Understanding the World
Understanding the World looks at People Cultures and Communities, the Natural World and the Past and Present .
Past and Present :
- Talk about past and present family events by looking at old photos
- Talk about your childhood and highlight how some things have changed over time
- Play games parents or grandparents played as children or explore parents childhood toys
- Spot old and modern buildings while out and about
People , Culture and Communities:
- Talk about different jobs and occupations through role play and stories
- Look at, talk about and celebrate different traditions and festivals
- Share stories about life in other countries
The Natural World:
- Compare objects, places and living things by discussing similarities and differences
- Talk about the local area and changes through out the year
- Plant seeds and look after them, observing how the plants grow and change
- Care for or observe animals
- Talk about changes and why some things occur
- Visit different environments
- Play mats and small world equipment
- Baking to explore, cooking, melting and freezing
- Make a weather diary. Why not present your own weather forecast.
Technology:
- Play with tools that work in different ways, e.g. egg whisk, torch, other household implements, construction kits
- Use apps on iPad such as the camera or voice recorder
- Play with programmable or remote controlled toys
- Press buttons to operate household appliances e.g. DVD players (under adult supervision)
- Use technology in the community e.g. push button at crossing, open automatic door, press certain buttons on the self service till
Home Learning Spring Term:
- Looking for signs of spring.
- Observed different types of weather.
- As some baby animals are born during the spring, looked at the life cycle of some animals.
- Draw the life cycle of a frog, butterfly or a chicken.
- Investigate where our food comes from.
- Plant some vegetables and watch how they grow.
Seasons Song for Kids (Autumn Version) | Pancake Manor
Zach and Reggie love all four seasons. Spring! Summer! Autumn! Winter! A fun, upbeat, and original Pancake Manor song for kids and awesome parents.
Weather Song for kids | "Sun, Rain, Wind, and Snow" | The Singing Walrus
The Singing Walrus presents "Sun, Rain, Wind, and Snow", a fun folk song for children that explains different types of weather. In each verse, our cute chara...
Activities: working scientifically, geographical awareness, historical awareness, families and community
Activities for scientific exploration and investigation:
- • Play ‘what’s in the box’ feely game – make a hole in a cardboard box – put in an object (key, ball, cotton wool, spoon, straw)– use words to describe how the object feels before saying what it is…hard, smooth, round, soft, bendy, bumpy, etc.
- • Play ‘guess the smell’ game – select food/objects/materials with a smell (chocolate, coffee, lemon, fabric softener, cheese, mint) use a blind fold and guess the smell.
- • Plant a sunflower seed – talk about sun, soil, water to help it to grow. Care for seed, and plant in big pot or garden when it grows. Talk about the plant parts – stem, leaves, roots, flower head, petals, etc.
- • Make a mini beast house in the garden/yard – place empty plant /yoghurt pot/cardboard, old fabric in a pile in a corner and leave for a few days. Carefully move part of the pile and take a look – what is living in the mini-beast house? Search on google to find out more about the creature/s. Take a photograph or draw a picture to show your teacher.
- • Play what is it made of ?’ game around your house or on your daily walk. How many things can you spot made of plastic, metal, wood, glass, cardboard, fabric. Make a list.
- • On a sunny day play ‘don’t stand on my shadow’ with a family member – run around moving your shadow – try to stop your partner from standing on it – if they do it’s their turn to have a go. Using whole body or hands make shadow puppets…..what can you make?