Years 3 & 4

Flow

Welcome back after a festive break, we hope you have had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

This half term our learning will be based around the topic title Flow, where the main curriculum subjects covered will be Geography and Design Technology.

This half term in English we will be writing fiction stories based on journeys as well as writing first person accounts in the form of a diary entry. We will then move on to writing newspaper reports about flooding in Newport Pagnell where we will learn the language and structure features of a newspaper.

In Design Technology we will be learning about different bridges around the world. We will look closely at how they are made, and the range of structures used. We will also explore the different purposes of bridges. We will then make comparisons with the Iron Bridge in Newport Pagnell to bridges around the world. Following our exploration, we will then design and make our own models of bridges revising joining and strengthening techniques. Finally, we will add an electrical component to our bridges using a motor and make moving parts by adding a pulley. We look forward to sharing our models with you.

In Science we are learning about how sound is made and travels as well as learning the different types of rocks and their formation. We will carry out investigations to explore the different properties a range of rock types have.

In Geography we will be revising and learning about the Water Cycle. We will then begin to explore the features of a river. We will take part in field work at the local river and explore how a river can have different features at different locations. We will then use maps to locate a range of the world’s most significant rivers and key coastlines.

Some other activities you might like to try at home:

1. Play Poohsticks when crossing a bridge.

2. Build a mini raft with twigs and see if it floats!

3. Feed the ducks. Duck feed, grains, birdseed and vegetable peelings are good.

4. Do a spot of bird watching. Can you spot beautiful kingfishers, colourful ducks or majestic herons.

5. Look at an Atlas. Can your child spot the main rivers of the world? Of the UK?

6. Your child could use tracing paper to copy the shapes of countries and their watercourses.

Homework

Homework will continue to be set on a Thursday and needs to be handed in on a Tuesday. The expectations are:

· Reading with your child, your child reading aloud to you at least 5 times a week

· Maths work every week (up to 30 minutes)

· Learning multiplication table facts – 2, 5, 10, 4, 8 and the division facts (Year 3)

· Learning the rest of the multiplication table facts to 12×12 – 3, 6, 9, 7, 11, 12 (Year 4)

Remember to keep reading books that interest you, you could even read magazines, news articles, leaflets as well as your coloured practice book from school. You may also wish to explore some non- fiction texts based on rivers around the world by visiting the local library or researching using the internet.