Curriculum OverviewSpring Term 2019

Year 3

Ancient Britain – The Stone Age

As sportsmen we will develop skills in finding and using space to keep the ball throughout our ‘Invasion Games’ unit. We will explore how to use skills, strategies, and tactics to outwit our opposition. We will also learn to use a range of different passes to keep possession & attack the opposition’s goal. In gymnastics we will focus on improving the quality of our movement, e.g. by stretching fingers and pointing toes, to help us produce tension and extension. We will plan and perform sequences of contrasting actions, and develop flow by linking actions smoothly and planning variations in speed.

In PSHE we will be focussing on our school’s chosen values for the half term following the School Parliament in July. We will discuss and explore the meaning of these values and the implications for everyone within our school environment. Our first value is ‘SELF-RESPECT’, in class we will be thinking about what self-respect is and how we can continuously improve our learning by respecting ourselves.

In RE we will learn about the Muslim faith, in particular we will be focusing on what life is like for a Muslim. In lessons we will explore the key principles of the Muslim faith and how the features of a mosque help to Muslims pray?

This term you can help you child at home by

Making sure that your child reads at home every day and at least three times a week out loud to an adult. Aim to ask your child questions about the books that they read so that you can check and help them with their understanding

Regularly rehearsing times tables up to 12x12 with them, making sure that they really do know them

Supporting and encouraging them to complete their homework on time, learn grammar and talk about their day

Ensuring that they are accessing Fronter regularly and when required to submit work

Keeping up to date with current affairs around the world (either through discussion with an adult or through websites such as BBC Newsround.

In maths we will be developing our understanding of place value, building upon our previous understanding of counting up to and comparing numbers up to 1000 and extending it to include solving number problems and practical problems involving these ideas. We will develop our ability to recall and use known numbers facts to count on from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 50 and 100 and to find 10 or 100 more or less than a given number. We will be looking at statistics, covering the use of tally charts and bar charts to present data. We will also be looking at time, learning to tell the time using both an analogue and digital clock including Roman numerals from I to XII. In addition to this, we will be developing our understanding of volume and capacity. Throughout the course of the term we will also be sharpening our investigation and word problem skills.

This term we will be learning about The Stone Age as part of our cross curricular approach to learning. We will develop our historical understanding of how ancient civilisations lived through a range of curriculum areas including our literacy, geography, art and ICT work. We will learn about how Cavemen hunted and gathered food. We will discover what type of homes they lived in and explore the types of food they may have eaten. We will even develop our culinary skills by creating our own Stone Age dishes!

As scientists we will explore the power of forces by looking at the different ways objects can be made to start moving. We will learn that a force alters the movement of an object, and that there are different types of forces. We will develop our understanding of how objects move on different surfaces. We will also become aware of the ways in which different materials affect the way an object moves across it.

As historians we will be looking at daily life during the Stone Age – examining many of the interesting artefacts they left behind including structures such as Stonehenge, where we will learn to deduce information about the past and draw our own conclusions as to their purpose. We will study the cave paintings left behind at sites such as Lascaux and develop an understanding of how they hunted, ate and protected themselves.

In literacy we will be looking at how to develop our writing skills by captivating and engaging an audience. We will use ideas from our Stone Age themed ‘Stig of the Dump’ book study to develop our understanding of characters, settings and plot. We will then apply our skills to a narrative unit based around what we have learned. We will also use the historical knowledge we have gained through our history work on the Stone Age to study the features of a non- fiction text and create our own information texts. In addition to this we will be dedicating time to guided reading sessions grammar, punctuation and spellings.

As artists we will be learning about and analysing a number of different images from the Lascaux caves, located in Southern France. We will use a range of different materials and techniques to create our own cave paintings drawing upon the different images we study as part of our History topic. We will make appropriate palette choices to create visually interesting pieces which tell a story without words.

In ICT we will develop an understanding of the history of computers. We will learn how computer networks including the internet work. We will then further improve our coding skills using a variety of different programmes including Scratch and Code for Life, learning important skills such as how to write our own algorithms and how to debug a simple program. ICT will also be used regularly in maths, Literacy and History to develop presentation and research skills throughout the term.

As linguists we will listen attentively to spoken Spanish language and show our understanding by joining in and responding. We will ask and answer questions, express opinions and respond to those of others. We will continue to develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when we are using familiar words and phrases.

As musicians we will be developing our confidence to sing by participating in singing assemblies. We will also be introduced to the language of music and developing and exploring our playing skills through using a glockenspiel.