Home learning tasks 09.10.26
Reading
Primary 6 Reading Skills: The Mystery of Oakridge Island
Instructions:
- Skim the text first (read it very quickly in less than 60 seconds) to get the general idea.
- Scan the text (look rapidly for keywords, numbers, or capital letters) to find the exact answers to the questions below.
The Text
Oakridge Island is an uninhabited, crescent-shaped island located 14 miles off the coast of Scotland. Discovered in 1742 by Captain Arthur Pendelton, the island spans just 3.5 square kilometres. It is famous for its dense pine forests, rugged cliffs, and the ruins of Oakridge Castle, which sits at the highest point of the island, 82 metres above sea level.
Local legends claim that a Spanish pirate ship named The Sea Viper sank near the northern bay in 1689. Over the years, many explorers have visited the island looking for lost gold coins. In 1994, a team of marine archaeologists found a wooden chest buried in the sand, but it contained only old leather boots and an iron key, rather than treasure.
Today, the island is a protected wildlife reserve. It is home to approximately 1,200 puffins, a rare species of red squirrel, and 45 different types of sea birds. Visitors are only allowed on the island during the summer months, between May and August, and all boats must leave before 18:00 to avoid disturbing the nocturnal wildlife.
Choose the challenge level that best fits you:
🟢 Level 1: Bronze Challenge
Hint: Scan for numbers and capital letters to find these answers quickly.
- In what year was Oakridge Island discovered? ____________________
- What is the name of the castle ruins on the island? ____________________
- How many puffins live on the island? ____________________
- In which months are visitors allowed to visit? ____________________
🔵 Level 2: Silver Challenge
Hint: Look for keywords like “miles”, “sank”, and “time” to scan efficiently.
- How many miles off the coast of Scotland is the island located? ____________________
- What was the name of the pirate ship that sank in 1689? ____________________
- What did archaeologists actually find inside the wooden chest in 1994? ____________________
- What time must all visitor boats leave the island by? ____________________
🔴 Level 3: Gold Challenge
Hint: You will need to skim for the main idea and scan carefully for precise data.
- Skimming Question: In your own words, what is the main purpose of the third paragraph?
- Exactly how high above sea level is the highest point of the island? ____________________
- What two specific types of animals (not birds) are mentioned as living on the island?
____________________ and ____________________ - Calculate the time difference: How many years passed between The Sea Viper sinking and the island being discovered? ____________________
Numeracy Tasks
P6 Space Mission: Subtraction Countdown
🟢 Green Zone: Rocket Launch
Warm up your engines! Complete these 3-digit and 4-digit subtractions using column method.
text
1) 4,589 2) 7,324 3) 6,912
– 2,143 – 3,102 – 4,538
_______ _______ _______
Use code with caution.ext
4) 8,251 5) 5,000 6) 3,456
– 4,139 – 2,431 – 1,287
_______ _______ _______
Use code with caution.
🔵 Blue Zone: Orbiting Earth (Core P6 Level)
You are entering deep orbit! Master these 5-digit subtractions. Watch out for exchanging/borrowing!
text
7) 54,892 8) 82,145 9) 70,431
– 21,351 – 43,628 – 35,284
_______ _______ _______
Use code with caution.
10) 93,204 11) 61,250 12) 40,000
– 56,187 – 14,872 – 18,345
_______ _______ _______
🔴 Red Zone: Deep Space Mystery (Extension / Missing Values)
Alien emergency! Space dust has erased some of the numbers. Work backwards to find the missing digits marked by the squares ( ⬜ ).
text
13) 6 ⬜,8 4 9 14) 8 5,⬜ 2 3 15) ⬜ 3,2 0 4
– 2 3,⬜ 1 5 – ⬜ 2,4 1 ⬜ – 4 ⬜,1 8 7
___________ ___________ ___________
4 1,5 3 4 5 2,9 1 1 1 6,0 ⬜ 7
16) ⬜ ⬜,0 0 0
– 2 4,3 ⬜ 5
___________
4 5,6 1 5
IDL -Old Edinburgh
P6 Geography Mission: Mapping Edinburgh’s Landmarks
Part 1: The Core Map Task
Your Objective: Create a clear, colourful tourist map of Edinburgh city centre.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Draw the Boundaries: On a blank sheet of A4 or A3 paper, lightly draw a line across the middle from left to right. Label the top half New Town and the bottom half Old Town.
- Add the Main Street: Draw a long, straight road right through the middle separating the two halves. Label this Princes Street.
- Plot the Landmarks: Draw a small icon (like a tiny castle or a little hill) and write the name for each of these 6 famous Edinburgh landmarks in their correct general positions:
- Edinburgh Castle (High up on the left side of the Old Town)
- The Palace of Holyroodhouse (On the far right side of the Old Town)
- The Royal Mile (The long road connecting the Castle to the Palace)
- Arthur’s Seat (A massive extinct volcano sitting just below/behind the Palace)
- The Scott Monument (A tall, pointy tower sitting right on Princes Street)
- Calton Hill (A hill with columns on the far right side of the New Town)
- Make a Map Key: In the bottom corner, create a Key/Legend. Draw your symbols (e.g., a crown for the Palace, a triangle for a hill) and write what they mean.
- Add a Compass Rose: Draw a neat compass pointing North, South, East, and West in the top corner.
Part 2: The Challenge Activities
🧭 Challenge 1: The Navigator’s Directions
Use a digital compass (North, South, East, West) and your map to answer these navigation questions.
- A tourist is standing at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Which direction must they walk along the Royal Mile to reach Edinburgh Castle? _______________
- If you climb to the top of the Scott Monument and look directly South, which historic area of the city are you looking at? _______________
- A runner starts at Calton Hill and heads directly South. Which landmark will they run past first? _______________
- Name one landmark that is completely North of Princes Street. _______________
📏 Challenge 2: The Cartographer’s Scale (Maths Integration)
Real map makers use scales. For this challenge, let’s pretend 1 cm on your paper map = 100 metres in real life.
