Year 2 Curriculum outline Autumn 2021
Year 2 Curriculum Outline Autumn 2021 Nature & Nurture - Digging Down Humanities - Social Understanding During our “Nature and Nurture” Thematic learning, pupils will be using the outside space as much as possible. We will be doing field work, identifying trees and considering different habitats. We will look at changes and the animals that rely on our woods and woodland to survive. Following half term we will be thinking more about what is under the soil in our topic
‘Digging Down.’ We will consider how finding ‘hidden treasure’ such as old coins tell us about the past and consider the forces such as gravitational force keeps us on the planet. In RS pupils will be spending the term looking at festival celebrations across a number of different religions. Initially, we will look at celebrations such as birthdays and Harvest that the children will have experienced. Following this, we will consider the significance of light within various religions, such as the Jewish festival of Hanukkah and Christmas for Christians. In each of these topics we will be using specific vocabulary, discussion, iPad research and will consider different ways of recording information learnt.
Language and Communication In English, the pupils will begin the year studying stories by Beatrix Potter and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox' by Roald Dahl. These stories have many characters to draw on and are set in familiar natural settings. We will also be looking at other texts relating to the woods and use this as inspiration to compose and consider poetry within this theme. We will also be studying a story about a wombat set in Australia as part of our ‘Digging Down’ topic. We will be continually embedding basic grammar and punctuation such as capital letters and sentence structure.The children will also be introduced to the process of reviewing and editing their own work. There will also be the opportunity to practice some drama and throughout the term the children will be developing their digital skills using some of our ‘Evergreen apps’ to extend their learning. In addition, pupils will also be following the Read, Write, Inc.(RWI) ‘Spelling’ and ‘Phonics’ programmes, which are robust and fast-paced schemes to teach pupils to read and spell accurately through an understanding of phonics and spelling rules, underpinned by regular practice. Each child will have up to 10 spelling words, linked to their RWI sessions, to learn on a weekly basis. These words will be introduced in our RWI lessons and tested the following week. In Modern Languages, the primary focus is on listening, understanding, and speaking. The pupils will learn through a range of songs, stories, rhymes and games. Lessons will link to the thematic learning topics. At the start of term, we introduce the pupils to classroom language and basic instructions whilst, when Christmas approaches, they will learn about the differences between Spanish and French cultural traditions. They will have plenty of opportunity to practise counting, whilst pronunciation practice will focus on the key vowel sounds. In French this term, pupils will revise key basic information about themselves and learn to use the questions too, to find out about others. Pupils will explore woodland animals and read and hear The Gruffalo in French. Finally, pupils will focus on revising and expanding their knowledge and use of colours. In Spanish this term will focus on revisiting greetings, colours and numbers. We will learn about family members, food and parts of the house reading traditional fairy tales like The Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. We will also learn some Halloween vocabulary and we will talk about Christmas traditions in Spain and Hispanic countries.
Mathematical Understanding The first topic this term is place value which will include counting objects to 100, and reading and writing numbers in numerals and words. Pupils will also learn how to use a place value chart, and compare and order objects and numbers, as well as count in 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s. Next pupils will move onto addition and subtraction; specifically bonds to 20 and 100. They will be taught to check their calculations and work out 10 more and 10 less. Pupils will also add and subtract 2-digit numbers with, and without, crossing 10, and 3 1-digit numbers. The third topic is money, including counting, selecting, making the same amount, finding totals, finding change and 2-step problems. The final topic is multiplication and division. Pupils will study the 2, 5 and 10 times tables, multiplication sentences, use of arrays and recognising, making and adding equal groups.
Physical Education and Well-being In PE this term, the pupils in Dame B’s will be taking part in fencing, swimming and gymnastics. Rosedale House pupils will be participating in yoga, fencing, gymnastics and tennis on rotation throughout the year. For their games session, they will be learning multi skills; these lessons will focus on balance, agility, coordination, dodging and some racket sports. After half term, pupils will then be introduced to small sided invasion games to help develop team building, scoring, attacking/defending and possession. For PSHEE this term, the pupils will have the opportunity to identify their own responsibilities both inside and outside of school. They will also discuss the areas of their lives for which adults are responsible and consider how this might change as they grow up. They will reflect on existing school rules and create new classroom rules with a focus on why they have been made and what they mean in practice. The children will explore simple reasons for why bullying happens, which includes exploring how bullying occurs when people do not respect and value diversity and difference. The pupils will identify a basic range of emotions, developing language to describe them, and consider what prompts different feelings in themselves and others. They will explore how those emotions affect how we think, feel and behave. The children will also discuss online safety and what to do if they are worried about anything online. We will also have a regular, dedicated focus on mental health and wellbeing. Some of these lessons will use the iSpace Wellbeing curriculum. Each iSPace lesson starts with a story which is used as an active teaching tool to explore the topics. This term the lesson topics are ‘The Niggle’ (which looks at worries and how to deal with them) and ‘Boys Cry Too’ (to understand that it is acceptable for anyone to cry and show their feelings).
