Year 3 Spring Term Curriculum
A Time for Reflection
Areas of learning
- As geographers we will learn about climate zones around the world and how long the water cycle has been in effect. We will also explore natural disasters and the impact of these on people today.
- As historians we will be learning about the Romans and their way of life. How did the Romans set the right example with their way of living? How have the Romans impacted lives today?
- As scientists we will learn about the wonders of light, including reflections and shadows. We will make our own dark boxes to show how light helps us see. We will also explore shadows by creating our own shadow puppets as well as using mirrors to reflect light and investigating the movement of the Earth around the sun.
Confident Individuals
PSHE
- In this New Year, we will be setting a realistic goal that we would like to achieve. We will break down longer goals into smaller more achievable steps. We will consider what a distraction is and how best to minimise these so that we can achieve our goals.
Responsible Citizens
Envibronment
- Children will investigate natural and artificial light sources. We will be looking at ways to save energy and challenging ourselves to be more energy efficient.
Spiritual & Moral
- We will be looking at how and why people try and make the world a better place. We will be looking at Christian, Muslim and Jewish charities and reflecting upon the work that they do.
Communities
- We will be looking at different charities in our local community. We will be thinking about why they started and the impact that they have.
Year 3 Subject Skills
Literacy
- ‘Myths and Legends’,
- ‘Write Right’ (Through the Magic Mirror),
- ‘Stories with Familiar Settings’ (Mousehole Cat),
- Dictionary skills
Reading
- Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (etymology and morphology) as listed in Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet
- Listening to and discussing a wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
- Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
- Increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including fairy stories, myths and legends, and retelling some of these orally
- Identifying themes and conventions in a wide range of books
- Discussing words and phrases that capture the reader’s interest and imagination
- Checking that the text makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and explaining the meaning of words in context
- Identifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning
Writing
- Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them
- Spell further homophones
- Discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, grammar and vocabulary
- Composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures
- Proposing changes to vocabulary to improve consistency
Numeracy
- To recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 3, 4 and 8 multiplication tables
- Write and calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division using the multiplication tables that they know, including for two-digit numbers times one digit numbers, using mental and progressing to formal written methods
- Solve problems, including missing number problems, involving multiplication and division, including positive integer scaling problems and correspondence problems in which n objects are connected to m objects
- Count from 0 in multiples of 4, 8, 25, 50, and 100
- Solve number and practical problems involving these ideas
- Draw 2-d shapes and make 3-d shapes using modelling materials; recognize 3-d shapes in different orientations and describe them
- Recognise angels as a property of shape or a description of a turn
- Identify right angles, recognize that two right angles make a ½ turn, 3 make a ¾ of a turn and 4 a complete turn; identify whether angels are greater or less than an angle
- Identify horizontal and vertical lines and pairs of perpendicular and parallel lines
- Measure, compare, add and subtract: lengths (m/cm/mm); mass (kg/ g); volume/ capacity (l/ml)
- Measure the perimeter of simple 2-d shapes
Shape and Measure
- Measure the perimeter of simple 2-D shapes
- Tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman
- Numerals from I to XII, and 12-hour and 24-hour clocks
Science
Light and Shadow’ and ‘Science Week’
- Recognise that they need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light
- Notice that light is reflected from surfaces
- Recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect ourselves
- Recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by a solid object
- Find patterns in the way that the size of shadows change.
Computing
We are programmers’ and ‘We are opinion pollsters’ (Switched on ICT)
- Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
- Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
- Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
- Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
- Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
History
The Romans
- Identify differences between ways of life at different times.
- Recognise why people did things, why events happened and what happened as a result.
- Find out about the past from a range of sources.
- To ask and answer questions about the past.
- Characteristic features of the periods and societies studied, including ideas, beliefs, attitudes and experiences of men, women and children.
- Social, ethnic, cultural, religious diversity of the societies studied.
- Identify and describe reasons for, and results of events and changes.
- Describe and make links between events, and changes across periods.
RE
‘How and why do people try and make the world a better place?’ and ‘Easter’
- Identify why the world is not always a good place and make links across religions and why people try and make the world better
- Research and describe individuals and organisations that work to help others
- Children will express their own ideas about the best way to make the world a better place, giving reasons for their views and making links with religious ideas studied
- Look at the Holy Week for Christians and what events will take place
- Learn and understand what the word ‘salvation’ means to Christians
- Reflect upon how Easter is celebrated in our community
- Raise questions about why Christians call the day Jesus died ‘Good Friday’ and give reasons for their answers
PSHE
‘Health and Wellbeing’ and ‘Relationships’
- To recognise their achievements and set personal targets for the future
- To learn about feeling negative pressure and how to manage this
- To learn about what is meant by a habit and how habits can be hard to change
- To learn about solving disputes and conflict amongst themselves and their peers
- To learn how actions can affect ourselves and others
- To learn about the importance of keeping personal boundaries and the right to privacy (including online)
Geography
Weather Around the World
- Describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
- Ask geographical questions and use appropriate geographical vocabulary
- Use atlases, globes and maps to locate
- Describe what places are like and where they are
- Recognise how people can improve the environment
Art
- To recap the elements of drawing -line, tone, colour, shape, space and pattern
- To study paintings by Paul Klee
- To learn how to illustrate
DT
- To select from and use a wide range of textiles, according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities
- Evaluate ideas and products against their design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work
PE
Hockey, Tennis and Creative Dance
- Play competitive hockey and tennis games and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
- Develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance in dance
- Perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- Compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
Music
- Sing songs in unison and 2 parts
- Analyse and compare sounds
- Explore and explain ideas and feelings about music using musical vocabulary
French
- Re-visit the story of Mrs Rainbow (Mme Arc en Ciel)
- Extend the vocabulary of rooms in the house
- To recap the names of fruits and extend vocabulary