Eagles Class Learning: Autumn Term 2024
Hero Training Camp - Useful Information and links:
Camp Overview and Orientation video Useful Information for trainees
Hero Training Camp Class of 2024: Our Learning Journey
This area showcases all of the learning that we have been undertaking in class. We hope that you enjoy finding out about the learning opportunities that we have had in order to be the best heroes that we can be!
What did the Greeks do for us? The Olympic Games
The Olympic Games began over 2,700 years ago in Olympia, in south west Greece. Every four years, around 50,000 people came from all over the Greek world to watch and take part. The ancient games were also a religious festival, held in honour of Zeus, the king of the gods. Now, every four years, the world comes together to celebrate lots of different sports. This summer the games were held in Paris.
Use the links below to find out more:
BBC Teach: The Ancient Olympics BBC Bitesize: The History of the Olympic Games
Hero Trainees Share Their Summer Holiday Greek Homework: 4th September 2024
The class of 2024 began their hero training by participating in their induction day. During the morning, they learnt about different parts of Camp Half Blood as well as completing an observation test. Before the day, trainees were asked to complete some research on Ancient or Modern Greece on any topic they liked such as:
- Greek Myths
- Greek Food
- Art and Design
- Mythological Creatures
- Greek Architecture
On the induction day, the trainees had the opportunity to share their work with their fellow trainees. There was some superb work on show and all trainees spoke confidently about their work.
Hero Science: 17th September 2024
In our Science lessons, we have been exploring how light travels. We learnt that light travels in a straight line but we needed to prove it with some experiments. We set up a series of labyrinth walls with holes in and tried to work out how we could 'see' the Minotaur if we shone our torch at the holes in the labyrinth walls.
After quite a bit of perseverance, we finally 'saw' the Minotaur! We noticed that it only happened when all of the holes in the walls were perfectly lined up. If they were not completely lined up, the the beam of light would be blocked by the wall (as it was opaque) and so stopping it. This proved to us that light appears to travel in a straight line; if light could 'bend' then we would have been able to see the Minotaur even if the holes in the walls were not lined up.
After that, we looked at the second part of our Science Sentence: Light travels from a light source in a straight line. It reflects off an object and travels in a straight line to our eyes.
We were given the challenge of creating a human model to show our understanding. We had to make sure that we included a light source, light (represented by yellow wool) an object and an eye.
Hero Training History: Theseus and the Minotaur
In History this week, we studied the ancient greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. As this story dates from the early Minoan Civilisation in Greece (mid-seventh century BC) it is has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. As it is an ancient story (and there many different versions), we asked ourselves just how much evidence there was that the story was true.
Click on the links below to read the version that we read in our lesson and explore some other versions too:
Theseus and the Minotaur: Class Version Theseus and the Minotaur: BBC Teach
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Once we had explored the story it was time to try and work out if there was evidence that the story was completely true, partly true or if there was no evidence for the legend whatsoever!
In our groups, we went on a fact-finding mission. There were 10 pieces of evidence for us to look at and see how it did or did not link with the story. Here are some of the 'finds' that we explored:
Pictures of Knossos A floor plan of the palace at Knossos
A wall frieze found at Knossos A statue showing a Bull Leaper
After spending time exploring the evidence, it was time to make a decision. We had to decide if the story was completely true, partly true or completely made up and then explain our thoughts using the evidence. Here are some of our thoughts:
Part of the story is true. There was a palace at Knossos and when you look at the map, you can see that it looked a little bit like a labyrinth.
There is no evidence of a minotaur, but there is evidence that they kept bulls on Crete and at Knossos for the sport of Bull Leaping.
I think that the coins found at Knossos showed me that the story was partly true. They had a King on one side and a maze on the other and they have been dated to the right time when the story was supposed to have happened.
Looking at the map proves that the journey that Theseus took from Athens to Knossos was quite straight forward and could easily have been done.
What do you think? Do you think that there is any evidence for the legend?
