Year Four Curriculum
Dear Parents
This half term in Year 4 we will be looking at:
ENGLISH:
We will be writing narratives and diaries connected to our topic.
MATHS:
In maths, groups will be learning about fractions, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, time, shape and data.
SCIENCE:
In science, we will be learning about evaporation and condensation. We shall be finding out about the water cycle, using scientific names and carrying out an investigation.
TOPIC:
Our topic for this half term is ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS. The children will be learning about the achievements of different civilisations, Ancient Egypt, the River Nile and the work of archaeologists.
COMPUTING:
The unit half term is called We Are Musicians. Children will be learning about how to make and edit music.
PE:
Children will be developing striking and fielding skills when playing CRICKET this half term. They will be improving their ability to bowl, field the ball and hit a straight drive. Girls from 4B and 4S will swim on a Wednesday morning as well as develop their TENNIS skills.
PATHS:
In PATHS this half term, we shall continue to learn and think about FRIENDSHIPS.
MUSIC:
This half term, the children will be learning about structures in songs and exploring layers.
SPANISH:
Children will become familiar with the layout of a simple bilingual dictionary. They will be learning new words linked to leisure activities. We will be learning about hobbies and will read and understand a short paragraph with familiar vocabulary as well as asking and answering questions.
RE:
Children will learn about living by rules within a faith and what it means to be temperate, exercise self-discipline and cultivate serene contentment.
Regards.
Clare Belshaw, Shabnam Saleem, Jabeen Moghul
Year 4 Teachers
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YEAR 4: WHOLE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
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SUBJECT |
AUTUMN TERM |
SPRING TERM |
SUMMER TERM |
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SPOKEN LANGUAGE |
At Park Hill, particularly because many of our pupils begin their school life without the oracy skills appropriate for their age, we recognise the importance of spoken language in the development of reading and writing and, indeed, of the whole individual. The skills of speaking and listening are explicitly taught and children are given a wide range of opportunities to practise these skills and develop confidence and competence.Throughout the School, children talk about their learning, developing ideas and understanding through discussion, asking questions, being able to listen carefully to others’ views and giving them time to respond, sometimes challenging others’ viewpoints, negotiating with others in group work and considering a range of viewpoints. Talk partners are often used as a strategy to encourage discussion in lessons. Relevant vocabulary is explicitly taught in lessons across the curriculum so that our children’s knowledge and understanding of vocabulary increases. Talk for Writing, which is used throughout the school in order to embed key vocabulary in children’s minds, is one such method that is employed on a regular basis.
For younger pupils, opportunities to develop their spoken language include role play within the indoor and outdoor learning environments where children can explore language in contexts such as a garage or a hairdresser’s or a café, for example. As the children become older, opportunities are extended with the children preparing to speak to an audience using ICT presentations or posters as prompts. Children in Year 6 learn to use spoken language in a formal debate. Spoken language is also developed through drama activities as children improvise, refine and rehearse scripts and learn to present these to an audience – for example – in their class assemblies. Rehearsing ideas through role play and spoken language enables children to explore different genres, identify with characters and develop vocabulary: teachers often use this approach as preparation to improve the quality of written work. During the year we run poetry performance competitions where children of all ages can showcase their ability to learn off texts by heart and perform poems of their choice with expression and actions. Every week a talk homework topic is sent home for the children to talk about with their families and then come back into school to discuss with their teachers and peers. We promote respect towards all languages and dialects that children may bring into school with them. We value all languages and recognise home languages as a stepping-stone to progress in the use of English. |
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READING
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At Park Hill, reading is taught as a separate lesson from writing. However, we very much try to link reading and writing activities so that often the same genre is being taught in both lessons. The children are taught reading skills, which are based around progression statements connected with:
In Years 1 to 4, reading is taught in five 30 minute sessions, separate from the writing lesson, every week. We use a wide selection of differentiated guided reading books, the class libraries and the two school libraries as a source of books. In Years 3 and 4, some children on the Special Needs Register use the Rapid Reading Scheme. In the reading lessons, our learning is based around the following cycle:
We have close links with our local library, Balsall Heath, and are often involved in projects with them. We make regular visits to the library and the librarians frequently come into school to speak not only to the children but also to their parents to help promote a love of reading and make them aware of the library’s facilities. |
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WRITING |
In writing, we base our learning around the Writing Cycle which takes the following format:
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Year 4 – Year group author – Jeremy Strong | ||
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Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term |
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Letters connected with topic | ||
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Biographies connected with Black History Week | ||
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Diaries | ||
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Reports connected with RE | ||
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Poetry | ||
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GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION |
Grammar and punctuation points are taught at the beginning of English lessons, where they are relevant to the genre being worked on. There are also discrete lessons in grammar and punctuation from Year 2 upwards. | ||
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PHONICS AND SPELLING |
We use the Letters and Sounds programme for the teaching of phonics.
