Year 2 -

Alkebu-ian map

The borders and countries we see on maps of Africa today were shaped largely by the ambitions and decisions of European colonial powers. This raises an interesting question: What might Africa look like if colonialism had never taken place? Although it is impossible to know for certain, Swedish graphic artist Nikolaj Cyon believed it was an important question to explore.

Cyon created this map using information about historical empires, kingdoms, ethnic groups and language regions. It presents a view of Africa as it might have appeared in 1844. He explained that he focused mainly on historical states that were governed by strong, centralised authorities between AD 1300 and 1844.

According to Cyon, if colonialism had not occurred, African states may have developed in a way similar to those in Europe. Their borders would likely have followed natural features such as rivers, valleys and mountain ranges, creating irregular shapes that curve and weave across the landscape. In contrast, many of the borders on today's map of Africa are long, straight lines that were drawn during the colonial period.

Another striking feature of this map is that it appears to be upside down. This design choice was inspired by traditional Islamic maps, which often placed south at the top rather than north. By presenting Africa from a different perspective, the map encourages us to think more carefully about how maps are created and how they can reflect different ways of viewing the world.

There is so much more to write and describe about this map but we will leave that to Year 2 to discover and tell you about.

(Information source: 40 maps that will change how you see the World by Alastair Bonnett)

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Purple Mash

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Click here to be directed to our Purple Mash information page.

Daily Phonics

Phonics is one of the key tools for reading and writing. At Holy Trinity, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP). We start teaching phonics in Nursery/Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

The resources here will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. There are also some useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel confident about supporting their reading at home.

Reading

Please click on the links below to access different online stories that children can read or listen to. Most of them do not require you to sign up. Enjoy!

Oxford Owl

Book Trust

Story Online

Magic Key Story Books

Audible Stories