At St Peter’s Academy, Alton we are very lucky to have three-time published author Sarah Langford working at our school. This year we have dedicated our STEAM activities to all three of her books. During the Autumn term we have focused on birds and we read the book Alberto the Waved Albatross. We were visited by Kingsley Bird and Falconry Centre. They brought a selection of owls, a Peregrine Falcon and a Harris Hawk. The children were very lucky to fly the Barn Owls to each other in our school hall. We learnt lots of new, interesting facts such as Barn Owls are silent when flying and that they hunt using sound rather than sight. The children thought about why birds make nests and the type of nests they make. The children used natural materials to make their own nests. They discussed how the size and type of bird would impact the type of nest they would make and the materials they would use. Properties of materials were discussed. The nests were then left outside for other animals to use. We know that it isn’t the time of year for nesting birds, but we left them in areas that local wildlife and insects might be able to access and make use of them. We have had a visit from Cameron Homes and Keon Homes from The Tara Group. They talked to the children about environmental responsibility in housing development and how they incorporate wildlife friendly features in their projects. In school we are going to focus on feeding birds. We will be looking at what birds eat and we will make our own bird feeders which the children will take home to put in their gardens to ensure that the local birds are fed over the winter.
During the spring term we focused on the story Tessa the Giant Tortoise. Miss Langford read us the story and she was able to tell us lots about the life of the giant Galapagos tortoise and the challenges they face in the modern world. We got to meet Pablo the two year old tortoise and a 92 year old Cypriot Herman tortoise. We made a life sized giant Galapagos tortoise out of cardboard to compare the size. Class 1 got crafty with their tortoises. They were able to come up with solutions such as putting litter in the bin or taking it home so that Tessa doesn’t mistake it for food. Class 2 researched all about tortoises and made some fabulous crafty tortoises. They also carried out an investigation into what type of beak would be best for picking the seeds off Tessa. Class 3 designed a tortoise tracker and they re-created Tessa’s migration journey through art.
During the Summer Term we read the story Marti the Hammerhead Shark. We played a game that tracked her migration. We learned all about the dangers that Marti faces on her migratory journey. We researched positive and negative things that affect Marti on her migratory journey. The children in Class 1 used a sponge to dab blue paint around a hammerhead shark cut out. Once it had dried the cut out was removed and the children wrote one fact inside the blank space. Class 2 created an ocean habitat for Marti. As a pup Marti lives in the Mangroves where she can stay safe until she is old enough to leave for the big, open ocean. We also learned that Marti is a carnivore and likes to eat sting-ray, squid, fish and other sharks. They also wrote about Marti and the Mangrove. Class 3 researched all about the life of the hammerhead shark and created a fact file. They created some wonderful writing about shark tagging. They learned why it is done, how it is done and what scientists learn from it. They also created some fabulous Marti craft.
During bee day we learned there are lots of different types of bees. We found out that they come in different colours. One bee called a sweet bee is metallic green. We learned the carpenter bee is the only bee on the Galapagos Island. Class 1 learned all about the life cycle of a honey be. They also learned about pollination and that bees collect nectar from flowers. They did some bee themed maths and art activities. Class 2 wrote about honey bees and made pom pom bees. Class 1 and 2 made bee hotels to go in our garden. Class 3 designed some fabulous bee friend gardens. Finally all the children wrote a prayers about our natural world. These were all put into a prayer bee hive which is used during our collective worship each day.
Just like bees …. Together We Are Stronger!
