1. Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter
Discovery
Over the next term, we will be continuing our topic on the Active Planet and then moving onto States of Matter.
PSHE
In PSHE we will be discussing Global Issues and Poverty and how these affect us all. We will also be looking into fairtrade. See if you can spot the fairtrade logo in your local shop.
Literacy
Our Literacy this term will be inter-linked with our Discovery topic: The children will be learning through the genres of :
Newspapers – We will link this to the events of Pompeii. We will begin by exploring the features of a newspaper article. We will be learning about subordination, and the use of speech marks for quotes.
Descriptive Stories- This will be linked to a Volcano and what it might be like to live through a natural disaster. We will learn different ways to start sentences and develop our descriptive and figurative language skills.
It would be great to read newspapers with the children and discuss the features and language that newspapers use.
Please ensure that your child continues to read a variety of genres, such as poetry and non-fiction texts, to support their learning in school.
In History we will be exploring Pompeii. We’ll be finding out:
The effects of this Earthquake on the Roman town.
The difference between secondary and primary resources and how historians use them.
In Science we’ll be exploring: Solids. Liquids and Gases. We’ll be finding out:
The difference between solids, liquids and gases and their properties.
How solids, liquids and gases can change into each other.
What happens in the water cycle.
What reversible and irreversible change is.
You could discuss how different foods change state when they are cooked e.g. eggs turn from a liquid to a solid as does cake mix.
Year 4 Curriculum Newsletter
Spring Term 2
Important information to support learning:
Practise spellings (Given and tested on Fridays).
Support homework given on a Friday and to be handed in by Tuesday, at the latest.
Practise time tables (6s, 7s and 9s) and mental arithmetic
Read at least 3 times a week with your child and record in their journal.
Make sure children bring in PE Kit and appropriate art aprons.
Please ensure Supporting Learning at Home books are kept up to date and in school every day
Every Wednesday afternoon, the children will be receiving a recorders lesson from a specialist music teacher
Numeracy
This term we will investigating measure, shape and graph work. We will also be reviewing the four operations of:
Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
We will be concentrating on developing the children’s skills of solving real life problems using these operations.
To help support your child, you could involve them in real life problems, such as using money in shops, measuring while baking and telling the time.
ICT
In ICT, children will be using the IPads and computers to compose music. Children can access Isle of Tune on the internet and show you how to compose a tune. There is also an app you can download. PE
In P.E we will be learning about the rules and skills in Hockey and developing teamwork. We will also be playing dodge ball and using catching and throwing skills.
Forces:
In Science, we’ll be finding out:
• How a ball flies through the air
• How different objects fall
• What gravity is and how it pulls on objects
• How air resistance affects moving objects
• How water pushes up on floating objects
• Why some objects float and others sink
In Technology, we’ll be finding out:
How to make a sailing boat or flying paper plane 
In Music, we’ll be finding out:
• How to play our homemade instruments
In International, we’ll be finding out:
• About sound and light pollution