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Year 4

Spring Term 2024

Explore

Is Europe a great continent?

This term is a Geography-based topic and our question is ‘is Europe a great continent?’

The children will locate countries with a focus on Europe concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities including rivers and mountains.

They will use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied.

How we'll be doing it...

Authentic outcome
As we are looking closely at Europe in our topic the children are going to explore a food that is well known in Europe – pizza! The children are going to plan, design and make a pizza for somebody at home exactly how they want it.

Wow day
Children to come dressed as a European country, for example, wearing the colours of the flag. They should also bring/know a couple of facts about this country so they can discuss their country to the class.

Spring trips
Buddhist temple in Ulverston (RE trip)

Core Subjects

Maths
In the first half term, the children will focus on multiplication and division. We will look at how to multiply and divide a number by 10 and 100 before moving on to multiplying and dividing a 2 and 3-digit number by a 1-digit number using formal methods.

The next unit focuses on length and perimeter where the children will use kilometres and meters to measure and convert between the two. Then they will explore how to find the perimeter of a range of shape including when the lengths of a side are unknown.

In the second half term, we will study fractions. The children will understand improper fractions and convert from improper to mixed number fractions and vice versa. Children will also learn how to add and subtract fractions.

Science

States of matter

During this unit of work, children will learn to compare and group materials according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases. They will learn that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled and be able to identify and name these processes as melting, freezing, evaporating or condensing. They will learn about the water cycle and be able to identify the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle. Children will work scientifically to plan and conduct investigations involving melting and evaporation. They will learn to associate the rate of evaporation with temperature.

PSHE

Health and well being

Developing emotional maturity; learning that we experience a range of emotions and are responsible for these; appreciating the emotions of others; developing a growth mindset; identifying calming activities and developing independence in dental hygiene.

Safety and the changing body

Building awareness of online safety and benefits and risks of sharing information online; the difference between private and public; age restrictions; the physical and emotional changes in puberty; the risks associated with tobacco and how to help someone with asthma.
PE
Swimming

RE
Through our RE days at school, the children learn about their own and other’s beliefs.

Our question this year is: ‘How should we live our lives? The religions we will be exploring in Spring term are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam

Computing

Programming A – Repetition in shapes
This unit is the first of the two programming units in Year 4, and looks at repetition and loops within programming. Pupils will create programs by planning, modifying, and testing commands to create shapes and patterns. They will use Logo, a text-based programming language.

Data and information – Data logging
In this unit, pupils will consider how and why data is collected over time. Children will consider the senses that humans use to experience the environment and how computers can use special input devices called sensors to monitor the environment. They will collect data as well as access data captured over long periods of time. They will look at data points, data sets, and logging intervals. Children will spend time using a computer to review and analyse data. Towards the end of the unit, pupils will pose questions and then use data loggers to automatically collect the data needed to answer those questions.

MFL

Les habitats (Habitats)

By the end of this unit children will have the knowledge and skills to present both orally and in written form about various plants and animals that live in five very different habitats in French. This unit encourages slightly more complex and sophisticated writing using a wider range of vocabulary.

Ma famille (My Family)

In this this unit, children will have the knowledge and skills to make a presentation about their own / a fictitious family in both spoken and written form in French. Pupils will start to integrate previously learnt language with newly acquired language, encouraging more confident use of their growing bank of vocabulary. Pupils will demonstrate an increasing knowledge of grammar and the use of the possessive in French to manipulate language, therefore starting to create more personalised responses as the unit supports the change from 1st person singular to 3rd person singular.

DT

Food technology – pizza

This term our D&T unit will link to our authentic outcome. As we are looking closely at Europe in our topic the children are going to explore a food that is well known in Europe – pizza! The children are going to plan, design and make a pizza for somebody at home exactly how they want it.

 

Sewing – badges

The children will focus on building on their sewing techniques from previous years to plan, design and create a badge that reflects themselves like a European flag reflects a country.

 

What will Year 4 explore?

This term is a Geography-based topic and our question is ‘is Europe a great continent?’

The children will locate countries with a focus on Europe concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities including rivers and mountains. They will use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied.

Science

Spring 1 and Spring 2 – states of matter (solids, liquids and gasses)

The children will explore solids, liquids and gases. How states can be changed when heated and cooled as well as measuring temperature. Then looking at the part evaporation and condensation play in the water cycle.

Geography

In geography we will study South America and the impact deforestation has had on our planet, biomes, ocean currents, central Africa and the mining of cobalt and our eco system.

PE

  • Spring 1: Swimming
  • Spring 2: Swimming

DT

In DT year 5 will make a special box for something precious to someone. Linking with our concept ‘stewardship’ our boxes will be made to keep whatever item safe.

Music

  • Spring 1 – Blues -A music teacher from St Wilfrid’s will be coming into school every week this half term to teach the children blues music on the key boards.
  • Spring 2 – Changes in pitch, tempo and dynamics (Theme: Rivers)

Computing

  • Spring 1: Digital music
  • Spring 2: Presentations

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