Science

Friday Library Recommendations: The Extraordinary Book That

/ / Library

We’re staying with National Non Fiction November this week, and I’ve chosen two books from an extraordinary series…

The Extraordinary Book That Invents Itself by Alison Buxton, Helen Bell, and Pintachan, sparks the imagination of young readers and budding engineers. Aimed at children who are curious about the world of science and technology, this book introduces them to the exciting field of invention in a fun, interactive way. From rockets to bionic hands, this book shows children how to build real-world inventions using simple materials and clever engineering principles.

What makes this book so engaging is the way it brings complex STEM concepts to life through hands-on activities. Each activity focuses on a different invention, explaining the scientific ideas behind it in easy-to-understand terms. Whether it’s the principles of gravity, aerodynamics, or coding, kids learn how these concepts work as they build rockets, code-breaking machines, and even balancing acrobats. The instructions are clear and straightforward, making even tricky projects feel achievable for young inventors. This book is more than just a guide to making cool things—it’s a tool for building confidence in problem-solving, creative thinking, and perseverance. It shows young inventors that, with a little curiosity and a lot of imagination, they can create anything.

My next choice, The Extraordinary Book That Makes You An Artist by Mary Richards and Go Suga, isn’t just a book; it’s an art adventure that will inspire you to see the world in a new, colorful way. If you want to encourage anyone to explore their artistic potential, this book is an absolute must-have.

This interactive masterpiece doesn’t just tell a story—it becomes a story that you create. With every page you turn, you’ll uncover new ways to make art, explore different artistic styles, and even learn about famous art movements like Pop Art, Cubism, and Surrealism. It’s educational but not in the traditional sense; instead of simply explaining concepts, it allows readers to experience art. It’s an invitation to explore, imagine, and get their hands dirty with paint, scissors, and markers. Perfect for building a budding artist’s confidence in their creative abilities and for sparking their imagination, they might start by folding a page into a 3D sculpture, using another page to design a colour wheel, or turning a spread into a pop art masterpiece. And that’s not all: the book’s cover doubles as an art portfolio where creations can be stored, turning the book into an ongoing personal gallery that can be visited again and again.

If you love these two books, there are two more Extraordinary books in the series to explore; The Extraordinary Book That Makes You Feel Happy (to feel positive, confident, focused, calm, relaxed, inclusive and included), and The Extraordinary Book That Eats Itself (every page turns into an eco project that helps you save the planet and recycles the book).

Happy reading and creating!

Tree Planting

/ / Parent/Carer Support

Yesterday, every child planted a tree at Tutbury Avenue Open Space. The children worked with Coventry City Council Urban Rangers, who taught the children how to plant a tree and talked about the importance of trees and their role of supporting the environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to go and see how our trees are growing, you can find them here:

Winter Walk

/ / Reception

As part of our Forest Friday this week we went on a walk to look for signs of winter. The children discovered frost and ice around the field and on the plants. They enjoyed exploring and touching the ice with their hands and watching it melt.

 

Year 5: How do rollercoaster designers use forces to help them?

/ / Year 5

Year 5 was full of groans, sighs, and triumphant cheers as they put all of their knowledge of forces to the test to create rollercoasters in Science. They had tracks with loop the loops, curved sides and hills. It was wonderful to see their teamwork, discipline, resilience and enjoyment as they problem-solved issues along the way to ensure they got just the right amount of momentum from gravity, before friction and air resistance stopped their marble from completing their track.

Huge thanks to Mr and Mrs Barrow for donating the insulation pipes which made this lesson possible.

Autumn leaves

/ / Reception

We’ve had such a busy, exciting week in Reception exploring the signs of Autumn. The children have made Autumn crowns and jewellery using the different colour leaves they found on their Autumn walk around the school grounds. They also learnt about hedgehogs and why they hibernate. We made clay and potato hedgehogs and then created a cozy home for them.

Year 6: How does a heart work?

/ / Uncategorized

In Year 6, we have been biologists, investigating how the human heart works.

We used a balloon to recreate the pumping of the heart, and with each depression of the balloon, blood (juice) flowed out of the heart to oxygenate the rest of the body.

Running like Usain Bolt

/ / Year 3

Year 3 had a fun afternoon of Science finding out about Usain Bolt and his world record in running the 100 metres. First, they predicted how long it would take them to run the same distance. Then using trundle wheels, they measured the exact distance and worked in groups with stopwatches to record their times. We have some great athletes in Year 3, who will no doubt be breaking records like Usain Bolt very soon!

Translucent stained glass windows

/ / Year 3

As scientists this afternoon, the children in Year 3 continued their learning of light and investigated different materials and objects to see which were transparent, translucent and opaque. Using torches, they were able to group items according to the amount of light that was transferred through them.

The children also made their own translucent stained glass windows which look beautiful hanging up in the classroom! Super work Year 3.

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