Year 6

Home Learning Pack 3

Name: ____________

Week beginning: Monday 4th May 2020

Monday Reading –

Adolphus Tips

Writing –

Analysing

instructions

Maths -

Multiplication

Science – parts

of a plant

Tuesday Reading –

Adolphus Tips

Grammar –

Imperative verbs

Maths -

Multiplication

PSHCE –

Media and body

image

Wednesday Reading –

Adolphus Tips

Writing –

Comparing

recipes

Maths –

Multiplication

Theme – cookery

Cook a recipe of

your choice

Thursday Reading –

Adolphus Tips

Grammar –

Modal verbs

Maths -

Multiplication

R.E – Christianity

2000 years after

Jesus

Friday Reading –

Mary Seacole

Writing –

Instructional/

recipe writing

Maths -

Multiplication

Theme –

Food preparation

safety leaflet

In addition to the activities set for each day, included in this week’s pack is a set of

spellings for you to practice which have been taken from the Year 5 and 6 spelling list

produced by the government. Why not try to include some of the words you practice in

the writing activities for this week!

Spelling practise: Look, say, cover, write, check

Date: SU1 Focus: Year 5/6 silent letters

Look Say Cover Write Check Write Check Write Check

✓ ✓ knight kneel knuckle wreckage wrinkle swordfish answer scenery scissors resign

Now choose four of the words to write in a sentence.

1.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Reading – Monday

Adolphus Tips

By Michael Morpurgo

I first read Grandma’s letter over ten years ago, when I was twelve. It was the kind of letter you

don’t forget. I remember I read it over and over again to be sure I’d understood it right. Soon

everyone else at home had read it too. “Well, I’m gobsmacked,” my father said. “She’s

unbelievable,” said my mother. Grandma rang up later that evening. “Boowie? Is that you, dear? It’s

Grandma here.”

It was Grandma who had first called me Boowie. Apparently Boowie was the first “word” she ever

heard me speak. My real name is Michael, but she’s never called me that. “You’ve read it then?” she

went on. “Yes, Grandma. Is it true – all of it?” “Of course it is,” she said, with a distant echoing

chuckle. “Blame it on the cat if you like, Boowie. But remember one thing, dear: only dead fish swim

with the flow, and I’m not a dead fish yet, not by a long chalk.”

So it was true, all of it. She’d really gone and done it. I felt like whooping and cheering, like jumping

up and down for joy. But everyone else still looked as if they were in a state of shock. All day, aunties

and uncles and cousins had been turning up and there’d been lots of tutting and shaking of heads

and mutterings. “What does she think she’s doing?” “And at her age!” “Grandpa’s only been dead a

few months.”

“Barely cold in his grave.” And, to be fair, Grandpa had only been dead a few months: five months

and two weeks to be precise. It had rained cats and dogs all through the funeral service, so loud you

could hardly hear the organ sometimes. I remember some baby began crying and had to be taken

out. I sat next to Grandma in the front pew, right beside the coffin. Grandma’s hand was trembling,

and when I looked up at her she smiled and squeezed my arm to tell me she was all right. But I knew

she wasn’t, so I held her hand. Afterwards we walked down the aisle together behind the coffin,

holding on tightly to one another.

Then we were standing under her umbrella by the graveside and watching them lower the coffin,

the vicar’s words whipped away by the wind before they could ever be heard. I remember I tried

hard to feel sad, but I couldn’t, and not because I didn’t love Grandpa. I did. But he had been ill with

multiple sclerosis for ten years or more, and that was most of my life. So I’d never felt I’d known him

that well. When I was little he’d sit by my bed and read stories to me. Later I did the same for him.

Sometimes it was all he could do to smile. In the end, when he was really bad, Grandma had to do

almost everything for him. She even had to interpret what he was trying to say to me because I

couldn’t understand any more. In the last few holidays I spent down at Slapton I could see the

suffering in his eyes. He hated being the way he was, and he hated me seeing the way he was too. So

when I heard he’d died I was sad for Grandma, of course – they’d been married for over forty years.

But in a way I was glad it was finished, for her and for him.

After the burial was over we walked back together along the lane to the pub for the wake, Grandma

still clutching my hand. I didn’t feel I should say anything to her in case I disturbed her thoughts. So I

left her alone.

