3/4Elm   Learning Update

Central idea: History has changed the distribution of resources and ideas

On 20th March, 3/4 Elm visited the British Museum to explore artefacts of the Shang Dynasty and other ancient civilisations. Catching the train from Marden to London Charing Cross, then the tube to Tottenham Court Road and a short walk to the Museum, the children behaved impeccably and were a credit to the school and themselves. We enjoyed the artefacts on display from ancient China, then explored other civilisations and dynasties, including the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Saxons and Vikings. It was a lovely day and I hope the children enjoyed themselves.

Our learning in the past week or so has centred on Marden. We have been exploring how Marden has developed from small clearings in the forests of Dark Age Britain to the large village it is today. Map work has been the cornerstone of this learning; examining maps from different periods of time, we have been able to see the developments Marden has undergone, including the railway station built in 1842 and the expansion of houses in more recent times.

In science, Year 3 have been learning about forces and magnets. They conducted an investigation into different surfaces and how they influence the amount of friction created. They used cars and a ramp to measure the distance the car would travel; the further it travelled the less friction there was. They were challenged to make it a fair test by keeping the ramp at the same height and using the same car.