Year 4 at Park Lane International School
Children aged 8-9
Literacy (Reading and Writing)
The school implements the National Literacy Strategy. The children are involved in a daily Literacy Lesson lasting for one hour. For the first 30 minutes of the lesson the whole class study texts to develop their reading or writing skills and focus on word or sentence work. During the next 20 minutes, one group works with the teacher on guided reading or writing, while the remainder of the class work on independent activities. The final 10 minutes of the lesson involves reviewing learning and / or discussing homework.
Fiction and Poetry
• Historical stories and short novels.
• Play scripts.
• A range of poetry.
• Stories by popular modern authors.
Non-Fiction
• Newspapers and magazine articles.
• Menus.
• Brochures.
• Information leaflets, circulars, flyers.
• Information books linked to other curriculum areas.
• Discussion texts.
Phonics and Spelling
• Taught through a progressive structure using a variety of resources.
Grammar and Punctuation
• Taught through a progressive system, in line with the Literacy Strategy, with a range of work linked to both fiction and non-fiction texts.
Reading
• All children are provided with a variety of reading experiences, through both shared guided and individual texts.
Numeracy
The school implements the National Numeracy Strategy. The children are involved in a daily Numeracy Lesson, which lasts for one hour. For the first 10 - 15 minutes of the lesson the class are involved in mental maths activities. During the next 10 - 15 minutes, the main focus of the lesson is introduced and again involves whole class teaching. For the third part of the lesson, approximately 20 - 25 minutes, the children work individually or in groups, on follow up activities. In the final 10 minutes learning is reviewed and/or homework is discussed.
• Use symbols correctly.
• Round any positive integer to the nearest 10 or 100.
• Recognise simple fractions and their equivalence.
• Use known number facts and place value to add, subtract, multiply or divide mentally.
• Carry out column addition and subtraction of two integers.
• Know by heart all table facts.
• Use written methods of multiplication and division to solve number problems.
• Derive quickly, division facts corresponding to multiplication tables.
• Find remainders after division.
• Choose and use appropriate number operations and ways of calculating to solve problems.
• Tell the time using digital and analogue clocks.
• Know and use the relationships between familiar units of length, area, mass and capacity.
• Classify polygons and polyhedrons using various criteria.
• Plot and identify locations using co-ordinates and compass points.
Science
The children are given activities in which they follow instructions, observe, predict and hypothesise, test, record, evaluate and develop scientific vocabulary. They are given the opportunity to investigate and explore science practically through the following topics:
Circuits and conductors
• Construct simple circuits and use them to test whether materials are conductors or insulators and how switches work.
Keeping warm
• Recognise that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold objects are.
• Identify materials that are good thermal insulators.
• Use thermometers to measure temperature.
Moving and Growing
• Describe the main functions of the skeleton and muscles.
• Study invertebrates and vertebrates.
• Interpret food chains.
Friction
• Describe and investigate some of the factors that increase friction between solid surfaces and increase air and water resistance.
• Describe how to measure forces.
Habitats
• Identify some local habitats and name some of the organisms that live there.
• Use simple keys.
• Investigate food sources.
• Understand animal adaptation.
Solids and liquids
• Investigate the difference between solids and liquids.
• Plan experiments involving melting and dissolving.
• Discover how to separate solids from liquids by sieving and filtering.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Writing for different audiences
• Choose and use the appropriate advanced features of a word processor to increase efficiency when matching work to an audience.
Developing images using repeating patterns
• Use a computer graphics package to develop and refine an image selecting and using the most appropriate tools.
Collecting and presenting information
• Collect data and enter it in a data-handling package and choose the most appropriate graph to represent it.
Branching databases
• Develop and search a branching database.
Modelling effects on screen
• Enter instructions and create a procedure to control a screen turtle.
• Use the repeat instruction to duplicate the shape and change the angle of turn.
History
Children participate in activities where they place events, people and artefacts in chronological order, interpret historical information from a variety of sources, recognise similarities and differences between past and present and develop a historical vocabulary. They will be given the opportunity to develop these skills though the following topics:
Life in Tudor times
• Exploring aspects of life in Ancient Egypt.
Vikings
• Discover aspects of everyday life in a past European society.
Famous people, events and interventions
• Study famous people, events and interventions that influenced these times; including Helen Keller; the Norman Invasion and the Moon Landing.
Geography
Pupils participate in activities in which they use appropriate geographical vocabulary, recognise and name geographical features, compare and contrast features of different locations, develop and use geographical enquiry skills e.g. making and using photographs, maps and plans including symbols and keys. They will be given the opportunity to develop these skills through the following topics:
A village in India
• Compare an overseas locality with local area.
Improving the environment
• Use the local area to investigate environmental issues and improvements.
Water
• Learn about the water supply around the world.
Mapping skills
• Recognise and begin to know places on maps outlining the continents and oceans, British Isles and Europe.
Design and Technology
Activities in which children plan, design, make and evaluate are presented and opportunities created for children to consider appearance, function, safety and reliability when developing ideas. They will develop these skills though the following topics:
Money containers
• In this unit, children learn how textiles containers e.g. purses, wallets and belt bags are designed for different purposes and different users. They design patterns/templates, and join and reinforce fabrics. Children develop their designing skills when evaluating products and use this information to generate their own ideas and identify design criteria. They communicate their early ideas through modelling with paper or inexpensive fabric, and use decorative techniques e.g. dyeing and embroidery.
Storybooks
• This unit develops the popular activity of making greetings cards and the moving picture made in key stage 1. Children research the content of the book and design and make a book that is finished to a high standard, with pages that incorporate moving parts, including linkages and levers.
Alarms
• Children develop an understanding of simple electrical control through the designing and making of an alarm system. They are also introduced to the idea of feedback. The designing and making assignment involves an alarm system to protect a valuable artefact, which has been brought into the classroom.
Art
Children develop creativity and imagination by building on their knowledge, skills and understanding of materials and through providing a range of increasingly complex activities. Developing their control of materials, tools and techniques children become more confident in using materials and processes.
• Artwork is topic-based and includes: drawing, painting, pastels, collage, 3D modelling, printing, textiles, line and tone, colour, patter and texture, shape, space and form and clay work.
• Study famous artists and art from other cultures.
Music
• Continue to develop listening skills, pulse and rhythm, pitch.
• Explore sound. Use of sound for description, feeling, movement, effect, atmosphere.
• Explore rhythm patterns and their use in accompaniment.
• Learn a wide variety of songs, sometimes topic-related.
• Pay attention to important singing techniques such as good breath control.
• Explore the use of symbols to represent sounds.
Physical Education
Gymnastics
• Refine taking weight on different body parts, balancing and landing confidently.
• Develop linking actions, jumps, rolls, balances, and sequences.
Swimming
• Refine stroke work and developing butterfly and develop racing starts, turns and finishes.
• Perform survival skills and be awake of water dangers.
Dance
• Plan and perform a series of actions showing expressive qualities and change in use of space.
Athletics
• Improve own performance and acquire measuring and recording skills.
• Develop pace and judgement in running and increase accuracy and distance in jumping and throwing.
Outdoor Pursuits
• Develop orientation and map work in a familiar environment.
• Experience adventure, hunt, touch, voice and signal activities.
Games
• Experience invasion games, net games, and striking in small-sided games.
• Increase control of actions, running, dodging and passing within a limited space.