Anston Park Junior School

Welcome to the Year 4 webpage

Here, you should find all the information needed about life in Y4.
If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to speak to the class teacher either before or after school.

Alternatively, you can contact school via email: enquiries@anstonparkjuniors.co.uk

Year 4 Teaching Staff:

Mr B. Bradley (4B)

Miss H. Fenton (4F) 

Y4 Teaching Assistants: 

Mrs S. Hutchinson

Mrs K. Bennett

Y4 Long Term Plan 

Below is our long term plan for all subjects. This shows the topics that will we cover across the different half terms. 

Summer 1 Term

Below, you will find more information about the key questions we will be answering this half term across the different subjects. As well as key vocabulary, content and useful links. 

Science

What’s that sound?

During this unit of work, children will learn how vibrations cause sounds and how sounds travel through different mediums at different speeds. They will explore how sounds can change in pitch and loudness and be able to explain this using scientific language. They will develop their scientific skills by planning two fair test investigations to answer the questions: which material is the best at muffling sounds and does the size of the pinnae affect the volume of the sound? Children will also learn what happens to sound vibrations when they reach the ear.

Pupils should be taught to:

• identify how sounds are made, associating some of them with something vibrating
• recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear
• find patterns between the pitch of a sound and features of the object that produced it
• find patterns between the volume of a sound and the strength of the vibrations that produced it
• recognise that sounds get fainter as the distance from the sound source increases.

Key vocabulary:

• Vibrate/vibrations - forward and backward movement of an object (usually rapidly).
• volume - how loud or quiet a sound is.
• pitch - how high or low a sound is.
• pinna - the outer portion of the ear (ear flap).
• cochlea - the sound reception part of the inner ear.
• ear drum - the membrane which collects sound from the pinna and passes it to the inner ear.

Key questions:

• How are sounds made?
• What is a sound vibration?
• What is inside your ear?
• Does the size of the pinna affect the volume of the sound?
• What is pitch and volume?
• Which material is best at muffling sound?

Useful websites:

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zgffr82
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/music--science-ks2-what-is-sound/zbnmhbk
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00122b6/bitesize-daily-79-year-olds-science-89-yearolds-4-sound

 Geography

EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES: How does the Earth shake, rattle and roll?

Our earth is dynamic and ever-changing. In this unit children will explore the dynamism of the earth, learning about its structure, look particularly at the causes and distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes and their effects on landscape and people. They will be introduced to the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’, the most active region on earth, and consider why people choose to live on the flanks of volcanoes and in earthquake zones when both can be life-threatening. They will learn that volcanoes have existed throughout geological time, and that there are several different types. In the Big Finish, the children will make their own erupting volcano!

In this unit, the children will:

• describe and understand the key aspects of volcanoes and earthquakes
• understand that the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes follows a pattern
• be introduced to plate tectonics.
• learn about the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’.

Key question:

• What is happening when the Earth shakes?
• What happens when the Earth rattles and rolls?
• Does the Earth shake, rattle and roll all over?
• How and why do people live where the Earth shakes, rattles and rolls?
• How disastrous have recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions been?
• Can we make a model volcano that erupts?

Key vocabulary:

• core: centre of the Earth; the extremely hot inner core is solid and the outer core is molten
• crust: outer layer of the Earth, which may be continental or oceanic, and consists of solid rock broken into tectonic plates
• mantle: the layer of the Earth beneath the surface, which is semi-molten and very hot
• molten: melted
• USA: the third-largest country in the world by land area

Useful websites:

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zd9cxyc#zv62m39
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z849q6f
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zt9y2p3/revision/2
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z9k496f#zvvv3j6

Art

Sculpture

This unit builds on the 3D modelling unit. The children will have opportunities to investigate a range of materials to create a sculpture.

During this unit, children will:

• Explore and develop ideas on what sculptures are and ways to create a sculpture
• Explore and be influenced by the artists Salvador Dali and Antony Gormley
• Investigate a range of materials used to create sculptures
• Make and construct sculptures considering different methods and materials
• Evaluate existing and their own sculptures

Computing

Learners will develop their understanding of how digital images can be changed and edited, and how they can then be resaved and reused. They will consider the impact that editing images can have and evaluate the effectiveness of their choices.

Key steps:

• Changing digital images - In this lesson, you will introduce learners to the concept of editing images and discuss whether or not editing is ethical. They will go on to explore when we need to rotate and crop an image as well as how to use an image editor to make these changes. Learners will then discuss image composition.
• Recolouring - In this lesson, learners will look at the effect that different colours and filters can have on an image. They will choose appropriate effects to fit a scenario, and explain how they made their choices. They will then edit the images using different effects to suit two different scenarios.
• Cloning - In this lesson, learners will be introduced to the cloning tool and its use in both changing the composition of a photo and photo retouching. They will see how parts of a photo can be removed or duplicated using cloning. Learners will consider what parts of an image can be retouched and learn techniques to make this as unnoticeable as possible. Finally, they will consider when it is necessary to edit photographs in this way.
• Combining - In this lesson, students learn how to use different tools to select areas of an image. Learners then use copy and paste within one image and between two images to produce a combined image. Finally, learners will consider when it’s appropriate to edit an image and discuss some of the ethics around retouching photos.
• Creating - In this lesson, learners will apply all the skills they have learnt in the unit so far. They will start by reviewing some images and considering what makes an image look real or made up. Learners will then plan their own image. They will choose from a selection of images, open them and edit them to create their own project.

