Welcome to Year 4

This term, our learning journey is Tales from the River Bank. In Geography, we will learn about rivers, and the features they have as they travel through the land. We learn that rivers usually start on high ground, where the source is located, and their upper part has dramatic features, such as waterfalls, where water travelling at speed erodes layers of the land. Further downstream, rivers become wider and gentler, but can still erode the land, forming meanders, then wide openings where they meet another river, the sea or ocean, at the River mouth. 

We will learn about Flooding and its effects on daily life, and explore the benefits and disadvantages of building homes in flood planes. 

In Science, we return to the topic of States of Matter, to explore the links between changing temperature, humidity and air movement and weather patterns. We will carry out experiments and comparative tests related to freezing, melting, evaporation. We will then learn how these relate to different weather patterns. 

In English, we will explore two main texts: the atmospheric wordless book Flood by Alvaro El Villa, and Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson. The children will learn the language and features of each book, finally writing a diary from the point of view of a character, then a narrative. 

In Science, we will explore states of matter, especially of Water, and will carry out various investigations related to evaporation, condensation and freezing/melting. 

In DT, we will plan and make a model of a bird hide, hopefully following our trip to a riverside where conservation work and bird life thrive. 

Homework: 

Homework is set on a Friday and is due in on the following Thursday. Homework will usually consist of spellings to be done in the homework book and a Maths task online - either TT Rockstars or Doodle Maths. We expect the homework to be completed in the homework books and to be of the standard completed in school. 

Reading needs to be done at least four times a week.