Year Nine – Spring Term 2016
Subject Information
The
The table below indicates the key areas of study to be covered in the National Curriculum Key Stage 3 subjects this term. In addition to this is information relating to any homework that is set in subject areas and the deadlines for submission of the homework. Information such as this provides you with an opportunity to discuss with your child the work that he / she is doing in school and allows you to identify subject areas in which you can help and / or ask questions about the work they will be covering.
Subject / Main themes, ideas and topics / Homework
English
English is a skills based subject and lessons include a variety of activities designed to stimulate your child’s creativity.
We develop students’ skills through a theme based curriculum. Within each half-term, students will explore and respond to a range of texts relating to a particular theme; these include poetry, prose, non-fiction, literary non-fiction and media. Texts covered will span the pre-twentieth, twentieth and twenty first centuries Year 9 themes comprise:
Journeys - Students will explore, through the study of a range of texts, the theme. They will explore both non-fiction and fiction texts, developing their own ideas and responses to the issues raised within them; they will complete a range of activities, both written and verbal.
Magical Mystery Tour – As part of this unit, students will develop their understanding of the spoken language and how this varies due to geographical, gender and contextual factors. They will also consider differences between spoken and written language.
The skills developed throughout KS3 prepare students for KS4 and the requirements of the new GCSE curriculum. Throughout the year, common assessments will be formally assessed each half term. These will focus on assessing particular skills developed within the Scheme of Learning. / Homework will be given on a weekly basis and will aim to broaden the students’ understanding of the theme being explored within the lessons. Homework may also be used to support the development of students’ literacy skills and therefore focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Maths
Handling Data –
Sampling – Identify when a sample may be biased
Organising and representing data
-frequency tables and two way tables
-pictograms, bar charts and pie charts
Averages and spread – compare distributions using the median, mean, mode and range and identify outliers. Also using interquartile range consider measures of spread.
Fractions, decimals and percentages –
-Convert between terminating decimals and their corresponding fractions
-Compare decimals and fractions using the symbols > and <
-Calculate fractions and percentages of amounts
-Add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers
-Multiply and divide fractions and mixed numbers
-Convert between fractions, decimals (including recurring decimals) and percentages
-Order fractions, decimals and percentages
Real life skills and problem solving – The business plan
NOTE: All students should bring a pen, pencil, ruler and scientific calculator to each Maths lesson. / Homework is set once per week. Students will be given details of their homework by their Maths teacher which they should carefully write into their planner.
KS3 Science
Students are starting their GCSE Core Science course in Year 9. They will cover all three sciences on a rotation basiscompleting units 1a in Biology, 1a in Chemistry and 1a in Physics. In addition to their course work they will be taking part in lessons to give them the necessary skills and experience to prepare them for their ISA practical exam papers in KS4 and skills in how to answer longer exam questions.
Topics covered in each rotation will include:
- Biology – Keeping healthy, Coordination and control, Medicine and drugs.
- Chemistry – Fundamental ideas, Rocks and building materials, Metals and their uses, Crude oil and fuels.
- Physics – Energy transfer by heating, Using energy, Electrical energy.
Assessment of pupil progress will be done at the end of every sub unit using past exam questions. Students will be awarded a level and given guidance on how to improve their work to achieve their target grade. Students will also have additional assessments in each subject covering the planning, evaluation and analysis of practical work and long answer exam question techniques.
At the end of each rotation students will sit a short exam using past exam paper questions to assess progress.
Modern Foreign Languages
During this term we will work to provide the basic linguistic skills and background information necessary to communicate on the following topic areas.
Talking about school and school subjects.
Describing a school day.
Talking about your family and friends.
Talking about problems with family and friends.
This will involve working in all of the four key skill areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. / This may be in the form of vocabulary learning, reading or writing exercises or preparation of work for a subsequent lesson.
Art and Design
The students will continue until half term with the Other Cultures study.
After half term, this will then follow with a Thematic Study on Water.
This study will allow the students to have a moreindependentapproach to an art project, by allowing them to take the decision on what to create for a final piece. Opportunity to create a painting, sculpture, relief, drawing, print, mixed media etc.
Teachers will write a brief that fulfills the requirements of the learning objectives and outcomes and meets assessment objectives.
The brief should engage the students in a way that encourages a personal response to the theme.
They will still be using development, refinement, research & analysis, evaluation and construction,as with the last project, but be doing this more independently, having laid out the format for them earlier in the year.
