Literacy Homework 27th June 2014

The best thing about Big Ben class......

We have been talking lots recently about how far you have all come this year. I am very proud of the progress you have made in learning and I have thoroughly enjoyed watching you all grow up into such sensible, caring and funny young people. You all make me smile everyday!

As we start to think about moving into a new year group, it is a good time to consider what has been great about Year 3 and what we love about our very special class.

So, for this weeks post, I would love you to share your thoughts on 'The best things about Big Ben class...'

You could write this in a poem, notes, put it into a story- whatever your imagination thinks is best.

I look forward to reading your ideas!

Here is the link to One Wasn't Square. Write your answers in the comments box!

http://nrich.maths.org/1119

One Wasn't Square

Stage: 2  

Mrs Morgan, the class's teacher, pinned numbers onto the backs of three children: Mona, Bob and Jamie.

"Now", she said, "Those three numbers add to a special kind of number. What is it?"

Michael put his hand up.
"It's a square number", he answered.
"Correct", smiled Mrs Morgan.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mona, "The two numbers I can see also add to a square!"
"And me!" called out Bob, "The two numbers I can see add to a square too!"
"Oh dear", said Jamie disappointedly, "the two numbers I can see don't add to a square! It's either 5 too little or 6 too big!"
What numbers did the three children have on their backs?

100 Word Challenge

Here is a prompt for you to use in your writing:

…but it was far too hot…

Try to write a story about this using only 100 words!

Literacy Homework 20th June 2014

In Big Ben class, we have all been given a World Cup country to research! There have been lots of fantastic projects handed in so far. Well done!


Your challenge this week is to find out about a famous person from your World Cup country. It can be anyone famous, it doesn't need to be a football player. Write a comment on the blog, telling us your country and  all about the famous person from there.

Science Week!

We would like to say a huge thank you to all the children and parents who have taken part in the Science week! We were blown away by your projects and investigations. They were wonderful! I have included some pictures of the projects that were shown on Friday afternoon. (Some pictures haven't been uploaded here as they included photos of children in the class)

Myths and Legends

This week in Literacy we have been learning about Myths. We especially enjoyed Theseus and The Minotaur! What different myths do you know?

Write a few sentences telling us the name of the myth and what happens in it.

Literacy 16th May 2014

For your homework this week, we would like you to begin thinking about what investigation you could carry out for your Science Fair projects. Our focus for science week is forces and magnetism. Although your project doesn’t have to be based on this area, it could provide a little inspiration.

Remember, you will need to work on your science project over half term and bring to school for the fair on Thursday 5^th June.

They should be presented on paper no larger than A1. You can use photos and written reports to explain the investigation that you carried out at home.

Quadblogging

This week in Quadblogging we are looking at the WEJS Book Blog (UK). Click on the link below to comment on some of their wonderful posts!
http://wejsbookblog.blogspot.co.uk/

We were playing a very exciting Angles game from the BBC Bitesize website this week. Click below to try the game again yourself :
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/angles/play/popup.shtml

Literacy Homework 9th May 2014

Literacy homework- Friday 9^th May

We have been learning about how to write a play script. For your homework this week, think of a story you have read recently and have a go at turning a section of it into a play.

You must remember to use the features we have learnt about including stage directions. 

You can try and create your own speaking characters at www.voki.com. You don't need your own account, you can try it for free. Just click on Create and start experimenting by typing in different things for your character to say!   



Write a comment below to let us know what you think. 

Roman Projects!

I would like to say a huge well done to all the children in the class who have created some fantastic Roman projects over the Easter holiday! I have uploaded some photos below for you to comment on:

100 Word Challenge!

Here is a photograph by Jane Hewitt. 

You have 100 words to produce a creative piece of story writing about this. Look closely at the picture and use your imaginations to tell a really great story. Please visit posts by other children and leave a supportive comment. We learn best from each other.

Quadblogging - Week beginning 5th May

This week, we will begin Quadblogging!
This week, the focus is Mr Cavileer's 2nd Grade Blog. It is a blog from a school in Absecon, New Jersey, America.
Click below to check out the blog - http://marshchannel2.blogspot.co.uk/ and write your comments!

Miss Gale

Literacy homework 2nd May 2014

Literacy Homework- Friday 2^nd May

 

This week we have been learning about the rules of dialogue.

 

For homework this week you have to add the speech marks in the correct places. It is quite tricky. You’ll probably need to read through the passage several time to work out what each character is saying.

 

Excuse me, said the man. Can you tell me what the time is? I think it’s about 8 o’clock, replied Graham. I haven’t got my watch on but I remember seeing the time on the town hall clock a few minutes ago. The town hall! said the man. That’s just what I’m looking for. Can you point me in the right direction? Certainly, said Graham. You just go down there past the bank, turn left, go straight on and the town hall will be on your right hand side. Brilliant, said the man, Thanks for your help. That’s okay, said Graham.

