Year 4
2023 - 2024
The Year 4 Team
Mrs Dawes - Class Teacher (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday AM)
Mrs Hall - Class Teacher (Wednesday PM, Thursday and Friday)
Mrs Taylor- Teaching Assistant
Spring Term
During the first half term in Science we will be learning about ANIMALS INCLUDING HUMANS
In this unit, children will expand on their learning from year 3 about how animals, including humans, need to get nutrition from what they eat. They will explore the different organs of the digestive system in humans and the functions of teeth in both humans and animals. Firstly, children will learn about the different types of teeth and the importance of good dental hygiene, before planning and carrying out an investigation into tooth decay using an egg as a model tooth. They will then learn about the parts and functions of individual organs of the human digestive system and carry out their own scientific demonstration of the process using everyday household items. Children will then learn more about herbivores, carnivores and omnivores in the context of teeth, digestion and food chains. They will extend their understanding of food chains from key stage 1 to include more complex chains, using the terms ‘consumers’ and ‘producers’ and compare food chains in different habitats. Finally, childr
During the second half term, the children will study a unit called 'ELECTRICITY'.
In this unit about electricity, children will learn about common electrical appliances and how to construct simple series circuits. They will become familiar with the key words linked to the topic and how to apply them appropriately. Children will learn about cells, wires, bulbs and buzzers and about the different types of switches. They will be able to troubleshoot and identify whether or not a bulb will light in a simple series circuit and be able to identify a complete circuit. The children will also learn about conductors and insulators and know that metals are very good electrical conductors.
In Geography, we will be looking at a unit of work called 'ALL AROUND THE WORLD'.
This ‘All around the World’ Unit allows children to take a closer look at where the countries of the world are located, and some of the ways geographers describe locations. Children will learn to locate and describe places using longitude and latitude, and find out about some of the important lines that delineate specific areas of the Earth - the Equator, the Hemispheres, the Poles and the Tropics. Finally, by looking more closely at the lines of longitude, children will develop their understanding of time zones.
During the second half term in their History lessons, the children will be completing a unit called 'ANCIENT EGYPT'
This Ancient Egypt unit will teach the children about the achievements of this ancient civilisation. They will learn about how and where the ancient Egyptians lived, what was important to the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, who Tutankhamun was and how mummies were made. The children will also learn about how Egyptian people used hieroglyphs to communicate and compare the powers of different gods.
In English we will looking at a variety of genres. First, the children will explore fantasy and fiction through reading The Spiderwick Chronicles. This will be followed by a unit called 'Most Incredible Sports' where the children will look at fact and opinion.
Throughout all units, relevant grammar will be taught to support the children's understanding
In Maths the children will work in their Power Maths books, focussing on multiplication, length and perimeter, fractions and decimals.
Please encourage your child to work hard to develop their times table knowledge as they will be completing a statutory on line assessment at the end of this year. Children will need to have developed a fast recall of all times table facts up to 12x12.
PE kits and days
We have two hours of PE a week, on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The lessons are taught by our sports coach, Mr Wolfe. It is very important that your child comes to school in a suitable outdoor kit with trainers.
Homework
Alongside spellings, English and maths homework will be set every Friday to be completed by the following Thursday.
Homework and spellings will be uploaded to Showbie for the children to complete.
Times Tables Rock Stars is a wonderful maths resource for your child to learn and practice their times tables to improve fluency and speed. The fun online resource is incredibly effective and highly recommended. It has been thoroughly enjoyed by many pupils throughout the school! Your child has already been given their login details but if you need them again please let me know and I will be happy to help.
Things we need
A bottle of water (no juice please in case of sticky spillages!).
A healthy snack for break.
Fridays are 'treat days' so your child can bring in a snack of their choice. Alternatively, £1 can be sent in a labelled envelope for our weekly tuck shop.
A book bag with reading book and reading record.
Celebrating success!
Year 4 is full of amazing children and we want to celebrate every success and achievement during this year both inside and outside of school. We would love to hear about all the amazing things your child does, so please do tell us!
...and finally...
As a team, we are always here for you. If you need to discuss anything, please let us know. You can see me in the morning or after school, or send an email to: year4@boothwood.leics.sch.uk
If you would like a longer meeting please make an appointment so we can discuss your queries without feeling rushed. If you need any other information please do not hesitate to ask.
Many thanks for your continued support
