Class 4 - Miss Houghton
Class 4
2022-23
Mrs Davey
Welcome to Class 4!
In Class 4, we are kind, we work hard, and we enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities that help to make our classroom a happy and positive learning space. Our curriculum is full of exciting, cross-curricular topics which we change every half term. We also follow a class text each term which is linked to our English work and, where possible, our science, history or geography work as well.
This year, we will be learning about and exploring the following areas:
Autumn 1
'Living Things and their Habitats'
This is a science based topic all about grouping and classifying living things. The children will explore how to use branching keys and they will also learn about food chains. Our class' English text, which links superbly, is 'Charlotte's Web' by E.B. White.
In Geography, we'll be using an atlas to locate counties, cities and regions in the UK. We'll also be using digi-maps to find and name the capital cities of Europe and we'll be looking at where the equator and tropic lines are on a world map.
Maths foci- Number and Place Value, Addition and Subtraction.
R..E- We will be learning about the Hindu faith, their beliefs and festivals.
Autumn 2
Our English text is ‘Grandpa Chatterji’ by Jamila Gavin. This is an insightful and cultural story about a family living in Leicester who are visited by their wonderful Grandpa from Calcutta.
Maths- Area (measurement), multiplication and division
R.E.- Discussion, reflection and activities around 'Incarnation and God'
Science- 'Good Vibrations' - a topic about sound
History- The Earliest Civilizations
Spring 1
The Ancient Egyptians
An exciting history topic linked to our class text- ‘Egyptian Cinderella' by Shirley Climo. We also have a trip to Leicester Museum to look at some real mummified bodies from ancient Egypt!
Science- We'll be identifying different types of teeth in humans and knowing their functions.
R.E. - Pilgrimages and spiritual journeys.
Spring 2
‘Romans’
This term we are learning about the spread of the Roman Empire and its impact on life in Britain today. The children will also find out what life was like in ancient Rome through reading 'The Journal of Iliona'- the diary of a Greek slave girl. In science, we are learning about the digestive system.
In Maths, we'll be learning how to use fractions and decimals.
R.E.- Salvation and Easter
Summer 1
‘Blue John’ by Berlie Doherty- a beautiful story based on the gemstone found in the caverns at Castleton in Derbyshire. This is a geography topic, looking at localities and conducting a comparative study and we'll learn to use grid references in map reading. As part of this study, we'll be visiting Peak Cavern and Peveril Castle in Castleton.
Maths- Money, Time and Statistics
R.E. - Music and spiritual expression
Science- Electricity, components, symbols and circuits. The children will be investigating factors that affect the brightness of a bulb and they will experiment with different materials to find out which are good conductors.
Summer 2
'Chemical Chaos'
A science topic all about changing materials where we will investigate the three states of matter- solids, liquids and gases. Our supporting text is the wonderful ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl. The children will be designing, packaging and marketing their own chocolate bar!
Maths- Shape, position and direction.
R.E.- The Journey of Life and Death.
Whizzes and Pen-Licences!
In class 4, we take lots of pride in our handwriting and how neatly we present our work. Throughout the year, we work hard to practise our joined-up handwriting in order to gain, and keep, the precious pen licence! Every week, we work together in class, and at home, to learn and practise our times-tables and spellings. There are lots of rewards and 'whizzes' for working hard and trying our very best, for being resilient and for making good progress in any or all areas of our learning.
Homework
Please make sure your child has their planner in school every day.
- Times-tables (tests are every Friday)
The children will have a times-tables booklet in their planner which will record their progress and show which times tables they are working on.
For information about the Statutory MTC 'Multiplication Tables Check' in Year 4 (Summer Term) please follow this link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multiplication-tables-check-information-for-parents/multiplication-tables-check-information-for-parents-text-version--2
I can also recommend these excellent websites for your child to practise on:
www.ttrockstars.com
www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers
Book- 'Times-Tables Fables (available on Amazon)
- Spellings (tests are every Tuesday)
A list of 10 words will be given out weekly and stuck in planners. Gold, silver and bronze certificates are awarded each half-term for exceptional spelling scores.
www.spellingframe.co.uk is a brilliant website for practising spellings, especially the Y3/4 statutory list of spelling words.
- ‘Mathletics' - www.mathletics.co.uk - for extra practise, quizzes and problem solving linked to our termly units.
- Reading- please encourage your child to read at least three times a week. Children may read to themselves if they prefer but all reading should be recorded in their planner and signed by an adult at home. Planners are checked most days and ‘whizzes’ are given out each time a child has three new reading entries in their planner.
PE
P.E. is on Mondays and Fridays. Please make sure your child has a white PE top, blue/black shorts or leggings and trainers. Tracksuits/sweatshirts are advisable for the winter months. We would prefer PE kit to stay at school until half-term. Please let me know if your child has an inhaler kept in school.
In the event that school is closed, then work will be set and sent through Class Dojo. Please access the following websites to help your child stay in touch with their learning:
www.mathletics.co.uk
www.spellingframe.co.uk
www.timestables.co.uk
www.ttrockstars.com
www.purplemash.com
www.home.oxfordowl.co.uk
