PE kits need to be in school as we will be taking part today. Once the children are changed we will move to the hall and ask the children to move around on their feet without their bodies making a sound. Demonstrate how silent they are when walking on tiptoe, asking them to explore this way of moving.  Then we will explore jumping safely and with control, explaining how this requires us to bend our knees, take off from 2 feet and swinging our arms up. We then need to land on 2 feet, bending our knees, standing upright, and holding still. Then the children will start to explore moving in ways that keep their bodies high. Then we will explore moving on different body parts. We will encourage children to explore jumps, hops, skips, side steps and backwards movements. Then we will explore creating shapes with our bodies. We will ask - What is a shape? A shape is a still balanced position. We will ask them to explore making a very still star shape. Then ask them to recreate the star shape with their tummies on the ground. Can they turn over and put their backs on the ground? What different things could pupils do with their arms and legs while in a star shape? Can they lift both their arms up? Can they lift one arm up? Can they lift one leg up? We will ask the children to try making a shape with their hands and feet on the floor and then just their feet. We will finish with a high shape and look at all the different high shapes that they have made. Next they will need to move whilst creating high shapes. We will use a tambourine and they must freeze when they hear the tambourine (in a high shape). Finally they will need to work with a partner - mirroring the shape that their partner is creating - this will be their cold down activity.

Kai wanted to know what and how unicorns eat. We have researched unicorn’s favourite foods and have decided that we need to create a shopping list as they are out of food. Adults will model writing a list - starting at the top of the paper and writing from left to right using an appropriate pen grip. We will model sounding out words and carefully recording a letter at a time. We will remind the children of the range of foods that unicorns apparently eat (they can also add to the list). The children will be able to suggest an item that they would like to write down on their list. They will be using whiteboards, will need to use the pinch and flick technique and an appropriate grip as they write. Once they have practised imitating a few items they will then use paper, drawing a picture of the food item that they choose and then adding a label, imitating adult writing or making marks of their own.

There will also be unicorn blankets available in ‘playing and learning’ time as Zahra suggested that she would like to decorate a unicorn blanket again.

We will begin today with Ellie’s question - where do unicorns live? (Marsaili told us - they live where the clouds are. Lily told us - they live in rainbows.) We will look at and compare some photos representing different environments and countries. We will ask the children what is the same, what is different and what do they notice. We will look at the countries on a map. Do they think that unicorns live in any of these countries or environments? Then we will remind them that Sebbie suggested that we could make a unicorn land, so that is what we are going to do. We will make sure that there is a bridge as Maia H suggested. We will start off with two large trays outside  and ask the children to gather things to create a land for unicorns, they can gather blocks and construction resources from inside and out. They will have access to paper, junk modelling and pens etc. It is up to them how they use them. They need to use their imagination and share ideas with their group and work together to carry them out. They will then be able to use these creations throughout the week.

Jamie asked “Why do unicorns have one horn and not two?” We will talk about this before explaining to the children that they are going to create a unicorn today. We will then show them numerals to five and talk about how many each numeral represents. We will then label the unicorn with the numerals, for example, it has 4 legs, 2 ears, 1 horn and 1 tail.  Next each child will be given a template of a unicorn’s body and head. They will need to cut out four legs from another template (there will be more than four legs on the template so they need to decide how many they need. They can work together with the child next to them to check that they have the correct amount They will need to do the same with ears, horn and tail. All of these will need to be attached with glue. Throughout we will support the children in using the scissors and glue safely and with appropriate grip.

Friday

Today we will explore music. We will explain that we are going to be exploring ‘beat’ today - we will begin by joining in with Rainbow Disco Unicorn - also exploring how unicorns fly as Anya suggested (we will explain that a flying unicorn is an alicorn!) Throughout we will encourage the children to listen and respond to the beat that they can hear. Next we will play a piece called Short Ride In A Fast Machine and encourage the children to tap their knees in time with the beat. We will highlight the need to listen out for the woodblock tapping the beat to help them (we will also show them the instrument). We will play a short excerpt of the music again and ask the children to look at some pictures and say which one they think the music matches. Next we will ask the children to stand up in a space and bend their knees a few times. Can they stand tall and stretch their hands up in the air and wiggle their fingers? Now, can they let their arms hang by their sides and wiggle their fingers by their legs? This will help them prepare their bodies to sing. We will then play Alice the Camel, encouraging the children to move to the music and join in with singing when they feel ready. Help the children to find their singing voices rather than their talking voices by working on small sections (slower if necessary) and asking them to copy. This will help them pitch-match their voices. Finally we will use shakers that the children made from plastic bottles. Can the children play their shakers quietly, loudly and in between? We will play the Alice The Camel clip and lead the children playing the maracas to the beat each time they sing the chorus.