Year Seven – Summer Term 2016
Subject Information
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.
Central to the Year Seven Curriculum is the development of transferable Learning Skills such as team-working, listening, self-evaluation, organization, literacy, numeracy and ICT. These Learning skills are used across the curriculum and will be a regular feature in your child’s lessons.
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.
Science Fiction - Within this unit, students will study a range of texts from the genre before completing a piece of persuasive writing.
Interesting Characters / Play script - Students will explore a range of characters, both literary and non-fiction within this unit. They will respond to these characters in a variety of ways, both analytical and creative. As part of the unit, they will also read and explore, through a range of dramatic approached, a play script; They will develop their knowledge and understanding of script writing and stagecraft.
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 7 themes comprise:
All the skills learned in Year 7 are repeated in different formats throughout KS3. The skills learned will prepare students for KS4 and the requirements of the new GCSE curriculum. Throughout the year, specific reading, writing and speaking and listening skills will be covered and developed; these will be formally assessed in common assessments towards the end of each half term. / Across the year, students’ homework will have a very specific skills focus. We aim to improve students’ spelling, punctuation and grammar through a range of targeted tasks. Additional resources are available on Moodle and can be accessed by all students. Students will also have an accelerated reader lesson as part of their timetable; we therefore ask that you support your child in developing their independent reading. Research proves that those students who regularly read for pleasure are more likely to experience success in all curriculum subjects at GCSE and beyond.
Maths
Topics studied during the Summer term are:
Geometry and Measures
This topic introduces students to line symmetry and rotational symmetry. Three types of transformations are then developed: reflections, rotations and translations.
Number
This topic reinforces the four rules for decimals and then progresses to calculations of fractions and percentages of a quantity.
Algebra
This topic revisits most of the algebra met so far in Y7 and combines various methods to solve more complicated equations, work with real-life formulae and investigate mathematical patterns. The concept of formulae is extended to proportional relationships as represented by graphs.
Geometry and Measures
This topic introduces students to the properties of irregular and regular polygons. Students are then introduced to practical work using tessellations. Finally, further practical work is carried out, enabling students to make their own 3-D shapes.
Statistics
This topic shows how to use pie charts given as percentages and how to compare distributions using range and at least one average. It goes on to take students through creating and reporting on a survey they plan themselves. The module finishes with finding probabilities from 2 way tables
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.
Science
This term students will continue the six week rotations of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Biology 2- food webs, bioaccumulation, ecological niches, pyramids of number and biomass, ecological sampling techniques and agricultural practices.
Chemistry 2- separation techniques, identifying substances, chemical reactions, word and symbol equations, oxidation and displacement, exothermic and endothermic reactions, the pH scale, acids and bases.
Physics 2- speed distance time graphs, relative motion, moments, gravity, Hooke’s Law, friction, pressure in fluids, opposing forces and equilibrium.
Across the disciplines students will also learn how to work scientifically by learning to: ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, evaluate data, showing awareness of potential sources of random and systematic error and understand and use SI units and chemical nomenclature. / Homework tasks are set weekly and should be recorded in the planner. Homework will include finding out type tasks, asking questions tasks and sometimes making tasks.
Students will complete two assessments every half term. The tests alternate between written questions and students demonstrating understanding of key concepts using a variety of styles.
Humanities
Humanities subjects (History, Geography and RS) will be taught on a rotational basis with students attending four lessons per week. The topics covered in each subject will be:
History-The Norman Conquest, the role of the church in society, the origins of parliament and life in Medieval England.
Geography- map skills, settlement, weather, farming, coasts and tourism.
RS-World Religions, Symbolism, Creation Stories, Science v Religion, Rites of Passage and Special Occasions in World Religions.
They will complete half-termly assessments in all the Humanities subjects. / Homework will be set regularly (and when appropriate) to extend learning from the classroom. This will depend upon the rotation of subjects but students should expect one per week. This should be written in their planner to enable parents to see what is expected.
ICT
Harry Plotter Spreadsheet - Students will learn how to design and create a spreadsheet, perform a range of calculations and make predictions using their models.
Webpage Creation – Students will be tasked with creating a website, which will inform students how to stay safe when using the Internet. / 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.
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.
Saying where you live.
Describing your home / room.
Describing where a town is.
Saying what things there are to do / see in a town.
Giving / understanding directions.
Talking about food / drink.
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
Portraiture/self portrait
The project will involve students developing an understanding of proportionof the human face and they will make observational studies in line and tone. They will analyse the features of the face from front view and profile. The students will develop language skills and use both speaking and listening as part of their learning. Homework will involve students doing drawing, written and research tasks and they will explore the work of Van Gogh and Rembrandt. They will then go on to work in colour using painting, collage and mixed media to develop their ideas. Picasso and colourtheory will be part of the homework programme. Other artists work will be introduced at various stages of the unit. / There will be several pieces of homework over the term, linked to the topic of portraiture which involve researching artists, analysing existing pieces of art, drawing from observation and demonstratingskills they have learnt in class.
These vary between 1-2 weeks to complete and recorded in the student’s diary. Presentation is important and we ask students to think about this when producing homework.
Drama
Physical Theatre: Machines & Objects
- Objects and animal
- Show home / Machines
- ‘Metamorphosis’
- Fairy Tales – ‘Red Riding Hood’
- Mime / Still Images
- Soundscapes
- Hotseating / Thought tracking
- Narration: Fairy Tales / Pied Piper.
- Storyboards
- Research activities
- Script writing
- Self evaluations
- Collecting/sourcing props and costumes
- Learn lines
- Rehearse.
Music
Soundscapes/story book
- understand the importance of foreground and background sounds, textures and gestures in a soundscape
- compose a soundscape to accompany a story using live and recorded sounds
TV Themes
- understand that music can act as an audio cue to tell you information
- perform a selection of TV themes on the keyboard
- compose own TV theme. /
- Design a character from your TV show
- Review the keyboard performance, including what is most difficult, what has gone well and what you would like to improve upon.
Technology
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 develop core skills in graphics/drawing/modelling to develop designs in Product Design and Textiles. They will also develop their awareness of ingredient/material properties. They will find out about healthy eating in Cooking & Nutrition. They will develop skills in making products by hand, and learn to use machinery safely.
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 Athletics in the first half term. Then Cricketand Softballfor the second half term.Tennis could be offered as an alternative to cricket with interested groups.
Girls will be completing Cricket and Athletics in the first half term. Then Cricket, Rounders, and Athletics in the second half term.