Welcome to Year 3
Summer Term
What an exciting Summer term Apple and Elm have had! During this term, both classes have presented their learning journey - showcasing select pieces of work, which have been completed throughout the year - in their class assemblies. The children did a magnificent job, despite having a few technical glitches, and it was lovely to see so many parents attend.
As part of DT, both Apple and Elm came together to work on creating a bug hotel for the school grounds. This was a lovely practical day of learning which enabled the children to provide a manmade shelter for insects and in turn will hopefully attract beneficial insects. Since its completion, the children have visited the hotel and we are able to report that there are a number of little visitors for the children to observe and identify.
In Science this term, the children have been learning about: how plants are produced; how seeds are dispersed; the need for insects to help pollinate; and how plants adapt to survive. As part of our Science learning, both Apple and Elm visited Abberton Reservoir where the classes were able to transfer their learning into some of the activities, which they took part in. The children also went bug hunting and got to explore, as well as identify, numerous types of insects.
Computing this term had a focus on our Rainforest topic as well as links with English. Each class learnt about the Rainforest in Geography and applied this knowledge by creating a non-chronological report using Windows software on the computer. The children learnt how to safely search the internet for information, which was relevant to the task. In addition, the children were able to apply their current computing skills along with English skills taught that term, to create an interesting Rainforest report.
Spring Term
Spring term has been all about the Stone Age. Children have had a smashing time discovering how historians unearthed details about the Stone Age. Both classes learnt about the fossilisation process, which is a main source of understanding what life on Earth was like millions of years ago. As part of this learning process, both classes got to make their own fossils and excavate them. This helped them to write an explanation text on the fossilisation process as part of their English work before moving on to their Stone Age Girl 2019 stories.
Weaving was a focal point mid-way through the term. This is one of the oldest surviving crafts which dates back to the Stone Age times when branches, twigs, grass were used to make bowls, baskets and shelters. Both classes designed, tested and then made their own miniature cloth.
Hockey, basketball and circuit training have been a blast over the Spring terms with both classes working together, at times, to promote the importance of team work and collaborative learning.
Later in the term, the classes got a feel as to what art in the Stone Age was like. Thanks to historical evidence, such as the Cave of Altamira in Spain, the children were able to explore what art was like during this time period. Both classes, created a number of Stone Age master pieces and they even got to make their own paint from chalk, soil and charcoal!
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Autumn Term
We kicked off the year with a multicultural week (Mexico and Kenya). We studied these different nations looking at what made them special and celebrated their diversity. Both classes studied the similarities and differences between our UK culture and theirs and we realised that although there are many differences there are also a great deal of similarities.
Ancient Greece was our main topic for the first half term and the children thoroughly enjoyed making salt dough maps of Ancient Greece along with Greek vases. Midway through the term the classes worked jointly together on team-building exercises to promote collaborative learning and relationships between Apple and Elm class which we continue to promote as much as possible.
Using the 3G Sports field has been amazing! Netball and football and now hockey have all been taught on this surface to great success whilst inside the classes have enjoyed historical dance and gym.
The Autumn term was a special term for year 3 as we moved into our new classrooms after the half term holidays. Since then we have settled into our rooms and are continuing to create a happy and stimulating environment for the children to work in.
WW1 Remembrance Day was a ‘Blast!’ – We turned the classroom into the trenches by upturning tables and playing a battle soundtrack. The teachers became Sergeant Majors and barked orders (a usual occurrence in Year 3) then the soldiers (children) wrote letters to loved ones. After we survived this, the soldiers retreated to the new dance hall where they took part in a 1920’s dance workshop.
Later in the term, the classes tasted, analysed a variety of different fruit- based smoothies and then they created and made their own. The blended fruit with chilli, was a popular and surprisingly ‘hot’ choice.