Forest School is a superb way for our pupils to learn holistically through play and exploration, following their own curiosity. Pupils learn to connect with their environment, manage risks and use their initiative to solve problems and cooperate with others whilst developing their resilience, creativity, confidence, and independence skills. This term they will be reconnecting with our Forest School site, establishing boundaries and focusing on what helps us stay safe in the Forest. We will also be visiting a new site for the foundation and getting to know the new environment through the use of nature walks and observation activities. Pupils will be learning fire safety and tool talks, safe use of ropes and discussing how we would like to develop our site over the next term. Pupils will be learning about fruit trees and seeds, and which animals eat the fruit. Pupils will be foraging for edible fruits e.g. elderberries, sloes, blackberries, rose hips and Hawthorne. Pupils will also be using their own stick paint brushes and making paint using the berries.
Creative and Performing Arts In Plan Learn Do Review pupils have the opportunity to lead and direct their own learning. Over a four week cycle the pupils will Plan what they want to do which may be digitally via a video, or using pictures, words and labels. The pupils then spend a session to Learn something that will contribute to the successful Do session. Perhaps colour mixing, cutting cardboard, threading a needle, or finding out what a rocket really looks like. Finally, in the fourth week, it is Do day; on this day the pupils execute their Plan. You may be asked to bring in some specific resources to help on this day such as a cardboard box or some small cakes for decoration. Often the pupils link their project to the theme but it is up to them. All pupil’s PLDR work can be viewed through their Google Classroom or when they bring it home! In Music, pupils will be learning how to notate well known songs by visually representing the rhythm and the pitch. They will continue to play musical games to develop their singing and understanding of music. Pupils will be playing the recorder and will be learning the notes A and B. After half term, they will start to prepare for the Spring Term musical production. The pupils will be practising their Create Design and Engineering skills, during the thematic lessons. There will be an opportunity for pupils to develop their sketching skills by focusing on a minibeast of their choice. Pupils will then use these sketches to create their own clay sculpture whilst learning, developing and experimenting a range of clay skills. Later, the pupils will put their engineering skills to the test when they research, design and create their own catapult.
Scientific Understanding As part of our ‘Nature and Nurture’ and ‘Digging Down’ topics the pupils will consolidate their understanding of fair testing. This will include designing and setting up a fair test in a range of investigations.They will be learning how to record their results in tables and graphs and to reflect on these in a conclusion. The pupils will learn about food chains, different parts of
plants, and exploring the different plants we eat. Pupils will investigate forces, in a range of contexts, with a specific focus on pushes and pulls.
Digital
The Inner Wheel With the Google apps at the heart of digital curation our pupils use Google Classroom to complete work digitally and hand in work that is produced in a variety of ways. We have identified 7 main apps, our EverGreen apps, that help to showcase our pupils’ learning. An animation, movie or annotated piece of work provides richer feedback for the teacher and ultimately helps to make greater progress. Explain Everything www.explaineverything.com Green Screen www.doink.com Stop Motion www.cateater.com Strip Design www.vividapps.com/Strip_Designer/ Notability www.gingerlabs.com Book Creator www.bookcreator.com Puppet Pals www.polishedplay.com
The Outer Wheel We have a number of apps that we use consistently throughout our curriculum that lend themselves to our creative approach. We avoid apps that are specific to a particular outcome, preferring content free apps that can help to enhance our pupils work and understanding. Some examples are: Minecraft, iMovie, KeyNote, Pages and Padlet.
Coding Another aspect of our digital curriculum is the coding/programming skills that are embedded in all subjects or taught discretely in Years 5 and 6. We have identified a progression of apps that help to develop our pupils’ ability to code. The apps provide variety and challenge and help to develop the computation skills that are crucial learning in our digital work. We combine the coding experiences with physical output. Using Spheros, BBC Micro:Bits and Ozobots provides visual outcomes that bring our code to life. As our pupils develop further they transition on to written code.
Thinking Toolkit Alongside and underpinning our curriculum we ensure that our pupils are developing as active learners and active thinkers. Throughout each subject area pupils are encouraged to use their range of thinking tools and reflect on when and how they are using them. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on how their thinking tools underpin all aspects of their learning and not just in the more obvious ways. How are they creative in maths? How do they enquire in English? How are they critical in Music? How do they think computationally in PE?
Inclusion This curriculum map outlines the core curriculum for each year group each term but at the heart of our wheel is the individual learner. Each subject area has a progression of skills which enables staff to stretch or support individuals as and when they need a little help, a bit of a push or a just a different way in. Within our classrooms through planning, teacher knowledge and interactions work is differentiated to suit the needs of each individual.