Year 4
'Let your light shine before others, so they see your good works and give glory to God' - Matthew 5 v. 16
Our teacher for this year is Miss Birkett. Our learning support assistants are Mrs Birch, Ms Friel, Ms Rahima, and Ms Baptiste.
Year 4 Spoken Language Objectives
Year 4 Recommended Reading List
Spring One Learning
English
Learning
The children will start the term by writing travel brochures inspired by Narnia.
The children will then move onto Stories from Other Cultures. They will read, analyse and discuss Seasons of Splendour by Madhur Jaffrey and Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman.
The children will write their own traditional tale in the style of an Indian traditional tale and then write a newspaper report about the events in Seasons of Splendour. To finish the half term, the children will research Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
SPaG
Every Friday the children will continue to have a spelling, punctuation and grammar lesson. Every Friday the children will be tested on their weekly spellings. Within the week there will be opportunity for the children to visit these spellings ahead of the test.
Maths
In Maths, we will continue to delve deeper into multiplication and division, learning and understanding the rules of multiplying and dividing by certain numbers, for example 10 and 100; we will also explore factors of numbers and how to systematically work out the factor of a given number. We will then practice using formal written methods to calculate multiplication and division sums with up to 3-digit numbers.
Once we have finished multiplication and division, we will move on to Length and Perimeter. We will explore the different units that distances can be measured in, before learning how to calculate the perimeter of increasingly complex rectilinear shapes. As with last term, we will continually be practicing our times tables to become more confident and fluent with all times tables up to and including 12.
RE
This half term, we will be casting our learning beyond Christianity to other faiths, starting with the topic 'How do Hindus worship?' We will start off by identifying the key beliefs of Hinduism and how these are applied to daily life for some Hindus. We will also learn about some of the key practices of some Hindus and how values and ideals influence and underpin behaviour and attitude.
Science
Human Impact
In science this half term the children will be learning about human impact.
In this module children will learn about some of the positive and negative ways that humans change the environment, locally and globally, with a particular focus on how this affects other living things. They will begin to understand that actions can have both positive and negative consequences, that situations are not black and white, and that decisions involve compromises. They will consider how industry, housing and thoughtless behaviour can damage local habitats and also how humans can increase biodiversity by developing environments such as country parks and nature reserves.
This will be related to a developing understanding of food chains (building on what children learned in Year 2) and what happens if food chains are broken by habitat disruption or the removal of a species from an ecosystem. In this module children consider both habitats (where something lives) and ecosystems (the inter-relationships between organisms and their interaction with the habitat/environment). As an example of a local issue that they can influence, children will plan and carry out litter surveys and, through considering the effect of litter on animals, will understand that its negative impact goes beyond its appearance.
Children will also be introduced to some global issues by researching the impact of deforestation, ocean pollution (oil spill) and global warming on ecosystems. In the enrichment lessons children will consider and debate positive and negative aspects of keeping animals in zoos.
When working scientifically children will plan and carry out a litter survey, using a tally chart to record data. They will group items into categories to make survey data manageable and present their findings by constructing and labelling pictograms and bar charts. They will also present information as oral and written reports, posters and food chains. When working with information from secondary sources they will weigh and present evidence, recognise statements that do and do not support an argument, and participate in a debate.
Key Vocabulary
environment, impact, positive, negative, litter, pollution, waste, biodiversity, habitat, derelict, graffiti, traffic, destroy, create, location, food chain, producer, consumer, human impact , global issue, destruction, deforestation, rainforest, climate, climate change, zoo, endangered, breed, wild, natural, predator, prey, conservation, categories, tally chart, pictogram, bar chart, axes, scale, opinion, point of view, argument, viewpoint, debate
Geography
For Spring term, we will be looking at the exciting topic of Mountains and Volcanoes. We will start by learning how to define what a mountain is and identify their features, before looking at the different ways in which mountains are formed. We will then look at what is meant by ‘mountainous climate’ and how this impacts the way of life for local people, but also how industries such as tourism can impact the local environment. We will study the causes of volcanic eruptions and, through real-life case studies, assess the impact they have on the surrounding environment and local population. This unit will also provide a great opportunity to work on our map-reading skills, particularly how the use of contour lines allow us to create 2D representations of 3D landscapes.