French

In the classroom

By the end of this unit pupils will have the knowledge and skills to present both orally and in written form about what they have and do not have in their pencil cases and/or school bag in French. This is a unit that focuses on recycling previously learnt grammar, using it with new vocabulary and a better understanding of the negative form, demonstrating a growing ability to create independent responses.

By the end of this unit we will be able to:

• Recall from memory a selection of nouns and indefinite articles for
• common classroom objects.
• Learn how to use the negative in French.
• Describe what we have and do not have in our pencil case.
• Respond to simple classroom commands.

In this unit the children will learn how to:

• Remember and recall 12 classroom objects with their indefinite article/determiner.
• Replace an indefinite article/determiner with a possessive adjective.
• Say and write what they have and do not have in their pencil case.

Music

Blackbird

Themes: The Beatles, equality and civil rights.

Facts/info: The Beatles helped to reshape Western Pop music in the 1960s and are one of the most successful bands ever. The Beatles had four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In the 1950s and 1960s, slavery had been abolished in America, but racism was still rife and life wasn't equal for African Americans. The civil rights movement – led by Martin Luther King Jr. – challenged this. There was a huge struggle for equality. Lots of dreadful things were going on and people were dying. After reading about this, Paul wrote the song Blackbird about a black woman, in support of the Black Power Movement.

Listen to 5 other songs by The Beatles

• Yellow Submarine
• Hey Jude
• Can’t Buy Me
• Yesterday
• Let It Be

Key vocabulary:

• Pulse – the regular heartbeat of the music; its steady beat.
• Rhythm – long and short sounds or patterns that happen over the pulse.
• Pitch – high and low sounds.
• Tempo – the speed of the music; fast or slow or in-between.
• Dynamics – how loud or quiet the music is.
• Timbre – all instruments, including voices, have a certain sound quality e.g. the trumpet has a very different sound quality to the violin.
• Texture – layers of sound. Layers of sound working together make music very interesting to listen to.
• Structure – every piece of music has a structure e.g. an introduction, verse and chorus ending.
• Notation – the link between sound and symbol.

Vocabulary: Acoustic guitar, percussion, birdsong, civil rights, racism, equality, pentatonic scale, unison, pulse, rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, texture structure, compose, improvise, hook, riff, 3 – Perform & Share melody, solo

Reflections:

What did you like best about this Unit? Why? Was there anything you didn’t enjoy about it? Why? Did you have any strong feelings about it? Were you proud of yourself, happy or annoyed?

As part of our wider curriculum, children can also choose to complete homework from our homework menu (see below). This is optional, however, it will be enjoyable for the children and it will allow them to take their learning further and share it with you at home. Once any tasks have been completed please bring them into school and we will do our best to display as many of them as possible.

We would love to see how creative you can be and display your hard work for all to see.

Reading

Reading is an essential part of the curriculum and opens up many other curriculum areas. We expect children to read at least three times a week at home. Some children may choose to read independently, which is completely fine, but it is also helpful for adults to check children understand the vocabulary within the text and understand the content of what they are reading.   

Times tables

Children need to spend time at home practising their times tables. Children can prepare for the times table challenge and aim to achieve their best times. Don't forget to visit the Times Tables Rock Stars website to help them practise their tables and earn coins to promote their band! It is their challenge this year to top the leader board and help their band to win the Battle of the Bands. 

 https://ttrockstars.com/

Spelling

Look out for the weekly spellings that will be set on Spelling Shed on a Friday – children will practise throughout the week at school. Children have access to Spelling Shed which allows them to practise their assigned weekly spellings.

https://www.edshed.com/en-gb/login 

Another set of important spellings which will inevitably help children with their writing is the Y3/4 Statutory word list. It would be great if children could also spend time practising these. 

Other Useful Information

P.E.

P.E. days are:

4B - Tuesday and Thursday

4F - Tuesday and Thursday

Please ensure that your child brings their P.E. kit in on a Monday and keeps it in school until Friday (when it will be sent home for washing etc). This is very important as sometimes timetables may need to be changed and P.E. sessions may be on alternative days.

Indoor Kit = plain white t-shirt, shorts or tracksuit bottoms and suitable shoes (pumps or trainers)

Outdoor Kit = tracksuit bottoms and warm jacket and shoes suitable for the outdoors (trainers)

 

Please remember that no jewellery should be worn and earrings MUST be removed by children before P.E. Long hair also needs to be tied back.