Reading lesson one questions

1) “Well, I’m gobsmacked,” my father said. What does his father mean by this?

2) ‘Only dead fish swim with the flow, and I’m not a dead fish yet, not by a long chalk.” What

does the phrase, only dead fish swim with the flow mean? Why does Granma refer to herself

as not being this?

3) “What does she think she’s doing?” “And at her age!” “Grandpa’s only been dead a few

months.” What news do you think Grandma could have given to the family that has shocked

them so much?

4) ‘ It had rained cats and dogs all through the funeral service,’ what is the meaning of this

phrase?

5) Why could Boowie not make himself feel sad at the funeral?

6) How do you think Boowie felt after Grandpas funeral?

Writing – Monday

How to Prepare a Fantastic Five-a-Day Tasting Menu

When someone offers you a piece of fruit or a portion of vegetables, what’s your automatic response? Do you think… “Mmm, yes please!” or is it more likely to be “Bleurgh – no thanks!” Why not get together with some friends to prepare a banquet of amazing, healthy taste experiences? Just follow these simple instructions and you never know: you might discover your new favourite food!

You will need: • some sharp knives (make sure there is an adult available to help) • a vegetable peeler • 2-3 chopping boards • 5 or 6 plates/bowls • a bottle of lemon juice • an adventurous selection of fruits and vegetables (try to choose ones that are edible when

raw) such as pears, apricots, bananas, carrots, radishes, beetroot and celery • a few paper towels

Method Before you begin, check with everyone taking part whether they have any food allergies to particular fruits or vegetables. Do not use any of those foods.

1. Firstly, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water. Hygiene is very important. 2. Next, gather all the ingredients and equipment you require and arrange them neatly on your

work surface. 3. Once you have everything you need, rinse each piece of fruit or vegetable under cold running

water and then pat them dry with paper towels. 4. Then, carefully peel any fruits or vegetables whose skin is inedible, disposing of any waste in

the rubbish or compost bin. 5. When everything is ready, place an individual fruit on the chopping board and hold it gently -

but steadily. Remember to keep your fingers safely curled backwards away from where you will be cutting!

6. Gripping the knife handle firmly, place the blade on the food and slice downwards to the board.

7. Now that you have at least one flat surface, turn the food over onto that side, where it will stay still more easily.

8. Slice or chop the fruit/vegetable into bite-size pieces: it’s a mistake to choose a large piece, only to find you don’t like it and as a consequence it has to be thrown away. Remember – you can always have more if you want!

9. After that, arrange them attractively on serving plates; why not try to make pictures or patterns with the different colours?

10. Finally, rinse any juice from your hands and ensure the sharp knives’ blades are placed safely out of reach.

11. Repeat with each item until you have a delicious display of colourful, mouth-watering, vitamin-packed food all ready to eat.

Top Tip Some fruits, such as apples and pears, can quickly go brown

(a process called oxidation) once they are cut. To prevent this, sprinkle the flesh with a little lemon juice.

Now you are ready to try a delicious variety of new foods; make sure you satisfy your curiosity and taste everyone! Compare your responses with your friends – is there a favourite new food amongst you all?

Label the key genre features and language features in the example text. For bonus points,

what is the purpose/job of each feature?

Example: Title – Captures the reader’s attention and gives a clue to what the text will be

about. Commas – used to separate items in a list.

How to Prepare a Fantastic Five-a-Day Tasting Menu

When someone offers you a piece of fruit or a portion of vegetables, what’s your automatic response? Do you think… “Mmm, yes please!” or is it more likely to be “Bleurgh – no thanks!” Why not get together with some friends to prepare a banquet of amazing, healthy taste experiences? Just follow these simple instructions and you never know: you might discover your new favourite food!

You will need: • some sharp knives (make sure there is an adult available to help) • a vegetable peeler • 2-3 chopping boards • 5 or 6 plates/bowls • a bottle of lemon juice • an adventurous selection of fruits and vegetables (try to choose ones that are edible when raw) such as

pears, apricots, bananas, carrots, radishes, beetroot and celery • a few paper towels

Method Before you begin, check with everyone taking part whether they have any food allergies to particular fruits or vegetables. Do not use any of those foods.

