Year 5

In this history topic, we learn about where Anglo Saxons and Vikings came from and where and why they settled in Britain. Using a range of sources, including archaeology, we learn about and compare the homes, customs and culture of these fascinating civilisations. To help us learn, we visit a museum and have a theatre company come to school to bring the Anglo Saxons and Vikings to life.

What’s so marvellous about the Maya?’ is the question we ask in Spring term. This exciting history topic gives us the opportunity to learn about an ancient non-European society and compare it with British history. We discover what daily life was like for the Mayans, focusing on aspects such as religion, art and food. This is brought to life by a visit from a theatre company who take us back in time and allow us to visit many different people who teach us about their lives, from religious sacrifices to binding of babies’ foreheads and even the game of Pok-A-Tok. Throughout this topic, we develop our skills as historians by questioning different interpretations of history and using sources to ask and answer questions about the past.

Where do rivers come from? What is a mountain? Why is Great Britain the shape it is? These are all questions that are answered in this geography topic. We learn how physical processes such as erosion, deposition and transportation shape the landscape. To see for ourselves how rivers affect the land, we get very wet doing fieldwork at Horton Kirby.