The New Forest Small School

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Spring Term 2020

Geography

 

We have started a unit of work on Coasts - we will learn about the physical aspects of the coast; how it is eroded, how landforms are created and how we manage the coastline.  

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English Language

 

In English Language this term,we will compete our exploration of 'His Dark Materials ' ( BBC Adaptation) considering the use of imagery and characterisation which has made this series so successful. We will extend our thinking into written work with an emphasis around the use of specific language techniques for impact and effect according to writing style.

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Music

 

This term we are looking at The Art of Song Writing. Recapping song structure and analysing classic songs, before we embark on writing & recording our own songs.

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Art

 

For this term we will be making a piece of sculptural ceramics. Taking inspiration from fruits

and organic forms, producing design drawings and researching artists like Kate Malone,

Anish Kapoor and Peter Randall-Page. We will be learning the hand building techniques of

pinching, coiling and slabbing to produce a finished piece of work.

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Maths and Science

 

In Maths this term Lower Secondary are continuing to develop the skills of using and applying maths within science.  They will be looking at how factors such as forces, momentum and mass affects the world and how maths can be used to prove the theories which they divelop through observation.

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History
 

In History we will be looking at the 19 th Century. We will cover politics, war, empire, and
ideologies of the time. The 19 th Century is a rich period of History, from which was born the world we know today. Students will gain an understanding of the significance of this period and why it is important that we understand the patterns and themes of History. Students will study and explore different ideologies and the key events of this Century.

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Psychology
 

In Psychology we will be looking at Obedience and Cognitive Development. In Obedience
students will study two key theories and gain an understanding of how evolution, biology,
and culture effects a person’s need and ability to obey. In Cognitive Development students
will study key psychologists and theories that explore how our brain develops, the changes
we go through, and how the different stages of development effect us.
 

English Literature
In English Literature we will be reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart offers a fictional account of pre-colonial life in the south-eastern part of Nigeria and then the arrival of the Europeans during the late 19 th Century. Closely linked to our study of the 19 th Century in History, students will gain an understanding of the key themes, characters, and significance of Things Fall Apart.

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AutumnTerm 2019

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English Literature

In term one we will be reading and studying Of Mice and Men. Linking this to our
studies of the Industrial Revolution we will be looking at key themes and symbolism,
as well as in depth studies into the characters and how we can use this analysis to
apply to essays and discussions about the book.

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English Language

This term the emphasis in English Language is around conscious awareness of how both writers & students actually communicate their thoughts, ideas, feelings & knowledge.  We will consider how writers shape their structures & convey meaning by using specific techniques.

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Maths

This term we have been working together and independently to identify and review aspects of their Mathematics curriculum over the past two years.  Each lesson students have been able to self select their focus and use resources to improve their understanding of key aspects of the foundation of GCSE Mathematics. 

 

Next half term will see the class moving forward together on topics which begin to explore more complex concepts and skills.

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Science

Lower Secondary are briefly reviewing some basic aspects of chemistry - elements, compounds and different types of chemical reactions.  Our other main topics for the term will be electricity, magnetism and energy resources in physics, and ecosystems in biology.

 

The Year 9 Fast Track group are getting started on the GCSE curriculum, initially focusing on the 'Air and Water' topic in Chemistry and then moving on to more advanced work on electricity, magnetism and ecosystems (working in parallel with the main Lower Secondary group).  We're continuing the fortnightly Science Club on Mondays to help them extend their classroom learning through fun and engaging practical work.  

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History

In term one we will be looking in-depth at the Industrial Revolution. Having been
introduced to the basic ideas of the Industrial Revolution last year we will now deepen
our knowledge of the themes and impacts of the Industrial Revolution on politics,
economy, and every day life. By studying the Industrial Revolution, students will
develop a sound understanding of this vast period in History and how it has effected
us even today.

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Art

Our new project for this term is all about ‘Colour’. We will be identifying primary, secondary and tertiary colours and learning how to mix paint to produce a colour wheel. Looking at colour theory – colour association, warm /cool and complementary/ contrasting colours. 

We will also be looking at how artists use colour to depict feelings and emotions within their work. Artists include Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miro, Mark Rothko and the three dimensional work of Alexander Calder and Anish Kapoor.

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Geography

This term we will be learning about Population & Migration.  What makes us British?  What's the real story with immigration?  Where and why do people live where they do?  What makes people migrate?  How can countries control their population growth?  Lots of interesting areas to examine!

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Psychology

In term one we will be looking at the Self and Attachment Theory. In the beginning of
the term we will study key concepts and theories around ‘Self’ and students will gain
an understanding of the idea of ‘free will’, Humanist theory, self esteem, and we will
look at what the applications of understanding the self are – such as for counselling.
In the second half of the term we will be looking at Attachment, students will gain an
understanding of key concepts around attachment such as – separation protest,
stranger anxiety, the different kinds of attachment, and how, theoretically, these effect
us in later life.

