Year 3 – Summer Term
Brazil – Olympics and the Amazon!
Special event:Camp
We are transported to Brazil for this topic to celebrate the Olympic Games and the wonderful host country. The children will especially look at the Amazon rainforest – its unique environment and creatures. In looking at the Olympics there will be a focus on famous Olympians and Paralympians. The history of the games will also link t story writing of myths and legends from Ancient Greece.
Enjoy and achieve – fun trips and camps will enhance their understanding of the importance of trees. Plenty of opportunities to get out and about in local woodlands, discovering native species and using the outdoors to stimulate investigation, research, imagination and creativity. The children will look especially at how achievement in sport comes through perseverance.
Making a positive contribution – relating the issues that arise from the rainforest studies to their own lives – in particular looking at the importance of recycling and issues surrounding destruction of an environment for the people directly related, and the planet as a whole.
Social and Economic well-being – the children will look at the economic advantages of being eco-friendly
Be Healthy:The benefits of fitness will be stressed I relation to athletes training.
- Assistance with trips
- Outdoor learning tables
- Pupil progress groups
The children will study light. They will link this to plant growth in the rainforests. They will also study forces – especially magnetism as they make their own magnet for the Rio Olympic Games..
Programme of Study
Working scientifically
During years 3 and 4, pupils should be taught to use the following practical scientific methods, processes and skills through the teaching of the programme of study content:
- Asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them.
- Setting up simple practical enquiries, comparative and fair tests.
- Making systematic and careful observations and, where appropriate, taking accurate measurements using standard units, using a range of equipment, including thermometers and data loggers.
- Gathering, recording, classifying and presenting data in a variety of ways to help in answering questions.
- Recording findings using simple scientific language, drawings, labelled diagrams, keys, bar charts, and tables.
- Reporting on findings from enquiries, including oral and written explanations, displays or presentations of results and conclusions.
- Using results to draw simple conclusions, make predictions for new values, suggest improvements and raise further questions.
- Identifying differences, similarities or changes related to simple scientific ideas and processes.
- Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings.
They should learn how to use new equipment, such as data loggers, appropriately. They should collect data from their own observations and measurements, using notes, simple tables and standard units, and help to make decisions about how to record and analyse this data. With help, pupils should look for changes, patterns, similarities and differences in their data in order to draw simple conclusions and answer questions. With support, they should identify new questions arising from the data, making predictions for new values within or beyond the data they have collected and finding ways of improving what they have already done. They should also recognise when and how secondary sources might help them to answer questions that cannot be answered through practical investigations. Pupils should use relevant scientific language to discuss their ideas and communicate their findings in ways that are appropriate for different audiences.
These opportunities for working scientifically should be provided across years 3 and 4 so that the expectations in the programme of study can be met by the end of year 4. Pupils are not expected to cover each aspect for every area of study.)
Light:
- 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 their eyes
- 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.
- compare how things move on different surfaces
- notice that some forces need contact between two objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance
- observe how magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others
- compare and group together a variety of everyday materials on the basis of whether they are attracted to a magnet, and identify some magnetic materials
- describe magnets as having two poles
- predict whether two magnets will attract or repel each other, depending on which poles are facing.
- Measuring shadow length
- Light intensity experiments
- Experiments with reflecting from different surfaces
- Research on how we see.
- Experiments into methods to block light.
- Investigating shadow length and identifying link between distance from source and shadow height.
- Make a pinhole camera and explain how it works
- Strength of magnet experiments
Pupils might work scientifically by: comparing how different things move and grouping them; raising questions and carrying out tests to find out how far things move on different surfaces and gathering and recording data to find answers their questions; exploring the strengths of different magnets and finding a fair way to compare them; sorting materials into those that are magnetic and those that are not; looking for patterns in the way that magnets behave in relation to each other and what might affect this, for example, the strength of the magnet or which pole faces another; identifying how these properties make magnets useful in everyday items and suggesting creative uses for different magnets.
-Pupils should explore what happens when light reflects off a mirror or other reflective surfaces, including playing mirror games to help them to answer questions about how light behaves. They should think about why it is important to protect their eyes from bright lights. They should look for, and measure, shadows, and find out how they are formed and what might cause the shadows to change.
Note: Pupils should be warned that it is not safe to look directly at the Sun, even when wearing dark glasses.
Pupils might work scientifically by: looking for patterns in what happens to shadows when the light source moves or the distance between the light source and the object changes.)
Progression in skills:
- Individual work within a group supported by adult and posters.
- After class brainstorms, children raise own questions
- Predictions are made with encouragement. Predictions include a reason.