History
In History, we will be focusing on the British Isles with the Tudor Dynasty. Of course, we will start by exploring the character of one the defining Tudor monarchs, Henry VIII. We will look at how his portraits over time show the changes in his life, and will also explore the motives behind Henry breaking from Rome to create his own church. Studying the lives of monarchs will not give us an accurate understanding of what life was like for the majority of people living in those times, so we will also be learning about the differences between how the rich and the poor lived and how that compares to present day. Lastly, we will look at the reign Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, and her successful actions that lead to this period of history being referred to as the Golden Age of British History.
Computing
This half term in Computing, we will be working through the unit ‘We Are Musicians’, where the children will be producing music suitable for any purpose they choose. This unit has a strong creative focus, with pupils developing digital content, in this case musical composition. They will be using a variety of software to achieve this, such as GarageBand and Audacity. This unit will require them to develop their collaboration skills as they go through the creative process with their peers, but also their awareness of how their composition can enhance work in other media.
RSHE
In RSHE, our unit of work is Dreams & Goals. The children will discuss how it feels when dreams don’t come true and how to cope with / overcome feelings of disappointment. We will talk about making new plans and setting new goals even if we have been disappointed. We will also talk about group work and overcoming challenges together. Finally, we will reflect on our successes and the feelings associated with overcoming a challenge.
Music
Our unit for this term is Stop! All the learning is focused around one song: Stop! - a rap/song about bullying. The children will learn about the interrelated dimensions of music through games, singing and composing.
Theme: Grime and other styles of music.
Facts/info: Stop! is a song/rap written in a Grime style for you to compose your own lyrics.
We will be listening to 5 pieces of music in different styles:
- Gotta Be Me performed by Secret Agent 23
- Skidoo (Hip Hop)
- Radetzky March by Strauss (Classical)
- Can’t Stop The Feeling! by Justin Timberlake (Pop with Soul, Funk and
- Disco influence)
- Libertango by Astor Piazzolla (Tango)
- Mas Que Nada performed by Sergio Mendes and the Black Eyed Peas (Bossa Nova and Hip Hop)
Vocabulary: Musical style, rapping, lyrics, choreography, digital/electronic sounds, turntables, synthesisers, drums, unison, pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture structure, compose, improvise, hook, riff, melody, solo
Art
This half term we will be focusing on Mayan Art.
Mayan artists sometimes signed their names on their artwork. Mayans used stucco plaster to make huge masks of their gods and kings. Some of the finest and best examples of Maya art have been found in the city of Palenque, Mexico.
Spanish
This half term the children will focus on the following:
- Quisierawith food
- Revise numbers 1-15
- Months
- Numbers 16-31
- Spanish maths: division and multiplication
- Word order
- Me gustan with plural nouns
- Quiero
- Christmas traditions
- Hard c, ll, qu, ch, phonemes
Autumn Two Learning
English
This half term in English, the children will be exploring The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis. Firstly, the children will be focusing on fiction from our literary heritage, and they will be aiming to write a narrative with a different version of events, mostly focusing on settings. Secondly, the children will be focusing on persuasive writing, and they will write a travel brochure for Narnia.
After exploring The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis, the children will move onto a poetry topic; they will be focusing on vocabulary building and imagery. To achieve this, the children will look at The River by Valerie Bloom and will write a number of poems exploring different styles with rivers as their theme.
SPaG
Each week, the children will continue to have a spelling, punctuation and grammar lesson. Every Friday the children will be tested on their weekly spellings. Within the week there will be opportunity for the children to visit these spellings ahead of the test.
Maths
Multiplication and Division
Key questions:
What is the next multiple of ...?
What is the multiple of ... before ...?
How many 3s are there in ...?
How do you find the digit sum of a number?
How can you tell if a number is a multiple of ...?
Are the multiples of ... odd or even?
How many equal groups do you have?
How many are there in each group?
How many are there altogether?
What does each number in the calculation represent?
What does commutative mean?
Is multiplication/division commutative?
How can you use facts from the 3 times-table to work out facts from the 6 times-table?
