During the Course of the Autumn Term Year 8 Students Will Be Encouraged to Develop Their

AUTUMN 2016

Year 8

ENGLISH

During the course of the autumn term Year 8 students will be encouraged to develop their skills in English in the areas of spoken language, reading, writing, handwriting and spelling.

Students will be studying the book “Fantastic Mr Fox” by Roald Dahl. We will continue to encourage your child to practise his/her reading at school but we would be grateful if you could take the time to share a book with him/her for 15-20minutes every day.

Children will be encouraged to record their ideas in a number of ways including lists, mind mapping, word webs, letters, poems, posters etc. Students will be expected to produce well presented work and will be encouraged to refine and redraft to achieve their best results. Laptops will be used for some activities.

The importance of developing sound literacy skills will help your child make progress in other areas of the curriculum.

We hope you will encourage and assist your child to complete, to the best of their ability, any homework tasks they may receive.

Vocabulary

“Fantastic Mr Fox”

about nasty digging tractor because

clever shoot badger could cunning

starve smallest would tunnel putting

fantastic

NUMERACY

In Numeracy this term your child will be following the National Curriculum. He/she will be developing in the areas of:

·  Number and place value

·  Addition and subtraction

·  Multiplication and division

·  Fractions (inc decimals and percentages)

·  Measurement including time

·  Geometry - Properties of Shapes

·  Geometry - Position and Direction

·  Statistics/handling data

·  Money and real life problems

·  Making decisions and checking results

Every lesson will have an oral and mental maths component in which pupils will develop their skills in using numbers.

All students will have the opportunity to solve problems and apply their maths skills.

Students should take every opportunity to use numbers, use their own money – checking their change. They need to learn their number bonds and ensure they revise the times tables. Any help you can give at home will greatly aid their learning.

Each student has the use of a laptop computer which are to be used by all the Numeracy classes at least once a week. All students can log onto the ‘My Maths’ website to access the maths work at home. We will use Mathsbase 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, Numeracy workout 1,2,3, and 4 and Numbershark. The students will also use Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software.

Vocabulary

addition subtraction multiplication division

add up take away times share

half double total difference

kilometre metre litre kilogram

square circle hexagon regular

cube cuboid

SCIENCE

Year 8 begins with a look at our “Brilliant Bodies” and students will consider how the body works to keep them alive. They will learn how the body is organised from tiny cells and learn about the function and location of the major organs.

After half-term pupils investigate the ‘reversible and irreversible changes’ to create new materials. They use heat to investigate changes to everyday materials and make sherbet to taste the “fizzing” as a new gas is made!

Vocabulary

organ cell reaction changes cytoplasm

membrane observation nucleus heart

lungs liver stomach intestine skeleton

reversible irreversible heating cooling reaction

new material fizzing plastic

ART

Pupils will develop their skills in observational drawing by looking at flowers, plants and trees found in the natural environment. They will use a variety of materials and different techniques such as drip painting and torn tissue paper and to develop their mark making abilities.

Pupils will use their knowledge and understanding to produce a jungle collage inspired by the artist Henri Rousseau. They will also be given the opportunity to experiment with clay to produce a leaf bowl inspired by the natural environment.

Vocabulary

observational natural environment mark making collage

Henri Rousseau impression

CITIZENSHIP

This term Year 8 students will be studying the local community. We will begin with a study of the School Community and the rights and responsibilities within it.

Students will then learn more about Derby and the amenities offered to them and their families.

We shall also be considering how best to take care of our local Community.

Vocabulary

“My Community”

neighbourhood street Youth Club Football Club

Parish Council church surgery library

Post Office volunteers Village Hall

Council Officials

“Our School Community”

school community environment fund raising

Codes of Behaviour rights and responsibilities classes

teachers people’s roles and responsibilities

lessons

DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY

During this term Year 8 students will be studying an area of Design and Technology involving wood, plastics and carcase construction. The pupils will be encouraged to study Workshop Safety, Design Processes, Properties of Different Materials, a Design Brief and record their work in a Design Booklet.

