Mandela Class
Welcome to Mandela Class page!
My name is Miss Keay and I am the Year 3 teacher.
Here are some of our weekly routines:
PE takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays, therefore, children should arrive to school in their PE kit. During summer term, PE will take place outside so please pack sun hats and sun cream.
Children will be tested on their times tables every Friday, once they are confident they will be moved up to the next set, they should practise these in their Times Table Book every night. Their books should be signed by an adult at home and will be checked in class every week.
Every Monday, your child will be given a list of spelling words along with a spelling rule. They will need to learn these by Friday when they will be tested. The test will also include some surprise words, which will follow the spelling rule they have learnt.
On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays the children will read with an adult in a small group setting, as a school we encourage you to read with your children for at least 30 minutes every night and sign their reading record.
Homework will be set through Google Classroom each Friday and should be submitted by the following Wednesday. Children will be awarded house points for completing their homework.
Thank you for your continued support with your child's learning. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, I am always happy to hear from you!
Our Learning - Summer 1
SUMMER 1
In RE, our topic is 'Pentecost', we will be learning about the gifts from the Holy Spirit.
This half-term our topic is 'Gods and Mortals'!
In Literacy this half-term, will be writing Greek myths. We will start by looking at the features of Greek myths including descriptions of supernatural characters, dialogue, setting descriptions and tragic endings. We will be reading lots of Greek myths in class to inspire our writing too!
In Maths this half-term, we will be recapping using the formal methods for multiplication and division, additionally we will be learning to tell the time on an analogue and digital clock. We will continue to learn our times tables (2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10s) during our times table recall sessions.
In Science, we will be planning our own investigations in order to find out why Icarus fell from the sky, then we will be testing new materials to make Icarus' wings out of. In our lessons, we will be learning about how to make scientific predictions, how to identify controlled, dependent and independent variables, how to measure distances and mass and how to display our results in tables and bar charts.
During History this half-term, we will be learning about Ancient Greece. We will be finding key events from Ancient Greece and placing them on a timeline in chronological order, comparing life in Athens and Sparta, comparing the ancient Olympic games with the modern Olympic games, learning about the beginning of democracy and how it shapes our society today and the history of the Marathon.
In D&T this half term, we will be designing and making our own Greek pottery.
In PE, our topic is Athletics. We will be building up our skills to put on our own class Olympics at the end of the half-term which will include running, discus, javelin, long jump and high jump. We will be celebrating our achievements in an award ceremony too.
In Computing, we will be looking at branching databases. The children will be making their very own branching databases in pairs.
Our Learning - Spring 2
SPRING 2
In RE, our topic is 'Listening and sharing', we will be learning about the importance of the Eucharist. Our second topic will be 'Giving All', where we will focus on Lent and the importance of giving everything for others.
This half-term our topic is Tremors!
In Literacy this half-term, will be writing newspaper reports. We will be using everything we learn about in Geography to help us. We will be focusing on Writing in third person, coming up with great headlines, using facts, writing in chronological order and using speech marks correctly.
In Maths this half-term, we will be focusing on measurement (mm, cm and m) and fractions. We will continue to learn our times tables (2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10s) during our times table recall sessions. During our lessons, we will be solving a range of reasoning and word problems.
In Science, our topic is 'rocks, soils and fossils'. Throughout the next few weeks, we will be comparing and grouping different kind of rocks based on their appearance and simple physical properties. Additionally, we will be learning to describe how fossils are formed and recognise that soils are formed from rock and organic matter.
During Geography this half-term, we will be learning about volcanoes and earthquakes. We will start by learning all about the Earth's structure through making models of the Earth and all its layers. We will also use maps, globes and atlases to identify the locations of volcanoes including the 'Ring of Fire', we will find out what causes volcanoes to erupt and the effects of eruptions on cities like Pompeii. Additionally, we will use our knowledge of tectonic plates to describe how earthquakes occur, as well as learning all about ways to keep safe during earthquakes.
In Art this half term, we will be looking at abstract art and studying artists like Jackson Pollock and Holton Rower. We will be making our own model volcanoes and use pouring and flicking techniques to create lava. We will also be mixing paint with other materials to change its texture.
In PE, we will be doing dance. We will learn how to link shapes with movements focusing on the eat of the music.
In Computing, we will be learning about email. We will be looking at online safety in regards to sending and receiving emails. Additionally, we will be looking at adding attachments and forwarding emails.
Our Learning - Spring 1
SPRING 1
In RE this half term, our topic is 'Journeys'. We will be learning all about the Liturgical Calendar, our journey in prayer and the events of Jesus' life.
This half-term our topic is Tribal Tales!