Eagles' STEM Challenge: 19th September 2024
This week, Eagles class took part in the first round of the Worcestershire K'Nex STEM Challenge with Sarah from STEMWorks. She talked about the work of Titan Engineering in Kidderminster and then gave us the brief which was inspired by the road development works on the A38.
In just one hour, in our pairs, we had to design and produce a model of either a 'loader' or a 'hauler' using only K'Nex. We had to think creatively, work as a team and problem solve to create our models. Some of our models included working pulley systems, gears, pivots and other mechanisms.
This was round one of the regional competition. After some tricky judging decisions, Sarah selected the entry of Matthew and Freddie as the winners! They are now invited to the Finals which will be held in Worcester next summer.
A huge congratulations to all of the teams for some brilliant models and good luck to our winners in the final.
Eagles' STEM Challenge
Hero Training Maths: Battling the Number Ninjas
In our maths sessions, we have been using our number skills to try and defeat some particularly nasty characters called the Number Ninjas.
We are battling each of these Number Ninjas in turn. Here is some information about each one:
AND FINALLY ....
When we are trying to defeat each of the members of the Evil Divider's crew, we are set a series of number challenges. Each time we complete one, it gives us more power. Finally, our power levels are so high that we have defeated that particular number ninja and we can then move on to the next evil character. At the moment, we have defeated Mr Badd Add and are now battling The Subtraction Serpent. Wish us luck!
Eagles Explore Newton's Theory of White Light - 9th October 2024
This week in our Science topic of Light, we explored a scientific theory first put forward by the well-known scientist Isaac Newton.
The Story:
In 1666, whilst he was sheltering at home from the Plague, Newton made a discovery about light that led him to develop his theory of colour, a theory that still informs our understanding of light today. He placed a prism in front of a ray of light and something incredible happened - he saw a spectrum of 7 visible colours. It made him realise that although light looks white, it is actually made up of all the colours of the rainbow! When these colours merge together, it looks white to our eyes. But we can use a prism to separate the different colours of the spectrum.
The Science:
When light travels from air through a transparent material it refracts or bends; it was this refraction that caused the amazing effects that Newton observed.
We wanted to test this out so we decided to recreate this experiment using water (instead of a Prism) to refract the light and a mirror to reflect the results. By adjusting the angle of the light and the angle of the mirror, we were able to see the Colour Spectrum! Sometimes it was just at the edge of the reflection or we could see some of the colours particularly: Red, Orange and Yellow. This is because some light waves are longer so when they are refracted, they are easier to see.
In our next Science lesson, we will be investigating Newton's Colour Wheel as another way of proving his theory. If we placed all of the colours of the spectrum on a wheel and then turned it quickly on a motor, will we get white light?
Year 6 Forest School: 11th October 2024
Over the past few weeks, Year 6 have been doing some Forest School sessions with Mrs Roebury. Each session they have been in the Forest School area completing activities that help them to work together and learn new skills all in the wonderful outdoors. This week, they began to make their own mallets using wood that they cut themselves. They learnt how to use a Bow Saw safely in order to create the handle.
They have even been creating their own music to accompany their sessions!
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Well done Year 6. Mrs Roebury is very proud of how well you are working in your forest school sessions!
Eagles' Residential Training: Malvern Outdoor Elements - October 2024
What an amazing stay we had on our residential to Malvern. We learnt to be independent, to challenge ourselves, to face our fears and worked on our NOLA awards. Here is a slideshow of photos of our adventures!
Eagles Residential Trip to Malvern Boundless Outdoors Centre October 2024
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Eagles undertake their Fencing training: 29th November 2024
An important part of the hero training experience is to learn the skills required on complex, dangerous quests. If you need to battle a Hydra or defeat a ravenous Minotaur, it is important that trainees have the necessary skills. As part of their training, Eagles have been learning the sport of Fencing. Fencing uses the brain as well as the body; it is a very strategic sport, almost like a physical form of chess. It teaches trainees to think for themselves and to analyse the way other people think. This then will support trainees understanding of how to out-think any opponent or creature quickly in order to succeed. Click on the picture below to watch a video that shows just what a brilliant sport it is:
The session was all about quick feet and getting used to all of the equipment. Here are some photos of our training session:
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History Debate: Should We Build the Parthenon?
