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20 Mar
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27 Mar
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29 Mar
Mrs Barker, Mrs Webber, Miss Nyiri and Ms Campbell are our Year 5 teachers.
Our Spring Inquiry Project is Space Rover. NASA have learned a lot about Mars in recent years, largely thanks to the Curiosity Rover; a space exploration vehicle which takes photographs and gathers information from the surface of Mars. Their attention is now turning to the other planets in our solar-system, which they feel should be explored using a similar (though not identical) approach. They have asked the children of Air Balloon, as an engineering firm, to design a space rover capable of exploring one of the other planets in our solar system whilst ensuring space pollution is kept to a minimum.
During the inquiry, the children will develop their scientific understanding of planets, objects and forces within our solar system; their DT knowledge of computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing systems; their mixed media art skills when creating sculptural representations of real objects. They will also develop their ability to perform music with effect. Throughout the inquiry, there are multiple opportunities to use computing as an effective researching tool, provided the children are able to recognise and evaluate reliable and unreliable sources of information.
We are looking forward to a trip to Aerospace Bristol on 9th February. During the visit, the children will be taking part in a ‘rocket design’ workshop, exploring the relationship between physics and design technology. They will explore how to safely deploy a rocket, and how to land a rover safely on a planet’s surface, accounting for the many forces that could be potential obstacles. Throughout the day, they will perform experiments, gather ideas and be provided with inspiration which they can then apply to their own designs back in the classroom.
As part of our project, we will also be undertaking a Diversity Case Study on Dorothy Vaughan who was the first African-American woman to work in a supervisory role at NASA. During her 28-year tenure at NASA, she experienced the soviet space-race first hand, oversaw the introduction of computers, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and even had a large crater on the Moon named after her. Throughout her life, she gave all she could to furthering the cause of space-travel.
Our Spelling Bee words in Term 4 are:Y5 Spelling Bee T4 If you would like a paper copy of the words, please as the class teacher.
If you were unable to come to our Parent Presentation on 13th September, you can download a copy of the slides here:
If you have any questions about the presentation, slides or Year 5, please speak to your child’s teacher or email airballoonhillp@bristol-schools.uk