Year 4 - Jungle Book & Northern Lights
Northern Lights & Jungle Books
Year 4 Autumn 2
Reading:
As readers, we will explore a range of texts linked to our learning, including evacuee letters, Kindertransport letters, diaries, newspaper reports and stories such as Scarecrows and The Water Tower. We will develop fluency, comprehension and inference skills, learning to retrieve information, explore vocabulary, make predictions and discuss characters and events. We will also discover how different text types communicate information and emotions. We will also explore ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S. Lewis, developing our reading comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills.
Key vocabulary: infer, predict, summarise, retrieve
Writing:
We will investigate proper nouns, adverbial phrases, verb forms such as ‘was’ and ‘were’, and the use of direct speech and punctuation. We will explore character descriptions, make predictions, discuss events and develop their understanding of journalistic writing. We will also consider the characters' feelings, motivations and choices as the story unfolds.
Key vocabulary: adverbial phrase, direct speech, inverted commas, describe, motivations
BQs: What happened to Mr Tumnus?
How would you feel as an evacuee?
Maths:
As mathematicians, we will explore area and develop our understanding of how to calculate the area of different shapes. We will investigate multiples, number patterns and times-table facts, focusing on the 3, 6, 9 and 10 times-tables. We will discover how partitioning can support multiplication by 11 and 12, explore what happens when multiplying by 1 and 0, and develop their understanding of dividing numbers by themselves. We will use our mathematical knowledge to solve problems and explain their reasoning.
Key vocabulary: area, multiples, partitioning, dividing, multiplying
Science:
As scientists, we will explore electricity and discover how it is used in everyday life, including what powers the electrical equipment in our school. We will investigate the dangers of electricity and learn how to stay safe. We will develop our understanding of electrical circuits, identify common conductors and explore the role of switches, investigating how they control circuits and why a lamp may not light.
Key vocabulary: electricity, power, energy, circuit, conductor, insulator, switch
Topic (History):
As historians, we will explore the causes and events of World War II, developing an understanding of why the war began and the efforts made on the home front. We will discover why rationing was necessary, learn about the Blitz and investigate why children and families were evacuated. We will consider what everyday life was like during wartime and develop empathy by imagining what it would have been like to live through this significant period in history.
Key vocabulary: war, evacuee, rationing, Blitz
Art:
As artists, we will explore the work of artists Claude Monet and Wassily Kandinsky, taking inspiration from their approaches to creating winter landscapes. We will investigate colour, shape, texture and different artistic techniques to develop our own winter-inspired artwork. We will also explore propaganda posters, considering how images, colour and persuasive messages can be used to communicate ideas. We will apply our creativity to designing Christmas cards and calendars.
Key vocabulary: Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, landscapes, colour, shape, texture, propaganda
Homework: