2024-2025

Chocolate, oh we love chocolate. But why? (Autumn)

Wow! Today we got to become chocolate tasters. We got to sample 15 varieties of chocolates. With each chocolate we had to assess how it looks, smells, how it felt in the mouth, flavour, how it melts and if it gave an after taste. Once we had had that discussion in our groups, we had to rate our favourite chocolate. Mint Aeros was a favourite across the class due to its flavour and how quickly it melted in the mouth. We will use this research to help us make our own chocolates with designed packaging to sell at our Christingle event in December.

2023-24

Moon Buggy - Completed!

Our deadline has arrived. We had to preserve to overcome various challenges this project presented. Take a look at our final product - we got one moving correctly.

Moon Buggy - Wiring the battery pack to the motor (Spring).

Today we had to wire the connection from the battery pack to the switch and then the motor to the other switch to ensure when the switches are connected to completes the circuits and powers the motor to pull our gear pulleys resulting in the wheel rotating.

Moon Buggy - Axel and axel holders (Spring)

Next stage of our moon buggy saw us make our own axel holders which we stuck to the chassis exactly two and halve centimetres from the end. We needed to be extremely accurate with our measuring. We then measured and neatly cut out our two axels from 5mm doweling.

Greek Food Tasting (Spring Term)

As part of our Greek Day, we have been understanding the principles of a healthy and varied diet in throughout Greece. We used our scientific knowledge of food groups and our pallet to investigate and analyse a range of Greek cuisine. I am not sure all would agree olives are tasty! See the link below for photos of our day.

Moon Buggy - Chassis and gussets (Spring)

After researching and designing our moon buggies, today we begun making it in our pairs. We started by accurately measure four pieces of wood: two 25cm and two 10cm pieces. We got to use Tenon saws to cut our pieces out accurately. Then, we used PVA glue and card triangles (gussets) to join the wood together and to create strong joints for our chassis. We were reminded that being really accurate will help ensure our moon buggy travels in as straight a line as possible.

Pulley Systems (14.12.23)

Now we have the knowledge on how pulley systems work, we have designed our own machine to lift small blocks to make a pyramid. Take a look at our final models.

Pulley Systems (13.12.23)

We were given a problem to solve. We had to create a machine which has a pulley system that would lift a lego, multi-link or jenga block to build an Egyptian pyramid. We explored the different pulleys systems - fixed, movable, compound and complex and understand how the pulley changes the direction of the force needed to lift the object or the amount of force that is needed to lift an object. We then used a plastic bottle lid, card and string to create our own pulley.

2022-23

Tudor inspired banquet! (18.07.23)

Our DT this term has been to research, design and make dishes suitable for a Tudor inspired banquet. We began with researching ingredients and dishes commonly eaten during that time period and comparing them to the most popular dishes currently. From that, we designed dishes following a brief that our starters, mains, desserts and drink could be Tudor dishes with modern ingredients or modern dishes with Tudor ingredients. Independently, we design our dishes and put them to the class to vote for the favourite starter, mains, dessert and drink. Democracy spoke and our starter was a bacon sandwich with a cheese sauce; mains was a beef burger with honey and thyme glazed carrots and a burger sauce; dessert was an apple and blackberry crumble; and our drink was a mixed berry smoothie.

Each of us brought in an ingredient to make the dishes together in small groups following recipes we had researched online. Once the dishes were made, we all tried the food we had designed and made. General feedback was the burger was a huge hit and so was the apple and blackberry crumble. The burger sauce was a lovely surprise as well. We were all impressed with the bread made for the bacon sandwich and burger bun. 

Viking Longships (30.03.23)

Over the term we have made our very own Viking Longship. We were given a design brief which as to make a viking longship that is historically accurate. It needs to be: watertight, able to float, balanced, travel from A to B on the water, removable figure head and attractive to look at with sail, oars and shields.

Once we had received the brief, we carried out our own research into viking longships to help generate ideas for our designs. Then, we designed our viking longship including annotations which considered the materials we had available in class and how we planned to join them.

Working independently, we built our viking longships using the materials and tools available such as: wood, corrugated plastic, cardboard, felt, screws, nails, hammers, saws, hot glue, PVA etc.

Finally, we tested our finish built ships to see if they achieved the brief and used a programmed Micro:bit as a spirit level to measure how balanced our ship was. Please have a look at pictures our Viking Longships.

Mince Pie Making in Class 5!

With Christmas upon us, what a better opportunity to get cooking. In small groups, we have made roughly 16 mince to share out and to take home. We found getting the breadcrumbs consistency very challenging and rolling the pastry out thin enough without it sticking to the table. Great fun!

Iron Age Hill Fort @ Cheddon

We a begun building our very own model hill fort and village in our school field. We spent some time designing our hill fort and roundhouses using the knowledge we had gather during our History lessons this term on their features. Then, we went to the school field and started digging the ramparts for our hill fort as well as gathering materials to build our roundhouses. We also got very muddy making a pit full of our 'wattle and daub' to make the walls of our roundhouses. Updates to follow soon.

Second week, we have developed our ramparts and constructed our roundhouses on top of our hill fort. We made our own 'wattle and daub'. We had a great time but a little muddy to say the least.

2021-22

Aqueducts on Display in our Museum

After school, we welcomed in children and parents to wonder through our class to see our completed Roman Aqueducts as well as many other aspects of our learning this term.

Work In Progress - Roman Aqueducts

More steps forwards have been taken to the completion of our aqueducts. Working in small groups, we are following a chosen to design to bring to life.