In Literacy, we will be writing historical stories set in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron age. We will be learning about how to create suspense, how to punctuate dialogue and how to describe our setting and characters.
In Maths this half term we will be continuing to learn our times tables (x2, x3, x4, x5, x8, x10). We will also be revisiting and revising the formal methods for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in our fluency sessions. Our Maths topics this half term are money and statistics.
In Science, our topic is 'plants'. Throughout the half term, we will be learning about the different parts and functions of flowering plants including the roots, stem/trunk, leaves and flowers. We will also be carrying out investigations to explore the requirements of plants for life and growth. Additionally, we will be investigating how water is transported in plants. Finally, we will be exploring the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal.
During History this half term, we will be learning about Pre-history (The Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age). During this topic, we will be learning how to order these periods of history onto timelines from after the Ice Age to the invasion of the Romans. Additionally, we will be identifying the similarities and differences in Britain between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, through the use of sources. We will be learning all about hunter-gatherers, early farmers, religion, travel, art and culture within pre-history.
In D&T this half term, we will be focusing on designing and making a Stone Age tool fit for hunting an animal, preparing an animal to eat or to cut through leather. We will be foraging for the resources we use in our Forest School area. We will also be designing and making Iron Age Jewellery using computer-aided design.
In PE, we will be doing gymnastics in the hall. We will be looking at balances and movement.
In Computing, we will be learning about typing. We will learn the most effective way to type using our correct fingers on the top row, home row and bottom row keys.
Our Learning - Autumn 2
AUTUMN 2
In RE, our topic is 'Promises' we are looking at Baptism.
This half-term our topic is Predator!
In Literacy this half-term, will be writing non-chronological reports about predators. We will be focusing on using conjunctions, writing in the 3rd person, using a formal tone and organising and structuring our paragraphs.
In Maths this half-term, we will be focusing on multiplication and division. We will be recapping the times tables we learnt last year in addition to learning to recall our 3, 4 and 8 times tables. We will be learning to use mental strategies and formal written methods to calculate 2-digit numbers times 1-digit numbers. In class, we will be solving a range of reasoning and word problems.
In Science, we will be learning about animals including humans. We will be looking at the importance of a balanced diet on our health and well-being, finding out why we have skeletons and muscles, creating food chains and food webs for animals we find in Southwark Park and investigating the diet of owls in the UK.
During Geography this half-term, we will be developing our fieldwork skills. We will be taking walks around our local area and identifying the human and physical features we observe, we will then compare our findings. Additionally, we will be learning all about compass points, sketching maps, four-figure grid references and using keys.
In Art this half-term we will be studying the artist Calder Kamin, who makes 3D models of animals from recycled plastic. We will take inspiration from our artist study to design and make our own 3D model of a bird of prey, with the aim to inspire people to recycle and stop using single use plastic where possible.
In Computing, we will be learning about coding. To master coding skills, children will have the opportunity to explore program design and put computational thinking into practise.
year 3 - Autumn 2- 2021
Our Learning - Autumn 1
AUTUMN 1
In RE we are looking at the Church and our families.
This half-term our topic is Mighty Metals!
In Literacy this half-term, will be writing play scripts. We will start by looking at the features of play scripts including character lists, stage directions and narrators. Once we have planned and written our own play scripts, we will be practicing our drama, speaking and listening skills through performance.
In Maths this half-term, we will be looking at place value focusing on numbers up to 1000. We will also be looking at adding and subtracting two-digit and three-digit numbers. We will be using number lines, base ten and counters to help us.
In Science, our topic is 'Forces and magnets'. We will be planning our own investigations to compare how things move on different surfaces. Through enquiry lessons, we will notice that some forces need contact between 2 objects, but magnetic forces can act at a distance. We will also use observation skills to understand that magnets attract or repel each other and attract some materials and not others. we will be able to describe how magnets have two poles and we will use this knowledge to help us predict whether 2 magnets will attract or repel each other.
During History this half-term, we will be learning about Ancient Egypt. We will be using sources and artefacts to help us answer questions about life in Ancient Egypt and the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter. Additionally, we will be writing instructions on mummification, after carrying out our own mummification on a tomato! Finally, we will link what we have learnt in Maths (measurement) and Science (forces) to carry out our own investigation into how the pyramids were built!
In D&T this half term, we will be learning about Ancient Egyptian diets and linking them to our diets today. We will also be making our own Egyptian bread!
In PE, we will be focusing on dribbling and passing with feet. We will be learning how to move safely in a confined space, how to accurately pass a ball whilst stationary and moving, and finally how to prevent the ball from being intercepted.
In Computing, we will be learning about internet safety and making our own class blogs and websites. We will also learn how to make spreadsheets using Purple Mash.
Year 3 Autumn 1 2021