 

You might also want to consider how else you can improve this passage by following other rules for writing dialogue such as using a new paragraph for a new speaker.

We are communicators

In ICT we have begun a new topic called We are communicators!

What different ways can we communicate with each other?

Quadblogging

For the month of May, Big Ben class has been signed up to take part in Quadblogging! This is a fantastic opportunity to make links with other class blogs around the world.

We are going to be sharing our blog with another class in the UK, one class from USA and another from Australia. For an entire week in May, each classroom will take turns as the spotlight blog while the other three view the blogposts and leave comments.

Click on the link below to find out all the information about the quadblogging:

http://cavbraingain.blogspot.co.uk/

                   Our blog will be under the spotlight from the 19th May for the week!

Be a Mathemagician!

 Click on this link to take you to a fantastic page on the Chatsworth Primary School website to help you with your targets

http://www.chatsworthprimaryschool.co.uk/be-a-mathemagician/

25th April 2014

As we are preparing for our Wesak assembly on Friday 2nd May and some of you are finishing your Roman projects for the half term, there will be no Literacy Homework this week.

However, here is a Thunk for you to discuss and debate on the blog:

IS HAPPINESS SOMETHING YOU HAVE OR SOMETHING THAT YOU FIND?


Remember to read through your blog comment and make sure your sentences make sense and you have used full stops and capital letters.

Challenge Me!

Here's a Maths challenge for you to try over the Easter holiday: 

Calculator Bingo

This game is for you to play against the computer. However, you could easily use your own calculators and adapt it to play away from a computer.
The object of the game is to be the first to get exactly to zero.
How to play:

1. Enter a 7-digit number into your calculator. You may use the same digit more than once. The computer will also put a number into its calculator.
2. A random number will appear at the top of the screen. If this digit appears in the number you have on your calculator, you can change that digit to zero by subtracting the appropriate number using the calculator keys.
3. If you subtract the correct amount, this digit will automatically change to zero. If you are incorrect, you will be allowed another chance.
4. For every random number given, you can only remove one digit from your calculator. So if you have, for example, four 3's you must wait for 3 to come up four times.
5. The computer will do the same thing as you for each number.
6. The first to reach exactly zero is the winner.

Lewis Carroll hated fame

Lewis Carroll hated fame

(Based on the article by The Daily Telegraph)

Alice in Wonderland made Lewis Carroll a famous man
  Photo: © ThinkstockEnlarge image

First published in 1865, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a classic children's story that generationsXgroups of people who were born in roughly the same time period of children have read and loved.
However, the author hated being famous.
Although he was known as Lewis Carroll to most people, the name was actually made up.
His real name was Charles Dodgson.
He used the name 'Lewis Carroll' in order to avoid fans and autograph huntersXpeople who like to collect the signatures of celebrities.
A newly uncovered letter, written by Carroll to a friend in 1891, is helping to explain why.
In it he says that strangers would probably point at him and stare if they knew who Mr Dodgson really was.
He disliked this idea so much that he sometimes wished he 'had never written any books at all'.
Lewis Carroll was so successful that even Queen Victoria wrote to him to say how much she liked his stories.
But he would go to great lengths to avoid attracting attention.
If he received letters from fans who used his real name, he would send them back with a note claiming not to know anything about Lewis Carroll or his writing.
Carroll's letter recently appeared at an auctionXa type of sale, often held in a special building, in which items are sold to the person who offers the most money in London. It sold for £11 825.

This letter written by the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has revealed how much he hated being famous.

Lewis Carroll didn't use his real name in public because he was afraid people would 'point and stare' if they knew who he was.

He even wished he had never written the books that made him so well known.

• Would you like to be famous? Why / why not?
• What kinds of problems can fame cause?
• If you could go back in time and offer Lewis Carroll a piece of advice, what would you say? 

Easter Holiday - Homework

Over the Easter holiday, Big Ben class have been asked to begin researching our Summer term topic.... The Romans!

Below is a 'bust' of a famous Roman person. Can you guess who it might be? What clues are there?

Literacy Homework - 28th March 2014

Our Literacy homework this week is write a set of instructions on how to make a fantastic mum !

Remember to use the features of instructions we discussed this week.

Blog difficulties

Dear Big Ben class,

I have been having technical problems accessing the blog this week and I couldn't add your homework on Friday. Luckily, I have worked out how to fix the problem and the blog has now been updated!

From Miss Gale

Literacy Homework Friday 21st March 2014

We would like to hear feedback from you about what you thought about our trip last week to the River Thames.

What did you enjoy about the trip?
What did you learn?

We will pass on your comments to the Schools On The River group, who organised the day with us.

Miss Gale

Homework - 14th March 2014

This week in Big Ben class we have been preparing to go on our River trip to Teddington and Kingston to learn more about the River Thames. What do you know already about rivers? Try to include as much vocabulary as you can.

