English:

As writers, we will be exploring the text, The Lost Thing, which follows the main character's quest for belonging. The children will write a fantasy narrative. Later in the term we will be focussing on the text, Freedom Bird by Jerdine Nolen, which is a story of hope and freedom. We will be researching the life of Harriett Tubman who was instrumental in guiding African slaves to freedom. Children will write a biography about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. In our comprehension lessons we will be reading the Wonderling.

History:

Shang Dynasty - As historians, we will be exploring and researching the Ancient Chinese civilization using key questions to lead the learning. We will compare and contrast rulers of ancient China - good, the bad and the ugly. The children will research an amazing woman who overcame all predudice to become  one of China's greatest warriors. 

Geography:

What is a river?  As geographers, we will be investigating the features and processes of rivers. The class will explore the changes a river has over it's course from source to mouth. We will consider the changes to the River Thames since the Tudor era. Using food chains, we will discuss the importance of each organism in maintaining a balanced wildlife on a local river estuary.

RE:

Why is the Torah so important for Jewish people?

Children will build on their learning about the Jewish worldview and way of life. They will build on their understanding that Jews are a diverse group of people by investigating Census data and reflecting on the different cultural heritages of British Jews. They will investigate the centrality of Torah through examining how a Sefer Torah is constructed, it’s place within the synagogue and how different Jews may interpret the Torah in diverse ways. They will consider how interpretation of Torah influences dietary choices. Finally, they will reflect on how Jewish practice is being adapted in the light of current thinking on gender and climate.

Science:

Forces and space: Earth and space

Children explore the movement of the celestial bodies in our Solar System, including the Earth and other planets and the Moon. They discover how the rotation of the Earth causes night and day and how sundials work. They find out about the uses of satellites and the problem with space junk. The children will also visit The Great North Museum in Newcastle and take part in a space workshop and visit the planetarium. 

French:

My Family

By the end of this unit pupils will have the knowledge and skills to make a presentation about their own / a fictitious family in both spoken and written form in French. Pupils will start to integrate previously learnt language with newly acquired language, encouraging more confident use of their growing bank of vocabulary. Pupils will demonstrate an increasing knowledge of grammar and the use of the possessive in French to manipulate language, thus starting to create more personalised responses as the unit supports the change from 1st person singular to 3rd person singular.

PE:

Gymnastics

The children will learn counter balancing and counter tension, work with a partner to create a counter balance and start with a counter balance, move out of them and travel to a new piece of apparatus. 

Art: Focus: Drawing 

The children will continue our drawing journey  this term by using their observational skills to draw a flower.  We will look carefully at the shape and colour of the flower and consider how we can create this accurately. In Art Talk we will study examples of pointillism.  The children will develop visual literacy skills by observing and reflecting on a range of artwork in this style. This term the children will focus on drawing, reflecting on their previous learning about perspective to explore the use of light and shadow.  We will compare how artists have used shadow in their work and the children will explore different mediums to create light and shadow, including charcoal and erasers.