Download Year 5 Topic Homework: Fire and Ice

Year 5 optional homework - Mysterious Mesopotamia
Your homework is your choice. You should complete 3 activities over the course of the half term.
You can also choose how to present your tasks - on paper, as a quiz, as a poster or using ICT.
We expect you to complete each homework task with care and to the best of your ability.
The hand in dates are: Choice 1: Friday 12 June
Mesopotamian Maths
Choice 2: Friday 26 June
Poetry
The Sumerians developed a number system
based on the number 60, which influenced the
way we measure time nowadays. Think about
some everyday activities you do and some special
activities you have done. Calculate how long
these activities last in seconds.
Choose an aspect of Mesopotamia
that particularly interests you
and write a poem about it.
Think about how we wrote poetry
in class; building up a bank of
For example, it takes me 120 seconds to brush words and expressions, creating
my teeth but when I went to visit my uncle the images with our words, and
editing and improving until we
journey lasted about 12600 seconds!
were proud of our poems.
Choice 3: Friday 10 July
Modern Mesopotamia
Talk to adults in your
family and do research on
child-friendly sites like
www.bbc.co.uk/newsround
to find out what has been
going on in recent years
in the region that used
to be called Mesopotamia.
What is special about the number sixty? Do you Some suggestions for themes
know your 60 times table? Challenge yourself to include: astronomy, the rivers,
find as many reasons as possible why it is a gods and goddesses, or battles.
special number.
Literacy
Design and build a ziggurat. You
could draw it in 3D on spotted paper
or have a go with free software like
SketchUp. For building it you could
use cardboard boxes, Lego, sand,
bricks or whatever
works.
else
Compare the Mesopotamian civilizations of
Assyria, Babylonia and Sumer. See how
many differences you can find and how
many connectives you can use in your
sentences.
Eg. The Assyrians are from the north of
Mesopotamia, while the Babylonians are
from the central region. However, the
Sumerians are from the south of the
region.
You could illustrate your writing.
Research the materials used and
the designs of Mesopotamian
necklaces.
Use string, beads, stones, silver
foil, shells or wire to make a
Mesopotamian styled
necklace.
Prepare an explanation about how
your necklace is inspired by
Mesopotamian designs
and materials.
Special Sixty
Ancient Architecture
Design a Mesopotamian
Necklace
Warfare!
Research about warfare
in Mesopotamian
(especially during the
period dominated by the
Assyrians). You could:
build a model of a city
wall with crenellations;
make a shield or helmet
like the Assyrians used,
or find out about
Assyrian bows. Find
information at:
www.mesopotamia.co.uk/
warfare
Scribe like a Mesopotamian
Do some research about how the
Mesopotamians used a cuneiform system for
writing. Write your name and a message.
Teach some symbols to your friends. Here is
one site that could help you:
www.penn.museum/games/cuneiform.shtml
Sketching Sculpture
Do some sketches of Mesopotamian
sculptures. Make sure you include the
typical features and try to show the
different textures.