RE
This half term's Big Question is: Is the Christmas message of peace still relevant for today’s world?
We will be exploring these questions:
Week 1: What do I understand Christmas to mean for many Christians? What does it mean to me?
Week 2: What do you think the word ‘peace’ means?
Week 3: Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace – what does this mean?
Week 4: What does the Bible say about Jesus’ message of peace?
Week 5 and 6: Is this Christmas message of peace still relevant for today’s world?
Geography
We will be continuing with our Rivers topic. We have now studied the water cycle and each of the processes that make it, such as evaporation, condensation and precipitation. We then looked more closely at what rivers look like, and identified the features that are found in the upper, middle and lower courses of rivers. We can now move on to looking at all the different ways we use fresh water and how this demand can have a significant impact on fluvial ecosystems.
History
We will also be continuing our study of Vikings and Anglo Saxons. Now that we have gained an understanding of where these two groups came from and the reasons why they did, as well as looking at some the historical artefacts that have been unearthed, we can now look more at the influence their presence had on life on the British Isles. We will explore the Saxon way of life and the changes that came with it. Lastly, we will look at key figures of the time, such as King Alfred, and identify the meaning behind the naming of the Dark Ages.
Art
This half term we will be focusing on Mayan Art.
Mayan artists sometimes signed their names on their artwork. Mayans used stucco plaster to make huge masks of their gods and kings. Some of the finest and best examples of Maya art have been found in the city of Palenque, Mexico.
Science
Electricity
Key Questions
- How does a circuit work?
- What does a switch do?
- What type of materials conduct electricity?
- How are electrical conductors and insulators used?
Key Learning
Many household devices and appliances run on electricity. Some plug in to the mains and others run on batteries. An electrical circuit consists of a cell or battery connected to a component using wires. If there is a break in the circuit, a loose connection or a short circuit, the component will not work. A switch can be added to the circuit to turn the component on and off. Metals are good conductors so they can be used as wires in a circuit. Non-metallic solids are insulators except for graphite (pencil lead). Water, if not completely pure, also conducts electricity.
Key Vocabulary
Electricity, electrical appliance/device, mains, plug, electrical circuit, complete circuit, component, cell, battery, positive, negative, connect/connections, loose connection, short circuit, crocodile clip, bulb, switch, buzzer, motor, conductor, insulator, metal, non-metal, symbol
RSHE
Celebrating Differences is our second unit for RSHE in Year 4.
Computing
We will be moving on to our second topic, We Are Toymakers for the second half of the autumn term. We will start off by researching interactive toys to find some inspiration before we design our own digital toys. After this, we will then create and program our toys in Scratch, before testing and evaluating our toys. Finally, we will present and pitch our toys to each other Dragons' Den-style!
Autumn One Learning
Over this term we have much to look forward to. The following information gives you an overview of each subject.
English
This half term the children will be reading and analysing two quality texts. The first fictional story will be Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl and the second will be Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. When focusing on Fantastic Mr Fox, the children will be writing and performing their own play using the narrative of the chapter book. When reading and exploring Odd and the Frost Giants, the children will work towards writing a Norse myth focusing on effective characterisation, linking dialogue and interweaving speech and action. They will then create their own mythological creature, based on Viking versions, and write a report.
SPaG
Each week, the children will continue to have a spelling, punctuation, and grammar lesson. Every Friday, the children will be tested on their weekly spellings. Within the week, there will be an opportunity for the children to revisit these spellings ahead of the test.
Year 3 & 4 Spelling ListHigh Frequency Word Mat.
Maths
In Maths, we will start the year by revisiting place value. We will now learn to recognise the value of each digit in a 4-digit number; order and compare numbers beyond 1000; count in multiples of 1000 and find numbers which are 1000 more or less than a given number. These skills will be useful when we then move on to Addition & Subtraction of 4-digit numbers, with and without exchanges. Throughout all of these, we will look to apply our knowledge to solve a range of both numerical and reasoning problems.
Science
This half term the children are learning about states of matter.
