Cheetwood Community Primary School

Cheetwood Community Primary School

Year 4: Curriculum News - Autumn Term 2 2014

Class Teacher: Miss Jamil

Teaching Assistants: Miss Badar, Ms Davis & Mrs Raja.

Topic – Manchester

This half term we are focusing on Manchester and the way in which Manchester and the cotton industry has changed over time.

Areas of Study

·  Looking at how national history is reflected in Manchester.

·  Studying the cotton industry as a significant part of Manchester.

·  Using the eight points of a compass and grid references, symbols and keys to build knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world.

·  Using a range of methods to record different features in Manchester such as sketch maps, plans and graphs and to use these methods to identify different aspects such as hills and rivers to understand how these have changed over time.

How you can support your child:

·  Discuss with your child what they have learnt in Topic.

·  Walk around Manchester and look out for any historical features, plaques marking dates/significant events on buildings.

·  Show your child a map of the United Kingdom and an atlas.

·  Help them to do library or internet research about Manchester and the cotton industry.

·  Create a presentation or information leaflet: All about Manchester/All about the cotton industry.

English

Areas of Study: Persuasion and newspapers

How you can support your child:

·  Discuss with your child the features of persuasive writing.

·  Use different types of media and persuasive texts - TV/radio advertisements, leaflets and posters to look at how persuasive techniques and language is used to persuade people.

·  Show them and discuss with them different newspapers that you may receive at home and the style that they have been written in.

·  Encourage your child to read a range of newspapers with different stories and to discuss them with you.

·  Encourage your child to create their own newspaper stories.

·  Listen to them read at home and ask them questions about their book – this MUST be recorded in their reading record.

·  Help them to complete their talk homework and encourage them to write their ideas down in full sentences.

Our day for changing books in the school library is WEDNESDAY.

Maths

Areas of Study –The Maths curriculum covers number and place value, addition and subtraction, multiplication, division, calculations, shape and measure this term.

How you can support your child

·  Practise mental maths skills at home regularly, particularly times tables.

·  Use the websites given on the times tables help mat to practice them.

·  Encourage your child to use Maths in everyday life. For example, counting out money to pay in shops, reading bus or television timetables, sharing out treats equally or weighing out ingredients.

·  Help them to complete their Maths homework.

Useful websites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/

The BBC site has a schools area with lots of games and learning resources for English and maths.

http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ - lots of activities and learning resources.

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/ – activities, homework and revision.

We also have links on our own website and will be developing these throughout the year.

Science

Areas of Study – Living things and their habitats

How you can support your child

·  Discuss what you know about the environment and what it means.

·  Discuss what types of living things there are – animals and plants and where they would be found.

·  Look out for environmental news reported by a variety of different Medias.

·  Begin to generate ideas about where different animals and plants would live and why for example: why can some animals only live in hot/cold conditions.

·  Discuss what is meant by a habitat and the features of a good habitat.

PE

Pupils will be doing PE on the following days:

Rugby - Monday (suitable outdoor clothing and footwear MUST be worn)

Swimming - Tuesday

The correct swimming kit needs to be worn at all times otherwise children will not be permitted to swim. Girls need to wear swimming hats and a one piece swimming costume and boys need to wear swimming trunks, nothing baggy. If unsure, please feel free to come and see me.

Please can you ensure that your child has their PE kit in school – please ensure that they bring it in every Monday and take it home to be washed on Fridays. PE kits should remain in school all week. As pupils are not permitted to wear any jewellery for PE it helps if earrings and other jewellery are not worn to school on PE days.

Homework

Each week your child will be given:

·  A piece of talk homework – this is to help them with their Big Write on Monday morning. Please find time over the weekend to talk to your child about this homework.

·  A short piece of numeracy and literacy homework – this needs to be returned by Wednesday.

·  Times tables (up to x12) to practice for a weekly test on Fridays.

·  A set of spellings to be learnt for a test on Fridays.

Contacts

If you wish to speak to me about anything, please feel free to drop into class before or after school. Alternatively, you can email me on