Year 4

Welcome to Year 4!

The staff working in this year group to support your child's learning are: Miss Evans, Mr Holloway, Miss Cawe and Mrs Habib.

Homework & Routines

Spelling homework will be set each FRIDAY on Google Classroom and is due to be handed in by the following WEDNESDAY at the latest. In addition to this, children must be accessing and using TT Rockstars regularly and are also expected to read for 10 minutes each day, preferably with an adult. 

PE - Wednesday-Your child will have 1 outdoor PE lesson during the week so please ensure that they come to school wearing their PE kit on a WEDNESDAY. Their kit should include; dark shorts/jogging bottoms, a white polo t-shirt, their Queenswell sweatshirt and trainers NOT plimsolls. 

Swimming - Thursday 

On the day that your child is swimming, please send them to school in their school uniform with their swimming kit bag.

Our Learning Journey

This half term, our Learning Journey is the Ancient Egyptians.  This theme will run through many of our lessons, such as English, History and Geography. We will find out about everyday life in Ancient Egypt as well as learning about the exciting Pharaohs who ruled the land, the mighty and magnificent pyramids and Gods and Goddesses.

English

We will be writing diary entries from the perspective of Howard Carter as he discovers Tutankhamun’s tomb. We will also be writing non-chronological reports about Ancient Egypt.  The children will also learn about the features of instructions and write a set to explain the mummification process.  As we will also be looking at the River Nile, the children will learn how to use figurative language in order to write poetry.  In our Guided Reading sessions, we will be using a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts to develop skills in decoding new or unfamiliar vocabulary, inference and deduction to answer questions, making predictions and summarising texts.

Mathematics 

During this half term, we will be continuing how to add and subtract numbers with up to four digits.  We will then move on to a measurement unit, focusing on length and perimeter.  Children will also learn how to convert between different units of measurement.  They will learn how to add and subtract lengths, moving on to finding the perimeter of rectangles and rectilinear shapes. The next unit we will be focusing on will be multiplication and division, where children will learn to multiply and divide by ten and one hundred.  The unit will also cover the three, six, seven and nine times tables.

Science

During this half term, we will be learning all about living things and their habitats.  Children will be able to recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways, we will explore and use classification keys to group, identify and name a variety of living things in their local and wider environment. We will also be learning about how environments can change and that this can sometimes pose dangers to living things.

Religious Education

This half term, we will be learning about the Hindu religion, focusing on Krishna and the festival of Raksha Bandhan.  We will then be exploring sacred texts, including the Bible, Torah and Quran; looking at what sacred means, how different religions believe the world was created and investigating key questions from each religion.

History 

We will be learning all about the Ancient Egyptians and their remarkable civilisation. We will be studying their different gods and goddesses, some of their most influential pharaohs and their place on a timeline.  The children will learn about the mummification process and the significance of canopic jars.  They will also be learning about how the Ancient Egyptians farmed and went about their everyday lives.

Geography 

As we will be learning about the Ancient Egyptians, we will be learning how to locate Egypt and its neighbouring countries using maps and atlases. In addition to this, we will be investigating the importance of the River Nile to the Egyptians and comparing this to its modern day use.  We will also be exploring the Egyptian climate and comparing it to other countries.

Art

In our art lessons, we will be looking at the use of art in Ancient Egypt, including hieroglyphics and papyrus paintings.  Children will replicate colours, patterns and textures in their work.  As well as this, we will be making two-colour prints and producing an end piece.

Design & Technology

As part of our Ancient Egypt learning journey, we will be designing and creating traditional Egyptian death masks.  We will also be making canopic jars, 3d pyramids and Egyptian jewellery.

PSHE

During this half term, we will be continuing to work on the Zones of Regulation, in order to better understand our feelings and those of the people around us, as well as how to regulate our emotions and behaviour.  In addition to this, we will be taking part in regular Circle Time activities, aiding our speaking and listening skills.

PE

As part of our PE this half term, we will be going swimming every Thursday, where we will be taught by professional instructors.  In our other weekly PE sessions, we will be learning and improving our netball skills.  We will be focusing on attacking, defending and improving our tactical awareness.

Spanish

Year 4 will be learning how to speak about pets.  We will learn the names of several different animals and be able to speak about which animals we do or do not own.

Music

This half term children have been studying the Italian composer Tarquinio Merula. They have been looking in depth at a piece called The Ciaconna . Using this piece pupils have identified notes used in the C major scale. They have also been learning notes of an octave and how to ascend and descend using pitch movement. Children have been using their previous knowledge of durations to incorporate rests in the time signature of the Ciaconna. Using their knowledge of the C major scale and the octave they are able to move the notes used in the Ciaconna and change the root note to create their own versions of the Ciacona. 

Computing

Developing Presentation Skills using Google Slides 

In this unit pupils will use Google Slides, a web-based presentation software program from Google’s office suite.  They will revise how to change the background colour, add additional slides, add text and images. They will also learn additional formatting skills and how to add transitions between slides.

Online safety

Our online safety focus this half term will take place during Anti-Bullying Week 2021 which is happening from Monday 15th – Friday 19th November.  The theme is ‘One Kind Word.  The children will attend a special assembly and have an opportunity to wear odd socks. During our computing session we will focus on Cyber/online bullying and what to do in this situation.