Design and Technology (DT)

This term, we will be exploring the fascinating journey of ingredients, from how certain foods are reared and processed to how we can use them in our own creations. We will learn how to adapt and design recipes, considering both taste and nutritional content. We will concentrate on developing key food preparation skills, enabling us to craft tasty dishes with confidence. We’ll dive into the exciting world of product labelling, designing labels that match our recipes. Finally, we’ll put everything into practice by following and adapting recipes to make them our own. We’re excited for this hands-on, creative journey into the world of food—we're hoping for a delicious adventure!

In our first DT lesson, we did a taste test comparing two Bolognese sauces. It was a blind test, so the children looked at the jars and made a prediction on which one they think they will prefer, based on the jar. After the tasting, we revealed which one was which. Some children agreed with their predictions and others were completely surprised with which one they preferred. This activity helped us explore different flavours and textures, giving us a better idea of what we enjoy. It was a great way to start thinking about the ingredients we want to put in to our own sauce at the end of the project. We also had a look online to compare existing recipes and unusual Bolognese ingredients.

We have also practised the important skills of cutting fruit and vegetables with precision and safety. We focused on mastering the 'claw' and 'bridge' techniques while using vegetable knives. This built on our previous skills of using a fork to stabilise the food to ensure safety, when handling softer foods. By practising these techniques, we’re learning how to confidently and safely cut a variety of ingredients with improved control and technique—getting us ready to begin making our final bolognese sauce!

Maths 

In maths, we have been learning about multiples, factors, prime numbers, square numbers and cube numbers.

We investigated cube numbers with multi-link to help us understand that cube numbers are 3-dimensional.

We have also been investigating improper and mixed number fractions. We had to match up the diagram to the correct improper and mixed number fractions!

DT - Bridges

We’ve begun exploring the fascinating world of bridges and their structural designs. Our focus has been on understanding how to strengthen and stabilise different types of bridges. This week, we delved into Truss bridges and built our own using spaghetti and masking tape. The challenge required us to balance precision and care, ensuring the spaghetti was taped securely to ensure good strength and stability. Despite facing several challenges along the way, we persevered, and it was all worth it! After completing our bridges, we tested their strength, and some even held an impressive 12 bean bags! Following the tests, we took time to reflect on our process, discussing what we learned and how we could improve and adapt our designs in the future. We had to work closely with partners, which added another layer of collaboration to the challenge. Effective communication and teamwork were key as we worked together to build and test our bridges.

Making our own Truss bridge

We started by accurately measuring the square-section wood, which required precise attention to detail. After measuring, we used a tenon saw to cut the pieces. This process was challenging because it required both strength and careful handling to ensure clean cuts. Next, we measured and cut 45-degree angles to create the truss components for the bridge. Once all the pieces were cut, we used a glue gun to carefully assemble the parts, ensuring a strong bond for the final structure.