Download Year 4 Learning Letter Spring 2016 File

OSBORNE LEARNING OVERVIEW for YEAR 4
This document gives you an indication of the major knowledge and skills your child will be
learning this term and the theme/topic title.
We have now defined learning as;
the process of receiving and personalising knowledge in order to apply new concepts and
experiences, independently, to unfamiliar situations.
As a result, children learn better when they are able to consistently rehearse and use
their new skills, which is why we place so much emphasis on attendance being above 97%
and children arriving punctually at school.
Home learning is also an essential tool in our teaching and learning process which through
the project and weekly learning tasks aims to;
 Consolidate and reinforce current learning across many curriculum areas and
 Promote independent learning
(See Home Learning Policy)
Year 4 - Spring Term 2016
Theme: Keen to be Green!
Literacy
We cover a range writing genres throughout the academic year. This is staged process of reading,
understanding and then writing in that genre. The genres for this half term are:
Fiction Texts:
 Reading and writing poetry – using commas, a range of poetic devices (rhyme, repetition etc.) and
reading work aloud with confidence.
 Writing and performing play scripts – ‘The Fly and the Fool’ – creating settings, characters and
dialogue.
Non – Fiction Texts:
 Journalistic recounts – paragraphs, note-taking, editing notes and writing a report.
 Evaluating evidence – plurals, possession and apostrophes, selecting from a range of evidence and
writing a report.
Reading
 During guided reading and comprehension activities, we will be using the key word strategy to locate
key words that help us to find answers in the text.
 This strategy requires children to: read a sentence; identify possible key words; check if they link
to each following sentence; underline the key word that links to every sentence in a paragraph.
Numeracy
 Number and place value.
 Problem solving.
 Reasoning and algebra.
 Mental and written calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).
 Measurement.
 Fractions, ratio and proportion.
 Properties of shapes.
 Decimals and percentages and their equivalent fractions.
Science
The science topics for this term are: (These will be linked, where possible, with the ongoing class topic.)
To understand animals and humans
 Identify and name a variety of common animals that are birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals
and invertebrates.
 Identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
 Identify, name and draw the basic parts of the human body and say which part of the body is
associated with which sense.
 Describe the ways in which nutrients and water are transported within animals.
 Identify that humans and some animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection and
movement.
 Describe the simple functions of the basic parts of the digestive system in human
To investigate living things.
 Explore and compare the differences between things that are living, that are dead or have never
been alive.
 Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited.
 Identify and name a variety of living things (plants and animals) in the local and wider environment.
 Give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics.
Computing
 HTML Editing
 Understand the history of the web.
Year 4 - Spring Term 2016
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Understand the languages in which web pages are written.
Edit and write HTML.
Use their knowledge to create a web page
Other curricular areas
Physical Education
 The P.E. for this half term is: multi-skills and gymnastics.
 PE kits will be needed every Monday. Children will need a t-shirt, shorts or jogging bottoms and a
pair of pumps.
 Swimming kits will be needed every Tuesday. Children will need a swimming costume or trunks and a
towel.
PATHS
 This term during our PATHS sessions we will be learning about the important aspects of friendship,
how to solve any problems we may have with friends, and how to make good decisions.
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Religious Education
 To study the beliefs, festivals and celebrations of Christianity.
Music
 Every Thursday the children will have a music lesson with a guitar specialist and will bring their
guitar home to practise.
Geography
 Keen to be Green – being environmentally friendly.
 Recycling resources.
 Natural resources and the impact on the world.
 Renewable and non- renewable energy.
 Map locations of wind farms.
Art
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Using recyclable materials to create sculptures.
Fruit and vegetable stamping – tea towel designs / chopping board designs.
Explore the work of relevant artists.
Design and Technology
 Healthy eating
 Explore healthy meal options.
 Design and create a salad lunch
 Evaluate what they used and how they presented it.
British values
During our geography lessons, we will be learning about the British Values of Democracy and Rule of Law.
During our PATHS sessions we will be learning about Individual Liberty. Throughout religious education
lessons we will be learning about Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
Further comments
Children will have home learning weekly. This will be sent out on a Friday and will be due in on a Wednesday.
The children also have an on-going project to design and create a model using recyclable materials (junk
modelling) of an electric car, windmill, home with a solar panelled roof, water wheel or a wind turbine. Then,
write an explanation about how it works and how it uses energy.
Year 4 - Spring Term 2016