Context Title: Stars and Strips
Term: Autumn 2016
Learning
Context
Key Questions
(Learning Intentions)
Learning Skills
(NC)
Learning Outcomes/
Challenge/ Assessment
Stunning Start: Native American experience- building and decorating class Totem pole.
Week 1
Introduction
History: What do we know
already about North America?
History
North America
Introduction
to Stars and
Stripes.
Geography: Where is North
America? What are the 52
States? What types of biomes
are there in North America?
Geography
Global Geography
Science: What is a force? What
are contact forces? When do
we use forces? What are
noncontact forces?
Science
Forces and Magnets
Children to investigate
pushes and pulls.
Art: What is a Totem Pole? What
was their purpose? What did they
look like? How were they built?
Art
Design and painting
Children to learn the
different between
contact and non-contact
forces.
Identifying
North America
and the
surrounding
area.
Make a class
Totem Pole.
(Literacy:
SPaG)
Create a concept map of
North America showing
what they already know.
Children to identify
different biomes and
create a key on a map.
Children work in pairs to
design and paint a section for
the class Totem Pole.
Week 2
Christopher
Columbus
Investigating
Christopher
Columbus.
Exploring
what it is like
in North
America.
Make a Native
America
dream catcher
History: Who was Christopher
Columbus? What did he do?
History
North America
Science: Which materials are
magnetic? How could we test if
materials are magnetic?
Science
Forces and Magnets
Geography: What similarities
and differences are there
between North America and
England? How do Americas
live?
Geography
Global Geography
Art:
What are dream catchers? What
did the Native Americans believe
they did?
Art
Design and construction
Write a diary entry as if
you are Christopher
Columbus discovering
America.
Test different materials
to see if they are
magnetic.
A comparison piece of
work life in North
America and England.
(Literacy:
Narrative –
Myths and
Legends features)
History
Children to make a
dream catcher.
Week 3 & 4
Native
Americans
Understand the
Native
American
people.
Natural
disasters –
Volcanoes and
earthquakes.
History: What do we already know
about the Native Americans?
What were their traditions and
beliefs? What artwork did they
create?
Geography: What volcanoes do
they have in America? How do
volcanoes work?
How do Earthquakes work?
What do Americans do if there
is an Earthquake?
Sketching and
pencil control.
Science: What are the poles of
a magnet? What happens when
magnets are put together? Are
magnets the same strength?
(Literacy:
Narrative –
Myths and
Legends planning
and writing)
Art: What are the different
types of pencils? What effects
can you create with a pencil?
North America
Geography
Global Geography
Science
Forces and Magnets
Art
Sketching an pencil exploration
Children to research
Native Americans in more
detail.
Model how a volcano
works.
Practice an emergency
plan for an
Earthquake.
Test different magnets
to see if they are
different strengths.
Have an artist show
children different
sketching techniques.
Using pencils to create
different effects.
Week 5 & 6
Cowboys vs
Native Americans
What happened
during the
invasion of North
America?
How are
cowboys and
Native Americas
different?
History: Who invaded North
America? Why did Cowboys win
the invasion? What is the
difference between a Native
American and a cowboy?
Science: What is friction? What
does friction do? Do different
surfaces affect friction?
Geography: What mountains
are there in North America?
How are mountains formed?
What is Mount Rushmore?
Locating
famous
mountains in
America.
What are time zones? Why do
we have different time zones?
Sketching and
pencil control
Art: How are different sketching
techniques created? How do you
shade using a pencil? How do you
create texture using a pencil?
(Literacy:
Information
Texts- Leaflets on
America)
History
North America
Comparison piece of
work between Native
Americans and Cowboys.
Tasting different food
originally from North
America
Science
Forces and Magnets
Geography
Global Geography
Designing an investigation on
the affect difference surfaces
have on friction.
Researching Mount
Rushmore.
Understanding time
zones in different
countries.
Art
Sketching- creating light and dark
and showing different textures.
Children practice techniques
taught by artist in
preparation of final piece.
Week 7
What differences
are there between
the Native
America and
modern America?
