Croeso i Ddosbarth Aran

Welcome to Dosbarth Aran

Dosbarth Derbyn / Reception

Athrawon Dosbarth / Class Teachers – Mrs Sophie James-Davies

Cymhorthyddion Dosbarth / Teaching Assistants – Miss Ciara Mcleod

2022-23

Our BIG Question this term is:

If I was a crab what would I see down by the sea?

Our big question this term has a humanities focus and teaches children all about their local area and our effect on nature. The learners will be focusing on a range of literacy genres throughout this big question such as fact files and postcards. Pupils will be developing their investigative skills by investigating things like pollution in water.

Follow us on twitter @ffordddyffyn to get up to date class updates

Beach Clean Up

We discussed the importance of keeping the beach clean and discussed how we would feel if our school or homes were covered in rubbish and polluted.

Water Pollution Investigation

We investigated the affects of water pollution and investigated if we could undo damage done. Unfortunately, we found that once water is polluted by things like oil it was very difficult to undo.

Past V Present

We explored beach life in the past and the present and compared any differences or similarities. We found out that despite more people attending the beach in the past, there was actually more beach pollution now. This is because there is more packaging now than there was in the past for example, Fast Food packaging.

Rainbow Fish

We read the story of Rainbow Fish and discussed the importance of recognising our differences. We explored different creative techniques and created our own colourful Rainbow Jelly Fish based on the story Rainbow Fish.

STEM Sessions

STEM is activities based on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We have been lucky this year to have STEM sessions provided by local community groups such as Bangor University and Alun Griffiths Construction. The children loved exploring new techniques and developing their team building skills.

Cymraeg

In Dosbarth Aran, we have been building up our Welsh basic language skills and growing our vocabulary. We have been doing this through practical activities like exploring new foods or playing Yard Games.

Numeracy

In Dosbarth Aran, we have been developing our number skills and developing our ability to apply the skills we have learned to reasoning and problem solving. The children develop their skills through practical activities and exploring the Numeracy Zone to develop their skills independently. During the Autumn term we have been focusing on number skills such as: number recognition; estimating; simple addition; simple subtraction; counting in 2s; and one more/one less.

Literacy

In Dosbarth Aran, we focus on our phonological awareness using the Read Write Inc phonic programme. The children then apply the skills to written work through their topic. This term we will focus on Fact Files and Postcard writing.

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2021 – 2022

Our BIG Question this term is:

If I were an explorer, what would I like to find?

Project overview:

This project will give young pupils the opportunity to investigate and explore dinosaurs as well as other animals and species. Opportunities will be given for children to inquire, observe and evaluate their findings using different learning strategies so that they become more curious, confident and knowledgeable about the world in both the past and present.

Fossil making

Exploring the Forest School

2020 – 2021

Nadolig! Christmas!

The Children enjoyed dressing up in the role play area, posting their own Christmas Cards and seasonal fun at the class Christmas party 2020.

A Visit from P.C. Roscoe

PC Vicky talked to us about people, like the police, who help us.

Aliens Love Underpants!

We painted our own Underpants for the Aliens

Children In Need – Pudsey Bear Day Fun!

Read Write Inc Phonics Lessons

Maths Activities and Focus Tasks

Making Aliens with 2D Shapes

The children were inspired to make their own aliens using only 2D shapes.

Back to School Autumn Term 2020 – Classroom Activities

Autumn Term Topic- When I Fall Asleep

This term has a Health and Well-being focus, particularly thinking about why we need sleep and how to keep ourselves healthy and happy.

We will be developing the children’s understanding through:

Mark making and verbally making a wish upon a star.
Cutting out and sorting Day time and Night time pictures and activities.
Using ICT to take selfie pictures and insert our images into a rocket.
Use our creative and maths skills to make aliens using 2D shapes.
Read a range of books (fiction and non-fiction) including “Aliens Love Underpants”.
Use creative skills to design, make and talk Underpants for the Aliens!
Investigate washing our hands with different temperatures of water and hand gel – moving to create a class graph of which one we preferred.
Exploring the night time festivals of Diwali and Bonfire Night.
Creating a list of items to take on a picnic to the moon.
Cutting out and ordering aliens and underpants by size ( big, medium and small).
Develop their understanding of the Welsh language by using words and phrases linked to our theme both in the inside and outside areas.

Tymor 2019/20

Spring term topic is Paws, Claws and whiskers.

The children will learn about:

Animals which are part of the cat family including domestic and big cats
Habitats in which they live both in the home and in the wild
The body parts of cats
Animal care, including organisations and charities that provide animal welfare
How to sequence movements to sounds and music
Mark making, drawing and emergent writing
The Welsh language using words and phrases across a range of experiences in the indoor and outdoor environment.

