Year 4

Central idea: Suitability of a place to settle may be determined by people’s knowledge of Earth’s geological features

Year 4 have been continuing their inquiries into our central idea 'Suitability of a place to settle may be determined by people’s knowledge of Earth’s geological features'. As part of this learning, the children have been exploring coal mining through our class text 'Children of the Mine'.  The children have written fantastic poems using a question-and-answer structure to explore ideas about the experiences and challenges of mining life. We have also linked our research on coal mining to our understanding of why cities in the UK have developed in certain locations, and how different industries and economies have grown around these areas. The children have learned about industrial chains and how industries can be grouped into primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.

As well as industries, the children have been learning all about trade and have taken part in a whole year trade game where the children have worked in teams each representing a different country. The children worked together fantastically to make as much money as possible for their team by cutting paper into specific shapes and selling it to a banker. Through this, they learned that trade between countries is not always fair, with some countries having lots of resources and some having very little. Along the way, they discovered real-world inequalities in global trade, while having a huge amount of fun and demonstrating excellent communication and teamwork skills.