St Martin de Porres Catholic Primary School
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Year 5 children AT work

During the school closure, our Year 5 children are keeping the good work at home!
Challenge yourself with Aamna's Eid and Ramadan Quiz:
1. How long do Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan?   
  •  From mid-day until midnight
  •  From sunup until sundown
  •  From mid-day to sundown 
2. Eid-al-Fitr takes place at the end of Ramadan. What month of the Islamic calendar is Ramadan?   
  • Fifth
  • Ninth
  • Second 
3. On Eid-al-Fitr, Muslims are most thankful for which gifts?   
  • Strength and endurance 
  • Peace and good health 
  • Food and drink ​
4. What are the Eid prayers called?   
  • Eid Mubarak 
  • Salat al-Eid 
5. What is the month following Ramadan called?   
  • Shawwal 
  • Muharram
  • Safar 

​Click here to view the answers.

Read Arham's story Diamond Heart:

SNOW LEOPARD (ENDANGERED) BY HAVANA
The Snow leopard is an endangered species. This will tell you why it's endangered and also give you information about its habitat. 
  • The Snow leopard can be found in high mountain ranges including the Himalayas and the southern Siberian mountains in Russia. They can also be found across a range that stretches from China to central Asia.
  • They eat the blue sheep of Tibet and the Himalayas as well as the mountain Ibex. They also eat Marmots, Hares and game birds 
  • These big cats are sometimes being killed by people so that they can reduce the risk of their domestic animals being eaten and they are also being hunted by poachers because they are used in traditional Chinese medicine and because of this they have lost at least 20 percent of their population over the last two decades.
Read Havana's research on snow leopards:
  • Also, climate change is raising the average temperature which scientists believe will shrink their alpine habitat which will drive competition with other predators such as wild dogs, leopards and tigers.
  • Luckily there is now a big effort to save Snow leopards including sanctuaries in Afghanistan, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.
  • Kyrgyzstan’s mountains now serve as a corridor for snow leopards crossing between the northern and southern ends of their range. But 40 percent of those protected areas are too small for the snow leopard.
  • To help, humans can stop polluting the earth to defeat climate change also people can stop hunting the snow leopard.

Read Isabel's poem on snakes:
Read Isabel's research on emperor penguins:
Snakes slither and slide,
Through the rainforest they glide,
When they’re angry they hiss like a train whistle,
When they’re happy they bask in the sun,
The rainforests are being cut down,
This makes them go deeper underground,
Some are poisonous,
Some are harmless,
If you see one, be careful,
Some will run from you and some will bite!!!
Emperor penguins have lots of different ways to keep warm. They have several layers of scale like feathers. It takes strong winds going at 110 kmph to ruffle them. They have small bills and flippers. Their nasal chambers recover lots of heat that they lose when they exhale. Also, they are social and huddle together to keep warm. Emperor penguins have special fats in their feet that stop them freezing. In winter they aren’t very active. Their arteries and veins are close together so that their blood is pre-cooled on the way to their feet, wings and bill. The blood gets warmed on the way back to the heart.
Read Isabel's discussion on the use of animals in medical research:
Many animals are used in medical research, especially ones that are biologically similar to humans. I will be looking at reasons on both sides of the argument that animals should be used in science experiments.
First, reasons why animals SHOULD be used in science experiments. If animals are used, medicines can be tested to see if they will be safe for people to have. Also, using animals means scientists can do more research to understand the human body. Animals are farmed for food and using them in science experiments is another way of using animals to benefit humans.
Secondly, views why animals SHOULDN'T be used in science experiments. If lots of animals are used in science experiments some species could become endangered. Also, some people think it’s morally wrong to kill animals for any reason. Animals are living creatures like humans. There may also be other ways of doing experiments which do not involve animals.
I haven’t made up my mind about this question because there are strong points on both sides.

Look at Aamna's comparative drawing:
𝕀 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕨 𝕥𝕨𝕠 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝔹𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕣 ℝ𝕖𝕖𝕗, 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕦𝕟𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕖𝕕. 𝔸𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕖𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔 𝕓𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕓𝕒𝕘𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝕚𝕤 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕕. 𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕤𝕠 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕪 𝕗𝕚𝕤𝕙.
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Read Isabel's persuasive ​letter:
Read Isabel's research on the ancient Mayan people:
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Look at Havana's ​amazing achievements:
She built a girl-sized rocket!
​She drew her first ever still life.
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Read Aamna's argumentative writing:
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Should SeaWorld be shut down?
​SeaWorld should be shut down because the owners are being extremely cruel to the animals. Many experts have said that animals like whales and dolphins should never be held captive, they need to have a lot of space. Many visitors are completely unaware of the cruelty towards the animals, but they are being held captive in tiny tanks much too small. Captive animals do not have as long a lifespan as animals in the wild. The animals could get depressed because they have been separated from their homes, their friends and even some of their families! SeaWorld not only hurts the animals, but the trainers as well! An orca called Tillikum has killed 3 trainers and injured many more. This makes SeaWorld unsafe as well.

