In English this term Elm will be focusing on learning how to write speech in full punctuation. Alongside this, the children will be identifying how inverted commas are used by authors to demarcate speech in book. They will also learn how to identify and explain when to begin a new paragraph, before organising their own ideas into paragraphs according to time, place, subject and dialogue. The children will explore in greater depth the difference between question, exclamation, command and statement. Understanding these sentence types will help to develop their writing to be more clear, engaging and understandable. Using all these focus areas of English will enable Elm to write a letter to Penelope from the perspective of Odysseus as well as write a recall of Odysseus adventures.
In Maths this term Elm will be comparing, ordering and sorting fractions. The children will then move on to finding a fraction of an amount, making links to prior learning about multiplication and division. Elm will move onto adding and subtracting fractions as well as subtracting a fraction from a whole number. Finally the children will be exploring using decimals and understanding tenths and hundredths.
In Science Elm will look more closely at flowering plants, their features and the functions of their features. They will look at specific species including hydrangea and cacti. Elm will learn that the scientific study of plants is called botany and that what we understand about plants comes from contributions from many botanists over the years. Children will learn about Joseph Banks, the famous botanist who gathered over 30,000 plant specimens on his travels around the world with Captain Cook and Agnes Arber, who was one of the first women to be recognised for her contribution to botany.
Elm will learn that although plants all need light and water to thrive, they need it in differing amounts. The children will learn that plants grow in diverse environments around the world and even within a garden, there are some plants better suited to particular places than others. They will move on to finding out how plants transport water from their roots to the rest of the plant.
In History, Elm will continue to study that after the Romans left, a mix of tribes from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands began to migrate to England known as the Anglo Saxons. This unit builds on the children’s understanding of the substantive concepts of migration, invasion, settlement, religion and monarchy. The children will learn about the lives of people who lived in this period: how they lived, their homes, their jobs, what they ate and what they did for fun. They will learn about primary and secondary sources such as artefacts found at Sutton Hoo, places such as West Stow and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The children will also look at religious beliefs of both the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings, and how both were gradually converted from their Pagan beliefs to Christianity.
We will be learning about the Vikings and the significance of Viking Long ships that enabled them to travel, trade, raid and invade! The children will look at the relationship between the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings; the battles and the compromises that took place during this period. They will learn about the lives of significant people during this period such as Alfred the Great.
In Geography, the children will focus on the South West; coastal areas and erosion, landmarks and tourism and agriculture and climate. They will begin by locating the region, looking at its climate and the effect the Gulf Stream has. The children will learn how to locate National Parks and areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty on a map of the South West. The children will learn the importance of the Jurassic Coastline that runs along the coastline from Devon through to Dorset and that coastal erosion reveals fossils in the rocks that help scientists to understand what the region was like many millions of years ago. They will look at how coastal erosion has shaped the land creating features such as Durdle Door; a natural limestone arch in Dorset.
Children will study landmarks and tourism in the South West, including Stonehenge, Glastonbury Tor, Durdle Door, Bath, Bournemouth, and The Eden Project. They will understand that tourism is an important industry in the South West. Children will learn about agriculture in the South West and find out what the farming industry produces. When learning about agriculture, children will understand how the climate of the south west, with its warm summers and mild winters, allows a range of produce to be grown. Finally, children will look at how the region has changed through three time periods; prehistory, history and modern.
In Art, the children will study the art of the Anglo Saxons by focusing on objects found at the burial ground at Sutton Hoo, illuminated letters painted in the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Bayeux tapestry. Elm will learn that the interlocking and interlaced patterns used in the metalwork at Sutton Hoo are echoed in the designs used in the Lindisfarne Gospels, and will use watercolours to make their own, similar designs. The children will be looking at the Bayeux tapestry, produced at the end of the Anglo-Saxon era, this will allow the children to explore how art can tell a story, rather like an old-fashioned comic strip. Finally, Elm will finish the unit by creating a collaged boat, using textiles, in the style of the Bayeux tapestry.
In RE, the children will learn that Sikhs believe in one God and follow the teaching of Ten Gurus, beginning with Guru Nanak. They will develop an understanding that Nanak set up a community in which equality was key. Sikh communities are organised around three moral principles: Kirat karo – Everyone earning by means of hard work and honest effort. Vand chakko – Everyone sharing earnings and resources e.g. food, time and effort in serving others, Naam japna – Everyone remembering the name of God at all times whether working, distributing food or cleaning.
