Witham Oaks Academy Growing Minds…Unlocking Potential
Year 6 Book List
Year 6 Autumn Term
Maafa
In the Maafa project, your child will learn about Africa today and the ancient kingdoms that thrived on the continent for thousands of years. They will learn about the origins of the transatlantic slave trade in the 15th century and Britain’s involvement from the time of Elizabeth I, when John Hawkins became the first British slave trader. Your child will understand the structure of the transatlantic slave trade and the consequences of enslavement for enslaved people. They will also discover how the people of Britain benefited from the money and goods produced by the slave trade. They will learn about the causes and consequences of the abolition of slavery in the 19th century, the worldwide African diaspora and the European colonisation in Africa. They will explore the lives and actions of black people in 20th century Britain. They will understand how the Race Relations Act of 1965 became the first piece of British legislation to tackle racial discrimination and know that the Equality Act 2010 provides people with protection against racism and other forms of discrimination, today. Your child will also explore the lives of black people who have made significant contributions to Britain and will celebrate black culture in Britain today.
�� Recommended text | �� Novel study text
Non-fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
Africa (Mathalon Maps) | Joanne Randolph | 9781474715980 | ||
Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country | Atinuke | 9781406376586 | ||
Black and British: A short, essential history | David Olusoga | 9781529063394 | ||
The History of the African & Caribbean Communities in Britain | Hakim Adi | 9781526317971 | ||
Black History Matters | Robin Walker | 9781445166896 | ||
African Empires (Black History) | Dan Lyndon-Cohen | 9781445180779 | ||
Africa and the Slave Trade (Black History) | Dan Lyndon-Cohen | 9781445180748 | ||
Resistance and Abolition (Black History) | Dan Lyndon-Cohen | 9781445180847 | ||
Community and Identity (Black History) | Dan Lyndon-Cohen | 9781445180823 | ||
The Story of Slavery (Usborne Young Reading) | Sarah Courtauld | 9780746087527 | ||
Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies | DK | 9780241503614 | ||
Greed, Seeds and Slavery | Stewart Ross | 9781905811991 | ||
Coming to England | Floella Benjamin | 9781509835492 | ||
Olaudah Equiano: From Slavery to Freedom (Collins Big Cat) | Paul Thomas | 9780007230969 | ||
William Wilberforce: The Freedom Fighter (Trail Blazers) | Derick Bingham | 9781857923711 | ||
Walter Tull’s Scrapbook | Michaela Morgan | 9781847804914 | ||
The Extraordinary Life of Mary Seacole | Naida Redgrave | 9780241372777 | ||
Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present | Jamia Wilson | 9781786039835 | ||
Fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
�� �� Freedom | Catherine Johnson | 9781407185484 | ||
Oh, Freedom! | Francesco D'Adamo | 9781850772859 | ||
Windrush Child | Benjamin Zephaniah | 9780702302725 |
Year 6 Spring Term
Frozen Kingdoms
In the Frozen Kingdoms project, your child will learn about the regions of the Arctic and Antarctic. They will learn about the similarities and differences between these two regions, including the climate, landscape and natural resources. They will learn how to use grid references, lines of latitude and longitude, contour lines and symbols to identify the geographical locations of the Arctic and Antarctic, and how these, along with the tilt of the Earth, affect day length and warmth. They will investigate polar oceans to learn how they differ from other oceans on Earth and how climate change increases Earth's temperature and leads to rising sea levels. They will learn about the indigenous people of the Arctic, including how their lives have changed over time, and about the positives and negatives of tourism in Antarctica. They will also learn about classifying animals, animal adaptations and evolution, and polar exploration and discovery.
�� Recommended text | �� Novel study text
Non-fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
Arctic and Antarctic (DK Eyewitness) | DK | 9781405394628 | ||
Polar Regions (Research on the Edge) | Louise Spilsbury | 9780750289900 | ||
Polar Scientist (The Coolest Jobs on the Planet) | Emily Shuckburgh and Catherine Chambers | 9781406280166 | ||
Polar Climates (Info Search) | Cath Senker | 9781474738422 | ||
Polar Regions (Explorer Travel Guides) | Charlotte Guillain | 9781406260137 | ||
The Future of Energy: The Great Debate (Engage Literacy) | Melanie Waldron | 9781474746342 | ||
The Secrets of the Polar Regions | Barbara Wilson | 9780979975905 | ||
Climate Change (Ecographics) | Izzi Howell | 9781445165714 | ||
Expedition to the Arctic (Travelling Wild) | Alex Woolf | 9780750283243 | ||
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Polar Explorer! | Jen Green | 9780531231548 | ||
You Wouldn’t Want to Be on Shackleton’s Polar Expedition! | Jen Green | 9781910184004 | ||
Shackleton's Journey (Flying Eye Books) | William Grill | 9781909263109 | ||
Scott of the Antarctic (Young Explorer) | Evelyn and Julian Dowdeswell | 9781406245882 | ||
Polar Explorers for Kids | Maxine Snowden | 9781556525001 | ||
Titanic (DK Eyewitness) | DK | 9781409343691 | ||
Story of the Titanic | DK | 9781409383390 | ||
The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations | Alootook Ipellie | 9781554510887 | ||
The Inuit (What Do We Know About…?) | Bryan and Cherry Alexander | 9780872263802 | ||
Fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
The Call of the Wild (A Puffin Book) | Jack London | 9780141321059 | ||
�� �� The Wolf Wilder (Bloomsbury) | Katherine Rundell | 9781526605511 | ||
Winter Magic | Abi Elphinstone | 9781471159824 | ||
Sky Song | Abi Elphinstone | 9781471146077 | ||
Race to the Frozen North: The Matthew Henson Story | Catherine Johnson | 9781781128404 | ||
Northern Lights: The Graphic Novel | Philip Pullman | 9780857535429 | ||
Brightstorm: A Sky-Ship Adventure | Vashti Hardy | 9781407181707 | ||
The Polar Bear Explorers' Club | Alex Bell | 9780571332540 | ||
Kaspar: Prince of Cats | Michael Morpurgo | 9780007267002 |
Year 6 Summer Term
Britain at War
In the Britain at War project, your child will learn about the main causes of the First World War and which countries were the major players. They will investigate why so many men volunteered to fight and then sequence the events at the start of the war. Using various sources of evidence, the children will learn about life in the trenches and the consequences of new weaponry. They will listen to first-hand accounts of life on the home front and evaluate the impact of war on everyday life. They will also discover the events that led to the Allied Powers’ victory and the consequences of the Treaty of Versailles. The children will also learn about the causes and main events of the Second World War. They will find out how Britain prepared itself for war and the war’s impact on civilian life. They will learn about the Battle of Britain and how it proved to be a key turning point for the Allied Powers. They will also hear about Anne Frank and discover what her story tells us about the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazi Party. The children will research the causes and consequences of the end of the Second World War and investigate the legacy of the wars in Britain. Closer to home, the children will research the life of a local First World War hero who sacrificed their life fighting for Britain. They will also investigate the legacy of these global conflicts in the post-war period.
�� Recommended text | �� Novel study text
Non-fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
The World Wars (Usborne) | Paul Dowswell | 9781474921053 | ||
World War I (DK Eyewitness) | DK | 9781409343660 | ||
The First World War (Usborne History of Britain) | Henry Brook | 9781409570240 | ||
Frightful First World War (Horrible Histories) | Terry Deary and Martin Brown | 9781407163888 | ||
The Story of World War One | Richard Brassey | 9781444010855 | ||
You Wouldn't Want to Be in the Trenches in World War One! | Alex Woolf | 9781909645226 | ||
World War II (DK Eyewitness) | DK | 9781409343677 | ||
The Second World War (Usborne Histoy of Britain) | Henry Brook | 9781409566410 | ||
Woeful Second World War (Horrible Histories) | Terry Deary and Martin Brown | 9781407163918 | ||
Timeline of the Second World War | Simon Adams | 9781445143477 | ||
Fighting Forces of the Second World War: In The Air | John C Miles | 9781445157856 | ||
Fighting Forces of the Second World War: On Land | John C Miles | 9781445157467 | ||
Fighting Forces of the Second World War: At Sea | John C Miles | 9781445157832 | ||
Fighting Forces of the Second World War: The Home Front | John C Miles | 9781445157870 | ||
Adolf Hitler (Usborne Famous Lives) | Katie Daynes | 9780746068168 | ||
Fiction | Waterstones | Amazon | Author | ISBN |
�� �� Goodnight Mister Tom (A Puffin Book) | Michelle Magorian | 9780141354804 | ||
The Great War: Stories Inspired by Objects from the First World War | Various | 9781406370713 | ||
War Horse | Michael Morpurgo | 9781405226660 | ||
Private Peaceful | Michael Morpurgo | 9780007486441 | ||
Poppy Field (The Royal British Legion) | Michael Morpurgo | 9781407181424 | ||
The Skylarks' War | Hilary McKay | 9781509894963 | ||
Stay where you are and then Leave | John Boyne | 9780552570589 | ||
War is Over | David Almond | 9781444940312 | ||
Coming Home (My Story) | Jim Eldridge | 9781407186689 | ||
Friend or Foe | Michael Morpurgo | 9781405233378 | ||
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas | John Boyne | 9781909531192 | ||
Noor-un-Nissa Inayat Khan (My Story) | Sufiya Ahmed | 9780702300059 | ||
When We Were Warriors | Emma Carroll | 9780571350407 | ||
Letters From The Lighthouse | Emma Carroll | 9780571327584 | ||
Duty Calls: Battle of Britain | James Holland | 9780141332208 | ||
Blackout | Tony Bradman | 9781407193298 | ||
Hitler's Canary | Sandi Toksvig | 9780440866626 | ||
Only Remembered | Michael Morpurgo | 9780552574051 | ||
Poems from the Second World War | Gaby Morgan | 9781509838882 | ||
Archie's War: My Scrapbook of The First World War | Marcia Williams | 9781406352689 | ||
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank (Abridged by Mirjam Pressler) | 9780141345352 | ||
Survivors of the Holocaust | Kath Shackleton | 9781445150437 | ||
Voices from the Second World War: Witnesses share their stories with the children of today | First News (UK) Limited | 9781406365986 | ||
Home Again: Stories About Coming Home From War | Various | 9780702300547 |