Year 3
Welcome
Welcome to Year 3! We have lots of exciting themes and lessons that take place in our year group, with visits to different places and lots of WOW factors included in our new themes. We are sure that you will enjoy being with us in our classes.
Who's Who
Year Coordinator: Mrs Smith
3HH – Miss Peake
3HE – Mrs Haslam
3KH – Mrs Nisa/Mrs Smith
Miss Perry (HLTA)
Miss Pincock
Mrs Begum
All year 3 children will visit a famous building associated with their class name. 3KH will visit Kedleston Hall, 3HH will visit Haddon Hall and 3HE will visit Hardwick Hall. All pupils will learn to play a musical instrument. We will learn to play a toot.
What we will be Learning this Year
Autumn 1 – What are TREMORS!?
Tremors- Erupting volcanoes, researching and exploring all about Pompeii, incredible vocabulary and amazing design and technology! These are the key areas that Year 3 study in this topic! Children will read “Escape From Pompeii” to help them understand what it must have been like to be there! We will learn about the different types of rocks and their features. The children will also learn about fossils and how they are created. We will design and make an earthquake proof tower. In RE we will begin to learn about Hinduism to help us understand and see similarities and differences between faiths. Children learn about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles and how they can improve their own well-being through exercise.
Autumn 2 – What was life like in Ancient Britain?
The second part of the Autumn term, enables children to extend their historical skills further as they develop their knowledge and understanding of just what it was like during the Stone Age. Children will read “Stone Age Hunters, Gatherers and Woolley Mammoths” They will explore stone age animals, people’s way of life, stone age homes and how the landscape was used and changed by early people. In art we will look at cave paintings by T. McRae and recreate our own. Parents will be invited to do art work with their children. We will also visit a Museum.
Spring 1 – What brings people to cities?
Children will go on a walk around Derby learning more about the history and geography of Derby, looking at buildings in the local area and public sculptures. They will take photographs and study art based on graffiti art by Banksy and local architecture. We will use mixed media to create artwork. Children will read “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis and compare the rural land of Narnia with our city of Derby. We will learn about the first public park in the United kingdom - Arboretum Park. Light is a significant element of our science this half term and we will be investigating shadows and how the position of the planet affects the shadows cast.
Spring 2 – Who were the Ancient Egyptians?
We begin our topic with a trip to a museum to explore the incredible Egyptian artefacts and ancient mummies! During this term we learn all about the Pharaohs, what life was like in Ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun and mummification. We will become archaeologists – examining ancient artefacts and how these are evidence about life in Ancient Egyptian times. We will write like an Egyptian- by using hieroglyphics. In art we will learn about sculptures by H. Moore. In science the children learn about our health and the human body, focusing on how our bones and muscles work in our bodies.
Summer 1 - Why is metal mighty?
The beginning of this term starts with the children becoming scientists in this science-based topic. We will read “The Iron Man” by Ted Hughes and learn about forces and magnets in science lessons. The children experiment with magnets and learn about the Earth’s magnetic field. We will investigate gravity and learn new scientific vocabulary. In Design and Technology we will make a product with moving arms. We will also learn how to create simple spreadsheets on computers.
Summer 2 – How does a river start and where does it go?
We will learn about water, the water cycle and how rivers are formed. As part of this the children will learn about states of matter and a lot of technical vocabulary linked to rivers. We will visit a river and conduct some simple ‘on site’ field work for geography. The children will also design and make their own soup. In science we will learn about soil and plants. We will set up a weather station and children will take daily weather recordings to track cloud cover, temperature and rainfall and wind.
During summer 2, we will also hold transition visits to give the children chance to be taught in their new classroom with their new teacher so everyone can get to know each other.
English and Maths
In English we will be learning the following units; traditional tales, recounts, poetry, diaries, non-chronological reports, descriptive settings, fables, explanation texts, recipes, information texts, persuasive texts and letters.
Children extend and develop their mathematical concepts and skills through weekly basic skills sessions across the year group, delivered by both Teachers and Teaching Assistants. Every other week children undertake an basic skills Maths check, which are differentiated to their needs. Following on from these checks, children have a specific focus led 30 minute lesson every Friday, to support areas of specific issue or misconception, identified in the checks.
Each term the children revise and extend their knowledge and skills in calculations, handling data, measures, shape and space and using and applying mathematical skills.
Children also develop their knowledge and skills in times tables and are constantly challenged to use these within all aspects of their mathematics curriculum, both mentally and practically.
How to help with Learning at Home
- We ask that you read every day with your child and record this in their individual reading record books. We check everyone’s reading diary weekly and expect their reading diary to show that they have read at home at least 3 times a week.
- You child will be given a username and password to log onto Collins eBooks. Staff will allocate books that your child should be able to read easily on their own at home.
- Please support your children to learn their times tables – x2,3,4,5,10, as this will help develop their mental Maths knowledge and skills. They should also know their number bonds for 20 (e.g. 13+7, 12+8) and double numbers all the way to double 20.
- Please find opportunities at home to help your child learn how to tell time (using a clock face) for o’clock, quarter-past, half-past and quarter-to.
- Your child will be given a log on to Times Table Rock Stars. This will allow them to practise their times tables at home. As a school, we also compete with other schools in the local area for highest scores and quickest speed of recall.
- Your child will receive 1pieces of homework each week, to be completed and returned to class on Mondays. They will receive a home learning challenges grid in their homework books. The tasks are cross curricular and may take the form of a piece of English but may also be a piece of work relating to the unit of work being undertaken during topic sessions. It is important that all children complete their homework and return it to school on the allocated day, Monday. This homework consolidates the work that the children have been completing during lesson time.
- Your child will be given a log on to access Purple Mash. This is a complete learning platform with activities for all school subjects. Staff will set 2Dos for tasks that need to be completed at home. Children are welcome to log onto Purple Mash at anytime at home to play the educational games or read books too.
BBC bitesize KS2- different subjects which have quizzes, videos and lots of learning which can be done.
BBC bitesize KS1- - different subjects which have quizzes, videos and lots of learning which can be done
TTRS- Times tables. Can you become a rock legend?
Woodlands Maths resources- lots of maths games
Woodlands general resources- a mixture of all subjects and topics to explore.
Top Marks- mixture of subjects where you can play games.
Oxford Owl- reading books online.
Education quizzes- lots of different quizzes on different areas of the curriculum.