We’ve had a wonderful half term learning all about Newport and space! Our theme, “Newport Under the Stars”, took us on an exciting journey from Newport to beyond the Earth’s atmosphere and into Space! We began our topic with a Discover and Do session filled with fun activities to kickstart our knowledge of all things space. At the start, we asked lots of curious questions — and throughout the half term, we’ve worked hard to find the answers!
In Science and Technology, we investigated materials to see how much light they let through, sorting them into opaque, translucent, and transparent. We also explored how the Earth moves around the Sun and can now explain why we have day and night. A highlight of the half term was tasting real space ice cream — we compared it to regular ice cream and decided we loved both! One of the most exciting moments was when a planetarium came to our school, where we got to see the planets up close and learn all about the life cycle of a star.
As part of our Humanities learning, we also explored our local area of Newport. We discovered some of the city’s most well-known landmarks, such as the Transporter Bridge, Newport Castle, and The Wave, and learned why they are important to our local history and community. We compared the weather in Newport to the extreme conditions on Mars, noticing how different our planet is from the Red Planet!
We also investigated Newport’s train station, looking at real timetables to find out where trains travel to and from, and how long different journeys take. This helped us practise our geography and numeracy skills while learning how people move around our city and beyond.
In Languages, Literacy and Communication, we enjoyed reading and retelling Whatever Next! We also wrote factual booklets about the eight planets in the Solar System.
In Mathematics and Numeracy, we have been recognising and sequencing numbers within 100, as well as practising addition and subtraction with two-digit numbers.
In Health and Well-being, we developed our tennis skills — learning how to hold the racket correctly, balance and bounce the ball, serve, and play in groups of four. We practised being light on our feet and keeping our eyes on the ball. We also discovered how astronauts stay healthy in space by exercising for 2.5 hours a day and eating nutritious meals to keep their bones strong.
We’ve had an amazing first half term in Year 2, and we’re so proud of everything we’ve learned. We can’t wait to continue our space theme after half term and for all the Christmas festivities to begin. Have a lovely, restful break everyone!
