Caterpillar and Spider Classes

Subject

Content

English

This half term we will start by writing about our Easter Holidays and we will use our work to practise the key skills of proof-reading and editing to improve our writing. Next, we will look at writing character descriptions. We will explore some high-quality examples and have a go at doing our own. Our other areas of focus this half term will be grammar and sentence structure. We will look to secure many of the tools and skills taught so far in Year 2 so they appear consistently and accurately in our writing. We will also be extending the writing we do in our foundation subjects to so the children get the opportunity to write about about real events and experiences. During this half term, we will be reading Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and Mr Majeika by Humphrey Carpenter to develop our VIPERS skills (vocabulary, inference, prediction, evidence, retrieval and summarise.

Maths

We will spend most of this half term studying fractions. The children will be introduced to parts and whole, then equal and unequal parts. They will learn to recognise and find a half; recognise and find a quarter; recognise and find a third; finally to find the whole. We will study unit fractions, non-unit fractions and recognise the equivalence of a half and two-quarters. The children will continue to build their understanding of fractions by recognising and finding three-quarters and finally by counting in fractions up to a whole.

Towards the end of the half term, we will go back to measures in our Time unit of learning. We will focus on o’clock and half past, quarter to and quarter past, telling time past and to the hour, telling time to 5 minutes, as well as minutes in an hour and hours in a day.

Science

This unit builds on directly from Year 1 – Materials and Magnets. In Year One, pupils learned about the names of everyday materials. They began to consider simple properties of everyday materials and learned about John Dunlop and his work on developing a suitable material for wheels. This unit offers another opportunity to reinforce the names and uses of every day materials, developing the conceptual understanding that all materials are used for a purpose based on their properties. In this unit, building on their knowledge of John Dunlop and his work, pupils will study George de Mestral and will find out how he developed Velcro after noticing how the shape of burdock seeds allowed them to grip onto his clothes and his dog’s fur whilst out walking. Pupils will learn how he needed to test the properties of materials in order to find something suitable for his invention. They will look at images of Velcro under a microscope.

History

This half term we will study The Romans in Britain. This unit provides children with an early understanding of the Roman Empire in the familiar context of Britain, which will be built on in later years. The pupils will encounter the significant individuals Julius Caesar and Emperor Claudius. They will also look closely at how the Roman army was organised and evaluate what made them so successful. The children will learn about the significant rebellion led against the Romans by the Celtic queen of the Iceni, Boudicca. The children will analyse continuity & change between life in Britain before, during and after the Romans, looking at what continued and stayed the same versus what changed. The children will consider the legacy of the Roman invasion on life on Britain; they will learn that the Romans left their influence on the way we speak, read and write, and how they left behind the roads and towns they had built. Additionally, throughout this unit, teachers can explain how historians and archaeologist are constantly unearthing new discoveries about the Romans.

Religious Education

In RE, we will be continuing to learn about the Islamic faith, focusing on mosques. We will explore what mosques look like inside and out and what happens when Muslims visit their place of worship.

Design and Technology

In DT, we will study a Build unit of learning – Moving pictures – during which the children will have a go at making a moving picture for a family member or a friend which operates using levers and sliders. Key concepts explored in this unit include: process of design; mechanical systems: levers and sliders; levers and sliders in everyday examples; structures and materials to make levers and sliders in moving pictures strong, stiff and stable.

Music

In music this half term we will be learning about emotions in sound. We will explore the piece of music Night Ferry by Anna Clyne which portrays a journey across a stormy sea. We will look at her inspirations for composing this piece of work and have a go at creating our own compositions inspired by the painting Snow Storm by Turner which the children studied in art last half term.

Physical Education

Our two units of learning for this half term are: Net and wall games and Dance Net and wall games are games where either a net separates the players or a wall is used. The object of these games is to hit the ball over the net and into the court space or against a wall to make it difficult for a partner to return. Examples include tennis, badminton, volleyball, squash. In the Dance unit, pupils will explore how they can move their bodies to express mood, feelings and ideas. They will build their understanding of using travelling actions in relation to stimulus, as well as dynamics and expression. The children will work individually and with others to perform and provide feedback using the key terminology.

Computing

This term in computing, we will study digital music. Learners will explore how music can make them think and feel. They will make patterns and use those patterns to make music with both percussion instruments and digital tools. They will also create different rhythms and tunes, using the movement of animals for inspiration. Finally, learners will share their creations and compare creating music digitally and non-digitally.

Art

In Art this half term, we will study history paintings – paintings which show stories from classical history, mythology and the Bible. This unit builds on the children’s knowledge from their study of paintings showing St George and the Dragon in year 1 in the unit on Narrative Art. To explore the idea of history painting, the children look at mythological art, studying in detail art which tells the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. They will study artwork that tells different parts of the story as well as the whole story, ranging from a mosaic made in the 3/4th century to 20th century paintings. The children will then make a detailed study of the work of Picasso which show the minotaur and create their own work in mixed media incorporating the minotaur and the maze. At the end of the unit, we will look at a history painting showing another myth, Apollo and Daphne before the children review and evaluate their own work.

Personal, Social and Health Education

In PSHE this half term we will be focusing on relationships, learning how to make friends, solve friendship problems when they occur, help others to feel part of a group, show respect in how they treat others. The children will also build their understanding of how to help themselves and others when they feel upset or hurt. We will finish the unit by exploring how to identify and show what makes a good relationship.