Autumn Term Topic- Dragon Tales

This term has a knowledge and understanding of the world focus and we will be exploring the historical, traditional and fantasy world of castles including the lives of people who lived and worked in them during the middle ages. We will be developing the children’s understanding through:

finding out about the people and how they lived.
finding out about castles, their features and how they were used in the middle ages.
finding out about Welsh castles, especially Conwy Castle in our own locality.
stories and characters from our Welsh heritage.
recording ideas and feelings through drawing, mark making and emergent writing.
re-telling traditional tales through play and focused activities.
use creative skills to design, make and talk about a range of objects linked to our theme.
develop their understanding of the Welsh language by using words and phrases linked to our theme both in the inside and outside areas.

Dosbarth Aran making sandcastles as part of their Dragon Tales Topic

After learning all about different castles, we have been sketching Caernarfon Castle in the style of William Turner.

Using Paper Mache and balloons, we made two Dragon eggs for our Small World area. We then re-told the story of the Welsh Dragon.

We have been counting and ordering castle numbers and making royal jewelry using repeating patterns.

Tymor 2018/19

Summer Term Topic- Pitter Patter Puddle Play

This term in Aran our topic will be called Pitter Patter Puddle Play and will have a Knowledge and Understanding focus of the world. Children will have lots of fun exploring water in its many different forms using their senses in a range of first hand sensory experiences.

In this project children will learn about:

Water in its different forms
Ways water is used in our homes
Being safe near water
Wet weather including storms
Animals that live in water, e.g. the sea, rivers, streams
Volume and measures in practical activities
Recording ideas, feelings and experiences through drawing, mark making and emergent writing
The importance of water for seeds and plants
Responding to sounds and music using their bodies imaginatively
The Welsh language using words and phrases across a range of experiences both in the indoor and outdoor environment

Spring Term Topic- Battle of the Dinosaurs

This term will have a Knowledge and Understanding focus of the world and children will be able to explore the historical and scientific world of dinosaurs, including how they behaved and interacted with each other. As part of our project children will be given opportunities to learn in outdoor spaces.

In this project children will learn about:

Different types of dinosaurs and their body parts
The word extinct and what it means
Herbivores and carnivores
Ways to move their bodies in creative ways to tell stories and act out scenes, both in the indoor and outdoor environment
The mathematical language of measures, such as big, bigger, small, smaller, tall, taller, short, shorter etc
Drawing, mark making and emergent writing
A range of objects and artefacts linked to the theme
The Welsh language using words and phrases across a range of experiences, both in the indoor and outdoor environment

Autumn Term Topic- Night and Day

This term the children will be exploring ‘after dark’ and finding out about the moon, stars, nocturnal animals and familiar routines at the end of the day. We will experience the natural world as it darkens as well as finding out about people that do not sleep during the night. We will also compare day and night activities and begin to understand about the sun and moon.

This term the children will learn about:

Day and night routines
The moon and stars and how the sky changes at night
Sources of light and that dark is the absence of light
Nocturnal animals such as owls,bats and foxes including where they live and how they behave
Time
Simple lullabies and nursery rhymes
Being safe and feeling safe at night time
Mark making, drawing and emergent writing
The Welsh language using phrases across a range of experiences indoor and outdoor

Boat Project

Starry Night

Owls

Balance Bikes

Hospital Role Play

Poppy Day

Space – Rockets

2017-2018

Summer Term Topic- Scrumptious

This term the children will learn about:

different types of food.
foods they like and dislike.
the senses of smell and taste.
keeping healthy by eating a balanced diet.
measures and money through play based context.
food from different countries.
the process of cooking, melting, freezing and mixing.
expressing themselves creatively through different media.
develop the Welsh language through different experiences in both the indoor and outdoor environment.

Spring Term Topic – Paws, Claws and Whiskers
This term the children will learn about:

Animals which are part of the cat family including domestic and big cats
Habitats in which they live both in the home and in the wild
The body parts of cats
Animal care, including organisations and charities that provide animal welfare
How to sequence movements to sounds and music
Mark making, drawing and emergent writing
The Welsh language using words and phrases across a range of experiences in the indoor and outdoor environment.

Autumn Term Topic- Dragon Tales

finding out about the people and how they lived.
finding out about castles, their features and how they were used in the middle ages.
finding out about Welsh castles, especially Conwy Castle in our own locality.
stories and characters from our Welsh heritage.
recording ideas and feelings through drawing, mark making and emergent writing.
re-telling traditional tales through play and focused activities.
use creative skills to design, make and talk about a range of objects linked to our theme.
develop their understanding of the Welsh language by using words and phrases linked to our theme both in the inside and outside areas.