Year 3 Spring 2024-25

SPRING TERM January 2025

I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas break and is looking forward to the start of the Spring term in Year 3.  We want to make sure that you are fully informed so please come and ask if you have any questions or queries or jot something down in the Reading Record. Remember your child needs to bring it into school every day so that messages can be acted upon and reading checked.

 

  • This term our topic is 'Incredible India.'
  • If you would be interested in offering assistance with other aspects of the curriculum, please contact the school office for further information.

How to help your child in Year 3:

  • Support your child with daily reading and encourage them by ticking that you have heard/seen them read in their home school book. Don’t forget to add a comment yourself.
  • Home School books to come into school every day, please.
  • Spellings can be practised using the Spelling Shed website without the app.
  • It is also very helpful if you can practice the x3, x4, and x8 times tables. Your child we bring home a password for Times table Rockstars.

English: Rickshaw Girl

Our first unit this term is a narrative text called 'Rickshaw Girl' by Mitali Perkins. 

The moving and critically acclaimed story of a young, artistic Bangladeshi girl who bravely defies tradition in order to support her family through hard times

Naima is a talented painter of traditional alpana patterns, which Bangladeshi women and girls paint on their houses for special celebrations. But Naima is not satisfied just painting alpana. She wants to help earn money for her family, like her best friend, Saleem, does for his family.

When Naima's rash effort to help puts her family deeper in debt, she draws on her resourceful nature and her talents to bravely save the day.

In our first session we will look at the front cover and the blurb. We will use our own knowledge to write down:

 

What I know

What I think will happen

Questions about the story

 

Watch the author read the 1st chapter in the video below.

Guided Reading: Tiger Boy

In Guided Reading this half term we will be looking at the narrative text 'Tiger Boy'. The author Mitali Perkins also wrote our other class reader 'Rickshaw Girl.'
 

"One of the new tiger cubs has escaped from the reserve!"

When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel's island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub's anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching - he wants to sell the cub's body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.

The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel's preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn't mind - he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.

But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future. 

Watch the author Mitali Perkins read the first chapter of Tiger Boy.

Maths:

Following our Power Maths scheme, we will be continuing with multiplying by 4 and 8 and dividing by 8. We will be problem-solving using multiplication and division and understanding divisibility. After that, we will be looking at multiples of 10, related calculations, and multiplying 2 digits by 1 digit before looking at the expanded written method.

You can watch a short 'how to' guide providing information on how you can help your child understand multiplication.

Times tables:

Year 3 will be learning about the x3, x4, and x8 times.  Your child should have learned the x2, x5, and x10 times tables in Key Stage 1. To help your child become more fluent with their times-tables they have a password for the Times table Rockstars app.
 

Videos to help your child learn their x3, x4, and x8 times table can be watched below. Try them out.

Science: Light and Shadow

In Science this term we will be learning about Light and Shadows. We will be recognising that we need light in order to see things and that dark is the absence of light, We will also find out that light is reflected from surfaces. Year 3 will recognise that shadows are formed when the light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. Finally, we will find patterns in the way that the size of shadows changes. 
 
Find out more about light and shadows by watching Dr Binocs below:

Art: Types of Indian Art

In art, we will be looking at and creating different types of Indian art. We will start off by sketching and copying Madhubani Indian paintings. After that we will describe the colours and patterns used in the Hastimangala festival and then decorate paper elephants. Then we will explore Mehndi art and then create our own symmetrical patterns. Later on the children will learn about the technique of Indian block printing and make our own block printing stamps. Finally year 3 will look at examples of rangoli patterns and create their own outside using chalk.

Music:

In Music, the children will  be introduced to traditional Indian music and instruments. We will learn to play a rag, add a drone to our composition. Finally, performing Anile vaa. 

French
 
In French in children will learn how to say 'Please May I have?'. We will find out the importance of determiners and preferences: To use the definite article . We will learn to say 'What colour is it?' as well as describing 'What Did He Eat?' Before finally considering where to place adjectives appropriately and use a range of grammar. 

Geography: Incredible India

In Geography we will be investigating India. Year 3 will explore India and where it is in the world. Then we will explore the mountain ranges found in India. Next we will find out about some of the major rivers in India. After that the class will explore the human and physical features of cities in India. Then we will investigate India's culture and its influence on other countries. Finally we will compare India to the United Kingdom.

 History: The Indus Valley Civilisation

After half term, we will be learning about the Indus Valley Civilisation in Ancient India. We will locate Indus Valley cities and settlements.  Then we will find out about city planning. After that, we will learn about the civilisations trade and crafts. Next year 3 will explore the technology used by the Indus Valley people. Finally we will find out about the decline of the Indus Valley civilisation.

 

Watch the BBC Bitesize video to find out a little about life in the Indus Valley.

Design Technology: The Great Indian Bake Off

 After half term, we will be making our own naan bread. First, we will be finding out about naan bread. Then we will be evaluating existing products by tasting different Indian flatbreads. After that, we will come up with design criteria for our naans and think about how we will shape them. Next, we will design the Indian flatbread and write instructions. Finally, we will bake the naans and evaluate them.  Yum!

 

Watch an example of how to make naan using a pan in the video below:

Computing: Touch Typing

We will be using Purple Mash to improve our touch typing using 2Type. Typing, as with handwriting, needs regular practice, and although the unit will give the children a basic understanding regular and consistent practice is needed over the next 4 years to ensure typing skills develop. Watch the Purple Mash video below.

 

We will also continue to learn about how to stay safe online. Parents and carers play a key role in supporting children to learn about how to stay safe online.  

 

o   Have ongoing conversations with your children about staying safe online

o   Use safety tools on social networks and other online services,

o   Decide if you want to use parental controls on your home internet

o   Check out - http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/ for more advice

Religious Education: Hinduism 

In R.E. this half term we will be asking: Why do Hindus want to collect good Karma?' Year 3 will learn about the following:

1. Engage with the idea of ‘karma’ through a game.

2. Enquire why karma is important to Hindus.

3. Explore Hindu ideas of Karma and Samsara through Hindu stories and texts.

4. Explore why Hindus encourage good ‘karma’ through Hindu Community action.

5. Explore the Hindu belief in ‘karma’ through the Hindu daily life

6. Evaluate our RE learning about how karma impacts a Hindu’s life.

 



PSHE: Managing Safety and Risk

In the first half term, we will be managing safety and risk. Year 3 will look at the following:

1. Identify physical, social, and emotional risks.

2. Understand that pressure to act in a risky way might come from people they know.

3. State possible physical and mental reactions to different risks.

4. Develop a range of strategies to aid decision-making in risky situations.

5. To know some ways to reduce risk in a variety of situations.

6. To recognise some of the causes of accidents and ways to prevent them.

Watch the video of Rosie Reverie Engineer to see how she manages risk.

PE: Real PE

This Spring term we will be continuing with the 'real PE' scheme. 

 

Spring units: 

 

Unit 3 with focus on Cognitive Skills with Dynamic Balance - On a line, and Coordination - Ball Skills

Unit 4 will focus on Creative Skills with Coordination - Sending and Receiving and Counter Balance - with a Partner