Here are some words to help you:

estuary       mouth         watershed       transportation
source         tributary     meander     waterfall   gorge    

Literacy Homework – 7th March 2014

Literacy Homework – 7^th March 2014

Your challenge this week is to write a story of your own that includes all of the spellings you need to practise this week (Spellings 5 on the school website). Your story can be about anything you like, but it has to include the spellings that you are practising!

Literacy Homework - Friday 28th February 2014

Literacy Homework – Friday 28^th February 2014

 

 

 For our Bookworms topic, we have been looking at the story of the Jolly Postman. Your blog homework this week is to choose your favourite character from the story and write a dairy entry pretending to be them. Write a short piece of writing about the day the postman came to visit you!

Choose from the list of characters below:

• The Three Bears
• The Witch
• The Giant
• Cinderella
• “Grandma” ( The Big Bad Wolf)
• Goldilocks

Literacy Homework - Friday 14th February

Literacy Homework - Friday 14th February

 During this term we have really enjoyed learning about Rocks and Soils in Science. We especially enjoyed learning about volcanoes. What have you learnt about volcanoes? Can you explain how and why they erupt?

 

Literacy Homework 7th February 2014

This week we have been continuing our topic on adventure stories in Year 3. We love adventure stories in Big Ben class!

Which adventure stories are your favourite?

When writing your comment, try and answer these three questions:
1) What is the name of the adventure story and who wrote it?
2) Can you describe what happens in the story briefly?
3) Can you explain why it is one of your favourite stories? What does it have that makes it a great adventure story?

Literacy Homework 31st January 2014

Literacy Homework 31^st January 2014.

This week in Literacy we have been looking at how we can change familiar stories. We have taken 'Kidnapped' and changed one thing about the story. Your task this week is to write a different ending for the story ‘Kidnapped’. What do you think happened after Ron met Cindy Breakwell in the old house?

 Try to use lots of descriptive vocabulary to make the ending come alive!

Literacy Homework 24th January 2014

Literacy Homework 24th January 2014

This week in Literacy we have been reading and retelling a short story called 'Kidnapped' by Pie Corbett. 

Somebody was coming up the stairs! Ducking down behind an old crate, we waited. I could feel my heart thumping like a bass drum and my throat felt tight and dry with dust…and the crush of fear. What if we were caught? The strange girl glanced at me through the semi-gloom and grinned. I thought that she was trying to be reassuring.

Gradually, the door opened and we could hear someone tiptoeing in. There was a pause and then a torch flickered on. Its beam stabbed the darkness, seeking us out, nosing into all the hidden corners. Holding my breath, I tried to make myself as small as possible. After a few moments, the light switched off. Whoever it wasstood quite still, listening. We could hear each rasping breath. Then the door shut and the footsteps clicked back down the stairs. Relieved, I let out a sigh. As we clambered out of the window and slithered down the wet roof, I was trying to remember how I had got into such a mess.

It had only been half an hour ago when Mum had sent me down to the chippie with a tenner and strict orders for no vinegar on her chips. When I reached the Stroud roundabout, I couldn’t help looking at the old house. It was ready for demolition, which was a shame because we had played there for years! It was then that I’d seen it; a light at the window. Then I saw a face. I stood there staring. It was a girl, mouthing a word and the word was, ‘HELP’.

That’s how it happened. I’d broken in round the back through a smashed window. Half a minute later and I’d found her, a trapped prisoner in an upstairs room. She’d only just finished telling me that she was the American ambassador’s daughter, Cindy Breakwell, and about the ransom money when the kidnappers had returned to move her to a safe house.

So there we were, balancing on the wall, as if we were walking the plank. Gripping the guttering tightly, I lowered myself down. Five minutes later and we were back at Mum’s. “So Ron, where’s the fish and chips?” she asked, eyeing Cindy suspiciously.

Half an hour after that, Cindy’s Dad arrived in an embassy car. All the net curtains on the St Petroc’s estate started to twitch with curiosity. That night it wasn’t just chips for tea. He took us all out for a big meal. Amazingly, the next day, there I was in the local paper. A hero.

Can you retell the story in your own words?  Challenge - Try to retell it in less than 100 words. 

Literacy Homework

Literacy Homework - Friday 17th January 2014


This week in Literacy we have been writing and editing our own Extreme Environment shape poems. Our class have written a range of shape poems about icebergs, snowflakes, polar bears and penguins. Here is an example we came up with. What features can you spot? 


                                     A
                        giant
                         icy iceberg is
                as delicate as icicles.
         Slippery pieces sliding down
              the iceberg and cracking
                  open under the grey,
                              dirty
                            water.

Literacy Homework

Literacy Homework – 10^th January 2014

This week we have been looking at shape poetry and

calligrams. We have noticed that some shape poems have

alliteration in them.

Can you create a whole sentence using alliteration?

Here is an example to help you...

E.g. My mother munched many mangoes.