6. Firstly, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water. Hygiene is very important. 7. Next, gather all the ingredients and equipment you require and arrange them neatly on your work

surface. 8. Once you have everything you need, rinse each piece of fruit or vegetable under cold running water

and then pat them dry with paper towels. 9. Then, carefully peel any fruits or vegetables whose skin is inedible, disposing of any waste in the

rubbish or compost bin. 10. When everything is ready, place an individual fruit on the chopping board and hold it gently - but

steadily. Remember to keep your fingers safely curled backwards away from where you will be cutting!

12. Gripping the knife handle firmly, place the blade on the food and slice downwards to the board.

13. Now that you have at least one flat surface, turn the food over onto that side, where it will stay still more easily.

14. Slice or chop the fruit/vegetable into bite-size pieces: it’s a mistake to choose a large piece, only to find you don’t like it and as a consequence it has to be thrown away. Remember – you can always have more if you want!

15. After that, arrange them attractively on serving plates; why not try to make pictures or patterns with the different colours?

16. Finally, rinse any juice from your hands and ensure the sharp knives’ blades are placed safely out of reach.

17. Repeat with each item until you have a delicious display of colourful, mouth-watering, vitamin-packed food all ready to eat.

Top Tip Some fruits, such as apples and pears, can quickly go brown

(a process called oxidation) once they are cut. To prevent this, sprinkle the flesh with a little lemon juice.

Now you are ready to try a delicious variety of new foods; make sure you satisfy your curiosity and taste everyone! Compare your responses with your friends – is there a favourite new food amongst you all?

Maths – Monday

Brain warm up:

45 x 3

67 x 6 67 x 3

889 x 5

456 x 3 345 x 9

456 x 23

754 x 34 894 x 32

Check your answers with a calculator

Now try these word problems.

1) A school buys 172 boxes of pencils. Each box has 12 pencils. How many pencils has the school bought?

2) A wholesaler sells apples for 17p each. A grocer buys 197 apples. How much will they cost?

Give your answer in pound and pence.

3) It takes 18 minutes to make a toy car. How many minutes will it take to make 205 cars?

4) There are 77 biscuits in a packet. A supermarket orders 9778 packets. How many biscuits will be in the 9778

packets?

Science – Monday

Parts of a flower

Watch the video using the YouTube link below to help you label

the different male and female parts of a flower on the diagram

below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=493WeySyf-8

Next, use the information in the video to help you complete the questions below.

1.) Fill in the blanks: The anther and the _______ are the male reproductive parts of

the flower, known as the Stamen. The job of the anther is to produce _________.

2.) Fill in the blanks: The ovary, _________ and __________ are the female

reproductive parts of the flower, known as the ___________.

3.) Why are the petals of flowers brightly coloured?

4.) Some plants are pollinated by the wind instead. Can you research to find out how

they are different to brightly coloured flowers?

Next time you’re outside, why not take a closer look at a flower to see if you can spot the

different parts!

Reading – Tuesday

Adolphus Tips

By Michael Morpurgo

We were walking under the bridge, the pub already in sight, when she spoke at last. “He’s out of it now, Boowie,”

she said, “and out of that wheelchair too. God, how he hated that wheelchair. He’ll be happy again now. You

should’ve seen him before, Boowie. You should have known him like I knew him. Strapping great fellow he was, and

gentle too, always kind. He tried to stay kind, right to the end. We used to laugh in the early days – how we used to

laugh. That was the worst of it in a way; he just stopped laughing a long time ago, when he first got ill. That’s why I

always loved having you to stay, Boowie. You reminded me of how he had been when he was young. You were

always laughing, just like he used to in the old days, and that made me feel good. It made Grandpa feel good too. I

know it did.”

This wasn’t like Grandma at all. Normally with Grandma I was the one who did the talking. She never said much, she

just listened. I’d confided in her all my life. I don’t know why, but I found I could always talk to her easily, much more

easily than with anyone at home. Back home, people were always busy. Whenever I talked to them I’d feel I was

interrupting something. With Grandma I knew I had her total attention. She made me feel I was the only person in

the world who mattered to her.

Ever since I could remember I’d been coming down to Slapton for my holidays, mostly on my own. Grandma’s

bungalow was more of a home to me than anywhere, because we’d moved house often – too often for my liking. I’d

just get used to things, settle down, make a new set of friends and then we’d be off, on the move again. Slapton

summers with Grandma were regular and reliable and I loved the sameness of them, and Harley in particular.

