Class 3 Summer Term Newsletter
Summer Newsletter – Year 3
Dear Parents
The summer is here and hopefully the weather will be drier and warmer this term!
Class 3 have a busy term ahead with lots of different activities including our fun activity day at St Mark’s on Tuesday 20th June. More information to follow later in the term. A date for your diary is our sharing assembly on Friday 30th June at 2.45pm.
Topic- Anglo-Saxons and Vikings (History/Geography)
Our topic is the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, in this topic the children will develop their knowledge of the Anglo-Saxons and help them understand how this important group fits into the chronology of Britain. The children will learn about the terms ‘invaders’ and ‘settlers’ and discuss motivations for emigration. They will gain historical insight into the lives of Anglo-Saxon and British people. They will learn about life in Anglo Saxon settlements design settlements, make buildings, dye wool, weave material, research food and cook recipes, play and create board games. Also they will research place names and use an online simulation of an archaeological dig, learn about the Anglo-Saxon invasions; the routes, the kingdoms, the ancient roads and their warriors.
We will also study historical questions such as – Where did the Vikings come from? Where did they invade and settle? Why did they leave Scandinavia? How do we know about them? Through this topic the children will begin to appreciate why the Vikings were successful and empathise with the people of Britain who experienced invasion.
The geographical skills the children will be developing through this topic are: to describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including types of settlement and land use, and the distribution of natural resources. Understand how land use has changed over time. Use maps. Study human geography including land use and trade links.
English
In English we will be studying a variety of text types to help develop your child’s writing skills including: Myths and legends – Arthurian legends Explore Arthurian legends through Marcia Williams book King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Write a collaborative story, an imaginative recount and a story in the style of a comic book. Grammar focus: Use and punctuate direct speech. Choose nouns or pronouns appropriately. Persuasive writing Children explore and discuss adverts. They find key features of persuasive writing and use these with a twist, to persuade people NOT to buy! Using compound and complex sentences the children will then write a persuasive letter about their bedtime! Grammar focus: Extend a range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of connectives. Use conjunctions. Plays and dialogues The Witches by Roald Dahl. Create characters using description, stage directions and dialogue. Compare dialogue and playscripts. Write and perform 2 playscripts: based on a proverb and on a Roald Dahl chapter. Grammar focus: Use and understand the grammatical terminology. Use adverbs. Use and punctuate direct speech. Non-chronological reports– is based around computer and video games where children will read reviews, play games and write their own game report. Grammar activities include work on prepositions, adverbs and conjunctions. Traditional poems Read a selection of traditional poems by Charles Causley and Eleanor Farjeon. Explore the vocabulary of sounds and study the use of adjectives and adverbs/adverbials as descriptions. Children write poetry inspired by Sounds in the Evening and I am the Song Grammar focus: Use and understand the grammatical terminology .Recognise and identify prepositions used to indicate time and place. Use fronted adverbials. Use commas after fronted adverbials. Shape poems – read, recite and discuss a variety before writing their own, including poems using possessive apostrophes and relative clauses. Grammar focus: Indicate possession by using the possessive apostrophe with singular and plural nouns. Extend the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of connectives.
Listening to your child read continues to be very important, as does discussing their understanding of the texts they are reading. There will be daily classroom time for reading, handwriting, grammar and spelling activities.
Maths
This term we will continue to build on their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills as well as developing the children’s times tables knowledge by learning the 6 times table and improving their speed and confidence in mental calculations.
Some of the objectives we will be covering this term are: Revise using expanded and compact addition to add any pair of 3-digit numbers. Revise using Frog to subtract 2-digit numbers from 3-digit numbers, e.g. 137 – 72. Revise using Frog to subtract 3-digit numbers within same century, e.g. 476 – 438.Double numbers to 50 using partitioning. Halve numbers to 100 using partitioning. Know times tables and division facts (1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 8x, 10x). Begin to use the grid method to multiply 2-digit numbers (teens) by 1-digit numbers. Measure in multiples of 100 millilitres. Convert between whole/half litres and millilitres. Measure perimeters of 2D shapes to the nearest centimetre. Understand am and pm. Tell the time to nearest minute. Compare time durations. Add three or four 2-digit numbers using compact addition; estimate answers. Use Frog to help calculate change from £5, £10 and £20. Place value in numbers from 1000 to 2000. Divide numbers just beyond the 3, 4, 5 and 8 times tables (with remainders). Identify whether angles are greater than or less than a right angle. Identify horizontal, vertical, perpendicular and parallel lines. Understand tenths, and find tenths of amounts Find fractions which are equivalent to ½ and to ¼ Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator within one whole. Use column addition to add three 3-digit numbers Use column addition to amounts of money; Revise finding the change from £5, £10 and £20 using Frog. Subtract 3-digit numbers using place value; Subtract near multiples of 100.
At home it would be helpful if you practiced telling the time both analogue and digital and continued practicing times tables and related division facts.
Science
First half term we are studying Plants: identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers. Explore the requirements of plants for life and growth (air, light, water, nutrients from soil, and room to grow) and how they vary from plant to plant. Investigate the way in which water is transported within plants
In the second half of this term we will continue studying Plants: exploring the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal. We will be planting fruits and vegetables in our allotment any donations of packets of seeds of beans, pumpkins, carrots and rocket would be appreciated.
French
We will be continuing to build on the work on numbers learning numbers 12- 31 and using them to give the date, together with days and months. The children will learn the names of body parts and will follow instructions to play simple games. We will read a simple text in French, looking at the use of adjectives and beginning to develop awareness of gender agreement.
Computing
The children will learn to use data logging as part of their science experiments and use digital photos. We will continue to build on their research and word processing skills too.
Art and DT
Both subjects are linked to our topic work and we will be sketching and painting our plants on the allotments as they grow, weaving and dying fabrics following Anglo-Saxon traditions.
RE and PSHE
In RE we will be studying different Hindu gods and goddesses and both Hindu and Christian family celebrations and ways of worship. In PHSE we will talk about how new responsibilities come as you grow and grow up. What they can to improve their local environment, about long and short term consequences relating to habitat loss and how such damage can be prevented and what responsibilities they now have.
Music
Year 3 will have a recorder lesson with Mrs Ford on a Wednesday morning and with Wider Opportunities Essex music service the children will be learning the ukulele.
PE
PE will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Mr Dyce will be working on athletics on Wednesday afternoon. On a Friday, we will be playing team games such as tag rugby and rounders. Each child will need trainers suitable for use on the field as well as the playground.
Homework
As previously, in addition to hearing your child read whenever possible, the children will be set spellings to learn each week on Friday, ready for a test on the following Friday; please assist them with look, cover, write, check activities to consolidate their learning. Children who take part in Spell Attack groups will continue to have work set regularly.
Maths, English or Topic homework will continue to be set on Fridays for return the following Wednesday.
Please support your child to ensure that they understand what has been asked of them and to make sure that their work is clearly and neatly completed.
If you have questions or concerns please make an appointment to speak to me before or after school.
Best wishes
Mrs Hall