​SeaWorld should remain open because it is a learning experience for both adults and children. You learn a lot about marine animals, and people are more likely to remember this information if they had fun learning it. Marine biologists use animals born in captivity to learn more about the parts it comes from and help our world develop. The SeaWorld shows are exciting, thrilling and engaging for all ages. It is a fun day out with your family and friends. Some animals are unable to survive on their own and need the SeaWorld trainers to help them.
​In conclusion, I think SeaWorld should close because it is cruel to the animals. Some animals need to learn how to fend for themselves in the wild, something that cannot be done at SeaWorld. Animals suffer in cramped conditions. Dolphins would swim up to 100 miles a day, and these small tanks are the size of bathtubs to them.
Read Isabel's ​poem and argumentative writing:
STAYING AT HOME
We’re staying at home,
On our phones,
Going out on short walks,
Having lots of talks,
Watching lots of films,
To keep busy,
Being together,
Whatever the weather,
To help others.
SHOULD HS2 BE BUILT?
This argument is to discuss whether or not the HS2 railway should be built.
My first point is if HS2 was to be built it would be much quicker to get, for example, from London to Birmingham. It could go from one hour and twenty one minutes to only fifty two minutes. Secondly, building HS2 would increase the amount of jobs. To build HS2 you would need people like engineers and IT workers.
Consequently, if HS2 was to be built, it could cost over a hundred billion pounds. This money could be spent on things like healthcare and schools. Also, HS2 would impact the country’s green spaces. Areas of nature would be destroyed hence animals like barn owls and otters would be put at risk. In addition, some people’s homes would be destroyed if HS2 goes ahead.
In conclusion, I feel that HS2 would be great for humans but nature would be at risk.

​28.4.20 - Aamna ​writes:
I did the 2.6 challenge by creating 26 pieces of origami. I made a scene and it is called ‘Attack of the monsters.’

Look at Aamna's and Isabel's persuasive leaflets:
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Try Isabel's ​banana experiment:
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Dear St Martin De Porres children,
I have a pretty good experiment to share with you.
You will need:
A pencil ✏️ (or a pen)
Some paper
A banana 🍌
A safety pin 🧷

First, draw a simple design on your piece of paper. I did a smiley face. Then, using your safety pin, poke your design into the banana (DON’T PEEL THE BANANA). You can poke the holes through the piece of paper .You can get an adult to help if you want. Finally, leave the banana there for 10-20 minutes. After that, the banana should have your design on in black!!!
Tip: Do the holes quite close together.
​From:Isabel yr5 .👍🏻😀

Madame Symons writes:
I have tried your experiment!
I didn't use a safety pin but and old biro that ran out of ink.
You can see how the writing darkened with time.
There is a banana missing in the last photo because... Mr Symons ate it!  ;-)

Read Isabel's ​poem and descriptive writing:
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Read Taiyah's ​amazing story:
Read another story from Taiyah:
Read Ilarnah's ​mysterious story:
Read another story from Ilarnah:
Read Isabel's ​disgusting story:
Read Havana's ​Nature vs Nurture:
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27.03.20 - Learn about Space with Isabel:
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There are eight planet's. They are Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto used to be a planet but now it isn’t. Despite Mercury being closest to the sun, Venus is the hottest planet. As Neptune is furthest away from the sun, it is the coldest planet. Jupiter is the biggest planet and Mercury is the smallest. Earth is the fourth smallest planet. All of our planets are held in orbit around the sun. 1,300,000 Earths can fit in the sun! Saturn and Jupiter have rings but Jupiter’s ring is extremely hard to see. It was discovered by NASA's voyager 1 mission in 1980. Saturn's ring is made of tiny bits of ice, dust and rocks. Some of these particles are as small as a grain of salt while others are as big as a house !!! In the solar system there is a belt called the asteroid belt. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are gas giants.
27.03.20 - Learn about Space with Taiyah:
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Science Facts About Space
Space is completely Silent.
1) There is no atmosphere in space, which means that sound has no medium or way to travel to be heard.
The hottest planet in our solar system is 450 degrees Celsius. 
2) Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system and as an average surface temperature of around 450 degrees Celsius. Interestingly, Venus is not the closest planet to the sun, Mercury is.
There may be life on Mars.
3) Of all of the planets in our solar system (apart from Earth), Mars is the one most likely to be hospitable to life. In 1986, NASA found what they thought may be fossils of microscopic living things in a rock recovered from Mars.
Nobody knows how many stars are in space.
4) The sheer size of space makes it impossible to accurately predict just how many stars we have. Right now, scientist and astronomers use the number of stars only within our galaxy, the Milky Way, to estimate that the number is between 200-400 billion stars and there are estimated to be billions of galaxies so the stars in space really are completely uncountable.
Halley's comet won't orbit past Earth again until 2061.
5) Discovered in 1705 by Edmond Halley's, the famous comet was last seen in 1986 and is only seen once every 75 to 76 months.
A full NASA suit cost $12,000,000.
6) while the entire suit cost a cool $12m, 70% of that cost is for the backpack and control module.
Neutron stars can spin 600 times per second.
7) Neutron stars are the densest and the tiniest stars are known in the universe and although they only have a radius of about 10m (16mi), they may have a mass of a few times that of The Sun. They can rotate up to 60 time per second after they are born from core-collapse supernova star explosion and have been known to spin as fast as 600-712 times because of their physics.


Read Ilarnah's ​letter to the Prime Minister:
Read Taiyah's persuasive ​letter:

When she's not researching Geography, Isabel is keeping busy doing the Holiday challenges:

Learn about e-safety with Aamna and Mary:
E-safety

01.04.20 - Learn about South America with Isabel and Havana:
SOUTH AMERICA FACTS by Isabel
1. Brazil is the largest country in South America.
​2. South America is home to the Amazon Rainforest which provides 20% of the worlds oxygen.
3. Lots of famous footballers come from South America like Pele and Ronaldinho.
4. People in South America speak lots of different languages like Spanish, Portuguese and English.
5. The smallest country in South America is Suriname.
6. The Incas were the largest group of indigenous people before the Europeans came.
7. The largest city in South America is Sao paolo in Brazil.

​South America slide-show by Havana
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After her morning work out with Joe (and her big sister), Aamna is working on her daily art project while listening to David Walliams' story. After that, it's maths' time in the sun! And let's not forget PE in the garden with big brother.
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