Grandma used to take me out in secret on Grandpa’s beloved motorbike, his pride and joy, an old Harley-Davidson.

We called it Harley. Before Grandpa became ill they would go out on Harley whenever they could, which wasn’t

often. She told me once those were the happiest times they’d had together. Now that he was too ill to take her out

on Harley, she’d take me instead. We’d tell Grandpa all about it, of course, and he liked to hear exactly where we’d

been, what field we’d stopped in for our picnic and how fast we’d gone. I’d relive it for him and he loved that. But we

never told my family. It was to be our secret, Grandma said, because if anyone back home ever got to know she took

me out on Harley they’d never let me come to stay again. She was right too. I had the impression that neither my

father (her own son) nor my mother really saw eye to eye with Grandma. They always thought she was a bit

stubborn, eccentric, irresponsible even. They’d be sure to think that my going out on Harley with her was far too

dangerous. But it wasn’t. I never felt unsafe on Harley, no matter how fast we went. The faster the better. When we

got back, breathless with excitement, our faces numb from the wind, she’d always say the same thing: “Supreme,

Boowie! Wasn’t that just supreme?”

When we weren’t out on Harley, we’d go on long walks down to the beach and fly kites, and on the way back we’d

watch the moorhens and coots and herons on Slapton Ley. We saw a bittern once. “Isn’t that supreme?” Grandma

whispered in my ear. Supreme was always her favourite word for anything she loved: for motorbikes or birds or

lavender. The house always smelt of lavender. Grandma adored the smell of it, the colour of it. Her soap was always

lavender, and there was a sachet in every wardrobe and chest of drawers – to keep moths away, she said.

Reading lesson 2 – questions

1) How had Grandpa’s illness changed him from the way that Grandma once knew him? Find 2 pieces of

evidence from the text to support your answer.

2) What was it about Boowie that made Grandma enjoy having him to stay so much?

3) Give 2 reasons why Boowie enjoyed his visits to his Grandma. Find evidence in the text to support your

answer.

4) Why do you think Boowie never told his family about Grandma taking him out on the motorbike?

She was right too. I had the impression that neither my father (her own son) nor my mother really saw eye to eye

with Grandma. What does the phrase see eye to eye mean? Can you use it in a sentence of your own?

Grammar – Tuesday Below are some of the features you may have

noticed in yesterday’s example text.

Task 1 – Edit and

improve your work

from yesterday. Did

you manage to find

all of the language

features as well as

the genre features?

If not, go back

through, using this

Task 2 – Grammar

Imperative Verbs

Imperative verbs are also known as ‘bossy verbs’ because they tell people what to

do! e.g. shut the window or turn the kettle on.

Colour in the words that could be used as imperative verbs.

shut filthy chair turn gold

lovely mix unhappy close stairs

Can you think of an imperative verb which could start each sentence?

the door, there’s a draught.

off the light please.

the milk into the glass.

on a coat before you go out.

left at the traffic lights.

You cannot write a set of instructions without using imperative verbs. Try writing a short

set of instructions for brushing your teeth, using a different imperative verb in each

sentence.

Don’t forget to number each step!

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Maths – Tuesday

Multiplication

Warm up your brain with these questions

34 x 3 56 x 7 87 X 4

123 X 45 56 X 34 76 X 233

12 X 4567 5432 X 34 8371 X 22

Check your answers with a calculator

Now try these problems

1) A machine makes 8521 dice in a week. In a 52-week working year, how many dice are made in a year?

2) Sacks of potatoes contain an average of 95 potatoes. In a year, a farmer sells 4911 sacks. How many

potatoes does she sell in one year?

3) Sara thinks the answer to 564 x 22 = 12,400 – is she correct? Show your working out.

4) If you know the answer to 45 x 45 = 2025 – can you explain a quick and easy way to find the answer to 45 x

46

PSHCE – Tuesday

PSHCE - Jigsaw

What is body image?

‘Body Image is how people feel about the way they look and the way their body functions’

Some people are quite happy with the way they look. Others don’t really think about how they look. Some people

are quite unhappy with the way they look.

Some questions to think about…

Is it important to look a certain way?

Who tells us how we ‘should’ look?

Where do we get our ideas from about the way we dress or style our hair?

How much does the media play a part in our appearance (for you and for others)?

In a world of computers, is it really that possible to trick us into believing everything we see in the media is true?

