Please remember to login to Spelling Shed and practise your spellings! There is also an activity below to complete with this week's list:
On some of the days over the next three weeks, we will be looking at the poem 'Plum' by Tony Mitton. You can find out more about Tony Mitton on his website and there is also a clip of him reading the poem there.
Plum is the title poem of Tony Mitton's best known collection of children's poetry. As with so many of his poems, Plum goes much deeper than you first think. It can be re-read and thought about many times.
The poem uses straightforward language and rhyme. The first sentence almost takes you by surprise with its directness and abruptness, which is also amusing. The poem uses personification, addressing the plum as if it were a person reflecting on their mortality.
Today's activity - please find out what the word glum means. Practise performing the poem holding a real or imaginary plum. If you do have a real plum, eat it slowly and enjoy it!
Have a think about these questions (you could discuss them with someone at home if you like) and write the answers down. Remember to use full sentences like we do in class!
1. Who is "the you" in this poem?
2. Why might the plum be feeling glum?
3. How does the poet try to cheer the plum up?
4. What is the mystery under the plum's skin?
5. Is this poem just about a plum? What else might the poem be saying?
Write two quick lists:
1. Ten things that make me glum
2. Ten things that make me happy
Choose one of the lists to write as a poem by expanding the items on the list with adjectives and extra detail. For example, pizza could expand to a steaming, crusty pizza with swirls of sweet red ketchup.
Send us in your poems when you're done - we'd love to see them!
Look at the trees near your home. Do you know what sort of trees they are? Using a dictionary or computer, find the definitions of these words:
- germination
- seedling
- sapling
- bough
- canopy
- deciduous
- evergreen
- forest
Find the names of 10 trees that grow in the UK. Which one is your favourite and why? This link might help you with identifying trees around you - if your family go for a walk, it might be helpful!
Today we are going to do some reading comprehension. The piece is called "Choosing a Bike" and there should be a copy in the packs that were sent home with the children last term. If you have misplaced your pack, there is a picture below of the text and questions. Please let us know if you can't see them clearly and we can photocopy some for you to collect.
Please visit Pobble 365 and, using the picture on the website, complete the activities below.