Spring 2
Spring two has been another busy half term.
We have done lots of times table preparation reading for our upcoming test in June with the children becoming more confident and fluent in their times table knowledge. Our maths learning has centered on a huge fraction unit where we have explored equivalence, wholes and parts alongside addition and subtraction in problem solving scenarios. The children have worked hard to understand some tricky concepts and are finally mastering the processes needed to add and subtract fractions from whole numbers.
In English, we have explored a journey tale and a discussion text. We have discussed and practised using a variety of toolkit features in each unit including; generalisers, connectives, subordination and coordination and speech. The children worked really hard during these units to apply the speech rules taught.
Our art unit has focused on pencil techniques while drawing Viking artefacts. We have explored how to draw objects that overlap, how to draw shadows and reflection and how to draw patterns that show different textures. We have then applied these skills to a final piece.
We have really enjoyed our singing lessons with Sarah from the Rotherham Minster. She has helped us explore tone and pitch and we have learnt some lovely songs all about Spring.
History was kicked off with a trip to York to learn all about the Vikings. We had so much fun and learnt so much. We went around the Jorvik centre learning about how the Vikings lives and looked at artefacts. We then took part in a workshop at DIG all about the Viking’s battle tactics.
Overall, it has been a busy but fun half term.
Spring 1
Spring 1 was a short but busy half term!
We spend many maths lessons perfecting our multiplication and division skills and are now confident using formal column multiplication. We have explored using our times table facts to help us divide bigger numbers and applied this knowledge to a variety of problems.
Our English learning saw us exploring the dark and wet streets in a tale of fear called ‘Zelda Claw’. We used the suspense toolkit to add suspense to our writing and thought about short, punchy sentences, empty words to make the threat seem more ominous and using sound effects to add the suspense. We also explored explanation texts. We looked at the generalisers and connectives we may use to ensure cohesion within our writing.
Our Geography unit focused on earthquakes and volcanoes. We learnt about the structure of the earth, how tectonic plate movement affected the earth and created earthquakes and volcanoes and learnt about natural disasters.
In Science, we explored living things and their habitats. We used the acronym ‘MRS GREN’ to identify the 7 life processes that all living things have. Ask your child if they can remember them! We explored vertebrates and invertebrates, food chains, classification keys and how environmental changes can affect habitats.
We had our last half term with Mr Kinman learning to play the Ukuleles and this was showcased by a small concert in school. The children got to show off their Ukulele skills to some other children. They did an amazing job, persevered when it was tricky and really shone.
We are looking forward to another fun-filled Spring 2.
Autumn 2
What a busy few month we have had in Year 4. I am so proud of how hard all the children have worked this half term, right up until the end.
Our maths work this half term has seen children master formal methods of addition and subtraction and we are working hard on applying this to multi-step problems. We have learnt how to calculate the area of shapes and are working our way through our multiplication and division unit. The children have been introduced to their 6s, 7s and 9s – why not ask them to count in these steps?
We have also been working really hard on our arithmetic skills and getting quicker at solving simple, smaller number calculations.
Our first English unit was a portal story. The children enjoyed travelling to different destinations in their imagination to create a lovely story that focused on developing the description of the setting. We also work on our adjectives and noun phrases. We gave our second unit a little Christmas slant and looked at how to trap the Grinch. The children looked at the organisational structure of an instruction text, explored fronted adverbials and comma use and how to use imperative verbs. During our English lessons, we have also been working hard on ensuring our letter formation is correct and beginning to join.
We have really enjoyed our History unit this half term. We kickstarted it with an ‘Anglo-Saxon day’ where the children explored making fires using flint and steel and learnt a little about how they lived. Throughout the unit we explored why they can to England, why they stayed, the religions they followed, the battles they found and how eventually, their reign came to an end.
Our Science unit has focused on sound. The children have explored how sound is made using vibrations and explored the role on a tuning fork. They have looked inside the ear and we have discussed how our ears manipulate the sounds and send them to our brain.