Students will also be improving their skills in the use of different machines, hand tools, abrasives and glues. The importance of developing these areas is to enable pupils to use these skills in later life and develop an understanding of different materials.

It would be appreciated if your child could bring a contribution of £1.00 when finished items are brought home. A slightly larger contribution may be requested for more costly items, i.e. items containing clock movements etc.

Vocabulary

plastics construction energy texture development natural form

investigation observation electronics resistors

micro switch light emitting diode capacitor

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

This term your child will be studying the following areas in Food Technology:

v  Balanced diet through the Eatwell plate

v  The Active Kids Get Cooking – 2 Star Chef Award

v  The use and care of equipment used in the Food Technology room

v  Developing pupil’s independence and confidence in producing a range of food products. Such as pineapple upside down pudding.

It would be appreciated if your child would bring with him/her a contribution of £1.00 for ingredients, plus a container for carriage.

Vocabulary

health safety kitchen cost

design diet sweet savoury

taste fibre healthy balanced

fats energy

HUMANITIES

Year 8 pupils will study Geography in the first half of the term and History in the second half. In Geography, they will learn about Kenya and how our lives compare to people who live there. In History, they will learn about Britain in 1509-1745 and concentrate on the Stuart family.

landscape Kenya temperature rainfall Nairobi

UK village

Stuart monarchy

INFORMATION LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

Year 8 will also use Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher to complete design tasks, including creating their own posters and presentations.

Vocabulary

copy paste save slide layout

design file

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Students will consolidate their learning so far. They will learn the French words for members of the family and be introduced to the 3rd person singular and plural and gender.

Students will learn numbers 12-31, revise days of the week and months of the year. Students will begin to learn vocabulary to describe the weather.

Some students will undertake a formal assessment in writing and speaking.

Vocabulary

Il/elle ils/elles un/une mere père frère soeur Il fait ______il y a

French words for weather

MUSIC

Graphic scores.

Sorcerer’s apprentice

Atmosphere whole class ensemble. Dawn interlude. Spiders Web. Composing group graphic scores. Characterisation of music - Animals

Vocabulary

graphic sorcerer’s ensemble interlude animals

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

This term students will be working on developing attitudes and skills that will aid their personal development and enable them to live in and contribute positively to the wider community. Initially they will spend some time on activities that develop listening and communication skills, co-operative behaviour and team building. They will also engage in activities designed to

help them develop their self-image and self-esteem before they go on to explore wider issues that have an impact on their lives now and in the future.

Vocabulary

safety roles families marriage

hygiene influence glue alcohol

coffee safety smoking heart disease lungs

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

In September Year 8 will be introduced to hockey through a unit of uni-hockey. Uni-hockey is a simplified version of hockey which uses plastic hockey sticks which are flat on both sides, and a plastic puck. The unit will develop a range of movement skills as well as passing, dribbling, control and shooting skills.

Following October half term learners will complete a gymnastic unit of work. This unit will recap and develop skills learnt in Year 7 and move on to more complicated moves including backwards rolls, kart wheels, and head stands. Students will have further opportunities to develop routines with partners.

Vocabulary

balance walk roll jump partner

passing shooting control dribbling tackling

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

This term students will explore the questions- “Where do we get our values from?” and “What do religions teach us about the natural world and why should we care about it?” Students will consider religious and non-religious teachings on these issues.

Vocabulary

Golden rule holy books right and wrong

equality stewardship environment

SWIMMING

Throughout the year, Year 8 will have weekly swimming lessons at the Lonsdale swimming pool in Mickleover. There will be no charge for this activity but students will be required to provide their own costume or shorts and towel. All swimming costumes and shorts must be appropriate for a school swimming lesson. The school will provide swimming goggles for all students. Students will work to develop all four strokes and improve water confidence.

Vocabulary

front crawl backstroke breast stroke butterfly

confidence stamina

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