Test your ability to spot a fake! See you can work out which of these 25 pictures are fake and which are real. What

about the other people in your house? Who will get the best score?

https://landing.adobe.com/en/na/products/creative-cloud/69308-real-or-photoshop/index.html

Here are some pictures of famous celebrities. As you can see, their pictures have been altered.

Why do you think the media have done this and what impact do you think all of the editing could have on them and on others?

Make your note in the boxes on the next page.

Impact it could have on the celebrity Impact it could have on others

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________

Your first challenge…

Think of someone you really admire; they can be famous or someone you know. Write the name of that person on the paper

below (in the centre) and around the outside, write down all of the things you admire about them.

Do you admire this person for their skills and qualities or simply because of the way they look?

Hopefully, because you admire the talents they have!!!

Last challenge, turn over your paper and do the same things again about yourself. Try to pick out traits about your personality,

your skills, what makes you special etc.

Reading – Wednesday

Adolphus Tips

By Michael Morpurgo

Best of all, even better than clinging on to Grandma as we whizzed down the deep lanes on Harley, were the wild

and windy days when the two of us would stomp noisily along the pebble beach of Slapton Sands, clutching on to

one another so we didn’t get blown away. We could never be gone for long though, because of Grandpa. He was

happy enough to be left on his own for a while, but only if there was sport on the television. So we would generally

go off for our ride on Harley or on one of our walks when there was a cricket match on, or rugby. He liked rugby

best. He had been good at it himself when he was younger, very good, Grandma said proudly. He’d even played for

Devon from time to time – whenever he could get away from the farm, that is.

Grandma had told me a little about the busy life they’d had before I was born, up on the farm – she’d taken me up

there to show me. So I knew how they’d milked a herd of sixty South Devon cows and that Grandpa had gone on

working as long as he could. In the end, as his illness took hold and he couldn’t go up and down stairs any more,

they’d had to sell up the farm and the animals and move into the bungalow down in Slapton village. Mostly, though,

she’d want to talk about me, ask about me, and she really wanted to know, too. Maybe it was because I was her only

grandson. She never seemed to judge me either. So there was nothing I didn’t tell her about my life at home or my

friends or my worries. She never gave advice, she just listened.

Once, I remember, she told me that whenever I came to stay it made her feel younger. “The older I get,” she said,

“the more I want to be young. That’s why I love going out on Harley. And I’m going to go on being young till I drop,

no matter what.”

I understood well enough what she meant by “no matter what”. Each time I’d gone down in the last couple of years

before Grandpa died she had looked more grey and weary. I would often hear my father pleading with her to have

Grandpa put into a nursing home, that she couldn’t go on looking after him on her own any longer. Sometimes the

pleading sounded more like bullying to me, and I wished he’d stop. Anyway, Grandma wouldn’t hear of it. She did

have a nurse who came in to bath Grandpa each day now, but Grandma had to do the rest all by herself, and she was

becoming exhausted. More and more of my walks along the beach were alone nowadays. We couldn’t go out on

Harley at all. She couldn’t leave Grandpa even for ten minutes without him fretting, without her worrying about him.

But after Grandpa was in bed we would either play Scrabble, which she would let me win sometimes, or we’d talk on

late into the night – or rather I would talk and she would listen. Over the years I reckon I must have given Grandma a

running commentary on just about my entire life, from the first moment I could speak, all the way through my

childhood.

But now, after Grandpa’s funeral, as we walked together down the road to the pub with everyone following behind

us, it was her turn to do the talking, and she was talking about herself, talking nineteen to the dozen, as she’d never

talked before. Suddenly I was the listener.

The wake in the pub was crowded, and of course everyone wanted to speak to Grandma, so we didn’t get a chance

to talk again that day, not alone. I was playing waiter with the tea and coffee, and plates of quiches and cakes. When

we left for home that evening Grandma hugged me especially tight, and afterwards she touched my cheek as she’d

always done when she was saying good night to me before she switched off the light. She wasn’t crying, not quite.

She whispered to me as she held me. “Don’t you worry about me, Boowie dear,” she said.

Reading lesson 3 Task

Refresh your memory on what has happened so far in the story. Today I would like you to think about the

relationship Boowie has with his Grandma. Using all three extracts, find examples to show that Boowie and Grandma

had a very close relationship and what the reader can infer from this

What I know Supporting evidence

Grandma enjoyed Boowie’s company because it made her feel younger, when she was with him she could do things that reminded her of her youth. Boowie reminded Grandma of a time before Grandpa became ill.