History:
What are the similarities between History:
native and modern America? What Native and Modern America
changes have occurred? What
might have influenced these
changes?
Geography:
Locating and
What are the 52 states of America? Geography
researching states Are there any that we are familiar Global geography.
of America.
with? Are there any that we’d like
to know more about? What key
events might have happened
there? Who might have lived there
and live there now?
What is friction?
How does it affect
movement on
different
surfaces?
Science:
What is friction? What
does friction do? Do different
surfaces affect friction?
Draft and Final
piece artworksketch of famous
American
landmark
Art: How can we make out drawing Art
realistic? What techniques have we Implementing new artistic
learnt to create shade and texture? techniques
Science
Forces and Magnets
A comparative research and
study about America then
and now.
Adding to their concept maps
Research an American state,
draw a picture of this state
and fill it with facts.
Completing and evaluating
investigation on how
different surfaces affect
friction.
Children create a sketch of a
famous American landmark
(Literacy:
Information
Texts- Leaflets on
America)
Marvellous Middle:Modern America- American Diner/ Hollywood classroom. Visit to Harry Potter Studios.
Week 8 & 9
Famous
Americans
Introduction
Abraham
Lincoln and
Martin Luther
King
Finding out
about New
York and
Washington
DC.
Identifying
famous
landmarks
History: Who is Abraham
Lincoln? Why was he
important? What did he do in
North America? Who is Martin
Luther King? Why is he
important in America?
History
North America
Geography: What are the 52
states of North America?
Where is the capital of North
America? What famous
landmarks are in America?
Geography
Global Geography
Investigation on
Abraham Lincoln and
Martin Luther King.
Investigating a
different state each
week.
Science: How is sound made?
What types of things make
sound? How do you make
sounds louder?
Science
Sound
Art: Who was Andy Warhol?
What is he famous for? What
Art
Andy Warhol – Pop Art
Identifying famous
landmarks in North
America.
Experimenting with
making sound louder.
Children to make giant
American diner food
Research Andy Warhol.
Create a bank of ideas
Famous ArtistAndy Warhol
pictures did he create? What
media did he use?
of his artwork.
Design a piece of art in the
style of Andy
Warhol.
(Literacy:
SPaG focusRecount trip to
Harry Potter
Studios )
Week 10
Independence
Day
History: What is Independence
Day? When is Independence
Day? Why is it important?
Introduction
to Independence
Day.
Geography: Where is Texas?
How is Texas different to other
states? What traditions do they
have in Texas?
Exploring
traditions of
Texas.
Famous ArtistAndy Warhol
(Literacy:
Instructions- how
to make an
American
Milkshake)
Science: How is sound made?
What happens to sound when
you get further away? How fast
does sound travel?
Art: Who was Andy Warhol?
What artwork did he create?
What media did he use? Which
famous people did he paint?
History
North American
Undertaking some
Independence Day
traditions.
Geography
Global Geography
Producing a country
dance from Texas.
Science
Sound
Experiment based on
the distance sound
travels.
Create a piece of Artwork in
the style of Andy Warhol.
Art
Andy Warhol- Pop Art
Week 11 & 12
Walt Disney
Introduction
to Walt Disney.
What are the
famous
landmarks of
Florida.
Make an
American
Milkshake.
How do you
create an
animation?
(Literacy:
History: Who was Walt Disney?
How are animations created?
Geography: Where is Florida?
What famous landmarks are in
Florida? How is Florida similar
to London?
Science: How do you block out
sound? Which is the best
material for blocking out
sound? What is pitch? How
does pitch change?
DT: Design and make a milkshake
for instruction writing in Literacy.
Art: Design and create a cartoon
strip.
History
North American
Children create poster about
Walt Disney
Geography
Global Geography
Children complete
comparison of London and
Florida
Science
Sound
Investigation on how
to block out sound.
Investigation on how
to change the pitch of
a sound.
DT
Food tech
Art
Animation
Children make a milkshake
and complete instructions in
Literacy.
Instructions- how
to make an
American
Milkshake)
Fabulous Finish: Assembly to parents