Otter Class
We hope you have all had a restful Easter break and are ready to dive into our final topics of Year 3. We are going to start our new ‘driver’ topic by having a Roman Day to fully immerse ourselves into Roman life.
This page will be updated throughout the year with information about our topics and the learning that we will be focusing on. Please check out our school Twitter page to see regular photos of our incredible learning.
Our Learning Environment
Learning in Term 4
English
We will be exploring a thrilling book called ‘Escape From Pompeii’ and creating a range of fictional writing, including narrative descriptions, poems and diary recounts. In this study, the children will be encouraged to use new sentence structures and vocabulary. To support this, each week, the class will have separate grammar and spelling sessions, in which they will explore new aspects of grammar and KS2 spelling patterns. Each week, the children will also be given spellings to learn and given links to Spelling Shed, so that they can practise these words in preparation for a weekly spelling test.
As well-developed reading skills are vital to enable children to access all areas of the primary curriculum, this term, we will be reading two children’s books. Each week, the children will read, discuss and answer VIPER questions about a chapter of the story.
Your child will continue to bring home a reading folder, which will contain a reading record and a fiction/non-fiction book. We ask that they read for 20 mins each day and we would be grateful if the record could be signed to show that this has taken place. In this way, we hope to enthuse the children and make them realise that books can open up a world of endless possibilities.
Maths
In Maths, this term, we will begin our final Power Maths workbook of Year 3. We are going to continue to explore fractions, for which our times table knowledge is crucial, so please continue to practise them at home. We will then investigate length, money and time.
In Key Stage Two, it is even more important now that they develop a secure understanding of their times tables. The children should now have a secure understanding of their 2, 5 and 10 times tables and, now, they should focus on learning their 3, 4 and 8 times tables. Every child has access to Times Table Rockstars, which is a fantastic resource that we urge your child to make the most of. The children have their own logins inside their reading diaries.
You can access TT Rockstars via this link: https://ttrockstars.com/
Wider Learning
This year we will continue to use the ‘Cornerstones curriculum’ to support our wider learning.
Our main topic across the next two terms is called ‘Emperors and Empires’. It is a history-based unit, where we will be looking at the growth and decline of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. We are going to explore the power of the Roman Emperors and look at the hierarchies of Roman society and their army.
Science
This project teaches children about the requirements of plants for growth and survival. They will learn to describe the parts of flowering plants and relate structure to function, including the roots and stem for transporting water, leaves for making food and the flower for reproduction.
Foundation Subjects
Art
This project teaches children about the genre of botanical art. They will create natural weavings, two-colour prints and beautiful and detailed botanical paintings of fruit.
Design Technology
This project teaches children about the purpose, structure and design features of greenhouses and compares the work of two significant greenhouse designers. They will learn techniques to strengthen structures and use tools safely. They will use their learning to design and construct a mini greenhouse.
Computing
We will continue to follow the ‘Teach Computing’ Curriculum and we will be looking at creating media. We will be learning about desktop publishing.
R.E
Our topic is going to be ‘Why do people pray?’. We will be learning about and exploring different religious and spiritual ways of praying. We will also explore some key beliefs about prayer, so that pupils can develop thoughtful ideas and viewpoints of their own about prayer.
PSHE
We are going to focus on ‘Coping with Change’, where we will look at our feelings and how our feelings change.
P.E.
We are going to be focusing on Orienteering this term. Our P.E. day is Tuesday, so please make sure your child comes into school wearing their full P.E. kit on this day.
French
In our topic on ‘Transport’, the children will learn to recognise and recall seven modes of transport in French. This will go alongside our ongoing practice of vocabulary linked to colours, numbers and to simple conversational phrases.
Home Learning
Homework will be set on a Tuesday and is to be completed by the following Monday. This will be set on Google Classroom.
Each Tuesday, the children will be set their weekly spellings on Spelling Shed, before being tested on the following Monday.
As part of their home learning, we encourage children to read every day to support their reading fluency and vocabulary.
Contact us
We are always available on the playground after school if you need to talk! Alternatively, if it is not urgent, you can email the families' email. This email is checked regularly and will be forwarded on to the class team. You can find the email here: families@bethersden.kent.sch.uk
We are looking forward to the exciting term ahead of us!
Otter Class Team