Once, I remember, she told me that whenever I came to stay it made her feel younger.

Wednesday – Writing

Before we broke off from school, we were thoroughly enjoying our cookery unit. Today, we would like you to research different recipes you could

try at home during lockdown. These could be simple meals, which your family already cook, or something new to compliment the ingredients you

already have in your fridge or cupboard. It can be as simple as a fancy sandwich or as complex as a Sunday Roast.

Task 1 – Read and analyse three different recipes. You could use cookery/baking books, magazines or the internet.

Recipe 1 Recipe 2 Recipe 3

What attracted you to this

recipe?

How did the author try to

capture your interest?

Does the recipe look easy

to follow? Is it clear?

Does the recipe follow the

instructional writing

structure you would expect?

If you were to write this set

of instructions again, is

there anything you would

change to make it clearer

for the reader?

Maths – Wednesday

Warm up your brain

564 x 3 456 x 2 984 x 7

5673 x 22 7432 x 34 8732 x 34

4578 x 100 4562 x 10 7822 x 1000

Check your answers with a calculator

Now try these problems

1) There are 17 biscuits in a packet and 3 packets in a box. A supermarket orders 15 379 boxes.

How many biscuits will be in the 15 379 boxes?

2) A factory makes nine crates of 38628 pencils on each of the five working days of the week. How

many pencils are made each week?

3) A wholesaler sells mangoes for 84p each. The wholesaler sells 13 330 mangoes in one week.

How much money will the wholesaler receive for the mangoes?

4) It takes one hour less than 2 days for a satellite to go around the Earth. How many hours will it

take for the satellite to go around the Earth 23 988 times? Calculate how many days and how

many weeks this will be. Estimate the number of years this will be to the nearest year.

Topic – Wednesday

Task 1 - If it is possible, at some point today or tomorrow, try following one of

the recipes that you analysed in this morning’s writing lesson and make your

chosen dish.

If you are cutting, peeling or grating, remember the skills we have learned in

school!

It would be lovely to see you in action so if you are able to TWEET photographs

of the making process and/or your final dish, we would love to see them.

@gilberdykerocks is the school Twitter account!

Task 2

Once you have made and eaten your dish, evaluate the quality - to identify

strengths and weaknesses of your product.

Name of dish

____________________________________________________

Aroma

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Appearance

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Texture

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Flavour

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Overall success of the dish

Suggested changes to be made, if were to make this recipe again

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Reading – Thursday

Adolphus Tips

By Michael Morpurgo

“Don’t you worry about me, Boowie dear,” she said. “There’s times it’s good to be on your own. I’ll go for

rides on Harley – Harley will help me feel better. I’ll be fine.” So we drove away and left her with the silence

of her empty house all around her.

A few weeks later she came to us for Christmas, but she seemed very distant, almost as if she were lost

inside herself: there, but not there somehow. I thought she must still be grieving and I knew that was

private, so I left her alone and we didn’t talk much. Yet, strangely, she didn’t seem too sad. In fact she

looked serene, very calm and still, a dreamy smile on her face, as if she was happy enough to be there, just

so long as she didn’t have to join in too much. I’d often find her sitting and gazing into space, remembering

a Christmas with Grandpa perhaps, I thought, or maybe a Christmas down on the farm when she was

growing up.

On Christmas Day itself, after lunch, she said she wanted to go for a walk. So we went off to the park, just

the two of us. We were sitting watching the ducks on the pond when she told me. “I’m going away,

Boowie,” she said. “It’ll be in the New Year, just for a while.”

