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Curriculum Overview Year 4 Summer 1 Gizmos and gadgets

Topic Summary

What is the influence of coal mining on the North East?

Through meeting local historians and visiting local mining sites, we will build our knowledge about collieries and life as a miner. We will also look at a local case study when 'That History Bloke' comes in to see us and will also study the Hartley Pit Disaster. Linking to our work on 'gizmos and gadgets' we will also look at some key innovations linked to mining and how this era supported the development of the British Empire. We will link our History and English work using the wonderful book 'Street Child' by Berlie Doherty.

This is also the term we take our residential trip to Hawkhirst, where children take part in amazing activities in the beautiful location of Kielder. For children who stay at school we will be completing some outside learning and cookery.

In the topic we will be teaching the children the following key concepts:

  • Strength – How did miners show different forms of strength including mental and physical strength?
  • Innovation – What were some key innovations linked to coal mining? 
  • Empire - How did the British Empire develop during the Victorian era?
  • Impact - What has been the impact and legacy of coal mining in the North East?

Visits/Events

  • Visit from 'That History Bloke' for a workshop on Victorian Mining
  • Residential trip to Hawkhirst
  • Visit to Newcastle Safety Works

Subject Information

English

This term we will look at the following texts and stimulus:

  • The Invention of Hugo Cabret
  • Street child
  • Newspaper reports

During the summer term we will link our History and English work using the story of ‘Street Child’. We will be writing character descriptions, diary entries, playscripts and newspaper reports. We will be consolidating our descriptive writing skills by using techniques such as ‘the more the more’ and ‘ad same ad’ as well as using similes and metaphors and a range of fronted adverbials. We will continue to use subordinating and coordinating conjunctions and will explore different word classes.

In guided reading we will be practising our retrieval and inference skills by exploring the themes in our class guided reading book, The Wild Robot.

We will also further develop our knowledge of newspapers and journalistic writing. The children will then using their history knowledge to write a newspaper report about a local mining disaster.

Key Text

Maths

In maths, we will be focusing on fractions, decimals and money. We will also be practising our times tables every day in preparation for the test we will take in June.

  • Fractions - We will complete our work on fractions by adding and subtracting fractions.
  • Decimals - Moving on from fractions, we will then look at decimals. Tenths, hundreds, halves and quarters as fractions and decimals, dividing 2-digit numbers by 10 as well as partitioning, comparing and rounding decimals.
  • Money - We will build on our knowledge of money to compare, estimate and calculate as well as solving problem questions.

Science

This term in science we will explore the digestive system, the route food takes through the body and discover that digestion begins in the mouth. Children will build on their knowledge of animal groups, focusing on common carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and explore how an animal’s diet influences the structure of its teeth and why humans have more than one type of tooth. We will study the layers of the teeth and identify the enamel, pulp and roots. Children will plan and set up an investigation into the effects different liquids have on the egg to represent the causes and effects of tooth decay.

History

Our topic this term will be about the Victorians. We will be learning about the Victorian Era and the impact on the British Empire of the Industrial Revolution. Linking to our work on 'gizmos and gadgets' we will also look at some key innovations linked to mining and how this era supported the development of the British Empire.

We will learn about the jobs children were expected to do and link this to our English work on Street Child. We will also look at a local case study when the History Bloke comes in to see us and will also study the Hartley Pit Disaster. The children will learn about mining in our local area. They will learn about life as a miner – what was a typical day like? What was a colliery like? Would they want to work as a miner?

Finally the children will think about the impact and legacy of mining in the Victorian Era.

PSHE

Children we be learning about staying healthy in PSHE. We will be thinking about oral hygiene and dental care along with maintaining a balanced lifestyle. We will think about household products and medicines which are common to everyday life and how we should handle these safely. We will also visit Newcastle Safety Works to understand more about safety in the home as well as road, water and metro safety.

Design Technology and Computing

In design technology, this term we will be looking at Victorian cookery. The children will look at features of Victorian kitchens and think about the differences of food safety, now and then. The children will then have the opportunity to taste different foods from Victorian times and think about their likes and dislikes. From this, the children will then design, make and evaluate their own Victorian pudding.

PE

The children will develop their athletics skills, demonstrating how to speed up and slow down with increased control. They will jump for distance and height, developing stronger balance. The children will also learn some further bat and ball skills in cricket and rounders sessions.

On a Thursday, children will be joining in the team game of rounders. They will practise their batting and catching skills.

Spanish

In Spanish, children will be learning vocabulary around pets. They will be able to use the Spanish words for colours of pets and adjectives to describe them.

If you would like any further details about this half term's curriculum in Year 4, please speak to your child's teacher.