In Year 4 this week, we have started our ‘making a slingshot car’ unit of work.   

We began by looking at the history of cars and how cars have developed and changed through time. Once we explored different car models and discussed why each car was designed in that way, we were ready to begin our own construction.

We used lollipop sticks, dowel rods, straws and wheels to construct the bodywork and working axels. We held our structure together using PVA glue. Next we used lolly sticks, a paperclip, masking tape and an elastic band to create a slingshot launch mechanism. In order to make sure our launch mechanism was secure, we used the glue gun to fix this to the chassis, this meant that the paper clip launcher would be firmly fixed to the car.

Next we needed to create all the panels for our car and apply our chosen graphics to them. We began by drawing around the bottom of our chassis to ensure the side panels would be the correct length. Then, we drew our chosen car shape using this base. Once one side panel was complete, it was important to add tabs to the design before it was cut out to enable it to be assembled. The second panel was made by tracing around the shape of the first.  

Rowan class have also made the top panel for their cars and started to assembly them (Cedar class will start this stage next week). The top panel was made using the width of the chassis and the length needed to follow the shape of the car panels before graphics could be added.

Once they are all constructed, we will be testing our cars out and seeing whose car travels the furthest and fastest!  

Year 4 have been completing a DT unit called ‘All About Structures’. We began by looking at a range of pavilions and discussed their purpose, including exploring the Milan expo! We then used toothpicks and sweets to explore temporary frame structure. We were tasked with making a frame structure which was both strong and stable. Through our exploration we learnt that triangles were very strong shapes and helped to make a stable structure. We also learnt that the taller the structure the more unstable it can become! Having learnt these valuable lessons, we moved onto designing our own pavilions for a class expo.  

Once we had our designs, we got started with the building process. We worked hard to build the frame using lolly pop sticks and glue guns. We also had to make decisions about the base board and where our pavilion would sit on it. Some of us needed to adjust our designs to make it work. Once the structure was complete, it was time to decorate them and make them visually appealing. Some of us had time to add cladding to our pavilions using various paper techniques, including weaving coloured paper, piercing paper to create patterns and concertina folding. We are proud of our finished products! 

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What a hooting good day! Year Four had the chance to get up close and personal with a wide variety of birds. The children enjoyed their morning and saw different types of owls, a kingfisher and even a blue winged kookaburra. Their visit involved an exciting talk about anatomy of birds, diet, adaptation and how the birds have evolved over time. To make their visit even more special, the children were visited by a furry four-legged friend at the end. 

Year 4 have had a fantastic week this week. We kicked off with a camouflage day to immerse ourselves in all things Geography. Our focus for our afternoon work was the water cycle and we created weather plates to show the repeated, continuous cycle. If that wasn't already great fun, we had an afternoon camp out on the field where we cosied up with hot chocolates, marshmallows around the campfire and blissful reading time in tents.

Year Four have been letting their creative juices flow over the past week and delving into their unit of art work. To begin, we studied lenticular optical illusions inspired by Luz Perez Ojeda and create our own. We noticed that depending on what perspective we looked at the optical illusion, a different image could be seen. Next, we designed and drafted ideas for a willow pattern plate which involved careful hand movements and delicate brush strokes. It was very hard not to cover our hands in blue ink but luckily, no smurf hands here! Moving on, we then took part in an observational drawing of everyday items for our still life lesson, this was inspired on multi-medium pieces by Giorgio Morandi. It was clear to us that using a HB pencil and 2B pencil created very different effects for our shading and sketching.

To celebrate Science Week, Year Four participated in a STEM science competition to make their own insect using only four pieces of paper, scissors and a pencil! With only one hour on the clock to practice folding paper in different ways, the pressure was on for this wonderful cohort, but we used our growth mindset to stretch and challenge ourselves! The outcomes were weird and wonderful, unique and creative. What do you think of our interesting insects or do they make your skin crawl?