S U M M E R 2017
YEAR 8
ENGLISH
The English work this term involves development of speaking, listening, reading and writing, spelling and handwriting. It is important that your child practises reading as often as possible to support the work we do in school. We recommend between 10 and 20 minutes each day.
We will study Mystery Mansion and The Midnight Ghost.
Writing will be encouraged in various forms – stories, letters, reports, posters, charts, etc. All students will be helped to plan, draft and revise before presenting a finished piece of work. Presentation and appearance of work is important so encouragement will be given to improvements in handwriting and spellings.
We use laptops extensively to enable students to proof read and improve on their first draft.
Vocabulary
midnight try story scary haunted
tried stories dark ghosts family
happy secret letter families many
happiness did all now our
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
In the first half-term pupils investigate rocks within the “Rock On!” unit. They look at a selection of rocks and sort them into the three mains rock-types from their observed characteristics. They also consider how they were formed and investigate “weathering” with acids.
At the end of the year students investigate “Forces” such as gravity, friction and air resistance. They use a Newton metre to measure changes in force and use their understanding to design and make spinners that fall at different speeds.
Vocabulary
rock sedimentary metamorphic igneous
magma hard soft weathering
physical chemical biological rock cycle
forces gravity friction air
resistance push pull magnetism
up thrust newton
ART and DESIGN
Pupils will focus on landscapes. They will develop knowledge and understanding of perspective and depth within landscapes. They will use a variety of materials including pencil, pen and paint to create their own landscape from observation and imagination, looking at the artists David Hockney and Van Gogh for inspiration.
Pupils will finally produce a relief clay slab based on their imaginary landscape drawings.
Vocabulary
landscape perspective depth foreground
middle ground background observation
imagination Hundertwasser Van Gogh
clay relief slab cross-hatching David Hockney
CITIZENSHIP
During this term Year 8 students will study the topic “a Global Issue.” Students will develop their knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens; develop skills of enquiry, participation, communication and responsible action.
DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY
This term students will be studying an area of Design and Technology involving Structures. The students will be encouraged to study workshop safety, the design process, properties of different materials and types of structure, e.g. box structures, frame structures etc. and will 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 will enable students to use these skills in later life and develop an understanding of different structures.
It would be appreciated if your child could bring a contribution of £1 when finished items are brought home. A slightly larger contribution may be requested for more costly items, for example items containing clock movements etc.
Vocabulary
box frame carcase drilling evaluation
former supportive hinges marking
rasps
FOOD TECHNOLOGY
During the next term your child will be studying the following areas in Food Technology:
1. The rules for health and safety
2. Developing their knowledge of healthy eating through the “Eat well Plate”
3. Adapting recipes to make them healthier
4. Introduction to sensory analysis
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
eat well plate evaluation sugar fibre fats
nutrition obesity heart disease
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 economic activity in Britain and the world.
In History, they will learn about how Britain developed between 1745-1901.
Vocabulary
primary secondary tertiary industry
business
industry empire industrial revolution
cotton invention cholera factories
slave trade mill oversee
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Students will complete a range of coding activities introducing concepts such as either/or commands. Year 8 will also look at what components make a computer and how they are set up. All students will write their own program in Scratch and complete activities involving the BBC Microbit.
Vocabulary
HDMI Ethernet SD card hard drive motherboard
input output processing Python Microbit
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Students will build on the theme of food and drink and learn how to order some standard foods and drinks in a café. They will undertake a role play exercise which will be recorded.
Vocabulary
Je voudrais, s’il vous plait, merci, vous dėsėrez?
MUSIC
Blues / Rock
Reggae / Rap
Vocabulary
blues rock rap reggae
PERSONAL SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION
During the term your child will be studying the following areas in PSHE.
o Changes that occur during puberty
o Relationships –
o Types of love e.g. parents, friends, partners, grandparents etc.
o About our bodies and sex
o Families, responsibilities and babies
o Drugs and associated problems
Vocabulary
body puberty family baby
sex healthy decisions birth
hormones choice
During the term your child will also study the following areas:
o Decision making and assertiveness in situations relating to drugs misuse
o Dangers associated with particular drugs
o Responsibilities
Vocabulary
misuse abuse responsibility
addiction overdose risk taker
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Year 8 will complete a striking and fielding unit of work involving a mixture of cricket and rounders.
During the final half term students will participate in assorted athletics events including sprinting, relays, javelin, discus, long jump and hurdles.
Vocabulary
striking fielding throwing catching sprinting jumping
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
The two topics for this term are 1) What makes a leader worth following? We will look at various religious and non-religious leaders and consider what they have in common. 2) How do people express their faith and beliefs through the arts? Students will look at religious arts and will have the opportunity to create a piece of work which reflects their own beliefs.
Vocabulary
Inspiration values actions media community
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 butterfly confidence
stamina
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