Science

In our Science this term, we are looking at living things and their habitats. We will look into how living things can be grouped in a variety of ways by exploring and using classification keys, with a focus on the USA. We will also see how environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to the people and animals living there. Looking at the wildlife in the USA, we will be constructing and interpreting a variety of food chains, identifying the producers, predators and prey.

Computing

In Computing, we will be using Purple Mash to create our own branching databases. We will look at sorting objects using just ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions and learn to use the 2Question software.

Music

In music, we will explore pentatonic melodies and syncopated rhythms, and learn the basic dimensions of music.

Art

This term, we will be looking at designs and the meanings of totem poles leading to us designing our own totem poles to make out of clay. Mr Cowie’s class will also be working with Miss Keyes from UAH.

History

We will be finding out who the pioneers were and how they crossed the western frontier, while also exploring the lives of Native Americans and how they lived their daily lives and investigating how they were affected by the new settlers. We will also find out who the homesteaders were and how they lived their lives on the great plains and compare the difference between the idolised view of a cowboy and the actual reality of the job.

English

Description We will start by looking at the illustrations in Going West by Martin Waddell & Philippe Dupasquier and thinking how we can use our descriptive features that we have learnt through the year. We will then move onto drama and act out some of the scenes from the book.

Narrative Writing We will continue to use the story Going West to retell the journey of moving to the West. We will think about the challenges as well as using our five senses—sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste.

Persuasive Letter Imagining we are one of the pioneers, we will be writing a letter to persuade our friends and family to follow and move to the West. We will think about the persuasive features as well as different points of view.

Maths

Fluency, Reasoning & Problem Solving We will be using RUCSAC to solve different types of Maths questions using all four of the operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Fractions In Year 3, we will learn to count up and down in tenths and recognise this comes from dividing an object into 10 equal parts. We will also recognise and use fractions with small denominators and identify unit non-unit fractions. In Year 4, we will continue to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator. We will then start to solve problems including finding fractions of amounts.

Decimals In Year 4, we will learn to write decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths and find the effect of dividing a one or two digit number by 10 or 100, identifying the value of the digits in the answer as ones, tenths and hundredths.

French

In French, we will be talking about what’s in the classroom and around school, the different subjects and what it is we like doing.

PSHE

We will continue to think about how we can keep both our bodies as well as our minds healthy and what this actually means for us.

RE - Christianity

We will be looking at what happened during the Holy week and how Lent helps Christians prepare for Easter.

What will Year 3/4 be looking at in the second Spring 2020 term?

PE

We will be using the outdoor area to look at and learn the skills needed for orienteering . We will also be developing our Dance skills in our indoor sessions.

Hundreds Tens Ones

1

10

Tenths

1

100 Hundredths

100 10 1 0.1 0.01

What will Year 3/4 be looking at in the second Spring 2020 term?

Useful links

BBC Bitesize - Food chains and habitats https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zbnnb9q Purple Mash https://www.purplemash.com/sch/holbeach-pe12 Times Tables Rockstars https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student/18519

Please note, these are external links that have been checked , but caution is always suggested when using the internet.

Iconic People from the USA

1732-1799 George Washington First president of the USA

1811-1896 Harriet Beecher Stowe Author and anti-slavery activist

1847-1931 Thomas Edison Inventor and business man

1863-1947 Henry Ford Founder of the Ford Motor Company

1882-1945 Franklin D Roosevelt Longest serving US President

1895-1948 George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth Professional US baseball player

1897-1939 Amelia Earhart First female pilot to fly across the Atlantic

1901-1966 Walt Disney Animator, voice actor and film producer

1901-1971 Louis Armstrong Trumpeter, composer and jazz singer

1913-2005 Rosa Parks Civil rights activist

1926-1962 Marilyn Monroe Actress, model and singer

1929-1968 Martin Luther King Jr Civil rights activist

1930-2012 Neil Armstrong Astronaut and aeronautical engineer

1935-1977 Elvis Presley Singer and actor

1942-2016 Muhammed Ali Professional boxer

1958-present Madonna Ciccone Singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman

Native Americans

Native Americans are the indigenous people of the USA. The Native American population began to decline when European explorers discovered the USA and created colonies. Many Native Americans lost their lives due to the spread of disease or through wars with Europeans. Many Native Americans were forced to move onto reservations as the European colonies grew in number. More recently, the US government has done more to protect the rights, culture and traditions of Native Americans.

Glossary

borough A town or village that governs itself.

capital A town or city where the government of the country is based.

civil right A right that has been given to a person by the government's laws.

climate The typical weather for an area, region or country.

colony An area controlled by a powerful country that is often far away.

indigenous Occurring naturally or originating in a particular place.

landmark A landscape feature that is easily seen and recognised from a distance.

Native American

A member of one of the groups of people who were living in America before the Europeans arrived.

physical feature An item on a landscape that has occurred naturally.

president A person who has the highest position in a country that does not have a king or queen.

reservation An area of land managed by a Native American tribe.

state A part of a large country that has its own government.

tribe A group of people who live together and share beliefs, customs and language.

The Oregon Trail

The Fur trappers were the first pioneers to discover trails from east to west America. They found water sources on the Great Plains, routes through the mountains in the Rockies and land that was suitable for settlement in western territories, such as California. They created two main trails that settlers could follow – the Oregon and California trails.

Ending in Oregon, the Oregon Trail went over the Rocky Mountains. Forts were built along this trail to protect those taking the four-month journey, although there were very few and these forts were not designed to support large numbers of people. Forts such as Fort Laramie and Fort Hall were places that had to survive in the wilds, contending with sometimes hostile indigenous peoples and the problems that come with isolation. They were places where settlers that had experienced difficulties could get help or supplies. The trail split at Fort Hall and pioneers could keep on the Oregon Trail or take the California Trail instead, which led to California instead of Oregon.