Year 3 Curriculum outline Spring 2021
Year 3 Curriculum Outline Spring 2021 Heroes and Villains ~ Amazing Authors
Humanities - Social Understanding Our thematic learning topic ‘Heroes and Villains’ will explore one of the greatest civilisations of ancient times as we learn about Greek gods and heroes. We will understand what shaped, defined and inspired these city states and their powerful gods as well as meet a world of legendary heroes and villains. We will distinguish between different versions of the same event and explore and evaluate different sources of historical evidence. After half term we will enter the world of ‘Amazing Authors’. Our humanities takes us South to Morocco, where we will explore the world depicted in ‘The Butterman’ by Moroccan author Ali Alalou. We will learn about the climate and physical geography of England and Morocco as we follow the migration of the painted lady butterfly, planning and mapping the journey that it takes.
In RS, pupils will learn about the Christian Church and worship. They will find out more about the importance of Holy Communion to the Christian faith, and think about how Christians mark rites of passage. They will continue to explore the Christian year as they learn more about Lent and Easter. Key skills include using religious words and phrases to identify and retell, asking questions and responding sensitively, making comparisons and forming and expressing opinions.
Language and Communication In English, pupils will explore, read and write myths using The Orchard Book of Greek Myths (Geraldine McCaughrean) as our inspiration. Timeless classics, such as Pandora’s Box and Arachne the Spinner will allow pupils to storyboard plots, recognise and develop strong characters in their own writing. Alongside these skills we will continue to refine our punctuation skills and use a range of conjunctions to improve our writing. After half term we will read a range of fables from Rosen’s Aesop’s Fables, explore dialogue through drama, debate moral messages and write letters using extended sentences. Finally children write their own fables. This will be followed by an exploration of poetry. Looking specifically at calligrams and shape poems about animals. We will finish by writing our own poetry. ssessment A PTE (Progress Test in English) In Modern Languages, listening and speaking skills remain our focus, but increasingly reading words and sentences will be integrated as pupils develop decoding skills and link sounds to spellings. At the start of the Spring Term pupils will be learning about the celebration of La Fête des Rois and Los Reyes Magos and making comparisons between festivals around the world. In French, pupils will look at the story of Cendrillon and then focus on a wide range of animals, revising the ones already learned and building on this
knowledge to look at the gargoyles in Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame. The term will finish by exploring French Easter traditions. In Spanish, the pupils will be developing their classroom vocabulary, responding to instructions and asking for things. Learning about animals in both languages will allow pupils to explore the concepts of gender of nouns and learn to talk about pets. We will end the term with a focus on Easter traditions.
Mathematical Understanding Our first topic is multiplication and division. We will focus on comparing statements (3 x 4 = 4 x 3), multiplying and dividing two-digit numbers by a one-digit number, learning both mental and formal written methods. Problem solving will include missing numbers and scaling problems. Next we will look at money, specifically £ and p in practical contexts, converting between the two, adding and subtracting amounts of money and giving change. We then move on to data handling, interpreting and presenting data using bar charts, pictograms and tables, before looking at measuring, adding and subtracting lengths, units, and measuring and calculating the perimeter of simple 2D shapes. Finally, we will work on fractions: understanding and recognising both unit fractions and non-unit fractions with small denominators. We will count up and down in tenths, and divide objects, one-digit numbers and quantities by 10; recognise and use fractions as numbers; recognise, find and write fractions of a discrete set of objects, and solve problems that involve all of the above. Throughout the term we will include solving problems as part of the curriculum. ssessment A PTM (Progress Test in Maths)
Physical Education and Well-being In PE at Rosedale House this term the rotation of fencing, gymnastics, yoga, tennis and touch rugby will continue. At Dame B’s in PE there will be a rotation of fencing, indoor athletics, invasion games and football. In games, the focus will be on hockey and netball. Please ensure that all pupils have a mouthguard, shin pads and long socks. Development of key skills and refinement of technique will be integral to all lessons, whilst pupils will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles within team situations. Do encourage your child to get involved with any of these sports outside of school by joining local clubs and discuss the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle.
In PSHEE this term, pupils will consider a range of emotions and strategies for managing feelings, including relaxation and being assertive, to improve our wellbeing. The children will then go on to learn about healthy lifestyles, including physical activity, nutrition, dental hygiene and making healthy choices. Children’s Mental Health Week will focus on ‘expressing ourselves’ and they will take part in a range of activities to support their wellbeing. The pupils will also reinforce their understanding of using technology safely and effectively throughout the term, with Safer Internet Day on 9th February having a focus on an internet we can trust, using critical thinking skills to check the reliability of information online.
Creative and Performing Arts In Music this term, pupils will study 7th Century Indonesian Gamelan music; learning about the cultural customs associated with Gamelan performances and trying to engage with these customs whilst rehearsing and performing pieces together as a class ensemble. Pupils will have the wonderful opportunity to play on authentic Indonesian Gamelan instruments, and throughout the topic will have the opportunity to improvise, develop their vocal technique and continue to add to their increasingly broad bank of music terminology. Each week, pupils will continue to expand their recorder repertoire and develop their instrumental technique, alongside having the opportunity to use any additional instruments they play in both composition and performance tasks when appropriate. Throughout the term the pupils will build their confidence and fluency with reading staff notation, and will continue to acquire the necessary skills needed to achieve their music medals. Pupils will continue to develop their vocal performance skills through the exploration of topic based songs and pieces. When developing their Create, Design, Engineering skills pupils will delve into the visual history of the heroes and villains of Ancient Greece when they use careful cutting and drawing to create an Ancient Greek vase. Clay pinch pots will be the basis for some scary Greek monsters. Linking to our science learning about light and shadows we will also make our own shadow puppets and perform a short play. After half term we will observe the flora and fauna of Morocco closely to draw a Moroccan creature using pencil and oil pastels/chalks. The wings of the painted lady butterfly will inspire a collaborative art piece and will turn our hands to food technology when we prepare a Moroccan couscous salad.
Scientific Understanding In Science, we will investigate how light travels and how shadows are made, developing pupils’ understanding that light can pass through some materials but not others, and how to classify materials as transparent, translucent or opaque. After half term, we will focus on teeth and eating, learning that different animals have various kinds of teeth, depending on their diet, and looking at the types and number of human teeth. We will investigate the effects of different liquids on teeth and discuss what is required to keep teeth healthy.
Key skills will include planning investigations, making predictions and taking measurements using standard units. How you can help: Visit local museums, such as the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, Saffron Walden Museum and Cambridge Science Centre. These institutions have extended their online resources during lockdown, as has BBC Bitesize Science. Look out also for science programmes on TV or YouTube.
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.