Week Three: Monday 20th April

 We hope that you all managed to have a bit of a break during the 'holidays' and are ready for some more home learning. Now that we are back to 'term time' we are starting a new topic...Once Upon a Time! 

Each week we will start with a story, followed by activity suggestions. We will always try to make sure there are some activities that you can do independently, some that you can do with an adult to help you, some that need a 'screen'and lots that don't! There are some new activities on Purple Mash to enjoy too. And also, take a look at our Creepy Crawly Caterpillars page to see what's happened to our tiny little insects!

This week we are starting with the story of The Gingerbread Man - can you join in with Mrs Delaney in the video below? 

Remember to keep in contact using the email addresses 

badgers@holwell.herts.sch.uk or squirrels@holwell.herts.sch.uk 

We really love to see what you've been doing at home! 

Thursday 23rd April

Today is a special day because it is St. George's Day. St. George is the Patron Saint of England, (and lots of other countries too), and is known for bravery and honour. 

The traditional story of St. George tells of how brave St. George fought a dragon! Below is a video of Miss Ryan retelling the story...

So now you've heard the story maybe it's given you some ideas for things you might like to make or do at home! Perhaps you could...

...make some stick puppets like Miss Ryan www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-10000051-st-georges-day-stick-puppets and use them to retell the story.

 ...make masks of the characters from the story - make sure you just use your superhero play-fighting skills and no real fighting!

...design a shield for brave St. George to carry (paper plates are great for this!). It's traditional for his sword to have a red cross, like the one on the English flag.

...eat some scones with cream and jam! 

...watch this clip www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9QsPnTevO0 of some children celebrating St George's Day.

Mrs Delaney retells the story of The Gingerbread Man.

Maybe you could make your own Gingerbread biscuits! Will they be boys, girls, men or women? Here is a nice easy recipe if you'd like to have a go at making some.

Ingredients

350g/12oz plain flour plus extra for rolling out

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

12g/4 and a half oz butter

175g/6oz light soft brown sugar

1 free range egg

4 tbsp golden syrup

To decorate-

writing icing (optional)

smarties or other cake decorations (optional)

Method

1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and cinnamon. Add the butter and blend until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. You can do this by hand or in a food processor.
2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup together, add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture clumps together or you can stir it in with a spoon. Tip the dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in clingfilm and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/160f/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with grease proof paper.
4. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/1/4in thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut out the gingerbread people and place on a baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling. When cooled decorate with writing icing and sweets/cake decorations. 

Topic

The moral of the story of The Gingerbread Man is "pride comes before a fall." The Gingerbread Man thinks he is too quick and too clever to be caught, until he meets that cunning fox! Can you try some of these activities to explore the story further?

• Make a gingerbread person that can never be eaten! Cut a gingerbread man shape out of card or brown paper and decorate it with sequins, buttons, beads, pipe cleaners or anything else you like! Or you could just draw on eyes, buttons, nose and mouth with felt-tip pens or coloured pencils. You could even make a gingerbread family! 

• Make a story map like the ones we have made for the stories we have learnt in school - draw pictures to help you remember the order of what happens. If you wanted to, you could change the characters. You could have a gingerbread woman, a sheep, a pig, a dragon or anything else you can think of! 

• Have you ever wondered what happened to the fox after he had eaten the gingerbread man? Click on the link  to find out! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj5yE_Sf4Bw

• There is a fun baking song you might like to sing if you click on the following link. (Sung to the tune of 'I am the Music Man')  www.topmarks.co.uk/media/flashgames/pdf/IamTheBakerMan.pdf

Maths

 This week we are focusing on doubling and halving.

When we double we have two lots of the same number. Can you double the number of smarties in each row and find the matching gingerbread man? To help you, you could draw the smarties that are in each row and then draw the same number again. Or use real smarties (or small objects) to do the same thing! Then count how many you have altogether. You will have found the double!

Halving is the opposite of doubling- so once you have found the double, rub or cross out the extra smarties you drew (or eat them if they are real!) or take away the extra objects you found and that will give you half of the number you found.

	6How many smarties did you double to get to my number?
	8How many smarties did you double to get to my number?
	2How many smarties did you double to get to my number?
	10  How many smarties did you double to get to my number?
	4   How many smarties did you double to get to my number?

• You could also practise doubling and halving as you decorate your gingerbread biscuits. You could put 3 buttons on one gingerbread person and then put double the number on another!  How many doubles can you make? Which gingerbread person looks the best? And more importantly which is the yummiest?!  To find half you could eat the extra smarties or decorations that you put on, before eating the whole gingerbread person of course! 

• Roll 2 dice and see if you can roll a double. What is the total that you roll?  

• For more gingerbread maths www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/gingerbread-man-game is a fun game that practises numbers to 10. 

• You have all now got a login for Numbots which is another fun way to practise all the number skills we have already learnt in school. You can design your own robot and earn rewards for solving sums and counting problems as fast as you can.  

Phonics

This week we are focusing on compound words.

A compound word is two words joined together to make one word, as in the word  gingerbread. 

ginger + bread = gingerbread! 

Can you read the words on one side of the table and find the word the other side that would make a compound word? There are pictures the bottom to help you find what you are looking for. Have fun!

Did you make all the words? Well done if you did! If you wanted to, you could write the words down remembering not to leave a space between each word as the words have joined together to make one!

Perhaps your grown-ups could help you to think of more compound words? They could give you the first part of the word and  give you a choice of end words and you think of the correct one? How quickly can you do it? Here are some ideas for your grown-ups to try with you. The following words are for your grown-ups to read. Can you get faster each time?

foot--------frisbee, ball, bat

   skate------- chair, board, table

      sun-----------flower, hedge, grass

pan-------- bread, biscuit, cake