Hello, Year Three!

So, the first week of The Easter holidays are over  but we have added some work for you to do over this time if you would like to but do make sure you take some time off to relax over the break.

Since last week, a new competition has been added together with some exciting STEM challenges/experiments.

We will begin uploading work again daily for you the week beginning the 20th April. 

Happy Holidays! 

BIG BUG HUNT 2020 COMPETITION

Due to the closure of schools, we have opened up this competition to all primary school children (and their parents!)

Our challenge is pretty simple – take your children into the garden or any outside space you own and see what bugs they can find!

Simply point them at the nearest hedges, flower beds, trees, long grass, logs, stones, rocks (well, you get the picture)... let them explore and then report back to us what they have found.

Please be sure, however, to follow government advice and do not leave your property. To do this, stay 2 metres away from people not in your household and do not put yourself or others at risk. 

Make it into a project – if they find a spider or woodlouse, find out all about it. Draw it, examine it (carefully!), what does it eat, where does it live – maybe even write a story or poem about it, design a poster, shoot a video and then email it over to us by the 12^th June to rebecca@ase.org.uk (use mailbigfile free to send large files).

Maybe you’ll find a spider under the bed, maybe you’ll have a bug hunt indoors, maybe your explorers could learn about a habitat or insect online, the options are endless – with a little bit of imagination…

Run every year by the ASE in partnership with the Royal Entomological Society, the ever popular Great Bug Hunt competition takes science learning out of the primary classroom and brings it to life in the outdoors.

The competition is divided up into four categories: Ages 4-5, 5-7, 7-9 and 9-11 (see bottom of this page for Curriculum Links)

The prizes will awarded to the winning child’s class.

The winning entry in each category, selected by a panel of experts from both the ASE and Royal Entomological Society (RES), will receive a copy of this fabulous book:

‘Let’s talk about Animals’ https://www.millgatehouse.co.uk/product/lets-talk-about-animals/ ,

plus a bundle of bug exploration-related prizes, whilst the overall winner’s school can select a day when schools are back in the (hopefully) Autumn term when the team from the RES will join them for a hands-on "Insect Day", bringing along an assortment of insect life that we can guarantee won't be found underneath a log by the school pond.

A digital microscope will be awarded to the child too with the best entry!

The closing date for entries is 12th June 2020.

On your daily walk, please study the nature around you.  

Look at the attached Andy Goldsworthy PowerPoint and replicate some of the pictures contained in it.  We would love to see the pictures you have created! 

Writing History - Easter Challenges!

As you will all be aware, we’re living in unusual times; this isn’t the first time that the people of Britain have had their movements restricted, but what you are experiencing is, in many ways, a unique event.  As such, we have the opportunity to think about our experiences in a historical context.  We would like you to select some activities to complete over the Easter holidays to create a set of historical resources relating to this period of time; you may create these on your own or enlist the help of your family!

We will collate all of your work (some of which may go into the school newsletter or on to the website)  and will ultimately create a lasting, historical record of life in Taunton during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Optional activities

Write an account of life in lockdown so far.  You could include the following information. 

What have you done? 

How have you adapted? 

What has the impact on your family been?

Is there anything you’ve enjoyed about the lockdown? 

What have you liked the least? 

How have you felt about what’s been going on? 

Do you feel that the government measures are proportionate? 

How has it impacted upon your school work and hobbies? 

What are you most looking forward to when life returns to ‘normal’?

Or

Write a series of diary entries, recounting the routines and activities that you do each day:

How has life changed since the lockdown?

How are you feeling? 

Who have you spoken to? 

This could be in the form of a family journal, where you all add your thoughts and feelings.

Or

Create a virtual time capsule – choose a set of items that you would place into a time capsule to illustrate what life is like under lockdown.  You may wish to illustrate these or add pictures/photos. Add an explanation as to why you have chosen each item.  Your items may be physical things or images / videos that you feel depict our lives.  Be creative!

Or you could be even more creative -

• You may wish to create a cartoon strip showing what daily life is like – perhaps this could be funny?
• Write a poem about life under lock-down
• Draw or paint something that illustrates how you fell about how things have changed
• Write a survival guide to lockdown life