- You measure the distance on your map between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and your ruler says it is 16 cm. How many metres is this in real life? _______________
- The real-life walking distance from Princes Street to the top of Arthur’s Seat is roughly 2,000 metres. How many centimetres long should your walking route line be on your map? _______________
- If a tourist walks at a speed of 100 metres every minute, how many minutes would it take them to walk a distance that measures 5 cm on your map? _______________
🕵️ Challenge 3: The Urban Planner’s Dilemma
Read the scenario below and complete the critical thinking task.
The Scenario: The City of Edinburgh Council wants to build a brand new Tram Extension and a Modern Visitor Centre to handle the thousands of tourists visiting every day. However, Edinburgh is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning historic views cannot be ruined by modern buildings.
- Task: On your map, choose a location to draw a new Tram Station (marked with a 🚋) and a Visitor Centre (marked with an ℹ️).
- The Catch: You cannot place them directly on top of Arthur’s Seat or the Castle.
- Justify Your Choice: Write a short paragraph (3–4 sentences) explaining why your chosen location is perfect. (Think about: Is it easy for tourists to walk to? Does it ruin the view of the Old Town? Is it close to existing transport?)
Read the passage and answer the questions fully:
The Deep Ocean Ecosystem
The deep ocean, starting roughly 200 meters below the surface, is an environment of extremes. It is completely dark, nearly freezing, and subject to crushing pressure. Despite these harsh conditions, a remarkable variety of life thrives here. Scientists divide this zone into layers, including the Midnight Zone (200m to 4,000m) and the Abyssal Zone (4,000m to 6,000m). Temperatures here hover just above freezing, usually between 1°C and 4°C.
To survive without sunlight, many organisms rely on bioluminescence—the ability to produce their own light through chemical reactions. For instance, the Anglerfish uses a glowing lure dangling above its head to attract prey. Deep-sea creatures have also adapted structurally; many have soft, gel-like bodies to prevent them from being crushed by the intense hydrostatic pressure. In 1977, researchers discovered hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. These vents spew mineral-rich water heated to over 400°C, supporting unique ecosystems that do not rely on solar energy.
Level 1: Scanning Questions (Find the exact details)
- At what depth does the deep ocean environment officially begin?
- What is the specific temperature range typically found in the Midnight and Abyssal zones?
- In what year were hydrothermal vents first discovered by researchers?
Skimming Questions (Find the main point)
4. Read the text quickly. In one short sentence, what is the main idea of the second paragraph?
Level 2: Intermediate (Focus: Strategy Identification & Speed)
Scanning Questions (Find the exact details)
- Scan the text to locate two specific zones of the deep ocean mentioned by name.
- What temperature can the mineral-rich water spewing from hydrothermal vents reach?
- Which specific creature is named as an example of an organism using a glowing lure?
Skimming Questions (Find the main point)
4. If you only look at the first sentence of each paragraph, what summary best captures the whole text?
- A) A history of deep-sea exploration vehicles.
- B) The extreme conditions of the deep ocean and how life adapts to survive there.
- C) The dangers of ocean pollution and melting ice caps.
Level 3: Advanced (Focus: Rapid Discrimination & Technical Integration)
Scanning Questions (Find the exact details)
- Locate and write down the exact scientific term used in the text to describe the process where animals generate their own light.
- What specific physical trait helps deep-sea creatures avoid being crushed by the intense hydrostatic pressure?
Skimming Questions (Find the main point)
3. Skim the entire text in 10 seconds. Is this text meant to persuade you to protect the oceans, inform you about deep-sea biology, or instruct you on how to build a submarine?
4. Based on a quick read, what alternative title best fits the entire passage?
Numeracy
Non -standard Addition
Complete the following non-standard additions using what we’ve learned in class this week.
Level 1:
113 + 454 349+ 230 761+101 274 + 723 628 + 234
Challenge round your answers to the nearest 100!
Level 2:
1453 + 6544 2654 +8765 9087 + 2654 8732 + 2453 6654+ 2099
Challenge round your answers to the nearest 1000!
Level 3:
18453 + 60544 32654 +87965 90987 + 26554 38732 + 24533
26654+ 20899 28764+ 10999 65223 + 67662 89772 + 64220
Challenge round your answers to the nearest 10000!
IDL-Old Edinburgh
Based on our learning in school over the last few weeks design a poster all about the plague, include the following information:
-details of how the plague was caused
-details of symptoms of the plague
-consequences of catching the plague
HT Home Learning Challenge (Hot) Due Monday 19th October
It’s time for our annual Autumn Photography Competition. Simply email 1 autumn photograph, taken in the local area, to the school admin account along with your name and class before 19th October 2026. Three prizes up for grabs! Good luck and happy Autumn Watching!
Read this passage. Can you answer the questions?
Questions:
Listening and Talking
Listening and Talking
What are you looking forward to doing at Almond Valley? Talk to your adults about it.
Spelling
Practise reading and spelling these words containing the ‘ous’ spelling pattern from your chosen list. Remember to challenge yourself! Can you use these words correctly in a sentence?
Practise spelling and grammar of your choice on BBC Bitesize Crystal Explorers.
Numeracy:
Can you work out the missing angles? Remember, a full turn is 360°.
Sumdog – attempt the Sumdog challenges set for you.
Hot task:
Celebrating Achievements! We want to have an achievement from out of school celebrated for every single child (and staff member) in our school.
Achievements will be shared on our new electronic display board in the centre of the school, so please take a few seconds to share your achievement with us by clicking here:
https://forms.office.com/e/UPLpBWPPz