Autumn 1 2024 - 2025

Y3 Seals
Autumn 1 2024/2025
English
In our Reading lessons this half term we will be focusing on three chosen poems from the poetry collection 'The Lost Spells' by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris.  We will learn about a range of poetry devices and about the structure and form of the poems as well as completing comprehension activities.  We will also develop skills in performing poetry out-loud.  We will then go on to read 'Arthur and the Golden Rope' by Joe Todd Stanton, developing our skills of retrieval, inference, summarising and sequencing through taking part in class discussions, completing practical activities and answering questions. 
  
 
In our Writing lessons we will be studying 'Leon and the Place Between' by Angela McAllister.  We will learn how to write a persuasive poster, setting description, thought bubbles / diary entry, dialogue and extended narrative.  We will then go on to study 'The First Drawing' by Mordicai Gerstein through which we will explore the text, including exploration of the Stone Age and cave paintings. We will write diary entries, explore the conventions of speech, create character descriptions and finish by writing our own historical narratives.
 
To help build your child's fluency and confidence in reading, please read with them at least 4 times a week using their scheme book or library book and sign their reading record.  In Key Stage Two we reward good reading habits with books and bookmarks.  Please also support your child to learn their half termly spellings which can be found in their homework book
Maths
This half term we will focus on place value and addition & subtraction, using 3-digit numbers.
Remember to log on to DoodleMaths every day to consolidate your skills and collect your stars, staying in the green zone.  This half term we will be consolidating the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Please log on to school360 and practise these times tables using the Maths Frame tables checker; 15/15 on each times table using Maths Frame earns you your sticker on our class chart. 
Science
In Science this half term we will be learning about humans and animals; their movement and nutrition.  By studying the human skeleton, we will identify key bones and explore how muscle changes result in movement. We will learn about how the body uses energy, what constitutes a balanced diet in humans and how research contributes to nutritionist expertise.
 
 

 

Geography
This half term we will be investigating the key question 'how and why is my local area changing?'  We will use the eight points of the compass, maps, symbols and keys to communicate and deepen our knowledge of Amble now and in the past.  We will use a range of resources to identify key physical and human features of Amble. 
 
 
History
This half term we will be travelling right back in time and asking ourselves 'how did the lives of Ancient Britons change during the stone age?'  We will place the paleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic eras on a timeline to help develop our concept of chronology.  We will explore and describe the beliefs, ideas, attitudes and experiences of men, women and children living in Britain during the stone age focusing on the theme of 'change'.  We will learn about archaeology as a key source of evidence for historical enquiry.  We will ask and answer historical questions and suggest causes and consequences for the main developments.

Music

We will be exploring the musical elements of pulse, metre and timbre alongside singing and learning to play the ocarina.

 

 
Design and Technology
We will learn about the food groups required for a healthy diet.  We will then evaluate a healthy meal against our knowledge.  We will follow a recipe to make a basic flatbread, then choose and prepare toppings based on our learning.
 

 

P.E.
We will begin with some team building and problem solving games.  We will then continue our games work by learning the rules of dodgeball and developing our skills in throwing, catching, dodging and moving with agility during a game.  We will learn how to work as part of a team to play tactically.
 
Seals' P.E. day is Wednesday.  Please come to school wearing your P.E. kit.  Earrings must be removed for P.E.

 

R.E.

We will be investigating the question 'What is it like for someone to follow God?'  We will learn about the Old Testament people of God and how they lived their lives. We will learn the story of Noah, considering what it was like for him to follow God. We will learn about the covenant that Christians believe Noah made with God, making links to the promises that Christians make at a wedding ceremony and spend time looking at several texts that share stories from the Old Testament people of God in detail.  We will also learn about the story of Abram/Abraham and the covenant that he made with God. We will finally consider why following God might sometimes feel hard for believers.

 

 

Art

Focus: Painting

This term our focus is painting.  The children will refresh their drawing skills with observational drawings.  Then they will recap their earlier learning about primary and secondary colours before learning about complimentary colours, looking at how artists have used colour combinations.  Then they will create their own paintings and digital art using these colours.  The children will have the opportunity to select from different materials to create their own art.  Finally we will look at the role of designers, thinking particularly about patterns used in home furnishings by comparing William Morris and modern designers. 

 

 

 

 

PSHE

We will meet Jino the Seals' Jigsaw mascot and complete our first unit; Being Me in My World.

French

As an introduction to learning French, we will investigate the Geography of France and learn some basic words and phrases including how to greet others.  We will also learn the names of some animals in French.

Computing
The children will learn that digital devices have inputs, processes, and outputs. They will be able to compare digital and non-digital devices and know about computer networks, including devices that make up a network’s infrastructure, such as wireless access points and switches. We will think about the benefits of connecting devices in a network.