Space Explorers

During Autumn 2 we will be starting our 'Space Explorers' topic.

In literacy, we will be looking at the films E.T. and Apollo 13. We will be analysing these films to see how different moods and atmospheres have been created, writing diary entries, character profiles and storyboards. We will also have a got at making our own film trailers and re-writing  the stories in our own words. Every Thursday, the children will be focusing on biographies. They will learn about the features of biographies before writing their own about a famous astronaut.

In science, we will be finding out about the Earth, Sun and Moon. We will be learning about why there is day and night, why we have seasons, the planets and the different moon phases. We have great fun using Oreo cookies to create the different phases of the lunar cycle.

In our topic work we will be doing lots of practical and creative ideas. We will be learning about different space shuttles and how they work. We will making our very own pop bottle rockets before launching them on Friday. We will measure the distance each rocket has travelled to create a graph. We will then find the mean, mode and range of the data collected. Later on in the unit, we will be learning all about the space race, Apollo 11 and the moon landing (which we will be re-creating and filming!), tasting astronaut food before designing our own menu, creating planet pop up books, creating artwork based on the Aurora Borealis, and investigating the area known as Area 51. We will be finding out lots of other information as the children create their own individual project on an area of space that interests them.