This week, we have continued learning about World War One. We discovered how the war began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. We learned about the countries involved in the conflict and explored how the shooting of one man led to a series of events that eventually sparked a global war. It was fascinating to see how alliances between countries meant that a single event had such a huge impact on the world. We have enjoyed discussing the causes of the war and developing our understanding of this significant period in history.

In Art this week, we learned about the poppy and its importance as a symbol of remembrance. We explored the history of the poppy and discovered how it became linked to World War One after poppies began to grow on the battlefields of Flanders. We discussed why people wear poppies to remember the soldiers who fought and died in wars and reflected on the importance of honouring their sacrifice. We will be creating our own poppy-inspired artwork to show our understanding of this powerful symbol in future weeks.

In English, we continued our study of Goodnight Mister Tom. We took part in a conscience corridor activity, where one pupil walked between two lines of classmates who shared reasons why Willie should or should not tell his mum about meeting a new dog called Sammy. This helped us to explore Willie's thoughts and feelings and understand his character more deeply. We then used these ideas to inspire our own writing, creating postcards in the role of Willie and writing home to his mum about his experiences in the countryside. We then edited and evaluated each others ideas.