Welcome to the Year 4 webpage
Here, you should find all the information needed about life in Y4.
If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to speak to the class teacher either before or after school.
Alternatively, you can contact school via email: enquiries@anstonparkjuniors.co.uk
Year 4 Teaching Staff:
Mr B. Bradley (4B)
Miss H. Fenton (4F)
Y4 Teaching Assistants:
Mrs K. Cliff (1 day)
Ms S. Hutchinson (4 days)
Mrs K. Bennett
Y4 Long Term Plan
Below is our long term plan for all subjects. This shows the topics that will we cover across the different half terms.
Summer 2
Below, you will find more information about the key questions we will be answering this half term across the different subjects. As well as key vocabulary, content and useful links.
Science
Power it up: electricity
In this unit, children revisit some uses of electricity and the importance of safety before constructing simple circuits. Understanding how to change a circuit by changing its components makes up the third part of this topic, leading in a final application of knowledge and skills when the children design and make a product using their knowledge of circuits linked to their Design and Technology unit.
Key vocabulary:
battery: a portable electricity supply
bulb: part of a circuit that gives out light
cell: the scientific name for a battery
circuit: the path followed by an electric current. Electricity must flow in a circuit to do useful work
components: the items that make up a circuit
conductor: a material that transmits electricity in the wall and through wires
insulator: a material through which electricity cannot flow
mains: the electricity that comes from a socket
rechargeable: a battery that we can put ‘electricity’ back into
switch: a component that turns a circuit on and off
terminals: the ends of the battery. One is negative and one is positive
wires: used to connect components together
Key questions:
- Which appliances use electricity?
- How to stay safe when dealing with electricity?
- How can I make a simple circuit?
- Will the bulb light?
- How can we test if a material is a conductor or an insulator?
- How do switches affect a circuit?
History
Crime and punishment
In this unit, the children will explore how and why Crime and Punishment has changed over time. This will support them in developing an understanding of change and development over a long period of time. They will utilise a variety of sources of evidence to develop their knowledge and understanding of the different time periods. Within this, they will look at some small case studies in more depth to understand triggers for change, including the Bloody Code of 1815, the founding of the first police force, transportation of prisoners and the activism of the suffragettes. The children will also begin to appreciate that some things remain the same over long periods of time.
In this unit, the children will:
- develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British history
- establish clear narratives over periods of study
- note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the use of historical terms
- understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources
- address historically valid questions about continuity, and change and cause
- address and devise historically valid questions about continuity and change, similarity and difference, and significance
- construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
Key vocabulary:
Rules, society, crime, punishment, values, poaching, witchcraft, riot, pillory, transportation, flogging, attitudes, execution, vagabond, poaching, highwayman, smuggling, police, respect, hostile, truncheon, cartoon, severe crime, lesser crime, liberty, transportation, prison, hulks, gaol, separate system, silent system, oakum, suffrage, suffragettes, discrimination, prejudice, terrorist, extremism, democracy, parliament, change, continuity, attitudes, values.
Key questions:
- Do laws and punishments change over time?
- How has the police force changed over time?
- What is crime?
- What were the punishments in the past meant to achieve?
- How has crime and punishment changed over time?
- How and why have attitudes changed towards the suffragettes?
Computing
Repetition in games
- Using loops to create shapes
- Different loops
- Animate your name
- Modifying a game
- Designing a game
- Creating our games
Design Technology
- Simple circuits and switches
- Investigative and Evaluative Activities
- Focused Task activities
- Design, Make and Evaluate
As part of our wider curriculum, children can also choose to complete homework from our homework menu (see below). This is optional, however, it will be enjoyable for the children and it will allow them to take their learning further and share it with you at home. Once any tasks have been completed please bring them into school and we will do our best to display as many of them as possible.
We would love to see how creative you can be and display your hard work for all to see.
Reading
Reading is an essential part of the curriculum and opens up many other curriculum areas. We expect children to read at least three times a week at home. Some children may choose to read independently, which is completely fine, but it is also helpful for adults to check children understand the vocabulary within the text and understand the content of what they are reading.
Times tables
Children need to spend time at home practising their times tables. Children can prepare for the times table challenge and aim to achieve their best times. Don't forget to visit the Times Tables Rock Stars website to help them practise their tables and earn coins to promote their band! It is their challenge this year to top the leader board and help their band to win the Battle of the Bands.
MTC (Multiplication Tables Check)
The children in Y4 will be completing a Multiplication Table Check in June. Here is some further information about it. A letter was also sent out on 24th April (See letter section of the website) detailing further information including dates and the format of the test.
Spelling
Look out for the weekly spellings that will be set on Spelling Shed on a Friday – children will practise throughout the week at school. Children have access to Spelling Shed which allows them to practise their assigned weekly spellings.
https://www.edshed.com/en-gb/login
Another set of important spellings which will inevitably help children with their writing is the Y3/4 Statutory word list. It would be great if children could also spend time practising these.
Other Useful Information
P.E.
P.E. days are:
4B - Tuesday and Thursday
4F - Tuesday and Thursday
Please ensure that your child brings their P.E. kit in on a Monday and keeps it in school until Friday (when it will be sent home for washing etc). This is very important as sometimes timetables may need to be changed and P.E. sessions may be on alternative days.
Indoor Kit = plain white t-shirt, shorts or tracksuit bottoms and suitable shoes (pumps or trainers)
Outdoor Kit = tracksuit bottoms and warm jacket and shoes suitable for the outdoors (trainers)
Please remember that no jewellery should be worn and earrings MUST be removed by children before P.E. Long hair also needs to be tied back.
USEFUL WEBSITES:
This website has a good range of free games to practise phonics and decoding skills.
http://www.sentenceplay.co.uk/
This has a good range of games which support your child’s spelling and grammar skills.
This is a fun and competitive way for your child to learn their times tables. Look out for new competitions and challenges. Try to top your class leader board.
