Maple Class
Welcome to the Spring Term in Maple Class. We are a Year 3 and 4 class. Mrs Baines is the class teacher, Mrs Hicks and Mrs Waring are the teaching assistants who support learning.
Our Learning:
Our topic this half-term is called What makes the Greeks so Great? We will be finding out about the Ancient Greek civilisation and how they lived in city states, looking at how these were ruled. We are going to find out some of the main characteristics of the Athenians and the Spartans. To find out about the two main city states of Athens and Sparta, looking at how one was a democracy and the other was a military state. We will be researching the different Greek gods and finding out about the first Olympic Games.
In Science, we will be focusing on light. Within this unit, we will be looking at how light can be reflected from surfaces, show how shadows can be formed, experiment to find patterns in the way the size of the shadows change and recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and there are ways to protect eyes.
In PSHE, our topic is Diversity and Difference and we will be working on the following:
- Know the importance of self-respect and how to respect others.
- Respect and recognise differences and similarities between people.
- Understand and challenge stereotypes.
- Recognise behaviours/actions which discriminate against others.
In Art, we will be using sketchbooks to show designs for a Greek style clay pot, creating sculptures using clay and other mouldable materials, investigating the coiling method, adding materials to show details.
In RE, our key question for this half-term is: What does it mean to be a Sikh in Britain today? In this unit we will learn the following:
- Know that Sikh’s believe that God is everywhere and within everything.
- Know that community and cooperation are among the most important principles of Sikhism.
- Know how Sikh’s believe the world was created.
- Know the 5 K’s of Sikhism and the symbolism behind them.
- Know that Sikh’s can choose to be baptised and what this means to them.
Useful information:
On a Thursday afternoon, all children will be learning how to play the Ukulele.
PE is on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon for both Year 3 and 4 this term so please send your child in their PE kit on this day. Please ensure that PE kits meet the criteria of plain t-shirt/their team colour and black/navy/grey bottoms (shorts, leggings or joggers). Please make sure your child has a named water bottle that they bring to school with them every day.
How you can help
Please ensure that your child reads four times a week. On a Friday, reading records will be collected in to check if this has been done since the previous week.
Also, please ensure that your child accesses TTRS (Times Tables Rock Stars) and Spelling Shed throughout the week. This is especially important for Year 4 children as they have their multiplication check in June.
A topic menu (creative homework) involving six challenges will be issued once every half term, where children can choose their own activities. Certificates will be given out depending on the number of challenges completed.
Useful Websites:
https://www.spellingshed.com/en-gb/