“Where to?” I asked her. “I’ll tell you when I get there,” she replied. “Promise. I’ll send you a letter.” She

wouldn’t tell me any more no matter how much I badgered her. We took her to the station a couple of days

later and waved her off. Then there was silence. No letter, no postcard, no phone call. A week went by. A

fortnight. No one else seemed to be that concerned about her, but I was. We all knew she’d gone travelling,

she’d made no secret of it, although she’d told no one where she was going. But she had promised to write

to me and nothing had come. Grandma never broke her promises. Never. Something had gone wrong, I was

sure of it. Then one Saturday morning I picked up the post from the front door mat. There was one for me. I

recognised her handwriting at once. The envelope was quite heavy too. Everyone else was soon busy

reading their own post, but I wanted to open Grandma’s envelope in private. So I ran upstairs to my room,

sat on the bed and opened it. I pulled out what looked more like a manuscript than a letter, about thirty or

forty pages long at least, closely typed. On the cover page she had sellotaped a black and white photograph

(more brown and white really) of a small girl who looked a lot like me, smiling toothily into the camera and

cradling a large black and white cat in her arms. There was a title: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, with

her name underneath, Lily Tregenza. Attached to the manuscript by a large multicoloured paperclip was

this letter. Dearest Boowie, This is the only way I could think of to explain to you properly why I’ve done

what I’ve done. I’ll have told you some of this already over the years, but now I want you to know the whole

story. Some people will think I’m mad, perhaps most people—I don’t mind that. But you won’t think I’m

mad, not when you’ve read this. You’ll understand, I know you will. That’s why I particularly wanted you to

read it first. You can show it to everyone else afterwards. I’ll phone soon…when you’re over the surprise.

When I was about your age—and by the way that’s me on the front cover with Tips—I used to keep a diary.

I was an only child, so I’d talk to myself in my diary. It was company for me, almost like a friend. So what

you’ll be reading is the story of my life as it happened, beginning in the autumn of 1943, during the Second

World War, when I was growing up on the family farm. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve done quite a lot of

editing. I’ve left bits out here and there because some of it was too private or too boring or too long. I used

to write pages and pages sometimes, just talking to myself, rambling on. The surprise comes right at the

very end. So don’t cheat, Boowie. Don’t look at the end. Let it be a surprise for you—as it still is for me. Lots

of love, Grandma PS Harley must be feeling very lonely in the garage. We’ll go for a ride as soon as I get

back; as soon as you come to visit. Promise

Reading lesson 4 activity

‘I used to keep a diary. I was an only child, so I’d talk to myself in my diary. It was company for me, almost

like a friend. So what you’ll be reading is the story of my life as it happened, beginning in the autumn of

1943, during the Second World War.’

Today’s challenge is for you to write a diary extract as Grandma. Think of something wild she may have

got up to as a child during World War two and write a diary entry to explain what she did and what might

have happened as a result!

Grammar – Thursday

Modal Verbs

Modal verbs express necessity or possibility

Grammar – continued

Read the set of instructions below. In one colour pick out all of the model verbs and

in another colour pick out the imperative verbs. Then, complete the key at the

bottom to show which is which.

How to play pass the parcel

Pass the parcel is a great game to play at children’s parties. The game can be

adapted for children of different ages to enjoy.

These instructions will show you how to organise a game...

1.) Choose the prize. This could be a toy or some sweets or chocolate. You should

choose something that is not too small or expensive.

2.) Wrap the prize carefully in attractive wrapping paper. You might like to use

ribbons as well because this will be the last layer the children will unwrap.

3.) Use newspaper or an old magazine to wrap the other layers. You must not

prepare more than ten layers, as this will make the game go on for too long.

4.) You can add a small sweet between each layer or even a dare or forfeit (this shall

make it more fun for older children).

5.) You might like to try preparing two or three parcels, depending on how long

your party lasts.

6.) Sit the children in a circle and play music. The children must stop passing the

parcel when the music stops and take off a layer of paper.

7.) Make sure the music doesn’t stop on the same child twice in a row. The children

will find this fairer.

COLOUR KEY

• I have coloured the modal verbs in _______________.

• I have coloured the imperative verbs in ________________.

Maths – Thursday

Warm up your brain

675 x 22 786 x 45 673 x 44

564 x 10 7432 x 100 8456 x 1000

7.88 x 10 5.67 x 100 6.432 x 100

Check your answers with a calculator

Now complete these word problems

1) A machine makes 60 802 bottle tops in a week. In a 52-week working year, how many bottle tops

are made in a year

2) A cinema has an average weekly attendance of 24 356 people. The average ticket sales are £5 per

ticket. What is the total income in a 13-week quarterly period?

3) Bags of potatoes contains an average of 33 potatoes. In a year, a farmer sells 58 716 bags. How

many potatoes does she sell in one year?

4) A factory makes 63 957 nails each day. How many nails are made in January and February 2017,

when the factory is open every day?

