Northwood Primary School Termly Topic Plan
Year Group:
5/6
HOOK
Watching
film
footage
of
rainforest animals.
Tasting food from rainforest
plants.
Trip to botanic gardens
CELEBRATION
Performance of original music by
year 5 and 6.
Term: Spring
Title Rainforests and conservation
SUBJECTS COVERED IN THIS TOPIC
MAIN FOCUS
Geography
Science and literacy
ALSO COVERED
Home Ed
DT
Music
ICT
History
NOT COVERED THIS TOPIC- covered in
separate lessons.
Maths
PE
Literacy Focus
Non-fiction writing:
recount
description
newspaper report
writing an argument and carrying out a debate
persuasive letter
informative leaflet.
HOMEWORK TASK
Write/research recipes and cook food, either using rain forest
produce, or fair trade ingredients or using local ingredients to
minimise air miles.
Research a rainforest animal and/or plant.
Numeracy Focus
Not topic based
Calculating food air miles.
Debates about animal welfare.
Stories from the rain forest. On the wings of a butterfly (aaron.com)
Science
Habitats Evolution
Adaptation to environment
Charles Darwin
Plants and animals from
different layers in the rainforest
Classification of living things.
Use of classification keys.
Plants photosynthesis
Famous Naturalists
Gerald Durrell
David Attenborough
History
Aztecs
Beliefs and civilisation ( links to R.E.)
Conquistadors and the legacy of invasion
Geography
Equator and climate
Temperate and tropical rainforests.
Compare contrasting location with
IOW.
People of the rainforests.
Mapping rain forests using a range
of maps and scales.
Effects of humans on the rainforest
and how humans live within the
forest.
Equator and climate
Compare contrasting location with
IOW.
ICT
Researching rainforests,
animals and habitats
Producing a leaflet,
using publisher.
Use of internet for
research and film clips
of rainforest flora and
fauna.
Art and Design and Technology
Art of Henri Rousseau
Techniques of using chalks,
charcoal and pastels.
Tigers including Rousseau.
Looking at artwork by
indigenous and other artists.
PSHE and Citizenship
Looking after our planet
Our rights and responsibilities
Environmental issues
Recycling
Global warming
Saving the rainforests
Deforestation
Slash and burn techniques.
Roles of boys and girls in different
societies Aztecs and modern Indian
tribes.
Being a good global citizen.
What impact do we have on the
environment?
Calculating their family’s carbon footprint.
Recording their food miles for a week.
DT/Home Ed
Write/research recipes and cook
food, either using rain forest
produce, fair trade ingredients or
using local ingredients to minimise
air miles.
Chocolate
Cooking with chocolate
The importance of cocoa plants to
life in the Amazon rainforest
Music
Music and songs from
Yanomano rainforest
musical
Rainsticks
Making music out of
natural objects.