Letters and Sounds is a focused teaching strategy that teaches children how the alphabet works for reading and spelling and is taught through 6 phases: Phase 1 supports the development of spoken language. Phase 2-5 is a systematic approach to phonics teaching and word recognition skills Phase 6- focuses on word-specific spellings and the rules for spelling alternatives. Phonics is taught as a discrete session every day in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Each lesson is taught by the teacher to the whole class, although the learning is differentiated according to ability within the lesson. Phonics is still taught to those children in Key Stage 2 who do not have a secure phonic knowledge. Spelling, appropriate to ability and age expectation, is taught for short periods of time on a daily basis in Key Stage 2 in line with statutory guidance. The children are then encouraged to apply the rules they have learned to their independent writing. |
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HANDWRITING AND PRESENTATION |
At Park Hill we aim to equip children with the skills to write in a handwriting style that is fluent, joined and legible. Children throughout the school use a cursive script where all letters start with a lead-in from the line and have a tiny hook on the end of them, which makes it easier to join them. Lower case g, y and j are not joined and neither are capital letters. Some children begin to join their letters in Year 2 but it is expected that all children will be joining their letters by Year 4 when every child is must use a pen for all their writing. | ||
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WRITING |
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MATHS (Hamilton Trust Long & Medium Term Planning) |
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SCIENCE |
Sound, electricity (conductors & insulators) Reversible & irreversible changes |
Teeth, variation & habitat |
The human body and the digestive system Evaporation & condensation
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HISTORY |
Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots A study of the Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire; Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland); Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and village life; Anglo-Saxon art and culture
Vikings versus Anglo-Saxons A Study of Viking raids and invasion; resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England; further Viking invasions and Dane geld; to Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066 |
Early Civilizations & Ancient Egypt A Study of the achievements of the early civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of Ancient Egypt
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GEOGRAPHY |
Geographical Links to Topic Locational Geography: Locating & identifying areas Anglo-Saxons originated from in Europe and routes Geographical Links to Topic Locational Geography: Locating & identifying areas Vikings originated from in Europe and raiding routes |
Geographical similarities and differences: 3 localities – U.K, SPAIN & PERU A study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America |
Geographical Links to Topic Locational Geography: Locating & identifying areas of importance in Ancient Egypt
The Importance of Water: A Study of the water cycle & water conservation |
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COMPUTING (Rising Stars Scheme) |
We are Musicians Producing digital music We are software Developers Developing a simple educational game |
We are HTML editors
Writing & editing an HTML We are co-authors
Producing a wiki |
We are Toy Designers Prototyping an interactive toy |
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MUSIC (Music Express Scheme) |
Play it again Exploring rhythmic patterns The Class Orchestra Exploring arrangements |
Dragon Scales Exploring melodies & scales Painting With Sound Exploring sound colours
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Salt, Pepper, Vinegar, Mustard Exploring signals Animal Magic Exploring descriptive sounds |
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P.E. |
Dance
Invasion Games Simple attack & defence strategies – Football Dance
Invasion Games Simple attack & defence strategies – Netball |
Gymnastics
Outdoor Adventurous Activities Gymnastics
Outdoor Adventurous Activities |
Net/wall Games Badminton
Striking & Fielding Games Cricket Net/wall Games Tennis
Athletics |
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PATHS |
Getting Started & Introduction Feelings & Relationships Feelings & Relationships |
Making Good decisions Being Responsible & Caring for Others |
Problem-Solving Problem-Solving |
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE: SPANISH (LA Jolie Ronde Scheme)
FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION |
All about me & establishing phrases & vocabulary for classroom routines &objects Understand and say numbers 0-10. Meet and establish common letter strings. Participate in a short exchange greeting someone- asking and saying how you are. Identify rhyming words in a poem. Follow simple classroom instructions. Explore auditory differences between un/una. Ask for and give name. Recognise a question form. Christmas lesson- Nativity play/Letter to the three Kings.
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Revision of numbers. Ask for and state age. Recognise how accents alter pronunciation. Colours. Perform actions to Spanish Song. Experiment with writing by producing short sentences using verb, adjective and connective. Easter lesson- Spring time/Weather conditions. Names of fruit. Recognise singular and plural items and how they affect the verb. Reflect on healthy eating habits. |
Understand Spanish traditions and customs across the various regions of Spain. Days of the week. Join in reading a story. Match sounds to the written word. Re-arrange familiar sentences into the correct word order. Months of the year. Focus on specific key sounds and letter strings. Identify social conventions at home and in other cultures. |
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ART & DESIGN |
Metal Embossing Drawing & scoring: Exploring line, designing & making Anglo-Saxon jewellery |
Painting the Rainforest Paint: A study of the work of painter Henri Rousseau |
Egyptian Death Masks Sculpture & Paint: Using paper mache 7 paint to create a Pharaoh’s death mask |
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DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY |
Viking Purses Textiles: Investigating, designing & making Viking purses |
Rainforest Food Technology Food preparation Peruvian Rainforest style |
Egyptian Technology A study of ingenious Ancient Egyptian technology
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R.E. (Following Birmingham Agreed Syllabus) |
Creativity – Expressing Joy Creativity – Being Thankful Contemplation – Being respectful & Self-Critical Contemplation – Being Curious & Valuing Knowledge |
Community – Being Modest & Listening to Others Community – Cultivating Inclusion, Identity & Belonging Compassion – Being Merciful & Forgiving Compassion – Being Regardful of Suffering
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Choices – Living by Rules Choices – Being Temperate, Cultivating Self- Discipline & Contentment Creativity – Being Imaginative & Explorative/Appreciating Beauty
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