Vacancies
FacebookYear 4 Curriculum Overview
Autumn 1 - Coming to England
WOW! Factor: Caribbean Steel Pan Drumming & Food Tasting
Fantastic Finish: Caribbean influenced Art Day
Book: ‘Coming to England’ by Floella Benjamin
Coming to England’ is the autobiography of Floella Benjamin who came to England from Trinidad as a little girl as a part of the Windrush generation. During the unit, the children will learn about where the Caribbean is within the world, why people emigrated from the Caribbean to the UK and what life was like for those people.
Food and culture will be shared and the children will write autobiographies, stories and poems throughout the unit. As well as this, the children will explore how sound is made in Science and will have a fantastic time exploring the music of Bob Marley and other musicians, as well as improvising, composing and performing music of their own.
Autumn 2 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
WOW! Factor: Visit from The Chocolate Museum
Fantastic Finish: Chocolate Making Day
Book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Author: Roald Dahl
This classic book is set in Roald Dahl’s fantasy chocolate factory and through this unit we will explore where in the world our food comes from, the terms ‘import’ and ‘export’ and how fair-trade benefits farmers. At the beginning of the unit, we will have an enjoyable visit from The Chocolate Museum, where we will taste and compare chocolate from different parts of the world, then finish up the term with an exciting chocolate making day! We will be learning about states of matter during Science. In DT we will be designing and making chocolate for a target audience and in Art, we will explore the surrealist art of Salvador Dali.
Spring 1 - There’s a Pharaoh in our Bath!
WOW! Factor: A school-based Egyptian activity day
Fantastic Finish: Egyptian Mask Making Day
Book: There’s a Pharaoh in our Bath! Author: Jeremy Strong
This hilarious book is about a family who accidentally adopts an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who has escaped from a museum after being brought back to life by two dastardly grave robbers. Through this unit, the children will explore the lives of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation, including their religion, home life and life and death rituals, as well as the festivals and family life of Jewish people in RE.
Spring 2 - The Paperbag Prince
WOW! Factor: Junk music day – making musical instruments with recycled materials
Fantastic Finish: Collage Day
Book: The Paperbag Prince Author: Colin Thompson
This beautiful book is the story of an old man living in a railway carriage on a rubbish dump who knows that even rubbish can sometimes contain treasure. During this unit, the children will learn about electrical units and design and make a working lamp from recycled materials. They will also develop their use of improvisation in music and investigate the work of artist Jane Perkins who creates her pieces using found materials. The children will end the unit by designing and making their own artwork in her style.
Summer 1 - The Beatrix Potter Collection
WOW! Factor: Teaching Talons Session
Fantastic Finish: An outdoor day set around animal habitats and making mini-gardens
Book: The Beatrix Potter Collection Author: Beatrix Potter
Linking our learning together this half term will be the famous Tales of Beatrix Potter, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The children start this unit with a very exciting visit from Teaching Talons where the children observe and handle various animals. They will discover the different habitats and think about how animals have adapted over time to suit them. Additionally, pupils will classify plants and animals in different ways. Moreover, children will also learn about food sources and food chains and how the parts of the chain are related. During this unit, Year 4 will also learn about pulse, rhythm and pitch in music and about Muslim festivals and worship in RE.
Summer 2 - Beware the King!
WOW! Factor: Tudor Activity Day including a virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace
Fantastic Finish: Tudor Art Day
Book: Beware the King! Author: Stewart Ross
‘Beware the King’ is the true story of Henry IIIV and his love for Anne Boleyn. During this unit, Year 4 find out all about Tudor times, including the reign of Henry VIII and his six wives, comparing the lives of rich and poor Tudor people; their food, houses, clothes and jobs and Tudor music and games. A virtual tour of Hampton Court Palace (using the internet) brings all the learning together and will help the children understand and compare life in Tudor times to their lives now. In addition, the children will also learn about the digestive system in science, explore the importance of some of the Christian Bible stories in RE and discover the portraits of Hand Holbein, the famous Tudor artist.