As readers we will read stories, recounts, diaries and non-fiction which will explore what it is like to be shipwrecked and have to adapt to a new environment, or await rescue.  We will also study ‘Twelfth Night’ by William Shakespeare, which begins with a shipwreck.

As writers we will write recounts and poetry, putting ourselves in role as someone who has been shipwrecked.  We will write a school report for a character in Twelfth Night.

As mathematicians we will explore Titanic data and create tables and bar graphs to represent it. We will also look at the temperature in Antarctica and complete a line graph to show the difference between the temperature there and in Britain.

As scientists we will investigate the forces of water resistance and upthrust to help us understand why boats float (and sometimes why they don’t)!

As historians we will study first-hand accounts and secondary sources to help us learn about Edwardian life, Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica and Titanic’s maiden voyage. We will explore the cause and effect of each shipwreck.

As geographers we will discover why Antarctica is such a unique continent and a difficult place to survive in.  We will identify the position and significance of latitude and longitude and create maps which track Shackleton’s expedition. We will also investigate how Antarctica is threatened by global warming.

As artists and designers we will look at famous paintings of shipwrecks by artists like Turner and Claussen Dahl, as well as making textile collages depicting rock pools.

As musicians we will listen to ‘Storm’ interlude by Benjamin Britten and explore how tension and drama are built during the piece.