Year 2 Home Learning Challenges 21.1.25

Date: 21st Jan 2025 @ 8:52am

Dear Year 2,
Since our school is closed because of a burst water pipe, let’s use this as an opportunity to learn more about water and why it’s so important. Below are some fun science challenges and activities to try at home.

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Water Around Us Challenge

• Look around your home and make a list of all the ways you use water every day.
• Think about: What happens if there’s no water? How would this affect your day?

Challenge Question: Can you write or draw why water is so important for people, animals, and plants?

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Literacy: Expanding Words into Phrases

1. Pick a word from the list below, or choose one of your own:

   • tree
   • cloud
   • river
   • flower
   • bird

2. Expand the word into a phrase by describing:

   • What it looks like (tall, leafy tree).
   • What it’s doing (swaying gently in the wind).
   • Where it is (in the middle of the park).

Example:
Start with tree. Expand it to:

• The tall, leafy tree swaying gently in the wind by the playground.

3. Challenge: Choose 3–5 words and expand them into descriptive phrases. Then write a short poem using your phrases.

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PE: Gymnastics Shapes

• Practice making these gymnastics shapes at home (on a soft surface or carpet):

  • Star Shape: Stand with arms and legs wide apart.
  • Tuck Shape: Sit with your knees pulled to your chest and arms wrapped around them.
  • Pencil Shape: Stand straight with arms by your side.
  • Arch Shape: Lie on your tummy and lift your arms and legs slightly off the floor.
  • Dish Shape: Lie on your back and lift your arms and legs slightly off the floor.

• Try linking three shapes together into a sequence. Practice moving smoothly from one shape to the next.

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Numeracy: Counting Sides on Shapes

• Look around your house for different objects shaped like:

  • Triangles (e.g., a slice of pizza, a hanger).
  • Squares (e.g., a coaster, a cushion).
  • Rectangles (e.g., a book, a door).
  • Circles (e.g., a plate, a clock).

• For each object, count and record the number of sides.

• Challenge: Can you find any pentagons (5 sides) or hexagons (6 sides)?

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Optional Extra Activities:

1. Art: Draw a picture of one of your phrases from the literacy task (e.g., a tall, leafy tree swaying in the wind).
2. Maths Puzzle: Draw 2D shapes on a piece of paper and label how many sides each has. Decorate your shapes for fun!
3. Reading: Read a book and write down one word you think is interesting or new. Can you use it in a sentence?