Tutankhamun's Tomb

Class 3V continued their studies of Ancient Egypt with an afternoon stepping into the shoes of the famous archaeologist, Howard Carter.

The scene was set: it was autumn 1922, in the Valley of the Kings.  Lord Carnarvon, a British aristocrat, had spent eight years financing the search for the lost tomb of the boy Pharaoh, Tutankhamun, but to no avail.  His patience (as well as his money!) was running out.  Howard Carter knew this was his last chance.  He was almost giving up hope...

Quite unexpectedly, a young boy, who was employed by Carter as a water carrier, stumbled across some old stone steps buried in the sand.  Could this be the entrance to the lost tomb?

Filled with trepidation, 3V took it in turns to investigate the mysterious tomb that had appeared in the literacy area.  Since the the tomb was sealed, awaiting the arrival of the Egyptian authorities, the class had time only for a very quick peek into the gloom.  They knew they had to remember what they had seen in order to make field sketches of their finds...

Armed only with a torch, each pupil took a turn investigating the contents of the tomb.  They could only look for a few seconds, in case the stale air inside the ancient tomb overcame them.  They had to use all their powers of observation to remember what they had seen, in order to create a field sketch of an artefact.

We then looked in detail at the different artefacts, piecing together the pictures of the different grave goods that we had found.  There were so many different things, each made of lavish materials such as gold and jewels.  We decided that the tomb must belong to someone very important.  But where was Tutankhamun himself?

We looked closely at original photographs of the tomb again.  There was a patch of plaster that didn't seem to match.  A guardian statue stood on each side... What could be hiding behind the wall?

The anticipation in the room was palpable as we peeled back the plaster... to reveal an enormous wooden door emblazoned with hieroglyphs!  Surely this must be the tomb?  Inside, there was a stone coffin, and another, and another, until finally the glorious golden sarcophagus was revealed!  We were able to confirm that we had indeed found the tomb of the boy king, Tutankhamun.

A volunteer examined the tomb, on which the famous curse was inscribed: "Death shall come on swift wings to him who disturbs the peace of the King."  In spite of the risk, the final box was opened, to reveal the beautiful, ornate mask of Tutankhamun himself!

Mental Health Awareness

We had a special assembly this morning from the White Socks Theatre Company, who came to talk to us about looking after our mental health and the different ways in which we can cope with stressful situations.

The assembly was great fun, taking the form of a game show with plenty of audience participation!  We learnt that there are many different ways of coping with stressful situations, and different people will find different approaches helpful at different times.

In class, we have also been looking after our mental health, by practising mindfulness meditation.  This is a really useful way to unwind and take a few moments to focus on breathing calmly.  We have been using the 'Peace Out' series of meditations, which are especially designed for children.  If you would like to have a go at home, the first meditation in the series can be found here.

Diwali Celebrations

In Year 3 we have recently begun studying aspects of the Hindu faith, focusing particularly on the festival of Diwali, which traditionally takes place towards the end of October.

We have been looking at how Hindus prepare for Diwali: sharing prayer and worship at the Mandir and at home, retelling the story of Rama and Sita, and lighting diva lamps to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi into their homes over the festive period.

Today, we looked at how Hindus decorate their homes with beautiful, colourful Rangoli patterns, and had a go at making our own designs, before sampling some different Indian foods which might be enjoyed by a Hindu family at Diwali time.

Some of the children had tasted Indian foods before, but for some this was a brand new experience.  Everyone was very well mannered and ready to try something new!  I was really impressed by everyone's good table manners and enthusiasm.

In a few weeks' time, we will be taking Year 3 to visit a Hindu Mandir in Birmingham (letters containing all the details were sent home with the children today), which we hope will bring their studies even further to life.

Parental Consultations

Dear Parents and Carers

Parental consultations are due to take place on Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.  I have had around 20 responses from parents and carers wishing to book appointments to see me (thank you very much for those) but I am still waiting for some to come back to me.  

I will be sending out appointments letters over the next few days to those parents and carers who have already requested to see me.  If you have not yet done so, please could you check through your son or daughter's book bag to make sure you have received the letter!  Bookings can be made online by scanning the QR code on the letter and completing some basic details, or you can simply fill in and return the paper form.

Many thanks.

Mrs Vaqueiro

Science Update...

3V are delighted to reveal the results of their recent celery experiment!  

Avid readers of this blog will recall that the class were conducting an experiment to try to prove that plants will suck water up their stems towards their leaves.

This afternoon, we had a look at the results, and we were amazed to see how well the celery had taken up the coloured water - the tops of the celery had turned blue, and even some of the leaves had begun to change colour too!  We snapped the celery stalks open and could clearly see that the xylem (water tubes) inside the stems were full of blue coloured water, while the control experiment, which had just plain water to drink, remained clear.

Take a look at the fantastic results!

Glorious Glockenspiels!

In 3V this half term, we have been following the 'Charanga' online music programme for schools, developing our musical understanding and learning new skills.  Our focus song for the half term is 'Let Your Spirit Fly' and we have been learning to spot the rhythms in the song, and developing our understanding of written music, by looking at the different notes on the stave, and counting beats in a bar.

Today, we had a go at playing a simple harmony to the song on the glockenspiels - beginning with a single note 'C,' and then moving to more complex patterns involving sequences of different notes.

Here are some photos of the children enjoying the opportunity to play their instruments.

Mummy Mayhem!

In our history lessons in 3V we have been learning all about the Ancient Egyptians.  This week, we looked at how the Ancient Egyptians looked after their dead.  

We learnt that the Ancient Egyptians believed that the body should be preserved as well possible, so that the soul could recognise the body when the two were reunited in the afterlife.  

We looked at all the grisly details of the mummification process and then acted out the mummification for ourselves.  We had brilliant fun mummifying a pupil and going through all the necessary steps to ensure that he was beautifully preserved!