English/Guided Reading

This term we will be exploring our new topic ‘Why should the rain forest be important?’ throughout English we will be exploring two different books along side each other to delve right into the jungle experience. These are The Explorer by Katherine Rundell and The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry.

Year 5 will be writing their own non-chronological reports based on an animal that lives within the rain forest, exploring how to survive like the children in The Explorer by writing step by step instructions (with help from the mighty Bear Grylls and his survival skills) and finally, writing a persuasive letter to a logging company that is chopping all of the magnificent trees in the rain forest down in the hope that we can persuade them to think about their actions.

In our English and Topic, issues such as deforestation and animals becoming extinct will be discussed, allowing plenty opportunities for some SMSC discussion where Y5 will be exploring social, moral, spiritual and cultural issues.

In order to kick start the fabulous new topic we read The Great Kapok Tree and become the characters from the book with a bit of hot seating! The children imagined they were the animals and we asked questions about their life in the rain forest, other animals they live with and what would they do and how would they feel if their Great Kapok Tree was cut down with an axe!

CLICK ON THE IMAGES ABOVE TO HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE CHILDREN IN ROLE.