Wider Curriculum,Y5 Autumn 1
This term, our big question is:
“All volcanic eruptions are equal: Support or Challenge?”
Children will explore volcanoes, earthquakes, and materials science, combining geography, science, art, and design technology in an exciting cross-curricular project.
What We’re Learning
- Science: Properties and changes of materials, reversible and irreversible reactions.
- Geography: Physical geography – mountains, volcanoes, earthquakes, tectonic plates.
- Art & DT: Designing and creating a realistic 3D volcano model with an eruption mechanism.
Key Learning Journey
- Investigating Materials: Compare and group materials by properties like hardness, transparency, and conductivity.
- Exploring Solubility: Test which materials dissolve and how to separate mixtures.
- Reversible vs Irreversible Changes: Learn about chemical reactions and physical changes.
- Understanding Volcanoes: Study tectonic plates, volcano features, and global locations.
- Design & Engineering: Prototype and test mechanisms for a volcanic eruption.
- Final Product: Build and present a realistic volcano model that erupts!
Project Outcome
Children 
will:
- Create a working volcano model using their science and DT knowledge.
- Present their learning in a showcase answering the question:
“Are all volcanic eruptions equal?”
Project Highlights
- Hands-on investigations with materials and reactions.
- Opportunities to develop oracy skills through presentations and debates.
Key Texts
- King of the Cloud Forests – Michael Morpurgo
- Stranded! – Aevar Thor Benediktsson
- Pop-Up Volcano – Tom Vaillant
Vocabulary Highlights
- Science: mixture, dissolve, reversible, irreversible, conductivity
- Geography: tectonic plates, magma, lava, fault lines
- Art/DT: armature, Modroc, structure, prototype
How Parents Can Support
- Discuss natural disasters and their impact on communities.
- Explore maps and locate famous volcanoes together.
- Encourage curiosity about materials and everyday changes (e.g., cooking, melting).
- Share any family experiences of visiting mountains or volcanic regions.