5) There are 22 children on a school visit to France. Each child pays £333.18 for the school visit. How

much do they pay altogether?

R.E – Thursday

Christianity – Is Christianity still a strong religion 2,000 years after Jesus was on Earth?

Influential people

To influence someone means that you have had an effect on someone’s personality or their

behaviour.

Task 1: Can you list all the important and influential people in your life? For each person, write a

sentence/draw a picture explaining how they have influenced you.

Christian festivals

Task 2: Below is a list of Christian festivals. For each one, can you explain (either using words or

by drawing pictures) what each festival represents?

Easter Mother’s Day Christmas

Advent Lent Harvest

Is it only Christians who celebrate these festivals? Explain your answer below.

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Christian Charities

Task 3: Below are the logos of some Christian charities. Use the internet to research each

charity to find out about the work they do.

If Christianity was motivating people to do good in the world, would this show it is still a strong

religion? Explain your answer below.

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Reading – Friday

Short non-fiction text

Who Was Mary Seacole? Mary Seacole (born Mary Grant) was a British-Jamaican woman who became famous in the

19th

century as ‘Mother Seacole’ due to her work caring for injured soldiers in the Crimean War. Mary’s Early Life Mary Anne Grant was born in 1805 in Kingston, Jamaica. Her father was a Scottish soldier and her mother was a well-known Jamaican ‘doctress’ who treated people using herbal remedies (such as aloe vera and ginger) and Mary also had two siblings, Edward and Louisa. As a child, Mary was fascinated by her mother’s work and practised the skills she learned using dolls and pets as patients. By the age of 12, she was helping her mother as a nurse. Because of her father’s connections, she was also able to travel twice to visit England in her teens and this made her quite unusual for a black person at that time. When she was 31, Mary married a naval officer called Edwin Horatio Seacole. She was a good business woman and together they ran a successful store. Unfortunately, her husband died only eight years later.

1. Why did Mary earn the nickname ‘Mother Seacole’?

2. Find and copy one word meaning a person who treats people with herbal remedies.

3. Name two ingredients that may be including in herbal remedies.

4. Who was Mary’s biggest inspiration? Explain your answer.

5. What was ‘quite unusual for a black person at the time?’

6. Which of the words listed below could also be used to describe Mary’s store? Collapsing Flourishing Declining

7. Using the information, tick one box in each row to show whether each statement is true or false.

Statement True False

Mary was born in Scotland.

Mary had a brother called Edward.

Mary was able to travel to England because her father was a doctor.

Mary’s husband died when she was 31.

Extension: What word in the text is the closest synonym to the verb ‘captivated’?

Writing – Friday

Reread the set of instructions from Monday and remind yourself of all of the key

features the author included. Now, have a go at writing an instructional recipe for a

delicious meal of your choice. This could be the recipe for the meal you created

earlier in the week; one we have made at school together or one from your

imagination. You can use the word mat and checklist to help you with you writing.

Year 5/6

In

structions Word

Mat

Literacy – continued

Writing checklist

Have I included… Self-assessment

Organisational devices to structure my writing?

An introduction with questions to interest the reader?

What is needed and a method or list of steps?

Steps in chronological order?

Imperative verbs?

Modal verbs?

Accurate descriptions and technical language?

Tips and extra advice for the reader?

A conclusion directed at the reader?

My instructional recipe

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Maths – Friday

Warm up your brain

6.7 x 100 6.788 x 100 78.66 x 10

4.5 x 7 5.6 x 8 5.8 x 2

3.33 x 12 5.56 x 13 3.45 x 23

Check your answers with a calculator and then do the word problems

Q1. The length of an alligator can be estimated by:

• measuring the distance from its eyes to its nose

• then multiplying that distance by 12

What is the difference in the estimated lengths of these two alligators?

Q2. Circle the number that is 10 times greater than nine hundred and seven.

9,700 907 9,007 970 9,070

Topic – Friday

This week we have been revising our food preparation skills, whilst making our own recipes.

Can you create a leaflet or flyer that could be given out to other children informing them how

to prepare food safely?

You will need to include information about handwashing, tying hair up, removing long sleeves,

wearing aprons (if possible), knife safety (suitable grips) and grater and peeler skills.

You can present your leaflet/flyer how you wish.

Here are some presentation ideas…