Skills in annotation and recording development of their work and ideas will be an important aspect of the assessment.
Students will explore a different range of techniques of creating movement and quality of water, rather than what currently exists. This allows them to experimentwith mixed media. / There will be several pieces of homework over the term, linked to the topic of Other Culturesand Water Study which involve researching artists, analysing existing pieces of art, drawing from observation and demonstratingskills they have learnt in class. This homework isimperative as quite often it will link to the classwork done that day, or in preparation for the following lesson.
Homework may also be to finish off study sheets not completed in lesson time.
Drama
Shakespeare: The Tempest
- Characters
- Setting
- Plot line
- Language – Poetry & Prose
- Historical Context to Performing
- The Globe Theatre
- Set scenes NCTs
- Relationships
- Alternative directions/interpretation
- Research
- Learning lines
- Rehearsing
- Collecting/sourcing props and costumes
- Storyboards
- Poster/ticket designs
- Self/peer evaluations.
Geography
During this term students will be studying matters concerning population. This topic looks at where people live and why. It also focuses on population change and migration.Secondly crime in the local area will be studied. This topic covers where and when crimes happen with a particular focus on burglary. / There will be a homework set about crime prevention which can be presented as a booklet or poster.
History
Post WW1 Democracy and how it worked.
Post Wall Street Crash, 1929 the rise of the Dictatorships.
Reasons for WW2. Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and Home Front/”Brid at War”
Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. End of WW2.
20th Century World focusing upon three main themes:
- What happened to Germany after World War 1?
- The build up to World War 2.
- The Holocaust and the Nazi war against the Jews.
- Why Germany lost WW2.
- Overview of the Treaty of Versailles, justice and punishment?
- How the German economy and people were prepared for war in the 1930s.
- Could Hitler have been stopped before 1939?
- The outcomes for European Jews.
ICT
Python programming–This unit will introduce students to the world of text based programming. Students will be taught how to name variables, define functions and write their own computer programs.
Open project – This unit will provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to combine all of the IT skills which they have developed throughout KS3 in order to produce an IT based solution to a complex problem. / Homework will be set when scheduled within the school calendar. The homework will not require students to have access to specific software packages and will be paper based.
Music
Reggae
Understand the features of reggae, ska and rock steady music
Perform a reggae song with off-beat accompanimentCompose a reggae melody
Jam pods
Song Writing and Music Business
Understand the conventions of pop songs
Compose a pop song
Understand how the music business works
Understand the process of releasing a single
Understand what property rights are / Song Writing and Music Business
Choose one of your favourite songs and re-write the lyrics.
PSHCE
In addition to consolidating their option choices students will explore a range of topics including:
- Banking and ways of saving
- Being a consumer
- Mental illness
- Being assertive
- Racism and prejudice
- Human rights issues
- The power of the press
Religious Education
This term will introduce students to the religion of Judaism in more depth than KS3. They will examine the faith, beliefs, and how these were tested during the Holocaust. The Ultimate Question of suffering will be explored, and students will see how some Jews had their faith weakened, but how for some it was strengthened. / Students will produce a piece of work that shows the suffering in the holocaust, why it happened, who it was against, how it might have affected them. They will also include a piece of writing that explains how the piece of work meets the success criteria.
Technology (Year 9 Option)
Students will have 2 D&T lessons per week. One of those lessons will cover Product Design (Resistant Materials, Systems & Control), the other Textiles and Cooking & Nutrition. While one class is studying Resistant Materials another might be studying Systems and Control, but all subject areas will be covered at some point during the year.
Students will learn to apply their graphics/drawing/modelling skills to increasingly demanding problems. They will develop their ability to clearly describe the function of ingredients/materials and explain their choice. They will apply their making skills to more demanding situations – providing a grounding for GCSE.
The course is based on a range of short focused practical task lessons particularly during Cooking & Nutrition, combined with longer design and make assignments to enable students to develop a range of skills. / Homework tasks will generally be set every two weeks. Extended homework may be set over a longer period.
Additional preparation will be necessary to be ready for Cooking & Nutrition lessons.
Physical Education
Boys will be covering Football and Table Tennisin the first half term. ThenHockey and Sports Hall Athletics during the second half term.
Girls will be completingHockey andBadminton in the first half term. ThenHealth Fitnessand Sports Hall Athletics during second half term.