the job that you would like at Big Buy. Please keep reading to see an example of what your letter might look like. Remember to include your experience, your education and profiles, skills and attitudes that you can bring to the job!

Click here to continue reading "The Trading Game-Letters of Application" »

The students have been reading and responding to short stories from a variety of authors.

Find out more...

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Central Idea:
People have developed organized systems for exchanging goods and services. The students have been exploring systems and inquiring into trading processes. This week they have enthusiastically taken up the challenge of "The Trading Game."
The students have been grouped into countries and the first thing they had to do was devise a system for production of their food. The second stage is for each member of their community to adopt a role and the responsibilities that the role entails. ind out more from the student responses and reflections.

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Grade 5 students have been reading books written by American author Patricia Polacco. We have discussed some of the 'Big Ideas' in her books and thought about the choices she makes in her writing. We can learn more about this by investigating the author's background and her life experiences.
What can you find out about Patricia Polacco on her personal website?

Hi grade 5,
If you think you need some extra practice ordering and comparing fractions, you can use these games from the BBC Skillswise site to help you.

Click here and here for the games!
Please share your thoughts, was it useful? Too easy? Too challenging?

Our Grade 5 Chemists spent the morning at Westminster again today. They explored the question 'Does temperature affect the rate of a chemical reaction?' They also thought about what makes a fair test and how they could ensure that their experiments were fair. Have a look at our video to learn more!

Here is a great site that you can use for extra practice in creating 'Factor Trees'!
How many different trees can you make for each number? Do you always end up with the same factors?

Click here and scroll down to 'factor trees' to try it!

Grade 5 students spent an exciting morning at the Southbank Westminster campus working in the chemistry labs. This was in connection to our current unit of inquiry which falls under the transdisciplinary theme 'How the World Works'. We are exploring the following central idea: In a chemical reaction, new substances are formed.

Click here to continue reading "Grade 5 Chemists " »