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Philosophy & Ethics

In Philosophy and Ethics, our work will pivot around concepts relating to ’The Nature of Reality’ and the definition of ’truth’, ‘fact’ and ‘opinion’.

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Music

We are working in 3 groups again and as we have been invited back to sing at Ashleigh Grange Care Home, we are focussing on 3 songs to perform for them on Friday 18th October. After half term we will start working on Christmas songs. 

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Spanish

Lower secondary will be working at:

• Healthy eating

• Parts of the body

• Health problems

• Food in the Spanish speaking countries.

• Christmas traditions

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Summer Term 2019

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English Language

This summer we will focus on 'Communication and Expression' ...How do we convey our meaning in written and spoken communications?  We will also experiment with the creation of humour and mystery in written pieces, seeking to extend skills in 'creating impact in writing'.

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English Literature

This term be will be focussing on poetry and how it is part of our every day lives. We will look at some classic poems by William Blake, Wilfred Owen, e. e. cummings, Benjamin Zephaniah etc... as well as how poetry is used in music. We will particularly be considering how poetry inspires us to look at life in new ways and challenges our pre-conceptions.

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Maths

This half of term in Lower secondary we have been exploring geometry, looking at the properties of 2D and 3D shapes, Pythagoras theory and area. We have also been exploring sequences, paying particular attention to finding nth term using linear, Fibonacci,  triangular numbers, and quadratic formula.

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Science

We are just finishing up our submissions for the RSA Pupil Design Awards.  All three teams have worked hard on their research and development, coming up with some great ideas about how to help people make healthier choices about their diet.  We're now turning our attention to 'Science and Diversity Fortnight' - thinking about the science of human diversity, and what it means for equality and inclusion, as well as diversity within Science itself.

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Our Yr 8/9 fast track group is working on solubility, crystallisation and separating mixtures, with the practical work taking place in our after-school science club sessions.  All the students are making great progress, as are our little beakers of growing salt and sugar crystals!

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History

This term we will complete our study of the French Revolution and its immediate aftermath. We will then focus on the Industrial Revolution, considering its positive and negative impact during the 18th & 19th centuries. We will then reflect on the legacy of the Industrial Revolution on our lives and the planet today.

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Art

Following on from last terms design project we will be spending time practising our observational drawing skills.  We will be working from still life in the classroom and going out into nature to draw trees and landscape.  Students will have the opportunity to explore mark making through pencil, charcoal, chalk, ink and paint.

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Geography

Last term we started an important unit of work on Rivers which includes learning about the water cycle, drainage basin system and river features.  We made use of our local environment by studying the nearby Beaulieu River where we completed some fieldwork.  We are now looking at the issue of flooding, and pupils will be creating a presentation of a case study of a flood to show the rest of the class.

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Psychology

In Psychology we will be working on a couple of our own psychological studies / experiments to be decided upon and created by the students. The class will learn how to devise, conduct and record experiments. We will then evaluate the studies considering their strengths and weaknesses.

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Philosophy & Ethics

This term we will be carrying out a number of ethical and philosophical formalised debates. The students have been researching their chosen topic and preparing their presentations. They have chosen some light debates to start with - the meaning or lack of meaning of life, abortion and social media!

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Music

We have our work cut out preparing for a big concert in the last week of the Summer Term, Wednesday 3rd July.

As both of these half terms are so short, we are focusing on our repertoire for the big day.  As you may have noticed, we are working in 3 geoups on 3 different tunes.  We have also been approached by a local care home to go nd visit them with music - and I want Lower Secondary to perfom their group tunes there.

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1. Mama Mia (Medical room group, Ziza, Ollie and Chloe)

2. 7 Nation Arny (Classroom group, Orion, Felix, Alice and Sophie)

3. Don't Stop Me Now (Music room group, Angus, Poppy, Mabelle, Oscar, Max)

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I have also asked Oscar to sing with Alice on 7 Nation Army too.

If you play your own instrument (Ollie and Orion) please remember it for EVERY FRIDAY LESSON.

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Spanish

We are looking at the topic of the house and the place we live.  Donde vivo - We will talk about where we live using adjectives and the verb 'vivir' (to live); describe different types of houses and rooms in the house.  Using the present, past and future tense of the verb 'vivir'. We will use vocabulary to describe our bedrooms and prepositions of place with the verb 'estar', and finally use of the conditional tense to express wishes for the future.

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PSHE

We are deepening our meditation/quiet sitting practice and sharing of gratitude.  We will also be discussing child sexploitation.