- Children, with support, develop a range of variables that could be tested ie height, weight, material, size, why or when I let go, length of wing.
- Children understand needs for a range. Range chosen suits investigation
- Interval developed ie small, medium, large.
- Using simple equipment with some support e.g. thermometer, Newton metre, stopwatch.
- Simple observations used but measurements accompany these. More standard units of measurements introduced and used ie Temp in degrees Celsius, force in Newtons.
- Teachers use feedback session to develop oral skills. Teacher models appropriate responses by recording and paraphrasing.
- Simple writing frame supports simple conclusions. Patterns and trends are written about. “What did it mean” more important than “What I did”.
- Tables with room for three measurements drawn unaided. Total or median is used. Bar charts produced unaided. Teacher helps child with patterns and trends..
- Vocabulary used to develop concepts. Correct vocabulary used to explain observations. Comparisons used effectively. Concept maps start process off.
- Knows term hazard and risk. Begins to use terms while assessing “dangers” in practical work.
Attainment targets: By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
- I know vocabulary related to light
- I can name light sources
- I can explain reflection
- I can explain in simple terms how I see an object
- I can explain patterns in shadow length in relation to light source and object
- I can explain how magnets attract and repel
History
The children will study the Ancient Greeks with particular focus on Greek life and Greek Gods.
Programme of Study
During their historical studies:
- Pupils should continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
- They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.
- They should regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
- They should construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
- They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
- Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world
- Internet research about Ancient Greece
- Factfiles and information writing
- Time lines
- Comparisons between Ancient Greek life and modern life.
- Comparison of artefacts featuring Greek Gods
- To use a range of sources to find out about a period; including first hand interviews
- To observe small details – artifacts, pictures
- To begin to use the library, e-learning for research
- To compare the lives of ancient civilizations with our lives today
- To place the time studied on a time line
- To sequence events or artefacts
- To compare music of the past with our music today
- They use terms and dates related to the period.
- They consider the everyday lives of people studied – not just main events or individuals.
- Identify and give reasons for different ways the past is represented
- Independently select and record information relevant to the study
- They look at different representations of the period and classify their usefulness.
- They look at small details on artefacts and begin to make assumptions.
Attainment targets: By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
- I can explain features of Ancient Greek civilization
- I can make comparisons between that civilization and British history
Geography
The children will be looking at the location of the Amazon and study the climate and physical and human features associated with this unique habitat. They will make climate comparisons of the Amazon with other areas in the world including a European locality and a UK locality.
Programme of Study
Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the local area to include the United Kingdom and Europe, North and South America. This will include the location and characteristics of a range of the world’s most significant human and physical features. They should develop their use of geographical knowledge, understanding and skills to enhance their locational and place knowledge.
Pupils should be taught to:
Locational knowledge
- locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
- name and locate counties and cities of the United Kingdom, geographical regions and their identifying human and physical characteristics, key topographical features (including hills, mountains, coasts and rivers), and land-use patterns; and understand how some of these aspects have changed over time
- identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
- understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America
describe and understand key aspects of:
- physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
- human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water
- use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied
- use the eight points of a compass, four and six-figure grid references, symbols and key (including the use of Ordnance Survey maps) to build their knowledge of the United Kingdom and the wider world
- use fieldwork to observe, measure, record and present the human and physical features in the local area using a range of methods, including sketch maps, plans and graphs, and digital technologies.
- Children drawing, labeling maps locating world’s rainforest
- Children compare climate of rainforests to climate here
- To ask geographical questions: “Where is the locality? What do you think about…?”
- Make simple comparisons of individual features of different places
- To link topic words relating to countries.
- They describe patterns in their local landscape.
- Construct questionnaires
- To use questionnaires to gauge views
- Begin to describe a range of different physical and human features from different places.
Attainment Targets:
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
- I can locate and name countries and continents where different rainforests occur
- I can explain why rainforests are endangered
- I can compare rainforest climates to UK climates
- I can explain the importance of the Amazon rainforest
Computing
In addition to the Constantine Rolling Programme of Branching Databases and Making Patterns and Modelling effects n screen…
the children will be learning coding and debugging.
Throughout the topic digital literacy (e-safety) skills will be developed.
Programme of Study
During their computing studies pupils:
- 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
- use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.
- Children will collect information and classify this by creating a database
- Children will set up the database by creating fields and populate it by adding a series of detailed records, using multiple choice and keyword options
- Children will use the database to create graphs and answer questions by searching using both simple and complex searches
- Children use coding programs to code and debug a device.