In our history lessons, we have been learning about how the small city of Athens became so strong and powerful between 3000BC and 2000BC. We have discovered that their access to silver mines, their trade with other city states and countries and its good location on the coast were just some of the reasons why it was described as 'The Jewel in the Greek Crown'.
The Battle of Marathon
This meant that many other countries wanted to invade Athens to get their wealth but also to help them invade the rest of Greece. One particular invader were the Persians; their leader, King Darius I sent an army to the Bay of Marathon in order to invade Athens to make his own empire more powerful. The battle between the Athenians and the Persians is very famous and is known as the Battle of Marathon. To find out more click on the links below:
Battle of Marathon: Kid Kiddle The Persian Wars: Ducksters
We explored the different reasons for the Athenian win and as a class we thought they won due to General Mitiades' battle tactics as well as King Darius' (slightly arrogant) leadership decisions!
In our next session, we explored one of the most famous buildings in the world: The Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple in the middle of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was a temple to honour the goddess Athena for nearly 900 years, and originally had a huge statue to her inside. It was decorated with fine marble friezes which told stories of the Gods but also the heroic win at the Battle of Marathon. The building served as a memorial to the 192 soldiers that died during the battle. It was built between 447 BC and 432 BC during the reign of Pericles. Watch this video to find out a little more about it. It imagines what it must have been like when it was first constructed.
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However, it nearly wasn't built. The famous leader Pericles proposed the idea to the assembly and it had to be debated before it could be approved. We watched a video all about the Parthenon and created our own Knowledge Organisers and then explored the arguments For and Against the proposal by sorting them.
We were then split into two groups: one would be arguing FOR the Parthenon and one would be arguing AGAINST the Parthenon. We spent time preparing ready to face the jury! After much deliberation, the jury decided that the Parthenon should not be built as they felt that the money would be better used to help rebuild Athens after the Persian Wars. Luckily, in reality the Parthenon was built and many thousands of people still visit it every year!
Eagles Rocket STEM day: 4th December 2024
Eagles were very lucky to participate in the Road to RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) Rocket Challenge STEM day run buy the Royal Air Force. The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest military air show in support of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust. here are some the highlights from 2024:
During the day we explored, designed and tested different rocket shapes. We looked at the different types of nose cones and fins and how they helped to reduced air resistance. We then launched the rockets using straws to see how far each one would go. One of our rockets flew for over 4 metres!
In the afternoon, we used this knowledge to design a sustainable aircraft of the future. Our designs will be entered into a competition with other schools to visit the Royal International Air Tattoo. We are keeping our fingers crossed! All the children had a wonderful day and learned a lot about aerodynamics and sustainability.
Eagles Road to RIAT STEM Day
Trainee Science Project 6th December 2024: Shadow Puppet Shows
As a part of our learning on Light in science, Eagles were given task of producing their own shadow puppet theatre show. It was a three week project which involved making the puppets, making scenery, writing the script for their performances and rehearsing their project so that they were ready to show their work to the rest of the trainees. All projects were marked out 50 with marks being awarded for:
- Quality of the puppets and any scenery
- How the puppets were moved in order to help them come to life
- The confidence of the performer to use their voice, music and sound effects
- A well written story that is easy for the audience to understand
- An overall performance that was enjoyable, fun and entertaining
After three weeks of work, it was finally time to showcase the finished results. We all went into the hall and watched each others. Some trainees had chosen to perform their show live and some had chosen to video their performances. Below are just a few of the videos that were shown at the puppet show event. We hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoyed making them!
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