Key Learning
A solid keeps its shape and has a fixed volume. A liquid has a fixed volume but changes in shape to fit the container. A liquid can be poured and keeps a level, horizontal surface. A gas fills all available space; it has no fixed shape or volume. Granular and powdery solids like sand can be confused with liquids because they can be poured, but when poured they form a heap and they do not keep a level surface when tipped. Each individual grain demonstrates the properties of a solid.
Melting is a state change from solid to liquid. Freezing is a state change from liquid to solid. The freezing point of water is 0oC. Boiling is a change of state from liquid to gas that happens when a liquid is heated to a specific temperature and bubbles of the gas can be seen in the liquid. Water boils when it is heated to 100oC. Evaporation is the same state change as boiling (liquid to gas), but it happens slowly at lower temperatures and only at the surface of the liquid. Evaporation happens more quickly if the temperature is higher, the liquid is spread out or it is windy. Condensation is the change back from a gas to a liquid caused by cooling.
Water at the surface of seas, rivers etc. evaporates into water vapour (a gas). This rises, cools and condenses back into a liquid forming clouds. When too much water has condensed, the water droplets in the cloud get too heavy and fall back down as rain, snow, sleet etc. and drain back into rivers etc. This is known as precipitation. This is the water cycle.
Common misconceptions
Some children may think:
- ‘solid’ is another word for hard or opaque
- solids are hard and cannot break or change shape easily and are often in one piece
- substances made of very small particles like sugar or sand cannot be solids
- particles in liquids are further apart than in solids and they take up more space
- when air is pumped into balloons, they become lighter
- water in different forms – steam, water, ice – are all different substances
- all liquids boil at the same temperature as water (100 degrees)
- melting, as a change of state, is the same as dissolving
- steam is visible water vapour (only the condensing water droplets can be seen)
Spanish
In Spanish this half term, the children will be learning the names of animals, will classroom instructions and other instructions and parts of the body.
Geography
In Geography, our focus this term will be on Rivers. We will start by identifying what rivers are, where they lie in the water cycle, and how they are formed. After this, we will look to expand our locational knowledge of rivers around the world, before looking at the causes and effects that human pollution has on rivers and their local ecology. Given our close proximity to the River Thames, this unit will provide us with an excellent opportunity to undertake some fieldwork to better understand the features of the Thames, but also the problems it faces from the dense human population on its banks.
History
Anglo-Saxon & Viking Knowledge Organiser
Anglo-Saxon Britain will be the stage of our History studies this term. This unit will help us understand how the languages and cultures of the British Isles have been influenced by the invasion of historic peoples from other regions. We will first look at the state of Britain after the romans and the reasons for the eventual Saxon invasion. We will then explore the Saxon way of life and the changes that came with it. Lastly, we will look at key figures of the time, such as King Alfred, and identify the meaning behind the naming of the Dark Ages.
Art
The children will begin the year by studying Pop Art by Andy Warhol. The children will begin by recapping their portrait drawing skills by sketching facial features with accurate proportions. They will then use tracing paper to copy their portraits and then print them several times to replicate the style of Warhol. The children will use bold, block colours throughout this unit and will incorporate the use of onomatopoeias.
Pop art is a style of art based on simple, bold images of everyday items, such as soup cans, painted in bright colours. Pop artists created pictures of product labels and packaging, photos of celebrities, comic strips, and animals.
RE
People of God Knowledge Organiser
The big question that we will be exploring in RE up until half term is ‘how did belief in God affect the actions of people in the Old Testament?’ In order to do so, we will discussing what is meant by the term ‘People of God’, and revisit the stories of key biblical figures, such as Abraham. Furthermore, we will look at how these stories impact the lives of believers, and in turn shape their actions.
RSHE
Being Me in My World is our first unit for RSHE in Year 4. We will look to understand the thoughts and feelings we feel when we are in a team, and the importance role we each play within our school community. This will be helpful when we then start to explore the idea of democracy, and the need to give all members of our community a voice.
Computing
We are software developers Knowledge Organisers
In Computing, we will be taking on the role of software developers as we look to create an educational computer game using selection and repetition. We will need to use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work. As we build them, we will also be evaluating their performance to detect and correct errors in the program as necessary.
PE
The children will have their PE lessons with Mr Walters. This term our lessons will be on a Tuesday and Thursday.
