Did you know , Kapok fiber, also called silk cotton, comes from the seed pods of the Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) and has been traditionally used as a natural stuffing material for cushions, pillows, mattresses, and life jackets because it is lightweight and water-resistant.The Kapok tree grows naturally in tropical rainforests, especially in regions like the Amazon, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. By harvesting the seed fibres (without cutting down the tree), people can benefit from the rainforest without destroying it, making kapok a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic stuffing materials like polyester.

In D&T Toucans have been making cushions. This has required them to learn the skill of doing a running stitch and skills in folding and adding decorations.

Our DT project this half term has been working towards making our own fire engines. On Wednesday we had an amazing afternoon of DT where we worked super hard to make them. We focused on applying the skills we had learnt and tried to be independent problem solvers… it wasn’t always easy!

We learnt many new skills including how to saw wood safely. It really wasn’t as easy as it looked! We measured our dowel then added 2-4cm so we had room to attach our wheels. We turned our box inside out so we could paint it. We had to figure out how to make all the extras from the materials we had available. We really had some impressive ideas!

Well done Toucans!

In Design and Technology (D&T) we are learning about construction.

Today we looked at tools that would help us make our cardboard fire engine.

We discussed safety rules and how to use them correctly.

Today we had a glorious day improving our cooking skills! First, we made sure we had good hygiene. We washed our hands and made sure our hair wouldn’t get in the way.

Throughout the process we improved on many skills. Look at our fabulous photos before.

This half term we will be cooking! We will be designing our own healthy pasta or potato salad. Today the aim of our learning was to explore existing products.

Mr Lo introduced existing products that are found in a supermarket. Unfortunately he couldn’t buy some of them as they had nuts in them but we were still excited to try the ones we had anyway!

Before we tried them we explored what was in them and how they are made.

We then discussed how they tasted.

This half term in DT we have been working towards making ourselves a cushion for our ERIC sessions. We enjoyed researching different types of cushions and then designed our own.

Did you know that Kapok fibres (capox) that are used for stuffing are related to our Rainforest theme? Kapok fibre come from the seeds of the kapok tree, which grows in warm places like the rainforest. These trees have big pods that look like giant beans. When the pods open, they release fluffy, soft fibers that are light and silky. People collect these fibers to use them for making pillows, mattresses, and even life jackets because they are very light and float on water. So, kapok fibres are special gifts from the kapok tree!

We all improved skills in

• using templates to cut out shapes

• joining textiles using a running stitch
• decorating textiles by adding buttons and sequins.

Today we had a glorious day improving our cooking skills! First, we made sure we had good hygiene. We washed our hands and made sure our hair wouldn’t get in the way.

Throughout the process we improved on many skills. Look at our fabulous photos before.

Well done Toucans. You’ve been on a wonderful journey of

Market Research –> Design –> Instruction Writing –> Cooking.

Mr Lo loves food and this half term we will be cooking! We will be designing our own healthy pasta or potato salad. Today the aim of our learning was to explore existing products.

Mr Lo introduced existing products that are found in a supermarket. Unfortunately he couldn’t buy some of them as they had nuts in them but we were still excited to try the ones we had anyway!

Before we tried them we explored what was in them and how they are made.

We then predicted what they might taste like and thought about the vocabulary used to describe them.

And of course.. lots of fun taste-testing! We also tried a Edamame bean salad (without the spicy dressing) which was very popular.